Japan Kebari: Hiromichi Fuji

Last July during my stay in Japan I had the opportunity and the privilege of meeting a key figure of the history of modern tenkara: Hiromichi Fuji.

He was one of the first angler to use  tenkara as sport fishing and not a commercial technique and has played a central role in the design of modern tenkara rods and lines. During the afternoon I spent in his workshop we did tie some kebari that we traded before we leave.

Fuji-sensei still ties himself all the kebari sold by the NISSIN firm, his long experience of fly tying is noticeable how fast he ties kebari beautiful, simple and whose effectiveness is famous. His vise in a very low position denotes an economy of gestures and if the table is completely covered by equipment and materials Fuji-sensei knows where each item is at. 

The kebari tied by Fuji-sensei on this afternoon were made on Maruto hooks size 号7 and 号6.

This kebari was inspired by the traditional patterns of commercial fishermen from whom Fuji-sensei made tenkara a sport fishing technique. 

These kebari are neither "dry flies" or  "wet flies" because as Fuji-sensei told himself: "That is the angler who adapts the use of his kebari to the situation."

Hiromichi Fuji technique is based on the legacy of professional fishermen and his observation of fishes. 

Fuji-sensei's kebari are perfectly suitable to his tenkara technique that requires great fly presentation delicacy. The economy of materials in the tying process is not only a matter of aesthetics. 

Today Fuji-sensei is still an active member in the tenkara community in Japan through the Kyoto Kitayama Tenkarakai, participating in numerous events on the theme of tenkara and collaborating in the design of rods and lines for Nissin.