Tenkara soft-hackle
Sakasa Kebari
Trout · Char · GraylingFilm
The traditional Japanese tenkara fly: a simple soft-hackle with the hackle swept forward over the eye. Pulsed on a tight line, the reversed hackle opens and closes like a living thing.
Fish this when
Mountain streams and pocket water fished tenkara or fixed-line, pulsed gently across and upstream through likely lies.
Why it works
The forward-facing hackle flares on the pause and collapses on the draw, giving a breathing, pulsing action that suggests an insect kicking to the surface.
Naturals it imitates
Epeorus latifolium (Riffle Mayfly)Epeorus latifoliumAdultEphemera japonica (Upstream Keiryu Mayfly)Ephemera japonicaAdultEphemera orientalis (Lowland Mayfly)Ephemera orientalisAdultEphemera strigata (Mid-Reach Keiryu Mayfly)Ephemera strigataAdultGlossosoma (Japan)Glossosoma nigriorAdultNet-Spinning Caddis (Japan)Hydropsyche orientalisAdultIsonychia japonicaIsonychia japonicaAdultStenopsyche CaddisStenopsyche marmorataAdult
Typical zone & fishable range
usually
Surface
Film
Subsurface
Deep
Setup sensitivity: medium
Quick facts
Heritage
ModernClassicHeritage
Heritage
· Japan — traditional tenkara
Alternative flies
