Has Tenkara Increased Your Catch rate ?

[Deleted]

Something I read a lot while researching tenkara was how much it had increased anglers catch rates. This is not why I started tenkara fishing but I do find it curious that my catch rate dropped off a bit since I took it up.

What have I been doing wrong that I haven't increased my catch rate ?

[gary]

Hi Douglas

My catch rate has definitely dropped, significantly, since starting the Tenkara method, but there is a very good reason (I feel) for my personal lack of success:

The local River Nene, is full of Chub (in patches) with Perch and Roach in high numbers too - I have been specifically targeting WBT, which are very rare here... Also, it has pretty much always been windy when I've gone out over the last couple of weeks, which has made up stream casting tricky. My lack of local knowledge is also a factor - but working on that

I caught several coarse fish on my western gear and dry flies while waiting for my T rod to arrive.

Loving the experience, and learning each time I go out though... (this forum is a big positive and helps me significantly)

Tight lines

Gary

[paul1966]

I would say my catch rate for WBT has massively increased but my sea trout catch rate has decreased. I think this is due to the fact 80% of my fishing previously was for sea trout and the WBT I caught were usually while I was fishing for sea trout.

Now 90% of my fishing is for WBT. My fishing enjoyment has massively increased since taking up tenkara it's a new experience and I'm learning all the time.

[custheyder]

My catch rate has significantly increased simply because I am fishing water I would usually walk past or wade through and finding the areas are stuffed with fish. The reason for avoiding them in the past was because I could never get a satisfactory cast and drag free drift with the western kit.

When I first started with Tenkara tackle I fished much like I did western style and my accuracy wasn't that great. Now I drift only the pockets and runs where the fish are with more casting but less false casting (like none, unless I'm seriously changing direction). I was out with my father yesterday and he's still false casting a fair bit and being far more general in his targeting of the fly. He'll get it though! We both had fish.

Without fishing with you I couldn't say why you're not catching more fish, but perhaps some of my experience may help.

[Deleted]

I'm pretty sure the reason my catch rate has dropped slightly is that I'm not picking up the risers on the flies I'm fishing. I'm 100% positive that if I threw a CDC Midge, Paradun or Caddis in front of these fish they'd be in the net.

I'm still learning how to turn rising fish into netted fish using tenkara and I'm also dropping a few more fish that I usually do. I'm finding that the more experience I gain with the tenkara style the more my catch rate is returning to normal levels.

What i find unusual is the number of anglers who instantly report big increases in there catch returns, maybe they weren't catching that many fish before ?.

[myotis]

Sept 10, 2012 9:03:19 GMT @thetroutfly said:

I'm pretty sure the reason my catch rate has dropped slightly is that I'm not picking up the risers on the flies I'm fishing. I'm 100% positive that if I threw a CDC Midge, Paradun or Caddis in front of these fish they'd be in the net.

What i find unusual is the number of anglers who instantly report big increases in there catch returns, maybe they weren't catching that many fish before ?.

But not everyone is fishing Tenkara with their Tenkara rod, I have been fishing a dry fly as I have always done, just benefiting from the gentler and more precise presentation that it gives the dry fly. Not entirely true, I have also fished a Stewarts black spider, but in a dead drift, and not Tenkara style.

I haven't fished enough to really comment, but the four occasions I have fished, all when there has been virtually nothing rising, I feel that I have raised fish to the dry, when I wouldn't have in the past.

This I put down to the better presentation and drift control that the Tenkara rod is giving me.

Its all so dependent on circumstances, that its difficult to draw any conclusions.

Graham

[Deleted]

I'd imagine at some point I'll experiment with dries but for now I'm concentrating on learning the tenkara techniques and fishing sakasa kebari. I have noticed that on some days certain variants work better than others, I'm not shy about changing the variation on offer, the other day I was fishing a black sakasa kebari and hitting very little, I then changed for a grey one and bang!, I started hitting fish.

I've found that I can pick up some of the rising trout if I repeatedly cast to the fish but only leave the fly in position for a second or two, after a few casts the fish sometimes make a grab for the fly, it's a bit hit and miss though.

[myotis]

Sept 10, 2012 9:39:15 GMT @thetroutfly said:

I'd imagine at some point I'll experiment with dries but for now I'm concentrating on learning the tenkara techniques and fishing sakasa kebari.

I'm doing it the other way round, and one day I will look at learning Tenkara. But I was just offering it as an explanation for the different reports on catch increases and decreases, not suggesting you should start using dry flies.

You are learning a new technique, where you might expect catch rates to go down, others might be using their Tenkara rods to "improve" on a technique they are already familiar with.

Graham

[Deleted]

Only used a dozen times. Much better hook up on dries; less slack/big lever? No difference upstream nymphing. Getting a few extra fish curtesy of the long rod allowing me to feed a nymph downstream under foliage in a controlled way.

[cm_stewart]

Sept 10, 2012 9:25:13 GMT myotis said:

I have also fished a Stewarts black spider, but in a dead drift, and not Tenkara style.

What makes you think that dead drift is not tenkara style? Dead drift is just as much tenkara style as pulsing the fly, and is the general method when casting upstream. Pulsing or other manipulations are generally used when the fly is downstream from where you are standing.

[Deleted]

i don't know if my catch "rate" has increased. i do know that i have caught more fish. i attribute this fact to having gotten out more and having more fun than i'd ever had in my 40 previous years of fishing.

[daves]

In typical Tenkara pocket water streams I'd say my catch rate is at least 4 to 5x what I used to achieve with Western gear.

[myotis]

Jul 1, 2014 1:42:57 GMT cm_stewart said:

Sept 10, 2012 9:25:13 GMT myotis said:

I have also fished a Stewarts black spider, but in a dead drift, and not Tenkara style.

What makes you think that dead drift is not tenkara style? Dead drift is just as much tenkara style as pulsing the fly, and is the general method when casting upstream. Pulsing or other manipulations are generally used when the fly is downstream from where you are standing.

I am happy to stand corrected on this, I was obviously under the impression that "working" the fly was part of tenkara, and people like me who were fishing as they had always fished except for the use of a tenkara rod, weren't really fishing tenkara.

Cheers,

Graham