Winter and Tenkara Fly Fishing: A Perfect Match
Article by Mike Garrison
My goal in this article is to present a guide for winter tenkara fly fishing that will help newer anglers enjoy one of my favorite times of the year to fly fish. Perhaps, I can also entice some grizzled veterans to venture out of their warm homes instead of hunkering down at the tying bench.
I love tenkara and I really, really love it in the winter. I can prove it to you in one word – Gloves! That’s right, the major advantage of tenkara in the winter is that you don’t have to mess with the reel and line. Later on I will share with you the gloves I use and attempt to remember who to give credit to (Tom Davis looking at you my friend).
I have been back fly fishing for almost two years now after taking almost 20 years off after the extremely premature birth of my son and the years of surgeries and diagnosis that drove me into a survival mode. Luckily, I was brought back to fly fishing by a client and quickly discovered tenkara and my mental health sky rocketed upwards. I own a couple of small coaching/consulting companies and this allows me to have a degree of flexibility in my schedule and I am usually able to get out on a river/creek at least once per week, if not more. After being away from fly fishing for so long, I am determined to get as much time as possible fishing without compromising my work or my family.
As a direct result of discovering tenkara and subsequently tenkara Angler, I started to see some articles about winter fly fishing with tenkara rods and I was intrigued. Before this, I was a dry fly guy and definitely a fair weather fisherman. I distinctly remember reading an article about a guy tenkara fly fishing in Maryland on the Gunpowder River and I was ‘hooked’. Winter Solitude – Tenkara on the Gunpowder.
Let’s Break it Down
I am going to assume that you have some skill or awareness of the basics of tenkara fly fishing. If not, stop here and check out some of the great articles and videos that Tenkara Angler has already written. You will get a great introduction to the basics and meet a lot of the ‘cast of characters’ of this beautiful subset of the fly fishing community.
Tactics: It’s winter
It’s winter and it’s all about what kind of water you are fishing. I am very fortunate to be located in Roanoke, Virginia. We have all kinds of water around us and when it comes to my favorite trout, we have both freestone and tailwaters to fish year round.
In winter the freestone creeks are generally reserved by me for unseasonably warm stretches where I am confident that: (a) there will be less ice and (b) the trout will be more metabolically active. There are few things more fun for me than fishing small mountain creeks with kebari. This is, of course, rare in the winter but when it is possible that is where I will be.
However, the tailwaters are where I spend most of my time in the winter for several reasons:
In tailwater fisheries the water stays a relatively consistent temperature year round (when it’s really hot or cold I am generally fishing on a tailwater) and that means the trout stay reasonably active year round. I have had some very nice days on one of the several tailwaters I fish within an hour or so of my house in the winter (30+ fish days) without ever seeing another angler.
The warmer water makes for more comfortable and generally safer wading (depending upon current) and allows me to be in the water longer before heading to the bank to stamp my feet and drink a hot beverage from my thermos. I have had days where the air temperature was at or below freezing and I was comfortable in hip deep water in the 50’s.
My general tactic in the winter is contact nymphing and there are few better systems than the right type of tenakra rod and line. Usually, I am fishing a 12-13’ rod with a faster action for better hooksets under the water as I will be fishing at least one nymph often 2’ or below the surface. The ‘stronger’ rod allows for faster and more secure hooksets especially if I am fishing a longer line and/or one that is designed to sink into deeper pools and runs.
If your cast is good, you can easily fish a two nymph rig (usually an egg on the bottom with a smaller nymph on the tag). Often, I will use just a single nymph and (sacrilege) sometimes add a small split shot so that I can get a better dead drift. If you want to see some great videos of winter tailwater fishing all you need to do is go to Tom Davis’s Teton Tenkara YouTube channel. It’s all there.
There are also a bunch of great articles about winter tenkara on Tenkara Angler (it is where I got started) too.
Gear: Rods, lines, packs and flies for winter (generally speaking)
Rods, my current weapons of choice (future purchases in parentheses):
- Nissin Zerosum 360 7:3 – super light and super powerful. Zero (lol) problems fishing any line and any nymph setup
- Riverworks ZX4 Pro 13’ – one of the most accurate and deadly weapons for my contact nymphing. It is heavier so I rarely fish it for an entire day, but with two nymphs it is unbelievably sensitive and I get awesome hooksets
- Tanuki Shinobi Traditional* – practically the same as the Riverworks, but with a foam handle that I find more comfortable with my smaller hands
- Tenkara Bum 36 – a great choice for contact nymphing and one of Tom Davis’s favorite all rounders
- Dragontail Kokoro 360 – Mid August arrival and testing it for nymphing as we speak
*note: if you happen to click through to the Tenkara Tanuki store using the link above you can use the coupon code TENKARANGLER to save 5%
Lines:
- Fluorocarbon Level lines – usually #3 and above to be able to handle larger flies and nymphs
- Furled lines designed for sinking – I got a few from DRAGONtail Tenkara last year and they were amazing for deep runs.
