Tenkara 2019, I'm ready!

Nearly six months have passed since my last fishing trip; I have not had the opportunity this winter to go fishing for pike as the weather was terrible. Winter is coming to an end and the first spring surges have been interrupted by the arrival of some most unpleasant disturbances; rain, wind and hail have put streams in a total mess. I was expecting this year as usual at a difficult season opening but there it is likely to be terrible.A few days ago a friend of mine published on his facebook timeline a beautiful picture of the snowy Ubaye river, the same place where we had fished during the last Tenkara Fest and after "like" the beautiful photo I commented that my opening was going most certainly consist of "giving the gear a walk". It will be about that. The tenkara gear will have a walk!

This year I will of course remain faithful to minimalism in terms of fishing equipment because that suits my tenkara experience perfectly. All the material except rod and tamo will hold within my Zimmerbuilt tenkara strap pack. When one of the world's best backpack manufacturers discovers tenkara and designs bags dedicated to other tenkara anglers, we get this kind of useful, functional and durable piece of equipment.

This pouch is enough to contain my only kebari box, the one that was made by Richard Setina years ago and which is in my opinion the perfect box for a tenkara angler. I obviously have other boxes, a Nissin foam box and another one is a traditional bait box made by a Japanese craftsman of my friends that I somehow diverted from its original use.

My kebari will be three, one of them  being a dry. A few years ago I had developed a minimalist dry fly, the Cheran Dry, and since then it has evolved somewhat. The thread body had the disadvantage of making it necessary to lubricate so that the fly remains floatant and I therefore opted for a combination of a natural dubbing and a synthetic dubbing which are both very hydrophobic and I do not need to carry grease to use this fly. The second is an Oni kebari, sakasa kebari type, which is a very useful and very effective wet fly pattern. I had fished all the season 2014 with only this type of tie but with the body in yellow and it had been the opportunity to learn and understand many things about the use of this type of kebari.

The third kebari in my box is a simple zenmai-dou identical to the ones I did take with me to Japan and since those years that my experience of tenkara lasts it is surely the kebari that I used the most.I will have the opportunity to come back in the future on the topic of kebari because it is essential to a valid tenkara approach.For the rest of the fishing equipment the classic Tiemco ceramic blade nipper, Daiichiseiko line cards and a pair of Loon short clamps.

In fact the most of weight and volume in my bag the day of the opening will be the food, drink, the stove and my ultralight Thermarest Z seat.

We are now forty-eight hours away from the day. And I'm ready!

Zimmerbuilt packs and tenkara anglers.

Rob Gonzalez:

I had the pleasure of meeting Chris Zimmer of Zimmerbuilt at the 2014 Tenkara USA Summit in Boulder, CO. I’d read online about his tenkara specific line of packs and was anxious to see them in person. The high tech materials and handmade workmanship are immediately noticeable as high quality in his gear. Over time I've acquired several Zimmerbuilt pieces starting with the Quickdraw and Micro Pack which I left loaded in my car for those impromptu moments when you have an opportunity to get away for a few minutes. It carried just the right amount of equipment in a small package that could be worn on your belt or as a sling. When I began doing tenkara demos at local fly fishing clubs, GRTU TroutFest, the IFFF Expo, REI, etc - I needed a way to carry more rods, lines, fly boxes, pamphlets, stickers, etc. That's when I got the Zimmerbuilt Guide Sling and liked that it could incorporate a hydration pack, so I added a small CamelBak that attaches to a loop inside the pack. This was also the first time I contacted Chris to see if he could customize the pack for me by adding a detachable rod sleeve on the outside of the pack to allow me to carry a broken down conventional fly rod too if I wanted. The Guide Sling is a great pack capable of carrying more gear for longer hikes or for your clients. Sometimes though the Guide was just too big for my needs but the Quickdraw and Micro Pack too small. Recently I asked Chris if he would be interested in trying an idea I had of a Double Quickdraw stitched together with a more robust carrying strap to be worn as a sling or on your belt with a daisy chain attachment system in the center to allow adding his Strap Pack. I’d purchased the Strap Pack a while ago and had been using that quite a bit lately as an over the shoulder system with all my gear and tools attached - the only thing lacking was I wanted to carry more rods. This Double Quickdraw allows me to carry one or two extra rods plus the larger Strap Pack which easily carries slightly larger fly boxes (two Tacky Day boxes being my favorite) as well as a couple of lines and tippet, plus your forceps and nippers. Although I haven't had a chance to fish with this new Double Quickdraw much yet - it's very comfortable and a perfect compromise between the minimal Quick Draw and the Guide Sling. I think it's going to be the perfect pack for me when I only need to carry the essentials for a day on the water, yet offers me the choice of different rods and/or fly boxes. And don’t forget the Sling Lite, a smaller version of the Guide Sling, as another option. Chris Zimmer's Zimmerbuilt products are quality, durable, handmade gear at a great price! If I was still backpacking, I would definitely consider some of his larger tenkara packs like the DeadDrift or TailWater or his many other larger custom conventional packs!

