There are a lot of tenkara line options out there for tenkara rods. In the past, Zen offered many. They all had their pros and cons. Here’s a quick review of the tenkara line options and why we created our Zen Floating Line. Furled Tenkara Lines Furled and tapered…
It’s been a while since we’ve posted a blog because we’re just so darn busy – which is a good thing…a really, really good thing. Tenkara is finally assimilating into the fly fishing arena with more acceptance than ever before. Many of the stigmas that initially enveloped the method are…
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…
Posted by Jason Klass of TenkaraTalk.com on September 12, 2017 A few weeks ago, I met up with Karin Miller from Zen Flyfishing and she let me try out her new floating line along the banks of the Fall River in Estes Park, CO. I pretty much exclusively fish level…
Posted by Jason Klass of Tenkaratalk.com on August 15, 2017 Over the long holiday weekend, I was able to catch up with my friend Karin Miller of Zen Flyfishing and got my hands on their new tenkara spoolbox. This is a really innovative piece of gear that is as beautiful…
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…
Today is a snowy, cold day in Colorado. I pulled out my Patagonia Stormfront Wet/Dry Duffel last night and started prepping for my upcoming trip to Las Pampas Lodge, Patagonia in a few weeks. I’m feeling extremely grateful these days as only two months ago I was able to fish…
I’ve always been a sucker for a really good rod. After fly fishing as a teenager and young adult with an Eagle Claw Trailmaster (which, by the way, was a pretty darned good way to begin), I started out with my old matched pair of venerable Fisher fly rods, one…
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.…
Zen is a small company. We don’t have huge backers or deep pockets. We’re a local, homegrown Colorado company and we care. We’re people, with families, with kids, with dogs, with all that goes with all of that. Zen can’t support foundations or sponsor huge events, but we do what…
I hit my local rugged, semi-desert canyons early yesterday with what I consider the most versatile small stream tenkara rod out there, our Suzume. This particular creek has deep bend pools, runs of riffles dotted with pocket water, and edges shaded by tall grass, cottonwoods, and willows. The quintessential small…
As you may or may not know, Zen Tenkara will be offering a new rod in the near future that will be making history. It will be the first-ever 100% American-made tenkara rod. Not only is this groundbreaking news, it’s (as our tag line states), “defining American tenkara,” for real.…
Talk about busy, these days, busy doesn’t come close to describing the Zen Team. We’re burning the midnight oil to bring you some really cool new products. The first was the Crosscurrent Chest Pack. Made right here in good’ole Colorado, USA. Streamline and bomb-proof, it’s the ultimate in efficiency and…
Posted by Michael McFarland on May 01, 2016 Why did I get into tying my own flies? When I look around my tying area at all of the materials I have collected, the tools I have acquired, and the time I have dedicated to staring at my vise, this question…
As you may or may not know, our tag line for Zen Tenkara is “defining American tenkara”. I’ve been asked exactly what that means and where we’re going as a company. Well, in this moment, I’ll attempt to tell you. We are anglers, fly men and women, passionate about what we do,…
Q: I’ve been involved with tenkara since 2009, and your website, Tenkara Talk, is one of the most comprehensive sources for tenkara info in the world. How did you get started on it? How did it evolve? What does the future hold for Tenkara Talk? Tenkara Talk actually started as…
Rob, let me start by saying it’s great to have a fellow tenkara guide as a presenter! You and your partners at Tenkara Guides LLC in Salt Lake City, Utah, were among the first professional guides in North America. Tell me how you three got your start? Tenkara Guides was…
Joe Egry was born in Kansas, but has lived all over the United States including California, Virginia and North Dakota, fishing a lot of waters in between. He caught his first fish when he was two years old. Joe began fly fishing in 1990 and tying flies shortly after that.…
Michael McFarland Michael McFarland is one of our Zen Certified Tenkara Guides and he’s also our Signature Fly Designer.Michael moved to Denver, Colorado about 10 years ago and really gravitated toward the Tenkara-style of fly fishing while routinely taking overnight camping trips in Rocky Mountain National Park. He’s spent a great…
