We at The View from Fish in a Barrel Pond are not above tooting our own horn, especially when it comes to spotting important fly fishing trends, six years in advance. It may take longer for folks to recognize the genius of the Portable Long-Range Angler Management and Training System™ or the practicality of concepts like Gordon’s Getaway Club® (“for anglers who expect less from Nature”™) but we saw this Tenkara thing coming a long time ago.
Stalking wild brook trout in Vermont’s small streams is a delightful way to spend time on (and in) the water. Stealth and a delicate presentation are essential to success. Tight quarters and tiny pools add to the challenge, but there is no denying the beauty of native brookies or the pleasure of a few hours spent following a small, shady stream as it winds beneath a leafy green canopy on a warm summer day. For some, Tenkara provides a perfect set of fishing techniques and equipment to meet these circumstances.
And now, a little more than six years after we first wrote about it in these pages, Tenkara in Vermont has finally gone mainstream, if mainstream can be defined as being featured on Vermont Public Television’s long-running series, “Outdoor Journal”.
The segment below, recently posted on their You Tube page, follows host Lawrence Pyne as he fishes with angler and guide Bill Whitehair, using Tenkara rods to catch lovely little fish on a lovely little stretch of a lovely little stream.
The folks at Tenkara USA should be pleased.
The folks at The View from Fish in a Barrel Pond are pleased for them, I can tell you that much, especially after the fuss in their forum when we first wrote about Tenkara six years ago(!). Confusion was also reflected in a forum on a Tenkara site in Russia but the translation was poor, I have lost the link and, given the current political climate, I hesitate to search for things ending in “.ru”.
From November of 2006, here is our original post:
Vermont Hand Crafted Tenkara Rods
And, while they have not quite come around to our way of thinking, here is the fine piece from the Vermont PBS show “Outdoor Journal,” a very acceptable way to spend the next ten minutes:
(My favorite quote: “Cast it exactly like you would a fly rod. No trick to it at all.”)
The View from Fish in a Barrel Pond 
I’ve always thought of Fish in a Barrel as ahead of its time.
Well, you’re a visionary of considerable taste and have admirable standards, so you think things like that. Thank you.
Tenkara,Soduko,what happened to good ole’ American style of fishing with rocks, spears,nets & dynamite. Really!
Or whisky-soaked bread, a la Sparse Grey Hackle.
“I suppose you think a trout can’t yell. Well, this one did, and swore too!”
Well, I’m sure that’s not the last time overly-serious minded individuals will take a shot in the slats from straight-faced New England humor. There seems to be a practical and workmanlike approach to life that carries over. What makes it entertaining is knowing just how much truth is woven into the satire…
By the way, weren’t you the same people who got into a pissin’ match over whether the Vermotasaurus required a building permit? Remember folks, it’s not just New England, it’s rural New England.
First, extra points for having Vermontasaurus handy as a reference. Nothing like a good pissing match over what constitutes art. Art don’t need no stinking permits.
Second, “a shot in the slats” is a good one. Here’s to more for those who deserve them.