In a move seen as contentious by some persnickety flyfishing folk in the Granite State, New Hampshire recently amended their legal definition of “Fly Fishing” to explicitly include Tenkara. Personally, I don’t give a damn whether your pole has a reel or not—just ’cause the plane’s got wings and the wheels are off the ground doesn’t necessarily mean you’re flyin’. A friend and I offered our own definition near Bryce Canyon, UT, during a shoulder-season trip with family and friends.

Before starting the drive, my pal James and I eyeballed the rods in the garage and proclaimed with utmost confidence that there in no way would be any fishing opportunity where we were headed. And yet, after a drive made especially interesting by a rain/snow mix that seemed to validate our decision to leave the gear behind, we passed a gracefully meandering creek of perfect flow, proportions, characteristics and backcast room. Upon further inspection and research, it turned out there was a public parcel of land to access it not three minutes door-to-water. As any good husbands would do, we crafted our cover story—our must-do scouting mission was disguised as an offering of quality “gal time” for our lovely, hardworking wives. Off we went into the wet and frozen landscape “for a quick look.” No rod, no reel, no problem.

Subscribe for access to this article plus the entire archive of The Flyfish Journal content—and receive a discount on products.