Magazine – TENKARA ANGLER

Best of Tenkara Angler: Warm Water Fixed-Line Mashup Issue

So if there’s one thing I learned when it came to reviewing the results of the Tenkara Angler reader survey, it was that a large majority of you want to see more “warm water” content – for bass, panfish, carp, etc… So with that noted, I’m happy to present:

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Figured this would be a good time to publish this warm water fixed-line companion piece. Over 80 pages in all.

As always, Tenkara Angler is best viewed through the Issuu e-reader or app. However, physical print copies or PDF downloads can be purchased in our Blurb store.

Some background: I was already planning on putting together some “Best Of” re-issues of the magazine, essentially combining similarly themed articles from prior releases into one consolidated issue. These allow newer readers to catch up on some previously published content without going through each and every back-issue, as well as let older readers re-discover some articles that may have new meaning.

If you find these “Best Of” issues interesting, I’ll happily put together other curated issues of Tenkara Angler over time, as topics such as DIY/fly tying, techniques, essays, and Japan all feel like natural extensions of this theme.

One minor disclaimer, this issue consists of articles literally “ripped” from prior issues of Tenkara Angler, so it’s a bit less refined than a normal issue of the magazine. (Examples being the absence of a “From the Editor” section, the page numbers at the bottom of each page make absolutely no sense at all, inconsistent fonts, and there’s even an ad for a 2017 tenkara event).

Also, in the interest of reducing cost some, should you want to purchase physical copy of a “Best Of” issue, they will be printed on Standard stock, not the typical Premium stock. Still a great option, just not quite a thick a page or glossy photo.

I hope you enjoy the warm water fixed-line mashup issue of Tenkara Angler!

Spring 2019 Call For Submissions & Early Reader Survey Results

Hello tenkara community! I wanted to take the opportunity today to announce that the submission period for the Spring 2019 issue of Tenkara Angler is officially open.

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While it’s never technically closed, I like to make these posts about a month prior to the deadline, in this case March 8th, 2019.

As always, this issue should reflect the interests of the tenkara community at large, so as long as the content is tenkara, fixed-line, or conservation themed, all is fair game.

Submissions can be sent to mike@tenkaraangler.com, and more information on the submission process can be found HERE.

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In a related aside, I thought I’d share some early results from our first reader survey, (the form is HERE if you haven’t participated yet… or even thought up something new to add). I asked a few short questions, most open-ended, and got some interesting early feedback… the highlights of which are below:

What topics/subjects would you like explored in future issues of Tenkara Angler magazine?

The responses were very wide in scope. The most commonly repeated were to publish more information on warm water (and even salt water) species such as bass and panfish. Streamer & nymph techniques, more examples of “big fish” tenkara such as salmon were also very popular asks. There were multiple requests for conservation, human interest, destination fishing, gear reviews, and DIY features as well.

There were only a few asks for more trout features or coverage of what anglers are doing in Japan, but they were noted as well.

What brands (tenkara or general fly fishing) would you like to see advertised in Tenkara Angler magazine?

Not many people seemed to care about the advertisements (which I probably shouldn’t disclose should I try to sell some in the future!!!). Brands that were requested multiple times were Tenkara USA, Discover Tenkara, and Yonah Packs. General, but non-specific asks included more Japanese tenkara rod and gear brands. I happened to like the suggestion to advertise local breweries… perhaps something to ponder in tandem with destination articles.

Would you be interested in listening to a Tenkara Angler podcast featuring the various contributors? (Answers limited to Yes, No, or N/A – I don’t listen to podcasts).

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Well, it seems like those that listen to podcasts would want one from Tenkara Angler, one person commenting that the other tenkara-themed podcasts haven’t published any new episodes in a long time. That said, almost 30% of respondents don’t listen to podcasts.

Do you have any general feedback on Tenkara Angler magazine?

As one might expect, the answers were extremely varied, but I wanted to thank all the people who complimented the magazine as currently constructed. A lot of goodwill was passed along, and I’m not going to lie, it really made my day.

Other than that, I think I noticed two themes. The first, is no more exploration on “what is or is not tenkara.” I believe somebody referred to the debate as “tired and dumb.” The second was to have more features (perhaps one per issue) of “how to” for beginners. I think both are more than valid points.

In closing, I’ll reprint one comment almost word for word, I assume from a prior contributor, “I think it’s time for some of the “old timers” like myself to not hog the stage. I like seeing new perspectives and ideas… It’s time to go find new voices.”

I’ll certainly try my best to recruit “new voices,” but tenkara community, I’ll also need your help. If you know any creative or expressive-types that are into tenkara, perhaps a fishing buddy, please share the magazine and website and send them my way; I’d really love to bring more people into the Tenkara Angler family.

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Mike Agneta
(Amateur) Editor & Tenkara Angler

The Winter 2018-19 Issue of Tenkara Angler is Now Live!

I’m happy to announce that the Winter 2018-19 issue of Tenkara Angler magazine is (finally) live!

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It took way too much time for me to cobble together between the holidays, work, and assorted seasonal illnesses, but it’s done and I think it came out damn good.

The contributions were fantastic with some really stellar opinion pieces from Jay Johnson, Dennis Vander Houwen, an interview with Jason Sparks from Adam Trahan, essays from Mike Hepner, Adam Klagsbrun, Melissa Alcorn, Paul Vertrees, and Michael Richardson, fly tying info from Robb Chunco and Mark White, conservation pieces from Brad Trumbo and Craig Springer, art from Anthony Naples and Jim Tignor, photo entries from Paul Pigeon, Jason Hammond, and Shigeki Miura, and “Brookies & Beer” from John-Paul Povilaitis!

