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.
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.
—
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).
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.
Mike Agneta
(Amateur) Editor & Tenkara Angler