- PVC/Nylon lines – I have some from Zen Tenkara, DRAGONtail and Tenkara Talk (Jason Klass) and use them a lot and especially in higher winds.
Packs:
Waterproof is a must. Worst case scenario use dry bags. I prefer submersible backpacks to be able to carry safety gear (see below). I have had all of them and currently prefer the Simms Dry Creek. Not too big, does a really good job of securing tenkara rods in its side pouch with compression strap. I connect my Zimmerbuilt or Umpqua Overlook chest pack to it and have a great winter system.
Flies:
- Nymphs – Eggs, worms, small jig streamers and euro style nymphs that ride hook up. I am usually fishing lower in the water column in the winter than any other time of the year and will even use a drop shot system in some of the ‘slimier’ tailwaters
- Kebari – I have some pretty cool bead head Kebari that Tom Davis and Dre Fornasiero have tied up for me. And of course tons of unweighted Kebari for those rare warm days. Note: Check out this tying post and video from Tom Davis – Bead Head Peacock Futsu Kebari – Tying Tutorial
- Dry Flies – almost exclusively midge patterns (Griffiths) and some stone flies if I see them hatching.
Clothing: Stay warm and dry
Above: Wool Neck Gaiter, Filson Wool Cap, Rockfish rubber gloves, First Lite wool gloves. Skwala 300 Wool hoodie (the best thing I own)
- Waders – I highly recommend a good pair of zip front waders to make getting in and out of them easier (and faster) when it is freezing cold and for taking care of other essential tasks during the day.
- Wading boots – studded 100% of the time. Not falling into the water, or slipping on ice, is a vital safety issue in the winter and traction is king.
- Waterproof jacket – I have an Orvis Ultralight wading jacket that folds up small to bring along for wind/rain. If it is blowing I start with the jacket on to keep myself warm
- Wading staff – I have several and currently prefer a collapsible hiking staff.
- Layers – wool or synthetic. I have been using Skwala and First Lite wool base layers and love them. I also have mid layers, the best being an Orvis HD wading pant (very warm) and a Simms synthetic hoody.
- Vest – super versatile and I use an Orvis synthetic one that I can take on and off easily
- Socks – Heavyweight with lots of wool. I use the Darn Tough knee high socks and find that makes a huge difference over calf length. I also use a lightweight liner sock under it
- Gloves – liner gloves (I like the merino wool fingerless ones from First Lite), and I use a super cheap pair of rubber gloves lined with fleece. They are less than $30 per pair and I buy them 4 pairs at a time. Always, and I mean Always, bring an extra pair!
- Hat – Wool cap over a baseball cap. I like the ones from First Lite and bring a spare
- Rescue Jacket – If you are going a fair distance from your car I highly recommend packing in a waterproof stuff sack a down parka/hoody. Super light and compressible and if you take a swim… might be a lifesaver.
Safety: Take your time
- I pack a Jet Boil stove and bring it with me for longer days on the water. It is almost heavenly to sit down at lunch and make a fresh cup of coffee (French press ftw). Additionally, if you get wet, a warm drink can really help you get warmed back up.
- Handwarmers – bring them and use them. I pack a few and will use them for my hands and feet
- Emergency blanket – takes up no room
- Change of clothes and a towel
- Some form of satellite communication – Garmin InTouch for example
Fun: Catch a lot of fish without the crowds
You will have solitude (and side eye from other anglers). Few things are more revealing to me about someone’s commitment to fly fishing than the winter. There is a pretty solid challenge in the pain associated with it. My friend Dom talks about this in an article on Troutbitten saying ‘something always has to hurt’. For me (and I suspect the happy few that also venture out in the cold), I get amazing mental health benefits from getting out on the water in the winter. I don’t do well with all the indoor time during the winter and other than walking, don’t really have the joints to do many other winter activities.
You will have a different experience than during warmer weather. There is a challenge with fishing successfully and safely during the winter and when you overcome that it is a pretty powerful feeling, at once thankful and also confident. Dealing with office work is a lot easier afterwards.
Are you sold on giving winter tenkara a try? I bet some of you aren’t and that is totally cool (get it!). Feel free to ask some questions or provide your additional comments and advice. If you are in the mid-Atlantic region (either residing or traveling) and want to go out together on a nice freezing day contact me directly via Facebook or comment below.
All the best and tight lines,
Mike
P.S. Here are a few other winter tenkara articles
- Winter is a Great Time for Tenkara: Chris Hunt, Hatch Magazine
- Your Guide to Winter Tenkara Fishing: Jen Kugler Hansen, Tenkara USA blog
Mike Garrison’s Links
- Mike’s Blog: Blue Ridge Fly Guy: Exploring Fly Fishing & Life
- Mike’s Instagram: @blueridgeflyguy
- Mike’s Business: Strategic Referral Team
This article originally appeared in the 2025 print issue of Tenkara Angler magazine.
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