This year has been a good year so far for Heritage Tenkara Project tenkara gatherings and events in the Southeastern United States and, more specifically, western North Carolina. There was a partially cancelled tenkara camp out based in the city of Brevard, a tenkara boot camp hosted by Tenkara Tanuki, and, most recently, a weekend of “Tenkara Quest” which was a guided half day trip hosted by Hendersonville Outfitters.
These events have culminated in bringing together new and experienced tenkara anglers in fishing the Pisgah National Forest, other local public lands, and exclusive private land. Also, the events were able to spark a common interest in the participants of fundraising for disaster relief of the area after hurricane Helene and having an overall passion for the conservation and preservation of the Southern Appalachia as a whole.
WNC Camp Out
The tenkara camp out events in southern Appalachia have been happening for years. I first attended one hosted by Tenkara Angler in Bryson City, North Carolina and then attended the next year’s camp out in Elkmont, Tennessee. I was inspired to host a camp out in western North Carolina after I couldn’t attend the one organized by Victoria Smith at the Davidson River Campground in 2024, and using what I learned by volunteering to plan the White Mountains Tenkara Camp Out in New Hampshire three years in a row.
Victoria has been pivotal in hosting tenkara events in western North Carolina and she has become a great friend who is just as passionate about tenkara, conservation, and wildlife as I am. There will even be another tenkara camp out the first weekend in October being held at the Davidson River Campground!
Unfortunately, this year’s Spring camp out attendance and participation was dampened because of several forest fires that popped up and lingered for weeks in April in the upstate of South Carolina and western North Carolina. They basically surrounded the exact area in which the camp out was being held.
Heritage Tenkara Project had rented a group campground for the event and it ended up being a wash in order to keep the attendees safe. Over a dozen tenkara anglers were able to come to the rented room at Ecusta Brewing on Saturday evening and hang out with the locals who tenkara.
I was quite pleased that four primarily Driftless region anglers still took the long trek down and I was able to shake hands with them in person and take them fishing! We even ended up having a little ice cream social before leaving the next morning for home. I think we they were pleased with the fishing, scenery, and nature in western North Carolina. You can checkout some videos on YouTube featuring this event at @tenkaragenki by Jared Willadsen.
Tenkara Boot Camp
Luong Tam of Tenkara Tankui has been hosting a boot camp in the Sierra Mountains in California for years now and I attended his latest one in Bishop, California in 2024. I ended up convincing him to have a boot camp on the east coast and it took place in Brevard, North Carolina in May. My good friend Haley, who I met through Victoria, was my main contact and program organizer as she lives in the area. Haley is another tenkara angler who wears many hats with local organizations and is extremely involved in the close-knit community of Brevard and its surrounding small towns.
I knew I wanted to bring together everyone from the tenkara-curious to the experienced and put together a day and a half of lectures and live demonstrations in the format that Luong uses for his boot camp in California. This was able to be put together only with the help of Haley and her connections within the Brevard community. From the day one venue of the Mary C Jenkins Community Center to the local businesses breakfast and lunches provided and then to the Headwaters Outfitters (Rosman, NC) stream-side demos presented by Robert Worthing, the program went as smoothly as a first time event could have and everyone left more exposed to tenkara and its nuances than before.
Along with the tenkara education from me at Heritage Tenkara Project, Luong of Tenkara Tanuki, and Robert Worthing of Tenkara Guides LLC, local western North Carolina tenkara guides, Ben of Fixed Line Appalachia and Chris of Trout Trails, was able to showcase their small businesses and Native Fish Coalition (NFC) was there to talk about their work for conservation especially since hurricane Helene. With that being said, hundreds of dollars were raised for the local nonprofit “BeLoved Asheville” and NFC via a raffle. It is an honor to donate and gather products from local businesses and my own personal stash of brook trout and tenkara gear to raise money for local conservation. I think the tenkara community is one that has the values and passion for its local resources to be a force in the conservation equation since we spend so much time exploring and fishing such intimate parts of the forest and land.
The following is some feedback from the participants:
“Rob Worthing is such a thoughtful, skilled and experienced angler…”
“Tenkara Camp exceeded my expectations! Great tips and insights on all aspects of fishing tenkara from the experts. In addition to the class, there was plenty of time to share stories and learn from the staff and participants. Definitely worth attending!!”
Tenkara Quest
Most recently, in the middle of June, Hendersonville Outfitters of Hendersonville, North Carolina invited Heritage Tenkara Project to teach tenkara on their private waters at Tuxedo Falls. It took two weeks to sell the 8 tickets which put 4 people each day on the water for half day guided trips. Tickets were $200 each and included a private, true southern Appalachian fishing experience. The water is surrounded by rhododendron and was flowing pretty well on this particular weekend.
The fishery at Tuxedo Falls is managed by David at Hendersonville Outfitters and has stocked fish along with wild rainbows and brown trout. The attendees drove from up to 6 hours away to participate in the guided trip and thankfully rated the event 5 out of 5 stars! I look forward to future events at this property with David.
The following are some quotes from the participants:
“Amanda is a phenomenal tenkara angling professional. She is knowledgeable, patient, and passionate. She has a clear way of explaining both the art and technique of tenkara, making the experience approachable for beginners while still offering valuable insights for more experienced anglers. Her contagious enthusiasm helped set at ease any hesitations I had about beginning my tenkara journey.” – Tara of Georgia
“Amanda was a great instructor, very personable, her passion for the sport really showed. I had never fished tenkara before and her teaching style has set me up to be confident on my own on the water. Highly recommend her to anyone who wants to learn about tenkara fishing.” – Anonymous
“As someone new to tenkara and fly fishing in general I was very concerned that the class would start somewhere above my knowledge and skill level, but that wasn’t the case. Both Amanda and Dave were great.” – Anonymous
“Amanda was an incredibly patient teacher. I walked away with confidence in my casting and better understanding in how to read and react to the water. Would absolutely recommend to anyone considering joining a class!” – Andy of Apex, NC
Just the Beginning
Overall, the events hosted by Heritage Tenkara Project have given me a drive to continue bringing tenkara to communities around the US. I look forward to taking my new knowledge of hosting events and the input I received from participants and attendees of each event to use in the future events that we host.
I want to send a heartfelt “thank you” to the tenkara community, all that attended these events, and those who helped make them happen/be successful. Especially shouting out Victoria and Haley, I have made and met some wonderful people and tenkara anglers that put their hearts and souls into the area.
Also, several hundred dollars towards conservation efforts for the local area was raised over these past few months and, to me, that is the best part of bringing all of us tenkara anglers together. These events will only continue to grow in enthusiasm and participation and I cannot wait to see that happen and be a part of it. Please subscribe to the heritagetenkaraproject.com newsletters and be informed on future events around the country. I surely have a hard time staying in one place.
I am looking forward to seeing you all outside in the wild and at local tenkara community events. I have a feeling that this was just the first year for annual tenkara events in western North Carolina. See you on the streams!
Are you interested in organizing or hosting a tenkara-themed gathering in your area. Check out this Tenkara Lifestyles article about how easy it can be. Should you take the leap, let us know, we’ll list it on our Events page!
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