              

Rob is the administrator of the Tenkara Texas facebook group 


Adam Klags:

Zimmerbuilt makes some of the best Tenkara packs available to our niche industry right now – I’ve used my Tenkara guide sling for many seasons, and I’ve seen a few of the other packs he makes which are also available with features that cater specifically to our sport. 

Dedicated rod-sleeve pockets for stashing rods externally, durable waterproof fabrics and creative hardware allowing for convenient attachment of extra pockets… as well as a ton of convenience for the average Tenkara angler… are just some of the reasons to consider a Zimmerbuilt.
There are a few things I like about Zimmerbuilt that make these packs and slings more useful than other mainstream fishing packs. To begin with, there’s design – these packs are truly designed for our sport, and for holding Tenkara rods. Most fishing packs are designed to hold a rod tube at best… so it’s nice to have dedicated pockets and loops for holding Tenkara rods that are rigged up and ready to go.
Another major design benefit is in the Tenkara Guide Sling – it’s just about the only sling pack I’ve found in the fishing industry that is designed for right-handed anglers! Somehow most of the other sling packs are designed to rest on your right shoulder… limiting one’s casting, and leaving the wrong arm… the left one… unburdened. So that’s great for the minority of lefties out there… but doesn’t make much sense for the right-handed anglers. Zimmerbuilt designed his sling to go over the left shoulder, leaving the right arm free to cast. Of course, you can still get a custom pack if you’re a lefty!

Durability is a major strength of the Zimmerbuilt packs as well. The materials used can take a serious beating…. Mine has taken many seasons of bushwhacking through conifers and tight forests near the streams of the northeast. The pack has been with me to Japan, Italy and all over the USA. It has served me well everywhere I’ve taken it. The materials do a great job repelling water, withstanding rips, tears, dirt and general abuse.

Another point worth mentioning with these packs is weight – or lack thereof! One doesn’t need a pack with padded and lined panels which may absorb water and add weight to the pack. One doesn’t need thick straps and pads on a pack that doesn’t need to carry much weight. Also, while the fabric options are rather durable, one can be confident in knowing that these packs are a lot lighter than most of the competition without losing out on that durability. And, for those who are more interested in ultralight weight over durability, Zimmerbuilt offers options to make packs out of Cuben Fiber… awesome!

While I love my guide sling, I find it just a bit too small for use on days when I go really far back into the wilderness and high up in the mountains. For those days, I need to carry more gear and heavier layers in my pack. Chris makes some other great packs that I’ve seen in use and which are already rather popular in the industry, like the Tailwater or Dead-drift packs in his lineup.
I opted to take advantage of the custom pack design he does, in order to design my own pack and get exactly the features I want - I’m really looking forward to seeing the finished result at some point next year.

It’s great to have a company like Zimmerbuilt available to us in the Tenakra industry… I recommend trying one of his packs or slings if you haven’t done so already.

Adam is the editor of "Of rock and riffle" blog.

John Vetterli:

I have been a user of Zimmerbuilt packs since 2010.

My business partners Erik Ostrander and Rob Worthing and I designed the Guide Slingpack.  The design parameters were to have a pack that was light weight, efficient in design, have the ability to carry multiple tenkara rods, and have enough cargo capacity to support a guide and two clients on a full day guided fishing trip.

I had Chris Zimmer build me a custom daypack based on one of his current designs.  My custom pack has the capacity to carry 8 tenkara rods, has custom pocket in the lid panel for small items and it can have a Patagonia Fishing vest attach directly to the pack shoulder straps and pack body. I also use a small custom chest pack for my tenkara fly fishing.

Another bag I designed is a boot bag made from mesh and ultralight dyneema fabric.  The bag is used to hang muddy/wet hiking or wading boots from my camping hammock suspension system.  The boots are up off the ground and can dry while preventing unwanted critters from finding a way inside my boots overnight.

