https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/ac1c0187927a0962e554ab8327054c7f.pdf 7210d48e6274afd571d87b609a59714d PDF Text Text QNB BLy FISHER TO ZEN Wrif+eiA by HltAKSOK it r a i^riend Dan throws parties in the summertime. F Z They are the big events of the season. People mill around the backyard drinking beer, laughing, and asking questions about politics and gardening. Last August, on a run from the yard to the kitchen, Dan bumped my arm by _ accident. His eyes lit up, he said. “Hanson,** and then he vanished into the basement. Seconds later, I heard his voice bubbling from below. He said, “Hanson. Come down here. I want to show you something.** At the bottom of the stairs, he stood holding a tube made out of thin metal — 2 inches thick and a little more than 2 feet long. Printed on the side were the words, “Tenkara U.S.A." I asked, “What is it?" He said, “A fly rod.” He unscrewed one end of the tube and pulled out a short, black stick with a wooden handle on the end. He repealed, “It’s a fly rod.** 11)6 �“Dan. That is a small, black wand. Do the kids have you reading the Harry Potter books again?’’ He popped a cap off of the tip, and then he started pulling thin, telescop­ ing sections out of the hollow staff. The pieces kept coming, one after another. When he finished, the rod extended out 12 feet. He passed the handle my direction. “They’re Japanese. My sister worked on a project for the company that imports them." “Where is the reel seat? Where are the guides for the fly line? Why is it so long? Is this a cane pole?” In the next two minutes, Dan explained how Japanese fly fishers tend not to use reels. They tie 10 or 12 feet of braided line to the end of their rods, and then they fling their flies like Huckleberry Finn. Daaaaaaaaad! Upstairs, five kids were chasing each other with implements from the garage. Dan set the rod against a chair and ran upstairs to quell the mayhem. Maybe it’s because I was drinking my third beer, and the situation felt sur­ real, or maybe it’s because I’m not receptive to new takes on old tradi­ tions, but either way I didn’t think too much about the telescoping pole. After my brief introduction, I forgot about Tenkara. Lynn and I camp on the west side of the Big Horn Mountains in the fall. In September, elk come out of the high country to bugle and mate in the rolling juniper and sagebrush. For three days we hike along ridges and down to the bottoms of valleys. We stroll through the woods and walk onto the prairie — Big Sky Journal 107 �In tkc next two minutes^ Dan explained kow Japanese fly fiskers tend not to use reels. Tkey tie lo or 1£ feet of kraided line to tkc end of tkeir rods/ and tken tkey fling tkeir flies like Hucklckerry Fi nn. listening. Shrill horns trumpet across the land. We make camp on a sandbar in the middle of Sleeping I say, “No. I did not check the car. It is not in the car. It’s on my desk.” Bear Creek. There are rapids on either side of the island, so I cleaned my line two days before, and then set the it’s easy to walk across the creek on the tops of stones. We carry our gear to the site, pitch the tent and build a fire in the sand at water’s edge. This year it takes longer than usual to haul our stuff to the campsite. As we get older, we seem to “require” more “Aaagh.” I join Lynn next to the campfire. I stew and pout for equipment: comfortable chairs, a deluxe coffee maker, a cooler full of small-batch beer. When the tent is set up 15 minutes. I hold my hands up near the flame. While I watch the fire leap from the sand, a trout rises on the water and the fire is started, I ask the perennial question, “Do you mind if I go fishing?” It doesn't bother Lynn. The downriver. That is too much. I tell myself, “I have to figure something out.” I sift through my fishing bag and find a truth is, once the fire is started, she plants herself next to the flames, and then nothing comes between her and the radiating heat. spool wound with tippet material. I pick it up and am struck by the thought of Tenkara. I start to wonder if I need a reel. I put my fly rod together and open up my fishing bag. I cut a 10-foot section and fix it to the last eyelet at the tip of the fly rod. Then I tie a bug to the end of the line. It only takes a moment to rifle through the whole entire thing. Then I go through the pockets. the creek slows down and forms a pool. A school of trout I cannot find my reel. Lynn asks, “Did you check in the car?” 108 reel in front of me so I could admire my attention to detail. Then I packed for the trip and left the reel beside my com­ puter. 1 crouch and sneak upstream. Above the whitewater, hold themselves above the point where the current dives into the rocks. �She said, “You are a nut. Grab a beer and find some I attempt to make a cast, but the effort is a disaster. The timing is different from anything that I have tried. firewood.” Without a fly line, the tippet lingers in the air over the creek. 1 decide to practice on the shore. It feels like I am At home, I start to look for information about Tenkara. It in slow motion, but I fall into a rhythm after five minutes. turns out there is just one group that promotes the practice. 