How Did I Get Here?

Article by Paul (PJ) Stevko

How did I get here, writing an article for Tenkara Angler magazine? My adventure into tenkara fishing begins with a helicopter, an injured PCT hiker and a wizard with a fish wand!

Without going into too many details, I was introduced to this technique of fishing from a stranger high up in the Sierras while assisting an injured hiker get flown out of the wilderness. While waiting for the patient and medic to arrive back at the helicopter I watched a guy pull out a small stick from his backpack and proceed to land fish after fish from this tiny creek next to our landing zone. I love most types of fishing, so naturally I had to go see what was going on.

This gentleman showed me the rod and explained all about this style of fishing and even let me give it a try. After two casts I pulled a small trout of the tiny stream, and I was hooked! From that first fish landed on the stranger’s rod, tenkara was all I could think about. I instantly saw the benefits of tenkara over the western fly fishing I was used to. That night I ordered my first tenkara pocket rod.

I ordered a cheap “no-name” brand so in case it broke I wouldn’t be too upset. I fished that first rod three weekends in a row catching multiple rainbows and brook trout out of a local creek. It’s hard to deny the effectiveness of fixed line fishing in the creeks, streams and rivers of California when even a newbie can go out and catch 20 plus fish in a few hours. It makes catching small stream/creek trout fun again.

As with most things I’ve jumped headfirst into the world of tenkara fishing. I already purchased a second rod, ordered a Zimmerbuilt custom fanny pack, made fish counting beads, and spent hours reading and researching all things tenkara. I love the simplicity of this style of fishing as it compares to the other types of fishing I do as well. It only takes a rod and a fanny pack full of lines and flies and I’m good to go for several hours!

That’s my origin story, what’s yours? How did you discover the magic of tenkara?

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PJ Stevko is a husband, dog dad, and avid fisherman living in Three Rivers, California just outside Sequoia National Park. Follow his fishing adventures on Instagram: @hooklineandstevko

This article originally appeared in the 2026 print issue of Tenkara Angler magazine.

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