 

The construction of all my Zimmerbuilt gear is top quality.

Having custom designed gear made to fit my exact needs provides me with the perfect solutions to my needs. My daypack has travelled to Japan, Belize, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Virgin Gorda, and all across the United States.  It has had lots of serious abuse and use.  It shows no signs of wearing out anytime soon.

Zimmerbuilt gear is some of the best ultralight packs and gear available.  Built with top line fabrics and care in construction of a true craftsman.

John is member of Tenkara Guides LLC, the first tenkara guide service created outside of Japan. 

Isaac Tait: 

During the past keiryu tenkara season I carried my Zimmerbuilt Tailwaters backpack with me on many adventures. It was my faithful companion as I ventured deep into the mountains of Japan to not only explore the genryū but to catch (and then release) the Japanese trout and char known as Yamame, Iwana, Amago.

After a thorough beating, I must say that I would be hard pressed to find a better backpack for genryū tenkara than the Zimmerbuilt Tailwaters backpack. The following are the reasons why I make such a bold statement.

- I found the packs size to be perfect for day trips. Not once did I run out of room for the gear that I needed to carry.

- When empty the Tailwaters pack is quite light, coming in at under 250 grams (>9oz)! It is also packable which makes it great for stuffing into a larger pack for multiday adventures.  

- The Xpac VX07 & VX21 material the Tailwaters pack is constructed of, is very durable. Part of what makes genryū tenkara fishing trips in Japan so much fun is the prerequisite for often times harrowing cross country travel. More times than I can count I found myself hiking through a dense boscage of thorny bushes, bamboo and Buna trees (trad: Japanese beech trees). The Tailwaters pack handled it with aplomb and even after a season of rough treatment it looks as good as new.

- On several trips I either experienced heavy rainstorms, fell into deep pools, or was forced to swim to continue upriver. Not once did the contents of my pack get wet!

- Of course I should mention that the pack costs less than $100, which is quite amazing I think.

- Lastly, Zimmerbuilt delivers great customer service. I had an issue with my waist belt and they replied quickly to my emails and promptly sent me out the necessary replacement parts at no cost. 

Considering all these attributes I think it is safe to say that the Zimmerbuilt Tailwaters backpack is one of the best, if not the best, daypack for tenkara currently on the market.

Isaac is the editor of Fallfish Tenkara blog.

Adam Trahan:



I'll just be blunt, I can't stand reviewing equipment. I'm not a salesmen, I just use what I use.

I don't have an agenda, I will only tell you what I really like.

It's cool when I gather together people that are like me or I'm like them and we use the same equipment. I don't know anyone that uses this bag, I picked it out myself. My friends use the larger version but I'm not a big fan of carrying a lot in a sling bag. They are an asymmetrical load on my shoulder. I purposefully cast switch in order to be proficient on both sides of the stream and thinking about using a sling bag? Well, it's just been off my radar until my last trip to Japan where I closely followed anglers that used sling type bags.

Adam Klagsbrun and his Zimmerbuilt Guide Sling

I saw the benefits and decided to give my own a try.

I chose the Zimmerbuilt Sling Lite bag for those trips that I need a little bit more than what I can carry in my pockets and much less than what I usually put in a backpack. I've been carrying mine now for about 8 months and I really like it. I am really picky about my gear, I do not use equipment that is not functional, the Sling Lite is more than functional, it's downright forgettable.
Wearing it all day, my shoulder isn't tired at all, as a matter of fact, I can't tell I have it on when I'm casting. It's just there, designed as it should be, to move with you.

Typically, I carry a Thermarest Z-fold sit pad that serves a couple of purposes. I put it in the zipped main storage to insulate cold or warm bottles or thermos type drinks for my lunch. It also pads my back against things poking around in the Sling Lite. I also carry a small micro-fiber towel, a Mont Bell hiking and wading staff, a Snow Peak Titanium Sake set if I'm celebrating something with my friends. A stove and a cook pot and a couple repurposed "Early Times" whiskey bottles filled with water. I don't carry all of these things although they would all fit in the pack, usually it's a combination of these items depending on who brought what for a shore lunch.

The contents of my Sling Lite the last time I used it were as follows.

Therm-a-Rest Z Seat

Mont Bell Ultra Lite Folding Pole

Nissin Pocket Mini V3

Patagonia Houdini Jacket

Micro Fiber towel

Small Emergency Kit

2ea Pint Bottles (repurposed Early Times whiskey bottles)

I'll stuff in a sandwich or a bento lunch in there as well. 

