How to Strip Streamers on a Tenkara Rod

Zen Tenkara owner, Karin Miller explains and demonstrates how to cast and mimic the action of a stripped streamer using a tenkara rod. This video shows the arm and wrist action as well as fighting techniques while landing a carp.

[@WayneTheSeine]

Great job. I am waiting delivery of my first Tenkara. 76 years old and have been an avid fly fishing angler since the age of 12, when I got a Shankespere glass rod for my birthday. I have a lot to unlearn and a lot of new things to learn. Coneheads can be rod killers....ask me how I know. I subbed.

[@ZenTenkara]

76 years young! Tenkara will make you feel 12 again. You'll use all the same foundational skills with a few minor adjustments. Im confident you'll be landing fish in no time. My best tips are: Avoid turning your tenkara rod into a candy cane. Instead aim for an arc or half circle. This keeps pressure out of the tip and encourages you to get into more of the belly of the rod. Play to side as much as possible. This help you to get into that arc shape or "power curve" and avoid the candy cane shaped rod which often occurs when you play high over head. Strive for even steady pressure on the fish and the rod. This minimizes bouncing which can cause you to lose fish, and sudden intense pressure on a single point along the length of the rod. Finally, when you land a fish and grab the line, grab low verses high. This will make sure you done accidentally pull the rod tip down and breaking it while you grab the line. Tight lines and happy fishing. Reach out if you have questions or need some support. Always happy to help.

[@WayneTheSeine]

@@ZenTenkara Thank you so much for the reply and great advice.

[@markdoyle8713]

So cool thanks. I picked up a Tenkara for portability while camping and hiking but you catching a carp is killer on an ultra light set up. Great job. Reminds me of my city monster hunts.

[@ZenTenkara]

Thanks so much. With a quality rod and a little skill you can land some real hunters! Have fun with your rod. 😊

[@grantrodway7192]

That was awesome! Thank you for making this video!

[@ZenTenkara]

You're very welcome!

[@ZenTenkara]

You saw it! Awesome. Either a carp or a rainbow. There are also cutbows in this stretch. We think it was a carp since there are many in that ox bow. 😂😊

[@UtahTenkara]

Isn't it amazing how tiring it is to hold that Tenkara rod with a lunker on the other side and also how amazing it is that once you hand line a big fish with Tenkara it just loses all it's fight and you can easily land it. Great video! I have never caught a fish with a streamer and I am going to give this a try.

[@ZenTenkara]

Utah Tenkara thanks! Streamer fishing on tenkara has become one of our favorite ways to fish. The rod is so sensitive and the fly is so easily maneuvered. Admittedly, the stripping area you work is shorter, but that hasn't seemed to be an issue. And carp, well they are just fantastic and get huge. Definitely give it a try. Tons of fun.

[@user-lk2cj2qs1d]

@@ZenTenkara Great vid! Caught a large drum on a streamer using western style thinking about getting a Tenkara not sure which one since around here we only have large lakes an a few ponds

[@ZenTenkara]

Steve G. glad you found it interesting...its a ton of fun and very tactile.

[@steveg8322]

Thank you for the reply.Enjoyed the instruction immensely,didn’t think it could be done,lesson learned.👍🙏

[@stevewalcott9546]

Great instruction! Thanks!

[@ZenTenkara]

Absolutely!

[@rimshotdc]

Great info big carp on tencara..great form on using pole without over stressing pole to breaking point

[@ZenTenkara]

Thank you. Intimately understanding your rod is critical.

[@BILLHENRY239]

Impressive! I like that you used your legs to move laterally to land the fish. I fish for carp too but I use a fly rod.

[@ZenTenkara]

Thanks for watching! With no reel sometimes you become a bit of a human drag system. It works, teaches you a lot about fish management and is super rewarding in a different way than with a reel.

[@KayakhacksFishing]

thanks! Helpful. Makes me want to get back to the mountains for my spring trip!

[@ZenTenkara]

Glad to hear it... mountains are always good😊

[@MrSurfangler]

@@ZenTenkara , nice fish great tutorial, BTW the net that you were using, was it a guide net or mid length?

[@ZenTenkara]

@@MrSurfangler The net is a Fishpond Nomad Mid length. Love this net and the Emerger. Use both.

