If you ever only target little 6″ to 8″ trout on your tenkara rod like the Zen Suzume, then you’ve probably never run into this situation. But if you ever target or accidentally get into a bigger fish, 20″ on up, or intentionally chase more powerful species like sockeye, coho…
Tenkara fishing is slowly gaining more acceptance in the fly-fishing arena but it’s still a very small niche within the industry. While more fly anglers are finally giving it a try, you’ll still only find one or two tenkara anglers along the most popular rivers in the heat of a…
If you are in or near Seattle, keep reading. If you’re a long way from that location, skip through unless you’re a curious soul. Zen is coming to Seattle. In fact, not just our products but also the Owner and Founder of Zen Tenkara. You heard right. Karin Miller, fondly…
About a week ago I received an email from Angling Trade Media. If you’re not familiar with the group, it “is the only independent media group in the world specifically dedicated to covering the business of fly fishing in North America and has been for the past 16 years. It’s…
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.…
Fly rods breaks. If you’ve been fishing a while, you’ve probably had this happen. Usually a fish is not the cause but sometimes, particularly in saltwater fly fishing, it is. More commonly the culprit is a truck door, a tree, a car tire, and yes, the angler. The fix typically…
It’s March and temperatures are slowly warming up. January and February were a whirl wind of expos. Wintertime is fly fishing show season and each year for the past twelve, Zen Tenkara has been exhibiting at many of them around the country. This year was different. Attendance was noticiably down.…
This past week I headed to Montana after the Memorial Day crowds had packed up and headed home. Our destination was Forth Smith, Montana to be exact. A group of 6 of us were heading up to fly fish with Big Horn Anglers. We rented a three bedroom cabin that…
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.…
This was originally published in Voyage Magazine, Denver, March 15, 2022 Today we’d like to introduce you to Karin Miller. Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got…
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…
She’s Fly is a new online fly fishing shop that offers Zen Tenkara rods, lines and gear. While they cater to female anglers, they service all people and do things a little differently. Their goal is to create “comfortable, confident anglers, regardless of race, gender identity or experience”. That’s language…
As I settle back into the routine of work and sitting at my desk on the computer I discover that jet lag is a very real thing. I’ve been waking up bright-eyed and bushy tailed at 3am. It’s useless trying to go back to sleep so I get up and…
I just finished packing my Patagonia Storm waterproof bag and I’m at a comfortable 20lbs. Not bad when you consider my Simms Sneaker wading boots are in there, all my toiletries and clothes for a winter evening out in Paris. I try to never let my rods and reels out…
My first memory of fishing was with my dad when I was about four years old and we were anchored off Honeymoon Harbor in the Bahamas. There wasn’t much room for toys on our 27-ft Morgan sailboat, which we lived aboard for about a month at a time. One day…
As the fly fishing method and sport of tenkara takes hold and gains popularity in the American market, it will be interesting to see if they way tenkara rods are categorized and described evolves. The current practice of notating the rod’s length and flex ratio leave a lot to…
Recently I returned from a trip to Boston, Mass. where I was invited to speak to an all men’s fly fishing club, the Fly Casters of Boston. This is a private club steeped in tradition and bylaws that date back to the early 1940s. The group of gentlemen meet monthly…
As the holidays creep up on us and winter bares down, the Fly Fishing Show and companies in the fly fishing industry prepare for exhibitions all over the country. As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, its a great time to take a class, attend seminars and brush up on…
