Let me preface this with that I have nothing against bass fishing and the good people that pursue the Largemouth Bass. They are a worthy fish and a challenge to catch. So, there I was, standing in the middle of this entire bass fishing gear menagerie at the Bass Pro Shops, when I had a Tenkara epiphany. Sometimes you can’t control when or where these moments hit you. I realized that Tenkara is a really simple method of fishing and that I know now why I have embraced Tenkara as my preferred method of fishing. What was I doing in this section of the Bass Pro Shop in the first place? I was looking for small metal split rings used in lure making for my wife to use in her jewelry that she makes. I figured that these small split rings used for lures would be of sufficient strength for use in her jewelry since they are strong enough to hold a hook to a lure with a large, struggling fish attached to it.
I was looking through aisle after aisle of plastic worms, plastic lizards, frogs, spinner baits, crank baits, jerk baits, spinners, jigs, spoons, casting rods, spinning rods, monofilament lines, and braided lines. I realized how complicated and expensive bass fishing can be. And that doesn’t even include a bass boat to get you out on the lake., which can go up to $70,000 with live well, electric trolling motor, 3-D color- side scanning sonar to find the fish, and a 250 HP engine to get you there first. The sophistication and technology that has evolved around the sport of bass fishing is amazing.
Do you know that some plastic baits are coffee scented? Since when do bass know what coffee is and do some bass insist on decaf? Does a bass prefer strawberry, watermelon, raspberry, or blueberry flavored 14 inch plastic worms or it does depend on which fruit is currently in season? There is just so much equipment when it comes to modern bass fishing that it makes my mind just spin round and round. There’s just too much stuff between you and the fish. There is no connection to what you’re doing.
Thank goodness that I found Tenkara. With just a rod, line, and fly I can catch trout, bluegill, crappie, and carp if I am daring enough along with many other fishes. I can even catch bass. It doesn’t even matter which fly I use. Presentation is the key to catching fish using Tenkara. I don’t have to think about hard plastics, soft plastics, buzz baits, crack baits, or anything else. I have to be “In the Moment”, observing what is going on around me and in the water. I have to be able to read the water to know where the fish are holding so I can precisely present my fly to the fish. Using my Tenkara rod, I feel that I have a direct connection to the fish through only the rod and line and I am more in tune with nature, which renews the spirit and soul. My Grand-dad once told me, “You can’t worry and fish at the same time.” This is so true with Tenkara.
I never did find the small split rings.