Where to buy flys

A lot of these (just about all of them that don’t have “sierra” in the name) are pretty standard flies.  Any decent fly shop should have them.  You could order those from Cabela’s if you can’t find them locally.

For the Sierra-specific ones, try doing some searches online and see if you can find a picture at least.  Once you have that you can look for something similar: dry vs. wet, color and size.

Most backcountry fish I have encountered weren’t too fussy about an exact match – if it was about the right size and color as what was hatching (or what lives in the streams, in the case of wets and nymphs), and presented well, they would hit it.  “Presented well” is really the key, if the fly doesn’t drift right in the current it doesn’t matter how good of a match it is.

Good luck!

Walt

Fishing Western or Tenkara?

KT

I am using Tenkara.  My kids and wife will use a shakespeare rod with bungee bubble bobber.  They did not feel comfortable with the Tenkara rod.

Thanks

Eric
<h1></h1>

Here is some associated reading about Tenkara flies.

From Tenkara Bum

From Tenkara USA

And from BPL forum

I don’t think you need as many as you think you do.

Check Etsy. I picked up some from Creekside Kebari. There are probably others by now.

http://www.bigyflyco.com

They have a lot of flies at reasonable prices. Tenkarabum has a real good understanding of what is needed for Tenkara.

Wow, thanks for the link to BigY Fly Company!  Great business philosophy, and wonderful prices for those of us who don’t tie our own flies.  They offer a Tenkara fly in several sizes and colors, also.  What a find.

“Wow, thanks for the link to BigY Fly Company!  Great business philosophy, and wonderful prices for those of us who don’t tie our own flies.  They offer a Tenkara fly in several sizes and colors, also.  What a find.”

Ditto. I just stocked up for the year. Thanks!

I’d like to cast a vote in favor of the local fly shop!  You should really consider making your purchases at a fly shop near your destination. Nearly every successful fly fishing trip will include a stop but the local shop to gather some information.  They also often have locally tied patterns that are catching fish.

My local fly shop does not have any Tenkara, anything. My local backpacking supply shop does though. Limited selection.

“I’d like to cast a vote in favor of the local fly shop!”

Only if someone there fishes tenkara on a regular basis.  Otherwise all you’ll get is a bunch of “match the hatch” suggestions for that particular week, tailored to traditional western fly fishers.

I’ll preface this by saying that I fish with traditional western fly techniques, and all I know about tenkara is what I have read on BPL.  But can’t you use western flies with a tenkara rig?  If not, isn’t it still useful to have some idea what size and color of flies simulate the local bugs so you can pick the appropriate equivalent tenkara fly?

Read the BPL thread I linked above.

GM: “Otherwise all you’ll get is a bunch of “match the hatch” suggestions for that particular week, tailored to traditional western fly fishers.”

DB:”But can’t you use western flies with a tenkara rig?”

Wets and nymphys cross over very well. Dry #20, not so much.

A lot depends on how you fish.  I fish “fixed line”, using beadheads, tandem flys, and roll-on foam indicators. I’m much closer to western style nymphing al la Aaron Jasper to than to Dr. Ishigaki and a bushy reverse hackle #12.

But neither of these styles would do well with this offering

from the local fly shop catering to western rigs.  IMHO.

All of the flies listed above are western flies. Difference in technique will not effect the quality of advice. In the majority of ways Tankara is not a radical departure from western fly fishing.  Not all shops will carry the rods and line but the rest of the equipment is interchangeable.

This year’s purchases, all online and happy with quality

Western, Fly Shack, Feather Craft, Trout Beads

Tenkara, Tenkara Bum, Tenkara USA, DRAGONtail Tenkara

Make sure to get some black Ants patterns. Did very well with a Tenkara rod and these a few summers back. Ants are a staple summer food for trout in the Sierra. Fish them in lakes and streams without any problems. I would suggest  size 12-18 maybe 4 of each. If you are just starting out you will lose some. Prepare for it.