by
Heath
Hiatt
Originally Published in the IAMC Newsletter, August 2012
Prior to picking up Adventure Riding as a hobby, my favorite extracurricular activity was fishing. Growing up I fished almost every day at a pond near my house and more remotely with friends and family almost every weekend. Moving out to Idaho from Indiana when I was 17 really expanded my fishing horizons, opening up several new methods of fishing and a whole new array of fish to catch, but the distances involved made it tougher for me to get out. When I started getting involved in riding, it seemed like a great way to get where I was going, but the complexity of the tackle I was used to packing made it difficult. Eventually I just gave up fishing all together to focus on riding.
The problem is, the time we spend on motorcycles takes us by so many great fishing waters, it seems a shame to miss the opportunity. The problem was that I was riding to fish 3 just using the bike as transportation, which doesn’t work particularly well when you’re hauling a 996 = fly rod that breaks down into two sections, waders, boots, a float tube, vest, fins, and everything you need to camp. It’s simply not practical to pack that way. I eventually broke down and bought a Stowaway fly rod from Cabela’s and carried that on several rides. I only used it sporadically, but I always had a great time getting out on the stream for a few minutes after a ride. My move over time toward lighter and faster riding virtually eliminated my chance to fish.
I recently discovered Tenkara fishing while browsing an online shop, and it instantly struck me how well it would work with motorcycling. Tenkara is a form of Japanese fly fishing which uses a telescoping rod, level fishing rod, short tippet and no reel, which tends to be the heaviest and most complex piece of fishing equipment in anyone’s fishing arsenal. I picked up a Diawa Kiyose from www.tenkarabum.com for around $130 . The rod collapses to 15.5=, weighs 2.3oz and is 119 long. Coupled with a 129 line and a 49 tippet, I have an effective casting range of about 259 3 plenty to pick up most pockets and holes in the mountain streams of Idaho. Because there is no reel, it only takes a few seconds to set up and get ready to throw out a line.
My first outing with the rod lasted about ten minutes, but in that time I landed two nice fish out of the South Fork of the Boise. I carry a small fiy box with a few patterns and one extra line, so my <tackle= is about the size of a digital camera. Everything fits in my hydration pack and is there if I ever want to use it. There’s quite a bit of nonsense out on the internet about what < Tenkara= is and isn’t, with some people advocating for strict adherence to a set of rules, but frankly this rod is an amazing fishing tool regardless of what line you cast.
I’m pretty impressed with Tenkara fishing, but it’s not the end all, be all of fishing off a bike. I still have my Cabela’s Stowaway fly rod, and it9s a great option for fishing off the bike that is quite a bit more flexible than my Tenkara outfit in terms of casting range. This, coupled with a few small flies, could keep you entertained for quite a while on a long evening. They pack down to about 20= with the included carrying case and only weigh a couple of pounds with everything you’d need. I found this rod didn’t cast as cleanly as my two piece handmade rod, but it was still very serviceable and did everything I asked of it. There are other options for pack down fly rods out there, but I don9t think any match the price to quality ratio as well as this setup does.
Spin fisherman have it even better! There are several pack down spinning rods on the market that can be had for under $40. I’ve used these in the past and found the quality to be questionable, but for a brief diversion after dinner and before dark, they could be very entertaining. Both Eagle Claw and Shakespeare make telescoping rods that are very affordable although you tend to get what you pay for. L. L. Bean and Okuma build higher0end pack down rods that can be had for $600 – $200, depending on the model. Again, a few spinners, spoons, hooks and split shot are all that would be necessary to catch a few fish for fun or dinner.
I decided to write this article to spread a little bit of information about what9s out there and to get people thinking about the possibilities we have to fish while riding. In the small amount of time I’ve spent on the bike this summer I’ve been around some absolutely world0class fishing water and I can remember literally hundreds of missed opportunities to wet a line over the last few years. I think the biggest and most important thing is having the proper mindset: Packing a huge tackle box with half a dozen rods and waders isn9t practical to do from a motorcycle, but with one rod and a few basic lures or flies, you can open up many evenings of fun and can bring new life into the sport. And maybe save a little weight on packing food too.
Notes:
1. Diana Kiyose fishing pole. http://www.tenkarabum.com/daiwa-kiyose.html
2. Cabel’s Stowaway 6/Prestige Plus Fly Combo.