The Sling Lite is really light, comfortable, non-restrictive and it has room for a puffy jacket too. I have not felt the need for anything larger. The Tenkara Guide Sling is larger, if you want more volume which I do not. If I want more, I will carry a backpack like the Zimmerbuilt Tailwater pack.

My own Zimmerbuilt Kaizen Pack, which I designed goes right along with my Sling Lite. I also use my own Tenkara USA Strap Pack, I like them both. Which ever one I'm using, I carry it over my opposite shoulder because it is so light and small, just enough for my tenkara fishing supplies.

If you are interested in a Zimmerbuilt Sling Lite or any of the gear mentioned in this piece, know that I use and enjoy it.

Adam is the editor of Tenkara Fisher blog.

Zimmerbuilt Tenkara Guide Sling

Since I have made the good decision not to use a fishing vest anymore I have been a satisfied user of Zimmerbuilt tenkara gear. Zimmerbuilt packs are very high quality, they are the result of great craftsmanship and they are not more expensive than what is offered by big outdoor gear companies and their functionality and quality is way higher in my opinion.

When the trout season started I decided to give the "Tenkara Guide Sling" a try and as its name says it is a sling pack, the kind of bag I had never tried yet. This cling pack has not been name "Tenkara Guide Sling" by chance or to match the growing interest for Tenkara in the West but because it has been co-designed with John Vetterli, Rob Worthing and Erik Ostrander of Tenkara Guides LLC. 

This is not the average cheap fishing backpack! It is totally made of dyneema, cuben fiber and cordura. 

This ultra light pack (10.25 oz) has been designed to carry what a tenkara angler needs for a day on the stream. It is divided in two compartments. The bigger compartment measures 19.5"x10"X"3 and this one is designed to contain your non fishing equipment. I personally put in it my rain jacket, keys, Go pro spare battery, etc. There is a cuben fiber zippered pocket to contain these small objects safely. It also features a hook to hold a water tank. 

This compartment is definitely enough for a day on the water. 

 There is a slot at the top of the compartment for the water duct to go through and the shoulder strap's daisy chain  features an elastic loop with a stopper for one can easily interlock his drinking system to the sling pack. 

The shoulder strap has a daisy chain on its  length for the user can easily add accessories or a Tenkara strap pack for example. The buckle can be moved easily and has an emergency whistle and what is more important the buckle strap is adjustable so the Tenkara Guide Sling is adaptable to any morphology. 

The front compartment (15"x8.6"x1.4") is designed to contain the fishing gear needed by a tenkara angler during a day on the water. It also has a zippered mesh pocket (7"x5.9") and its size is enough to carry your fishing license, a camera or a portable GPS. 

The two compartments have waterproof zippers.

The front of the sling pack has two sleeves that can hold 4 tenkara rods with their tubes and up to six tenkara rods without the tubes. The upper part of the pack front has a daisay chain with elastic loops to easily interlock tenkara rods to the Tenkara Guide Sling. This system is very functional yet simple. 

When you bring the pack on the front of your body the access to the contents of the two compartments is very easy. Compared to the Tailwater backpack that I also have the main advantage of the Tenkara Guide Sling is that I do not have to remove it or put it anywhere for example when I need to put on my rain jacket; thing that happens often in my area. The Tenkara Guide Sling is also going to be more handy for wading fishing because it is always a problem when you are wading and have to remove your backpack to take something within and keep your tenkara rod in hand at the same time. 

This great fishing pack is not ultra light, it is very comfortable and functional, it is one of the very rare fishing pack designed by tenkara anglers for tenkara anglers. One other good point is that they are made in the USA and not imported from where you know. 

European anglers can purchase this great piece of gear at TENKARASTYLE.COM and American tenkara enthusiasts can get it directly from the maker, Christopher Zimmer, on his website:  Zimmerbuilt.com

The Zimmerbuilt packs are very high quality pieces of gear which is not the case of imitations sold by fake tenkara "experts" so do not forget to check that the label shown on the picture below is sewn on your Zimmerbuilt pack. 

ZIMMERBUILT TENKARA STRAP PACK

Three weeks ago I did conclude my review of the Zimmerbuilt's Tailwater backpack  in stating my need of a super light and compact chest pack...A visit at Zimmerbuilt website was enough to find the perfect match for my need and my Tailwater backpack: the Tenkara strap pack

The volume of my fishing tackle has radically decreased and even a mainstream chest pack has become way too big and I would not have the possibility to hang it properly on my backpack...Unless I do a chore sewing!

