An Introduction to Simple Fly Fishing

"I would love to add Tenkara fishing to my backpacking experience but I'm kind of afraid to just buy a rod and try it on my own."

Don't be. That's exactly what I did, though I did watch a few youtube videos. I hadn't fly fished since I was 15, and that was with (and for) very heavy stuff in Salt Water, so opposite end of the spectrum. "Tenkara Classes" might be a bit of an oxymoron, though there is a chance of them being fun I guess. I'd say get the rod, a level line, some tippet, and a few flies and then just do it. It you aren't able to do a decent presentation with a Tenkara rod with 1/2 hours practice I will eat my nippers. After that its not that much about the pure mechanics, but what you do with it. Beyond the techniques to actually catch specific fish in certain areas, the actual Tenkara-specific parts are pretty rudimentary, and I would try it first for a while before worrying about whether you are doing it "right". But there is one caveat some people have made – that if you are already a serious flyfisherman you may need to UNLEARN some stuff. LOL

“So I was wondering if there are any classes or tutorials in the Bay area region that I can attend.”

Post that question on the TenkaraUSA.com Forums . Chances are good you can find someone to go out with.

That said… if you already fish – know where to find them and how to trick them – you can learn all you need to know from the TUSA site about rigging, casting, and flys.

If you Don’t fish and you need to learn about fish behavior, holds, etc., start with the Curtis Creek Manifesto and ignore the advise about “smart fish” and the need for a gazillion flys, and read it before seeking classes.

Learning how to find fish is Way more difficult than learning a technique like tenkara. There is a program in Seattle where they take middle school kids to a “fish rich” spot, hand them a tenkara rod, and say “Do it.” Almost every kid catches a fish.

And if you are interested in learning traditional tenkara, don’t bother ordering “Simple Fly Fishing”. That book should be titled “Yvon’s Technique of Fishing”.