1 discover it is possible to fling the fly: flick ... wait, flick Tenkara U.S.A, maintains a Web site with information ... wait, flick ... wait. It seems about the history of Japanese ungraceful, but it works. I walk fishing, educational videos, and a catalog complete with flies toward the stream with the tip­ pet swinging back and forth. When I drop my fly on the and rods. In English, the word water a trout swims up to the “Tenkara" translates to some­ surface. Sip. Tug. The two of us thing like the phrase, “From the sky." Years ago, the Japanese are connected. discovered that most trout are caught within 10 or 20 feet Out of habit, I reach for the reel with my left hand. There of an angler. Culturally, the is no reel. There is no reel? 1 mutter, "Uh. Oh." The trout scrambles through the pool Japanese are also given to ascet­ while I think about what to do icism, and it is the combination of sober assessment and love next, but he’s not interested in fighting. I set the rod down of austerity that gave rise to Tenkara. It turns out that it and then draw him toward the doesn’t take much gear to make shore. This trout did not mind a fly fall onto the water 15 feet that I left my reel at home. I from where you stand. release him into the pool and he A Tenkara fisher brings rejoins his companions. During the next half an a minimal amount of equip­ ment to the river — a pole, a hour, in the horizontal light of dusk, I catch four more trout braided line, and typically one type of fly. One type of fly? The with 10 feet of tippet tied to the end of my custom-made McFarland rod. I suspect that I just voided the manufactur­ er’s warrantee by admitting as much, but what the heck. It's all enkara fisker brings a minimal amount or equipment to tke river — a pole/ a kraiJeJ -inc/ and typically one type of fly­ I could do, and it was fun. With a successful cast I could lob the fly no more than 15 feet. That meant I had to crouch on shore, slink over rocks, and creep up behind unsuspecting fish. Casting with no fly line or reel changed the nature of the angling experience. Japanese do not strive to “match the hatch.” They learned a key lesson over the course of gener­ ations: trout like insects. If you present a fly properly, and the timing is right, one bug works about as well as another, espe- daily on creeks in remote locations. Each Tenkara fisher has a favorite fly, but they’re all dry and they don’t carry a variety. When I started reading about Tenkara, the philosophy Back at camp, I boasted to Lynn about the brook trout gave me a sense that I had come home. I’ve always felt that I caught, and I described the technique born out of under-dressed because I do not wear a fishing vest full of necessity. 4,000 different fly patterns. I suddenly felt justified, with Big Sky Journal 109 �respect to my choice to cast an Adams in nearly every cir­ cumstance. a weekend in October. Jackson is stunning. The town sits at the catalog. The rods all telescope. They shrink to less underneath the Teton Range. The rugged peaks rise over the village, serving as a reminder of a time when the Earth sought to reach up toward the sky. than 20 inches, and they extend from 11 to 13 feet. There are six models to choose from. Like a good consumer, I It’s a good place for Lynn and I to recreate. We both like to drink coffee and the town hosts several fine cafes. began to analyze each rod with an eye toward making sub­ tle distinctions. I spent two hours trying to weigh the costs The landscape offers me a chance to fish and ride my mountain bike. Lynn likes to watch animals, and from that and benefits of each rod's length and characteristics. standpoint, it is the best destination in North America. My wife is also an artist, so she likes to peruse the galleries to After growing familiar with Tenkara, I started to look Then 1 read a piece of advice in one of the forums posted on the Tenkara Web site. One of the group’s propri­ etors wrote, "Don’t sweat the decision. Each rod is good. Each one will serve you well. You’ll have fun no matter which model you choose." That sounded reasonable, so I chose the one described as an "all-arounder.” I ordered a 12-foot "Ebisu." I liked the thought that it was designed without a narrow purpose in mind, but the real selling see the work of regional painters. She draws inspiration from others, much in the same way that writers read out­ side of their genre. I like to look at paintings, too. But I do not enjoy art as much as Lynn. After I’ve seen 40 renderings of the Grand Teton and its surrounding peaks. I'm ready for a change of venue. Lynn understands my short attention span where point was the wooden handle — carved from red pine grown on the side of a mountain in Japan. paintings are concerned, so when I ask if I can take an This fall my wife and I drove over to Jackson Hole for The Buffalo Fork drains the Continental Divide east of afternoon to fish the Buffalo Fork River, she says, "What a good idea." Gallery Saluting flyfishers all around the world Enter into the world of Parks Reece's Surrealism, Satire, Commentary, and utterly “Untamed Imagaination” feel free To LAUGH 119 South Main St Livingston, MT Tel. 406.222.5724 VAMvu.parbsreece.eom 1 10 Trophy of the Velloivstone �Teton National Park. It flows through a series of meadows before it pours into the Snake. It is late October, I am standing in what should be one of the process begins to seem ordinary. I forget about the fact that I am not using a reel, and it occurs to me that this style of fishing is utterly silent. the coldest valleys in the nation, and With no clicks or whirs from I’m wearing cut-offs and a tee shirt. It is 70 degrees, the sun is shining, and a reel to draw my attention, I find myself focusing on the sound of air the air is calm. rustling through the sagebrush and I can smell the freshly carved red pine when I take the Tenkara pole prairie grasses. I am moved to look up at the dry leaves that remain on from its container. I extend each sec­ tion out until the rod stands 12 feet the branches