Tenkara Angler Level Line Podcast

In Episode 37 of the Level Line Podcast, Tenkara Angler editors Mike Agneta, Matt Sment, and Anthony Naples sit down for a full debrief on this summer's Japan trip: the fishing, the food, and our friends Hiro and Takashi at Nikko Tenkara. We fished large rivers for rainbow trout and mountain streams for iwana and yamame, wore yukata robes, slept in tatami mat rooms, shared the trail with a kamoshika, and even ate at Denny's.We tried to cover a lot in an hour's conversation. We hope you enjoy this latest episode!---------Want to go? None of this would have happened without the help of our friends Hiro & Takashi at Nikko-Tenkara.If you're interested in visiting Japan and fishing with them, please contact them at: https://nikko-tenkara.com/en/---------Episode Show Notes & Links:00:12 - Welcome Back & Intro (It's Been a While)01:37 - Tenkara Angler Fall 2026 Kebari Swap03:57 - 2027 Print Magazine — Submissions Open05:54 - Japan Trip: Preparing for the Trip16:40 - Getting Into Tokyo: First Impressions of Shibuya18:31 - Hiro Picks Us Up: Tokyo to Nikko City19:30 - The Kinugawa Grand Onsen Hotel21:39 - The Welcome Dinner26:13 - First Fishing: Behind Nature Planet29:10 - The Main Stem Kinugawa30:38 - Heading Up to Nikko National Park - With Monkeys!33:02 - Hatcho-no-Yu Lodge: The Rustic Onsen Mountain Lodge36:21 - Wednesday in the Headwaters43:02 - Thursday Iwana, Yamame, & The Kamoshika46:09 - Last Morning Fish & Close Encounter on the Trail47:45 - "An Eating Trip with Some Fishing": The Food Recap49:39 - Back in Tokyo: Japanese Denny's, Samurai Museum & Sumo Wrestlers50:54 - Trip Takeaways: Is Tenkara in Japan Different?54:23 - The Gift Exchange (And the Reaction)56:52 - Wrap-Up, Upcoming Content & Listener Questions Welcome---------Want to see more?Tenkara Angler: https://tenkaraangler.comJapan Articles: https://tenkaraangler.com/tag/japan-2026/

In Episode 36 of the Level Line Podcast, Tenkara Angler editors Mike Agneta, Matt Sment, and Anthony Naples kick things off with summer updates before Anthony decides to stir the pot, and from there, the panel dives headfirst into some of tenkara's most debated topics. Is tenkara simplicity overrated? What actually counts as "real" tenkara? What are your biggest tenkara pet peeves? Things stay lively, occasionally spicy, and always fun.The episode wraps with the results of a recent Tenkara Angler reader and listener survey covering what the community enjoys most and wants to see more of going forward. Stick around for it, there are a few surprises in there worth hearing. We hope you enjoy this latest episode!Episode Show Notes & Links:0:00:06 - Welcome & Introductions0:01:42 - Summer Updates0:04:52 - Blind Rankings - Fish0:13:50 - Favorite Eating Fish0:17:49 - Is This "Tenkara"?0:22:43 - Tenkara vs. Fixed Line Fly Fishing0:30:15 - Tenkara Pet Peeves0:39:49 - Is Tenkara Simplicity Overrated?Simple Fly Fishing0:49:07 - Matt's One Fly Experiment0:53:25 - Tenkara Angler Survey ResultsTenkara Angler At The HalfSunday Morning RifflesDRAGONtail Newsletters1:10:00 - Closing ThoughtsWant to see more? Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tenkara Angler⁠

In Episode 35 of the Level Line Podcast, Tenkara Angler panelist Amanda Hoffner takes the hosting chair for an all-women conversation featuring four incredible anglers from across the country: Auna Kaufmann (Wyoming), Caitlin Costa (Connecticut), and Haley Beaupre & Victoria Hussey (North Carolina).Together, they cover everything from rod selection and fly tying to women-only tenkara events, conservation policy, mental health in the outdoors, and what makes the tenkara community feel different from the rest of the fly fishing world. A change of pace and genuinely entertaining, this one is worth the full watch & listen. We hope you enjoy this latest episode!Episode Show Notes & Links:00:12 – Welcome & Introductions– Victoria: North Carolina – Victoria’s Bluesky– Auna: Wyoming – Auna’s Instagram | Artemis Sportswomen– Haley: North Carolina – Haley’s Instagram– Caitlin: Connecticut – Caitlin’s Instagram03:53 – Victoria’s Gear Setup & Why Rod Weight Matters for Women06:45 – The Fulcrum Problem: Short Arms, Long Rods & Casting Fatigue08:21 – Auna’s Rod Selections for Wyoming’s large and small waters12:26 – Haley: Gear Talk & Minimalist Approach17:57 – Caitlin: Discovering Tenkara Through Backcountry Hunters & Anglers19:17 – What Caitlin Loves About Tenkara: Packability, Simplicity & the ADHD Factor20:30 – Connecticut’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) Program21:14 – Feeling Safe, Competent & Welcomed in the Tenkara Community22:02 – Being a Woman Alone in the Woods23:25 – Victoria & Haley Planning a Women’s Tenkara Campout in Western NC26:29 – Auna Announces Women’s Tenkara Event in Wyoming – August 202629:40 – Tenkara’s Low Barrier to Entry & High Ceiling for Mastery30:50 – Caitlin: Nature, Mental Health & Rewriting the Outdoor Narrative32:32 – Victoria: The Tenkara Community’s Unique, Nerdy, Nurturing Vibe34:19 – Haley: Why Tenkara Spaces Feel More Inclusive Than Western Fly Fishing Communities37:20 – Auna: Getting Into Tenkara Without Knowing Anyone Who Fishes It39:48 – Auna’s Path: Wildlife Ecology, Wyoming Wildlife Federation & Conservation Lobbying42:56 – Amanda’s Upcoming Women’s Event in New Mexico & Closing ThoughtsWant to see more? Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tenkara Angler⁠

