OVERVIEW:
When: September 10-13th (Thursday – Sunday)
Where:
Camping – Kuykendall Group Campsite, Brevard, North Carolina
On-Stream Education – Tuxedo Falls in collaboration with Hendersonville Outfitters
Social Hour – TBD in Brevard, NC
Cost: We are currently targeting a registration fee somewhere around $45. Our goal is to keep this as affordable as possible based on turnout!
Educators: Callie Freeman, an Entomologist from South Carolina, Rob Worthing of Tenkara Guides LLC and Oni school instructor, Amanda Hoffner of Heritage Tenkara Project
Based on the Above, Let us Know:
The Purpose
As far as fishing communities go, the tenkara community has been welcoming and inspiring. I have been attending and fishing with tenkara anglers around the USA since 2021 when I first fished with Don Lux in the Western North Carolina mountains. I hadn’t really fished with another angler and I was fishing in the Southern Appalachia for the first time. This first April trip started out because of the Great Smoky Mountains Tenkara Camp Out.
Ever since then, I have been very involved in exploring the tenkara communities and fishing tenkara throughout the states. Currently, I have caught fish in 30 states and am averaging over 3 camp outs/tenkara gatherings per year. I have created a record of who I have fished with, what species I have caught, what states I have fished, and what events I have attended. This has brought to my attention, when compared to the male angler, the lack of women I have had the pleasure of fishing with. Although the meeting and fishing with other lady anglers has been inconsistent, but I have still had the pleasure of meeting women at different tenkara gatherings all over the country.
In fact, getting to host the Tenkara Angler podcast and showcase women who are fishing with a tenkara rod and hosting and participating in tenkara events around the country has helped me see that women are interested in the sport and art of tenkara. This has motivated and inspired me to put on women’s only tenkara gatherings!
About the Event
For the September 10th-13th event, camping for attendees will be at the Kuykendall Group Campground in Brevard, NC. This campground is located on Cathey’s Creek which is home to native brook trout and wild rainbow and brown trout as well. There will be a room rented for classroom education and we will also have stream-side, outside education planned as well as time for DIY fishing the local streams. Maps with access locations for fishing the many streams located in the immediate area will be accessible for attendees. More information will be available about the campground by going to Recreation.gov.
We have also teamed up with Hendersonville Outfitters to be able to gather on their private water at Tuxedo Falls and have some stream side education. This alone will give attendees a true tenkara Appalachian experience. I have already fished this area and taken 8 anglers to this exact stream to teach tenkara and am excited to get the opportunity to take more tenkara anglers to this special area in the Southern Appalachia. There will be time to fish, but what better way to be educated on reading water, bug life, water safety, fish handling, and tenkara basics than actually being on a stream where tenkara shines!
Throughout the long weekend there will be time to fish but there will be a real emphasis on stream-side education. With the real possibility of hurricane and fire season variables during September in Western North Carolina, we are planning to also have a private space for the attendees to stay dry while learning about angling tenkara style!
The Planners
Victoria and Haley have been friends of mine for a few years now and I am thankful for the tenkara happenstance. I met and connected with these two tenkara anglers and stellar humans in North Carolina when I lived in the Charlotte area for three years. Along with these two ladies, Martin Montejano and I, the co-founders of Heritage Tenkara Project, have settled on hosting the first tenkara gathering of its kind; an annual women’s tenkara camp out! This will be a long weekend in September for women to gather and learn about bugs, fishing, tenkara, and vibe amongst the most beautiful local flora and fauna that Western North Carolina has to offer.
The Speakers and Itinerary
For now, we have recruited Callie Freeman, a local PhD Entomologist, Rob Worthing of Tenkara Guides LLC, and I, Amanda Hoffner, to aid in the education of the attendees. There will be information on bug life, reading water, tenkara basics, and simply how to get on the water and fish with a tenkara rod. The goal will be to build confidence while fishing with a tenkara rod.
A little bit about Callie Freeman:
“Callie Freeman (PhD) is a passionate fly angler, dedicated educator and fly casting instructor known for helping anglers build confidence, refine technique, and deepen their understanding of the sport. With a PhD in Entomology and a professional background in science education and public speaking, Callie brings a unique blend of technical knowledge, patience and approachable instruction to every lesson and clinic.”
Callie is also a fly fishing casting instructor certified by the FFI. She is an accomplished angler in her own right and I am excited for her to be helping out at a tenkara gathering! please visit Callie Freeman Fly Fishing for more information on her.
A little bit about Rob Worthing pulled from his latest book “Demon’s Game: The Oni School of Tenkara Fly Fishing”:
“Robert M.C. Worthing, M.D., is a certified fly fishing guide and founding member of Tenkara Guides, LLC. An avid outdoorsman, academic physician, and Navy veteran, he has appeared in a variety of fly fishing magazines, books, television shows, and events at regional, national, and international levels. A devoted member of Team Oni U.S.A., Rob is one of only three students in the United States to earn Masami Sakakibara’s approval to instruct the Oni school of tenkara fly fishing.”
Robert Worthing, in my small opinion, is the most well known name in tenkara in the United States. Just do a simple Google of “Rob Worthing tenkara” or punch that into YouTube and there will be many videos found for anything tenkara related from casting to landing fish and the like. I am ECSTATIC to have his presence at this event.
Together, with the aid of a few local tenkara guides I am recruiting, this long weekend is filling up to be highly educational amongst some influential and overall stellar humans. They have the knowledge and expertise I want to bring to lady anglers to inspire them to get outside and fish with a tenkara rod. I can’t wait to see you all there!!
Please let us know if there is any interested in attending this event in Western North Carolina or would like to see an event like this brought to a local river near you. You can reach out to me via social media @ladytenkarabum or amanda@ladytenkarabum.com for more details or information.
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