[@MrSurfangler]

@@ZenTenkara I was thinking of getting the guide net with their switch back hippack but was worried that the handle might be too long . I might need to mount it on my back at my chest level

[@ZenTenkara]

@@MrSurfangler Also own the Guide Net from the Fishpond Nomad Series but I tend to not use it very often unless I am teaching, doing a clinic or doing a lesson. Find it cumbersome and akward to walk with as the handle hit my calves. For personal use especially when targeting larger fish the Midlength is a great "inbetween". I get a longercreach but still comfortable to wear.

[@Doc_Watson]

I'm just getting into Tenkara as I wanted something that packs small on my backpacking trips. What you are doing is very similar to how I fish streamers/wets with my shorty 5' flyrod on small streams. I was very distracted by the fish jumping downstream at 3:40! :-)

[@ZenTenkara]

Too funny. Most of what we do on a tenkara rod is only a slight variation from what we do on a reel....sometimes it's exactly the same. Welcome to tenkara! Mostly its about having fun, being outside and oh yeah, catching fish.

[@stephenlucich1817]

Thanks for sharing. Your technique really clicked for me! Is that the floating line sold in your shop?

[@ZenTenkara]

Thanks. Glad you found it helpful. The line in this video is actually a prototype of our Fusion Tenkara Lines that are currently being produced with ghe help of RIO. However our Zen Floating/All Purpose Lines work beautifully like this. We chose a Fusion line for the demo because its a heavier line - designed to be laid on the water line a regular fly line and qas easier to see for filming purposes. This line should be available early summer. Either lines works well for this application because of their float.

[@grahambartlett6535]

Awesome video. After doing western fly fishing, I just started Tenkara fishing and I’ve really enjoyed it. Was wondering how you “strip” streamers haha. Cheers from Berthoud Colorado!

[@ZenTenkara]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@ZenTenkara]

Thanks!

[@davidriley7997]

Very nice. What size hook were you using please?

[@ZenTenkara]

Hi David. Thanks for watching. I gotta be honest - I really don't remember what size hook. I'm guessing probabbly about a size #8...maybe #10. It was a decent size streamer and those are the sizes I usually use with the occasional size #6.

[@djokicmetamora]

My goodness what was that at 3:40 !? center screen at the bank. Just wondering if the waspointing at the fish and a fish like that hit, could it seperate a section? Maybe a dedicated streamer rod that the line goes through the tip, and attaches at the butt?

[@ZenTenkara]

It's not necessary. We land chum salmon, bonefish, and a variety of other powerful species on our rods. Just pick the right model. Check out some of our other videos, our blog, or social media pages to see some of the fish our rods are capable of.

[@iankenison9962]

Carp power on, you coped brilliantly with that rod, was it a 7.3 action ?

[@ZenTenkara]

Thank you! The Sagi has a 7:3 flex profile. It's a great rod and very capable for sure. Love me some carp!

[@patrickreeves810]

At 3:10. Way down by the downed tree. There was a huge fish jumping?

[@ZenTenkara]

Yes there was!

[@rockyrobertson9469]

What was that leaping out of the water downstream at 3:10?

[@ZenTenkara]

A big carp or rainbow! A lot of.big.fish down in that corner.

[@pecahperiuk]

my honest opinion is that Tenkara is an optimum fishing tool however the most important disadvantage is the reach and mayb the retrieve which cannot match conventional fly tackle... Non the less... its a fun way 2 fish

[@ZenTenkara]

I agree. At times the reach can be an issue. But at Zen we often cast rather long lines on our rods and fish a "Fusion" of tenkara and regular western style fly fishing. So, most of the time there isn't an issue. And, the fun is an absolute.

[@germicanlifestyle9069]

I'm in South Florida and gonna start tenkara fishing for some big saltwater fishing...I'm probably gonna lose a lot of fish in the rock when fishing from shore...any tips would be helpful... thanks

[@ZenTenkara]

Gimme a little more info...where in South Florida (my old stomping grounds)? Wading? From a kayak...a boat or from shore? What species are you targeting?

