Friday, June 1, 2012

The Heart and Soul of Tenkara in Colorado

Over the Memorial Day weekend I was fortunate enough to spend three days hanging out at RIGS Fly Shop and Guide Service in Ridgway.  I had a chance to meet Tim Patterson, owner of RIGS, and Matt McCannel, RIGS head fly guide.  We will be offering guided tenkara trips for the first time ever in Colorado, and Tim, Matt, and I are the first three certified tenkara guides in the state.  These are exciting times for tenkara in Colorado!  We were joined by Daniel Galhardo, founder of Tenkara USA, and the one man responsible for bringing tenkara to the west in modern times.  We were able to take Daniel and his wife out to a tiny stream and really show them the beauty of southwestern Colorado.  I brought along my good friend, Eric Lynn, owner of Mountain Ridge Gear, and the group had a simply fantastic time!  For more info on guided tenkara trips in the southwestern Colorado Rockies, visit us at RIGS Fly Shop and Guide Service!

Eric Lynn, Matt McCannel, Me, Tim Patterson, Daniel Galhardo.
(Photo courtesy of Daniel Galhardo)

3 comments:

  1. Everybody is wearing jackets but Daniel...weird?

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  2. I peeled my windshirt off after the photo was taken. It was hot when we made our way back down the canyon. Daniel lives in California...he probably doesn't have a jacket! :) Just kidding!

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  3. Seems like Colorado is the epicenter of tenkara. I've had the opportunity to fish the North Fork of the St. Vrain with my 12' Iwana, and it was a blast!

    The Tenkara Ambassador (www.tenkaraambassador.com)

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