of cottonwoods. I’m not tall. I tie a 10-foot length of braided line to the tip of the pole. Then I add a tippet and a fly. While I am in the making a sound, and I find myself in a moment of suspension. My ears tell ELICHAI my eyes where to look and my mind reaches out toward the water, through FINE JEWELRY parking lot I practice switching the rod back and forth. The fly swings the treetops, and upstream beside the slowly through the air and wafts onto the ground like a sparrow feather. As I relax into the scene along the bank of the Buffalo Fork, it occurs to When I reach with my arm I can loft a me that a moment of silence is the highest tribute we can pay to a person cast as far as 20 feet, but no farther. I start to realize this technique is going shore. to take more strategy than I am accus­ or place. It’s a deep and solemn way to offer an acknowledgment. We say, tomed to using. “Let us have a moment of silence.’’ On the shore, I begin to look for a pocket of water that could hide a official method of concentration — a school of trout. But I notice the water level is low on account of a long and dry summer. The stream looks like it’s been stripped to its skeleton. Deep Many religions accept quiet as an means of touching the divine. When I was young, I used to watch the Roland Martin fishing runs shrunk into capillaries. I walk show. During one of the episodes, I heard him declare: “You can’t catch the bank looking for a place to cast a fish if your line is not in the water.” a fly, but the river doesn’t offer any feeding lanes or refuges for trout — I took the message literally. Most of nowhere to toss a bug. Still, for the the time, if I am near a body of water, my line is in motion. Even so, after I sake of practice, I throw my line onto the water. finish practicing with the new rod, I The left side of my body starts to feel neglected. Once again. I’m fishing see a trout. I let my ears lead me upstream. I fish for an hour, and I spot several fish with no reel, so there’s no job for my left arm. I hold the pole with my right keep my fly off the current unless I holding in the deeper runs along the hand. I swish it back and forth to bank, but I can’t compel a fish to rise. generate enough momentum to propel The trout are reluctant to come out the line. It takes 20 minutes, but then in the bright afternoon sun. They’re Big Sky Journal 111 �Wken 1 started reading akout Tcnkara/ tke pkilosopky gave me a sense that 1 had come kome. 1 ve always felt undcr^dressed kccause 1 do not wear a Gsliing vest full of 4/000 different fly patterns. 1 suddenly felt justified/ witk respect to my ckotce to cast an ?\dams in nearly every circumstance. Snake River fine-spotted cutthroats. I’ve only caught a few of them. Before I knew what they were, I called them "blue- rod bends and bounces with the fish as he wages a fight. Tenkara poles are soft and flexible. Even if you were back" trout. When you see them through the water, their backs appear notably blue. They’re distinct from the well- inclined to, there is no way to dominate or redirect a fish, and I decide that’s just as well. It takes three minutes, known Yellowstone cutthroat. Historically, their range was maybe more, but eventually I lure the trout toward the limited to the Snake and its tributaries. They are handsome fish. Their smoky blue backs complement their tangerine pectoral fins. bank. It’s a fine-spotted cutthroat. The fish looks healthy in It’s getting late, and I consider hiking back to the car, but upstream I notice a stretch of river where the current is diverted through a channel running in between a boulder The return trip to Jackson takes half an hour. It is and a half-sunk cottonwood. At the bottom of the channel, the water drops over a ridge and forms a pool with a surge nearly dark by the time I make it to our hotel room. When of current swirling into its center. I creep along shore, doing of a book she bought while I was on my fishing trip. It’s a my best to avoid casting a shadow onto the surface. When I collection of essays on the lives and personalities of sand­ get close, I swing the pole into motion. 1 drop the bug onto hill cranes. I pour a glass of water at the sink and join her outside on the porch. We are quiet for a minute. Neither the river as it pours over the ledge at the top of the pool. The water sweeps the fly downstream for a moment — then a strike. A fish takes a swipe at the bug. The trout swims for the deepest part of the pool. My 112 spite of the low water. His orange fins send a smile across my face. I shake the hook out of his jaw, and then he slips back into the river. I return, I find Lynn on the balcony. She’s reading a copy one of us says anything. I start to feel my ears straining involuntarily. I think I hear my breath, but then I wonder — maybe it belongs to her. � Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Print Magazine Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Tenkara U.S.A: Resourcefulness Leads One Fly Fisher to Zen Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div id="dublin-core-rights" class="element"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <div class="element-text"><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2013-02 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Chad Hanson Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Chad Hanson Journal Publications, CCA 04.ii.e.2025.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 04.ii.e.2025.01_ChadHansonPapers_27 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available <em>Big Sky Journal</em> is published by J.D. Publishing, LLC