[@germicanlifestyle9069]

@@ZenTenkara well I never tenkaraed fish but I'm fishing @ JUPITER inlet & sometimes fishing from canoe or kayak...my kayak and canoe is @ the X-wifes house so I don't have great access to them @ the moment... fishing from shore and tides with tons of rocks so it's gonna be tough...I know fishing from the canoe and kayak will be better but I up for the challenge making it happen where ever I fish... mostly targeting mangrove snapper and snook

[@ZenTenkara]

@germicanlifestyle9069 Sounds like you definitely will have some challenges due to the conditions more than the species. Snapper and snook are very doable on a fixed line tenkara setup. The rocks will be more of the issue. Fish like snapper love to bury themselves in those rocks and break you off, which means you won't have much room or time to play the fish much. You will need to size up on your leader/tippet setup so you can haul the fishbin quickly. Sizing up will also help with breaks from rubbing on rocks. If you are fishing with a lot of rock formations, I would also keep the line on the shorter side - for the same reasons as sizing up. You just want to get those fish in quickly and not give them time to rub off and break the line or dart into a hole...if I am imagining the scene correctly. A long rod with lots of backbone will help - like our Zen Taka. You'll have reach but not tons of line out. All in all, it sounds like a lot of fun. Challenges are great. They teach you a lot and make you a better and smarter angler. Would love to hear how it goes. Keep me posted, and best of luck (and have fun)

[@germicanlifestyle9069]

@@ZenTenkara thanks a bunch ... definitely a challenge and I will keep you posted!

[@germicanlifestyle9069]

For a 12ft tenkara rod what main line and tippet lengths sould I experiment with?.. thanks again

[@FlickyFlies]

Hey Karen! Love it. Streamers on Tenkara can be so fun! I especially like it on moving rivers. I live in Fort Collins as well, but just went fishing in Illinois for smallmouth bass with my tenkara rod and streamers. It worked out really well. I filmed it and it’s on my KZbin channel now if you wanna check it out!

[@ZenTenkara]

Thanks. Streamers are awesome on tenkara. Just about our favorite. We'll check it out. Thanks for watching.

[@TheDmburnham]

Super!

[@ZenTenkara]

Glad you enjoyed it. Let us know if we can ever be of help.

[@ythis31]

I just caught a 14 lb Brown on my Tenkara wetfly three days ago.

[@ZenTenkara]

Congratulations! Who says tenkara is just for small fish.

[@awaken77]

Carp on woolybugger, fantastic!

[@ZenTenkara]

Its a blast. And carp get huge and pull hard so itsan epic battle. Lots and lots of fun.

[@orkus2300]

💯💯💯💯💪👏

[@richard.robert]

Good information and demo, but the sound is so bad. Thank you !

[@ZenTenkara]

Our apologies - we do what we can do. 😬

[@realsafoxmulder]

Thanks

[@ZenTenkara]

Absolutely! If there is any other topic you'd like me to cover just say the word.

[@danbolton3180]

Reminds me of the time I was crappie fishing and hooked a 10lb. Buffalo carp on my micro bingo rod with 4 lb. test.

[@ZenTenkara]

Absolutely! You have to do some thinking. This guy was billing down hard. But I got him 😉

[@zg7278]

What is it? Do you cross fly fishing with Tenkara?)))

[@ZenTenkara]

Essentially yes. Its definitely not "traditional tenkara". Its more of a fusion between tenkara and regular fly fishing. Highly effective, still simple, with a sort of grace to it. Just another option for your tenkara rod and opportunity to catch fish. Tenkara rods are extremely versatile in their uses.

[@zg7278]

@@ZenTenkara this is not fly fishing and not tenkara))) the same is used in fly fishing without using a reel.

[@ZenTenkara]

@@zg7278 "Fusion Fishing", lol.

[@zg7278]

@@ZenTenkara 👍😆👍

[@wvbrookchub]

@@zg7278 You want a cookie or what?

[@leongtoon62]

👏👏👏

[@ZenTenkara]

Thank you. And thanks for watching!

[@kizzunt]

Nice fish completely jumping out of the water nailing a bug in the background at 3:40 ! Make sure you enlarge the image.

[@ZenTenkara]

Awesome, never noticed that before. Thatnks for pointing that out :)

[@gii_vannile]

Hello , correct pronunciation of Tenkara is Tenkala in Japan ーーーーーー Japanese couldn’t pronounce the English letter R . But we write L as R on a public place . ーーーーーー So , If you could pronounce Tenkara as Tenkala , you must be given this phrase from the Japanese . Ya lu ja n It means , you cool . Thank you very much . Sep. 7th 2023 Thu. 07:55 am from Yokohama City Japan .