This pack measures 6"x 4.5" x 2" and weighs only 1.5 oz.

It can be attached to any Zimmerbuilt pack shoulder straps thanks to 2 strong plastic clips.

It features three mini D rings for accessories, and that is enough in my opinion for an angler to bring only what he really needs.

This small strap is included in the pack, you can attach it to the cordura loops on the top of the Tenkara strap pack and wear it on your chest,on your shoulder or at your waist. This very simple strap is enough as the Tenkara strap pack is  done to carry only minimal gear, padding and reinforced seams are useless.

Now here is what will be my fishing tackle for the upcoming season:

A light and strong bamboo fly box.

A line spool.

A spool of fluorocarbon tippet and a nipper 

I think I fish better since I have got rid of useless accessories and gear, I am focused on the essentials.

I do not judge the ones who want to practice Tenkara like they do with western fly fishing and keep their oversized equipment but I think it is useless complexity for Tenkara. 

During the last season I did begin understanding the advantages of Tenkara because I had already begun my simplification process and it seems to me that I made good progress in this area. My simplification process comes from the fact that my Tenkara in streams is traditional. And the reason to stick to it is simple.

If traditional Tenkara anglers have never developed anything besides wet fly fishing it is for the reason they were commercial anglers and had no time to waste with useless and inefficient patterns. 

I think I will find my Tenkara. Having got rid of the useless tinsel of contemporary fly fishermen I have now the forthcoming years to develop my skills. 

MY TAILWATER ZIMMERBUILT BACKPACK

As I did write a few days ago in a post on this blog I have decided not to use a fly vest anymore and I have got rid of it on an auction website. I had used it a lot but it was in perfect condition but I needed the money back to buy what I really need: a backpack.

I have done a bit of internet research a few weeks ago about fishing backpacks but I did not find anything that really was what I wanted. I even wondered if the people creating all these inadequate packs were anglers themselves then after posting some comments in a FB group about his fishing backpack my friend Adam Trahan did advice me to get in touch with Chris Zimmer, boss of Zimmerbuilt. And I have to say "Thanks" for this advice!

Before I got in touch with Chris Zimmer I did take a few days to seriously think about the kind of backpack I really need knowing that my fishing tackle has radically diminished in terms of weight and volume. Once I had a precise idea of what I wanted and needed I did get in touch with Chris Zimmer and in no longer than a day my backpack was created and fabricated...You read right! 

The Tailwater was created in a few emails and its fabrication was finished in the evening. The only things left to do were pay and wait! Three days later I had my hands on it.

I have chosen a Tailwater backpack that has a volume of 1300 ci and a weight of 8.75 oz. It is made of Dyneema which is an extremely light and strong fiber.

A standard Tailwater has almost what I wanted but I asked Chris Zimmer to modify a few details on my own pack. 

I wanted a zippered mesh compartment under the hydration tank hook. It will allow me to safely carry my keys, fishing license, ID card, etc. Once you have lost your keys and realize long hours after it is not worth starting searching it. I unfortunately know what I am writing about!

The standard Tailwater has two rod sleeves on which I have asked Chris Zimmer to add some elastic strings just in case I would one or two rods without their tubes that would avoid the rods to move within the sleeves. I never could stand the feeling of carrying something jolty when I walk.

The 3D shoulder straps are less padded than the average and that is a good thing in my opinion because with only 1300 ci of volume one will never have a big weight to carry, of course if one packs only what is truly useful for a fishing outing. Furthermore a heavy padding retains heat to the body. The shoulder straps also have daisy chains to allow the use of accessories. The sternm strap buckle includes a survival whistle.

To hold your rods immobile the Tailwater has two Dyneema sleeves plus two elastics with cord locks under the upper zip. I consider this solution much better than what I have seen among competitors because their locking system is unconvincing. The front of the Tailwater features two daisy chains with shock cord that allow the complete immobilisation of the bag contents and adding accessories without having to sew yourself.

Of course the Tailwater is made of waterproof fabric and the zipper is also waterproof. As one can see on the picture above there is no padding in the back and in my opinion that is a good thing for a backpack which is not destined to one day fishing outing. Heavy padding makes most of backpacks portable ovens. 

All in all I am sure to have found a backpack that really matches my needs and for a price lower than most of standard products sold by competitors. 

I only have to wait for a few weeks for the field baptism of this stunner backpack.