In Episode 34 of the Level Line Podcast the Tenkara Angler panelists welcome a truly special guest: Bob Mallard, Executive Director of the Native Fish Coalition (NFC) and one of the most passionate voices in native fish advocacy today.Bob brings a remarkable background to this conversation; 15 years running a Maine fly shop on the Kennebec, hundreds of articles across publications from Fly Fisherman to Outdoor Life, five published books (including Squaretail: The Definitive Guide to Brook Trout and Where to Find Them), and co-founding the Native Fish Coalition, which has grown from a single chapter in Maine to 21 chapters spanning Maine to Arkansas in just a few years.The NFC’s mission is simple but powerful: wild native fish, for the sake of the fish, not just for fishing. And as Bob explains in this wide-ranging conversation, that message is resonating with a new generation of anglers who are showing up in big numbers. We hope you enjoy this latest episode!Episode Show Notes & Links:00:10 - Introduction & Panel Welcome02:51 - Meet Bob Mallard: Background & Career Path- Article: Ecological Purity06:20 - The Native Fish Coalition: From One Chapter to 2109:00 - What Makes NFC Different and Why It Attracts Young Anglers11:13 - Pushback from the Fly Fishing Industry12:46 - Small Streams, New Anglers & a Different Kind of Fishing Culture14:10 - The Brown Trout Problem: Recreation vs. True Conservation17:39 - "Traditional Fish Conservation Isn't Conservation, It's Recreation"18:51 - NFC vs. Trout Unlimited: How They Differ21:14 - Can Brook Trout Come Back to Limestone Streams in PA?23:02 - Urban Stream Conservation: Finding Fish Where No One Looked25:09 - Working With Watershed Groups Instead of Fishing Groups25:46 - Hatcheries, License Fees & the Broken Trout Model30:57 - Climate Change, Warming Waters & Shifting Fish Populations35:54 - The New Hampshire Habitat Project: NFC & Tenkara Community Work Together - Article: NFC Plants Trees on Wild Native Brook Trout Stream39:53 - Why Tenkara Anglers & Native Fish Conservation Are Natural Allies - Article: Tenkara & Native Fish42:46 - Bob's Books, Including Squaretail: The Definitive Brook Trout Guide 44:32 - Bob Tries Tenkara - What He Thought 49:14 - NFC Chapters, Growth & What's Next 51:03 - What You Can Do Right Now for Native Fish- NFC Website | NFC Instagram | NFC YouTube- Bob's Website55:49 - Closing Thoughts & Sign-OffWant to see more? Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tenkara Angler⁠

In Episode 33 of the Tenkara Angler Level Line Podcast, host Mike Agneta is joined by Tenkara Angler panelists Matt Sment and Bill Robichaud to welcome one of tenkara’s most respected voices, Robert Worthing of Tenkara Guides, LLC. Rob has just released his long-awaited book, Demon’s Game: The Oni School of Tenkara Fly Fishing, and the conversation digs deep into the philosophy, science, and advanced technique behind this landmark release.Rob has spent 10+ years studying under Masami Sakakibara who is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest tenkara masters, and has guided clients on the Provo River and beyond through the Oni Tenkara School. Demon’s Game is his effort to preserve Masami’s legacy and bring the most advanced tenkara concepts into print for English-speaking anglers for the first time.Whether you’re picking up a tenkara rod for the first time or you’ve been fishing fixed line for years, this episode and Rob’s book will give you new ways to see the water, understand the fish, and elevate your game. We hope you enjoy this latest episode!Episode Show Notes & Links:00:00:07 – Introduction & Welcome00:01:03 – Meet Rob Worthing: Background & Tenkara Guides LLC– Tenkara Guides, LLC– Advanced Tenkara Clinic00:03:06 – What Is Demon’s Game & Why This Book?00:05:13 – How Rob First Met Masami Sakakibara– About Masami Sakakibara00:06:55 – The Birth of the Oni Tenkara School00:08:07 – Early “Aha Moments” Watching Masami Fish00:11:42 – Inside the Book: Structure, Science & Philosophy00:14:05 – How the Book Serves as an Oni School Syllabus00:18:30 – Tenkara Flies: Matching the Hatch, Oni Style00:23:24 – Trout Vision & the Science of How Fish See00:26:21 – Trout Senses Beyond Sight: Sound, Shadow & Stealth00:29:11 – Is This Book for Beginners or Advanced Anglers?00:31:11 – The Philosophy of Lifelong Learning in Tenkara00:34:04 – Bill’s Story: Putting Oni Techniques to the Test on the Stream00:36:34 – Rob’s Story: An Real World Application of Stealth00:39:39 – Hydrology and the Movement of Water00:44:39 – Tracer Flies for Visibility and Manipulation00:46:32 – The Book vs. Oni School00:50:15 – Gear Talk: Rods, Lines, Flies & Fishing Oni Style– Tenkara no Oni Shop00:55:31 – Future Oni Schools & Where to Find Rob in 202600:58:53 – Where to Buy Demon’s Game– Kendall Hunt | Amazon01:00:26 – Closing Thoughts & Sign-OffWant to see more? Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tenkara Angler⁠