That’s a lot of free content, and I think you’ll really like what you find inside.

As usual, the Winter issue will be available as an e-magazine over at Issuu, HERE.

And also available for sale as a physical magazine and PDF download in the Blurb bookstore, HERE.

Enjoy!

3 Week Submission Warning: Tenkara Angler Winter 2018-19 Issue

Figured I’d drop a quick note to everybody to remind them that the deadline to contribute submissions to the Winter 2018-19 issue of Tenkara Angler is only 3 weeks away!

Typically, I’ll wait until 2 weeks to send out a message, but with the holiday season here, I know it’s a hectic (although enjoyable) one for everyone, so figured it was best to be a little proactive.

A reminder, the themes for the Winter issue are traditional tenkara and/or tenkara art. More details can be found here.

If any inspiration is needed, I’m going to begin to re-publish all of the great articles from the Winter 2016-17 issue of Tenkara Angler to the blog as standalone posts over the next 3 weeks. They should serve as both an idea generation tool, but are also a great opportunity to revisit some top notch and still very relevant content from two years ago.

And if you’re new to Tenkara Angler, make sure to subscribe by email (check the left-hand side of the page for the box to enter your address) to be notified of new posts and content.

Call For Submissions: Tenkara Angler Winter 2018-19 Issue

Tenkara Angler Winter 2018-19

With this post, I’d like to officially make the “call for submissions” for the Winter 2018-19 issue of Tenkara Angler magazine. The deadline for content will be Friday, December 7th, 2018, with the target publication date either in late December or early January.

As usual, more details can be found here:
https://tenkaraangler.com/submission-guidelines/

The theme of this quarter’s issue will focus on two areas: traditional tenkara and/or tenkara art.

So let’s dig out some stories about your adventures in high gradient, headwater streams in search of native trout… possibly your favorite kebari or wet fly tying recipe… some details of coldwater conservation efforts from your home waters… or a photograph, sketch, painting, or even poem that’s tenkara-themed; involving any combination of mountains, forest, & fish.

Please don’t misinterpret this quarter’s theme as a knock against fixed-line fly fishing techniques, such as bead-head nymphs & streamers, or even an indictment of warm water species such as bass, carp, or bluegill. Please continue to send in your stories of those subjects, I’d simply like to try and curate and focus an issue for the winter months that mostly pivots back toward the core of tenkara technique, not a tenkara rod as a tool. Hopefully, that small ask will not sour either the readers or content creators toward the upcoming Winter issue.

As always, I’m extremely humbled and thankful for all of the participation in and support behind Tenkara Angler magazine. We have a wonderful community of tenkara & fixed-line anglers, one I feel fortunate to play a small role in celebrating.

Mike Agneta
Editor, Tenkara Angler

20180505_143958 (1) — Photo: Bryan Trantham

The Fall 2018 Issue of Tenkara Angler Is Now Live!

It’s my pleasure to announce that the Fall 2018 Issue of Tenkara Angler magazine is now live!

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One of the challenges/themes for the contributors in this issue was to provide the readers with some tenkara lifestyle stories. Not necessarily “how-tos” but rather accounts of experiences, outings, and adventures. The essays from Brad Trumbo, Keith Anderson, Brittany Aae, Mike Hepner, & Nick Pavlovski certainly do not disappoint.

Now we didn’t neglect other subjects, such as kebari (flies), gear, interviews, tactics, warm water fixed-line fly fishing, conservation, and destination. The article about tenkara in Hokkaido, Japan by the founder of Tenkara USA, Daniel Galhardo is excellent.

As usual, the Fall issue will be available as a free e-magazine over at Issuu, HERE.

And also available for sale as a physical magazine and PDF download in the Blurb bookstore, HERE.

Enjoy!

Fall 2018 Issue: Call For Submissions

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Admittedly, the Tenkara Angler blog has been a little bit quiet since the Summer issue went to print. We’ve just been enjoying the summer so much, who has had time to write?

So, today we’ll “officially” open up the Fall 2018 issue for submissions (although it’s really never officially closed).

Personally, I’d really love to see some more long-form essays, as I’m certain you’ve all had a lot of great Spring & Summer adventures, tenkara rods in-hand. Maybe it was that long camping weekend with family & friends… perhaps you did a fish & bike trip… caught a new species of trout… or even visited one of our National Parks.

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As always, any and all topics are fair game – fishing reports, gear reviews or releases, destination travel, essays, poetry, fiction, photography, art, whatever – as long as it’s tenkara, fixed-line fly fishing, or conservation related.

Similar to prior issues, the tenkara community will craft the contents of the issue.

(And don’t forget, if you are a company that submits content, please don’t hesitate to also submit an ad for your services; inclusion is the least I can do).

If you are interested in contributing, I’ve outlined some simple parameters for content submission HERE.

The deadline for content submission will be September 7th, 2018 (give or take a few days), with the target publishing date toward the end of that same month.

EDITORS NOTE:
Since things have been a little slow on the website, I’m going to begin to re-publish all of the great articles from the Fall 2016 issue of Tenkara Angler to the blog as standalone posts. Not only will they be a great opportunity to revisit some top notch content from two years ago, but they may also serve as inspiration for future articles as well.

Make sure to subscribe by email (check the left-hand side of the page for the box to enter your address) to be notified of new posts and content.