[@ZenTenkara]

Thank you for this lesson. My apologies for Westernizing the word. If my studies are correct, Tenkara the word does not have its origin in Japanese language. It is an adaption and it's origin is unclear. But the tradition and method of course is Japanese. Is this also your understanding? In the US we have so many different fish species and types of water that the tenkara method is evolving.

[@andyfletcher3561]

I just don't get the whole Tenkara thing. I've fished much tighter cover than I've seen an one fish with Tenkara using my antique(100+years old before it was stolen) 9.5 foot split bamboo rod. I could leave just my leader out or cast 60-70 feet if need be. Same with my 7.5 foot graphite rods.

[@ZenTenkara]

Hi Andy - its just another way of doing it. Tenkara rods are ultralight. Often 2-3oz. They are super sensitive and fun. Why do you enjoy your antique bamboo rod...or nymphing...or particular way of doing something? Because its fun, effective or maybe just brings you joy. Its not "better than"- it's just different. And we like big fish on our rods too. You might not want to target a 22" rainbow on that vintage rod...

[@andyfletcher3561]

@@ZenTenkara Well, I can't target anything on it anymore as some putz stole it. I will say that before I got a graphite reel on it, after about 8 hours it could get fatiguing. Still, the rod itself was very light. It handled several 15-16 inch fish very nicely, and Mom fished the Cowlitz and other rivers catching large salmon on it when her grandfather gave it to her. I'm not saying it was better, but definitely more versatile. Half the time I fished it just like y'all do with the Tenkara. Other times, to get my fly on certain pools I had to lay out 60 feet of line because the only approach was right down the center with the end of summer water so low that if you looked at a rock wrong you were spooking fish for 100 feet upstream LoL. But yeah, fun and relaxation is what's it's all about at the end of the day.

[@ZenTenkara]

@@andyfletcher3561 completely agree - its all about having fun, feeling like a kid and getting out dorrs (landing a few fish is always good too)

[@andyfletcher3561]

@@ZenTenkara Especially on my two creeks close to home(Littlerock and Big Rock on the north side of the San Gabriels) I honestly didn't much care if I caught anything at all. Perhaps because I caught a LOT of fish and they were so close...I would get on either creek just before the sun came into the canyon and be on the stream until the bats were hitting my flies as I cast. I'll tell you this, it's rough tying on a #20 mosquito in the dark LOL.

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

Okay so you just do a side arm drag of the streamer. I have done this for 15 yrs, LOL

[@ZenTenkara]

Exactly, with a little jig or added pop. You're just mimicing movement. And yes...nothing new which is why it's effective. Mystery solved! 😁

[@fishablerealisticfliesdavehise]

Carp is the greatest game fish in the world.

[@ZenTenkara]

Just spent the morning doing a lesson and landing them on our Taka rod. Very fun.

[@ZenTenkara]

😅😂LOL!

[@lihamuuri8697]

So this is not a video on how to use a fly-fishing rod to get people who do digital streaming for living out of their clothes? I am dissappointed and also seeing myself out, have a good one! :D

[@eric-qi1os]

She is my dream woman.

[@ZenTenkara]

We're kinda fond of her around here too 😄

[@eric-qi1os]

@@ZenTenkara No disrespect classy lady that fishes...

[@ZenTenkara]

@@eric-qi1os none taken my friend 😀

[@jimmiebusch2907]

Hard to hear or see what's going on

[@ZenTenkara]

Its gets easier and better as the video continues

[@AnonymousOtters]

"Pooder" River, haha. It's french name pronounced "Poo-dwa"

[@ZenTenkara]

Lol! Us Coloradoans just don't do it justice. At least we made you smile.

[@AnonymousOtters]

@@ZenTenkara After living in NM and Southern CO for a bit, I got used to having to laugh every time I was corrected by someone for pronouncing a Spanish name wrong.

[@rimshotdc]

Keep and kill the carp.. don't let it back into the river... ❓❓...Wow ❓❓...👎

[@MrThfknsamurai]

Itsba tenkara rod not a fly fishing rod. Don't cast like it.

[@ZenTenkara]

I cast differently depending on my line length, the species and the water I am fishing. So it call depends.