On a week-long camping trip with the wife and kids to the Bighorn Mountains, we mixed fishing into some of our recreation. Per usual, my go-to was my ”12-foot from Tenkara USA, and it did not disappoint. During our trip, I fished a wide range of water with that rod, from tiny mountain streams that produced some beautiful cutthroat trout, small rivers that produced both cutthroat and brook trout, and even a lake stocked with rainbow trout.
The wild fish in streams and rivers are always the most fun. They are always energetic, and a small brook trout can feel like a much bigger fish when you hook one. Although significantly larger than the cuts and brookies of the small streams I fished, the stocked rainbows I caught lake fishing weren’t nearly as energetic, didn’t strike as hard, and were nowhere near as accurate with their strikes as any wild fish were in faster-moving waters. Stocked trout also just don’t taste nearly as good as a wild fish, something we confirmed with blind taste tests back at camp.
Very rarely do I miss having a reel these days, especially when the tenkara rod is so effective. If you haven’t fished on a tenkara rod, you should seriously consider either the 12-foot ”Iwana” rod or the smaller ”Hane” for even greater portability if that is a factor for your decision.
The rest of our trip was full of paddle boarding, foraging wild edibles, observing wildlife, and making sure my children learn to appreciate being outside.
PS: Just a PSA, remember to keep an eye out for wildlife, like the occasional bear or moose, while fishing, especially in grizzly country.
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