If you have read this blog in the past or subscribe to the Zen Newsletter, you know that while I do love traditional tenkara, I also love to push the boundaries of this fixed-line fly fishing method and test its limits. I often find the opportunity to do this in…
Just after the Christmas holiday my husband and I flew down to Baja California, Sur. We were heading there to attend our friend’s wedding vow renewal ceremony and celebrate with them. I had never been on “that side” of Mexico before and thought it was the perfect opportunity to squeeze…
I have, over the years, landed a broad range of species on tenkara rods. Everything from carp to trigger fish. I have been told by many that I probably hold a world record for the most species caught by this method. The challenge has become a bit of an obsession.…
A recent trip to New Orleans was spurred by an AFFTA Confluence taking place there this past October 22nd and 23rd. AFFTA stands for the American Fly Fishing Trade Association which represents the community of fly fishing businesses aligned around the sustainable growth of fly fishing. Its members include…
I am home. Back from my Greenland fishing trip and trying to sort out my final impressions of the adventure, emphasis on adventure. The quick and dirty of the trip is that it wasn’t what I expected or exactly what was described but, in the end, it still turned out…
I’m home from Alaska. It was amazing and never seems to stop offering up glory, wonder and awh. Once again, Rapids Camp Lodge took incredible care of us and Mother Nature was in full cooperation mode as tempuratures were mild and pleasant. The only rain we had was on the…
On July 21st Zen heads for the seventh consecutive year, back to Rapids Camp Lodge in Alaska. This home-away-from home lodge is a place of pure indulgence. They own both a Beaver and an Otter float place plus a jet that picks you up in Anchorage and is part of…
While tenkara is most commonly used for trout fishing in small rivers and creeks, since its incepsion, Zen has always enjoyed pushing the boundaries of the method. We feel that doing this helps us to design better rods as well as improve our understanding of the fixed line method and…
On October 21st I headed out on my very first adventure to Cuba. I was thrilled to travel there. Cuban culture is near and dear to me having lived most of my life in Miami, Florida. The food, the music, the Cuban ethos – it’s filled with warmth and passion.…
Thank goodness that covid is behind us, well mostly. Life is beginning to feel normal again. Businesses and restaurants have re-opened. Masks are no longer required and are only a personal choice. People are free to gather and move about as they wish. Things are basically back to normal except…
Argentina Part Two: Las Pampas Lodge In our previous newsletter I described the incredible first portion of our Argentian trip that brought us to Buenos Aires. This is Part Two when we go to Las Pampas which was our main destination. Our party divided in Buenos Aires for a few…
January 2022. We made it. We’re here and got through another year of challenges. I’m sitting in the lobby of a Marriot in Richmond, Virginia. It’s about 5am. I flew in yesterday evening. Today is “set-up” day for the Virginia Fly Fishing and Wine Festival taking place this weekend on…
This past July and into the first week of August I had the opportunity to return to King Salmon, Alaska and fish a week at Rapids Camp Lodge. I have been blessed with being invited there 5 years in a row. Although I almost feel like family with the staff…
This summer I was lucky to be able to travel a few times to fish spectacular locations. One of my trips this past July was to Belize at Blue Horizon Lodge on Northeast Caye, due east of Placencia. It is a tiny island – if you can even call it…
Guanaja – several months ago I had never heard of the place and didn’t know where it was. It’s part of Honduras, off the coast in the Bay Islands. Guanaja sits directly west of Guatemala and about 43 miles due north of Honduras’ mainland in the Caribbean Sea. People are…
That’s Fly Fishing Fun Bahamian Style Last year my scheduled trip to the Bahamas was cancelled when the country closed it’s doors and borders due to the spreading Covid-19 Virus. While I was disappointed by having to cancel the trip, I understood the restrictions and knew it was for my…
I just returned from a fly fishing trip to Andros South Bone Lodge on South Andros Island in the Bahamas. Liz Fincher and Max Pushak are the managers of this Deneki Outdoors owned destination. While a full write on the lodge, the fishing and tenkara feasibility are forthcoming, here’s a…
As I’m preparing to pack for my upcoming trip to South Andros Lodge in The Bahamas, I’m pondering gear and clothing. I’m trying to combine absolute necessities with other items I just generally would like to bring. I’m gradually condensing my things into smaller and smaller pieces of luggage. I…
We did it! We made it! We got to the 2020 finish line. Exhausted, tired and feeling worst for the wear, but it’s OVER. Welcome 2021, Lets start a new fresh year with a new fresh outlook. We’ve had our downtime, relearned how to wash our hands, sneeze and cough…
Did you know that there are between 300,000 and 400,00 moose and 260,000 reindeer in Sweden? This interesting country shares borders with Finland, Denmark and Norway and while Swedish is its main official language (only since 2009), the country has 5 other official languages: Finnish, Yiddish, Sami, Meankiell and Romani.…
6 Days, 5 Nights of Awesome in Costa Rica PM me if your interested Segment 1: Machaca Machaca are extremely aggressive, and throwing poppers behind overhanging branches along the bank often triggers several fish to attack from below. Once hooked, the fish are as aerial as mini tarpon and as strong as…
Sitting down at my computer and sifting through emails can be a daunting chore. I have 5 different addresses to go through. But on one particular morning back in July, I had a surprise waiting in one of my inboxes. It was an invitation from Deneki Outdoorsto travel to Alaska and…
It’s mid-July and I’m hunting around the bottom of my closet for fleece pants and wool socks. I’m heading to Alaska in less than a week and I’m excited but getting a little nervous since I’ve never been and I was invited there to fish and talk tenkara. It’s sort…
The weather outside is changing and autumn is officially here, in fact, it arrived early in the morning on Thursday, September 22nd. And like clockwork, the sunshine had that warm golden hue to it and shadows were long. Darkness fell a little quicker and the night was noticeable colder.…
About a year ago I met a gentleman from Argentina. We talked of tenkara and of his home land. More specifically, we talked of the wondrous fishing opportunities Patagonia held and of the lodge he was a part of, Las Pampas Lodge.Then for many months, we never spoke again. But all…