Tenkara Technique Variations: High and Low

Keep the rod tip low, with line on/in the water and the fly will ride deeper. Dr. Ishigaki did some studies where he noticed a fish would hold the fly in its mouth for a mere 0.2 seconds on average when it took the fly on the surface; an experienced angler could not react any faster than 0.3 seconds to a visual cue. But, by putting the fly under the surface, the fish would start holding the fly in its mouth for a 0.6 seconds, 3 times as long. In tenkara the line is not always off the water; the more important thing is to have a tight line. If one were to cast straight across and have a dead drift following the fly, there would be drag, but if one were to cast a bit downstream, having the rod tip upstream from the fly, controlling the drift, that can be a very effective technique as long as the drift is controlled and the line tight.