Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Tenkara Blog

Ahhh... it's been nice to be back in Pennsylvania for a few days. Even got to do a little fishing, and I do mean a little, but it was all good. A nice recharge of the batteries, as nothing beats the summer heat like a wet wade through some nice, cold water while chasing trout beneath the shade of a wooded canopy. Well, almost nothing...


Saturday: Valley Creek
On Saturday I snuck out to Valley Creek, my old stomping grounds. I'm not going to lie, I didn't have a very good day on the fishing front. I caught two fish, but they were so small I didn't bother to take photos. I'm talking fingerling size, both caught almost one after the other on a size 16 Copper John about 20 yards upstream from the wooden foot bridge. (If you've been to Valley, you know where I'm talking about). The rod of the day was the (updated and new to me) Tenkara Times TRY 360.

Every time I visit Valley, it's much different than the last. It's crazy how much Mother Nature can change…

A guy goes away for vacation... then comes back to work on a pet project e-mag, and well, this blog gets totally neglected for almost a month. Sorry about that...

However, it is finally my pleasure to announce that the Summer 2017 issue of Tenkara Angler magazine is now live! It took a little longer than I thought it would to pull everything together, but it's done, and I hope the contributors and community will be happy with the results.


This issue covers many topics, included but not limited to – wild trout, the Wisconsin Driftless, fly tying tips, an interview, and gear previews. Quite a bit of the content is tenkara related, but not tenkara specific. Stuff any angler would enjoy.


As usual, it will be available as a free e-magazine over at Issuu, HERE.

And also available for sale as a physical magazine in both Premium or Standard formats and PDF download in the Blurb bookstore, HERE.

Enjoy!

Two or so years ago I was gifted a copy of a brand new fly fishing book to review on this blog. I had a cross-country flight ahead of me, so I thought it was going to be the perfect opportunity to read the book from cover to cover and do a short write up... Well, things didn't go exactly as planned and I actually misplaced the copy for quite some time.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. In an event Alanis Morissette might describe as ironic, (although the rest of us might consider coincidental), the book magically reappeared in advance of an upcoming trans-Atlantic flight... and Mediterranean vacation. It was clearly calling me to make up for lost time during my down time. So without further ado, I present:

A Long Overdue Book Review: On Fly-Fishing The Northern Rockies - Essays and Dubious Advice by Chadd VanZanten & Russ Beck
Despite its title, On Fly Fishing The Northern Rockies - Essays and Dubious Advice, is not really a book about fishing the western United States. If you'…

Hadn't fished the neighborhood ponds in a while, so went out last night to wet a line once the sun started getting low(er) in the sky. It had to be in the mid-90s yesterday, so I was hiding indoors most of the day.

Really wanted to catch a few fish, as I probably won't be able to do any fishing (or consistent blogging) for the next two weeks. It's all good though, the bass and bluegill cooperated to the tune of a baker's dozen, so it was a fun evening by the water.

I couldn't help notice how the small bass brought to hand reminded me a bit of catching rainbow trout. They're about the same size as the small stream rainbows I chase, both species like to jump and take flight, and as you're stripping that fly around underwater structure and see that "flash," you know it's game on. I think I just have trout on the brain...

Since this might be the last post for a bit, sure don't mind leaving these photos up for a while. Warmwater fish can be dam…

The latest from Carpe Ichthus Studios.


I like this young man's style, he's got a little swagger in his step. Caught a few nice fish too.
He's made a few fishing videos, they're worth a peek HERE.

Step away from the blog for a week and all kinds of good tenkara stuff happens... Check out some of the interesting news and notes below.

First Stop: Wisconsin

First off, the Midwest Tenkara Fest was held last weekend in Coon Valley, Wisconsin. Totally bummed I couldn't attend, but so happy that it appears that my friends that did had a great time. The event even got picked up a little in the local press, so check out the video at your leisure!

On To Japan...

Appears the Discover Tenkara guys bypassed Wisconsin as well and headed straight to Japan! A few of their adventures seem to be slowly creeping out via the Tenkara in Focus Facebook page  - hanging out with friends, eating, drinking, fishing, oh, and testing out some new rods. Hmm...
A New Dynamic Duo
The Road Warriors, The Fabulous Freebirds, The British Bulldogs, The Dudley Boyz... some of the greatest tag teams of all time. Will the new team of Stephen Myers and Graham Moran join that elite company? Not sure, but the two of t…

I read this article last night before bed. I wasn't actively seeking places to fish, rather it was the first article served up on the Blue Ridge Outdoors website when I visited.


Articles such as this aren't all that uncommon, whether it be in physical or digital print media. The titles are catchy, and as an angler, who doesn't want to find out where the fish are at? However, every time I see one referenced by a 3rd party, it's typically in scorn. The reactions are somewhere along the lines of...
"How dare you publicly expose these streams/creeks/rivers/ponds..."
"Too many people are going to come and ruin the fishing..."
"There goes the neighborhood..."
Once upon a time, I saw a comment on Facebook that said something to the effect of, "Every time an angler posts the location of a fishing hole, a baby dies." Now that was clearly in jest for effect, but it also reflected the general disdain some anglers have toward revealing where th…

It's almost here...


Next weekend, the tenkara clan descends on the Driftless Area of Wisconsin for a gathering centered around Japanese fly fishing, a lot of gear ogling, tons of camaraderie, and of course stream after stream filled with eager trout! It can only mean the Midwest Tenkara Fest.

I have to admit, after attending the last two Coon Valley-based events, I'm more than a little bummed that I won't be able to make it this year, however, I'm certain a fantastic time is about to be had by all in attendance, whether they are new to tenkara or a veteran wielder of the telescopic rod.

I mean how could they not, especially with a lineup of speakers and vendors as follows:
Rob Worthing (Tenkara Guides)Anthony Naples (Three Rivers Tenkara)Daniel Galhardo (Tenkara USA)Matt Sment (Badger Tenkara)Luong Tam (Tenkara Tanuki)Bob Long, Jr.Riverworks TenkaraDragontail TenkaraMoonlit Fly FishingStreamside LeadersTrout Buddy Guide Service Oh, and did I mention trout?


I caught this…

Cool video release from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Conservation, fly fishing, shoal bass, I'm in...


From the FWC press release:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announces the release of its new video, “FLOW: the Chipola River Story.” “FLOW” features International Game Fish Association’s Top Female Angler of 2015, Meredith McCord, and tells the conservation story of the Chipola River. This video recognizes the dedicated efforts of individuals and organizations such as the FWC, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (part of the National Fish Habitat Partnership), Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Chipola River is a spring-fed system in north Florida that features the only naturally reproducing population of shoal bass in the state. These bass are genetically unique and have a limited geographic range. Meredith McCord set world records for shoal bass and black crappie while filming “FLOW,” inspiring future conservati…