Tenkara vs technology

[Kerry Wilson]

I just can't help but wonder how many of the people converting to Tenkara fishing for its Zen like philosophy are packing $1500 worth of electronics into the backcountry so they can have an "enhanced" experience.

Seems like some sort of cultural/philosophical tug of war to me.
IMHO

[Adam Klags]

Maybe you are assuming that people are switching to tenkara because of its zen-like mentality, but I think many of us have switched to tenkara because its lighter, easier, faster to set up and break down, cheaper with lack of reel and extra gear, and because traditional gear is not necessary in most backpacking/fishing combo situations. I agree that the expensive electronics gear is ridiculous, but that really doesn't have anything to do with Tenkara, does it?

[J-L]

I pack in a headlamp (to see at night), camera (to take pictures), e-reader (to read), PLB (emergency), a smartphone (for GPS), and a tenkara rod (to fish with). I'm not sure how my electronics affect my choice of fishing equipment.

[M G]

" I urge everyone to carry a PLB to at least give a rescue organization a fighting chance to out maneuver the weather and other hazards when you need them."

I guess you don't have a problem with PLBs. So just certain kind of electronics and Tenkara bother you.

[Marko Botsaris]

Other than being something a poor person would use, and that Zen monks are typically quite poor, Tenkara has nothing to do with Zen. Perhaps you mean Japanese (not the same thing) rather than zen. I think people in the west use the term "zen" for a lot of silly things, in complete ignorance of its origins, which is fine. But it is a little more "off" when you are talking about another thing (Tenkara) that also has a nominal Japanese origin.

Minimalism is not the same thing, and the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-wabi that has leaked into Japanese Zen (and not the other way around) is actually a lot more interesting and complicated than simple minimalism. I don't see much wabi-sabi in tenkara either, unless you are old a broken and using a old broken and repaired pole, in a leaf-covered stream, to catch a fish that is old, bored, and full of parasites.

/lecture off :-)

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