Jason Haddix, originally a native of Illinois, resides in Wellington, Colorado. Having moved to Colorado at a young age he’s had the opportunity to fully jump into fly fishing and more over, fly tying. From such enthusiasm for the sport, has come the chances to work at several area fly…
This is the first time you and I have had a chance to talk about your photography. Can you tell me how you got your start? Bob: I lived in Yellowstone for a year as a child. While there I used my dad’s old Canon FT QL he bought in Vietnam…
Connor Murphy: Connor Murphy has been fly fishing and fly tying religiously for more than 13 years. In addition to working as a shop rat/guide/instructor at St. Peters Fly Shop in Fort Collins, Connor is a Montana Fly Company fly designer, FFF Certified Casting Instructor and long-standing exhibition fly tier.…
A few days ago I had a chance to spend most of the day fishing with Dennis on the Arkansas River tailwater below Pueblo Reservoir. The day was warm for mid-January, the water was beautiful, and we had plenty of time to talk. Dennis and I have much in common;…
You may have noticed lately that Zen has been quieter than usual on the social media airways. That’s because we’ve been in deep contemplation and very busy planning an exciting new year. As the 2015 fishing season gradually winds down, Zen is revving up! Our first three years as a…
Bob is the editor for the Rocky Mountain Flycaster, the Fort Collins chapter of Trout Unlimited Rocky Mountain FlyCaster Although I’m serving my third year as editor of The Flypaper, I’ve only published one article in the RMF newsletter. The regular contributors are competent and well-informed writers with lots to…
This has been an unusual year for me. It began with the unexpected passing of my sister. She was 3 years my elder and the news came New Year’s Eve. Festivities came to a halt and I traveled to Ohio where she had lived for many years, to mourn, sort,…
In the very early start up years of tenkara, here in the United States, life was frustrating to say the least. Fly shops ran me out of their stores, anglers laughed at me when I spoke of tenkara, and even tenkara enthusiasts were often “unfriendly”. It was a difficult time…
I recently spent the day fishing Rocky Mountain National Park with my family. We’re a busy bunch, always moving and doing. My son just came off of a 19 credit hours semester in college while simultaneously working a job and completing an internship. Just how much more can be squeezed…
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…
With the growing interest in tenkara style fly fishing, is the growing need for knowledgeable, professional and skilled tenkara guides. Why you ask? Tenkara is simple and uncomplicated. Is there really a need for tenkara guides? The answer in my opinion is, yes . Let me spend the next few…
As spring opens up it’s no doubt a new fishing season is upon us. The phone is ringing, emails are flying, orders are coming in and shows and events are scheduled every weekend for the next two months. It’s a good problem to have so complaining, I’m not. To tell…
The Tenkara Winter Series ended its inaugural year, I believe, on a high note. Looking back now, it amazes me we actually pulled it off, and did so with such grace and talent. Not my talent mind you, but that of our presenters. People like Paul Vertrees, Kirk Deeter and Chris Stewart along with…
By Dennis Smith Posted: 02/18/2015 08:03:38 PM MST TV news anchors have nothing on fishermen when it comes to stretching the truth. More than 70 years ago, humorist Ed Zern observed, “Fishermen are born honest, but they get over it.” And just last year, fishing writer John Geirach titled his…
As August quickly approaches I’m forced to look back on another year and scream out ”OMG!” It’s been about two years since Zen got picked up by our very first retail shop, Mountain Anglers in Breckenridge, Colorado. Time flies when you’re working two jobs, running a business, designing products, doing demos, certifying guides and…
Posted by Karin Miller on October 23, 2014 Over the course of my years I’ve been compared to many things: I’ve been called “the other” Martha Stewart; a Bulldog – once I bite, my jaw locks and I don’t let go; and crazy. Most definitely I have a Type A…
Posted by Michael McFarland on February 15, 2014 It’s always interesting to try out new gear and push myself outside of my own comfort zone. I’m sure many of you are the same, in that we often find ourselves experimenting with new lines, flies, packs and rods. After maybe an…
