Zen Presents: The Tenkara Winter Series

Winter can be a slow time for many of us anglers in those regions of the world which annually tilt away from the sun. This winter especially, it seems for me. It’s 7 degrees outside as I write this. I was skiing this past weekend near my fishing grounds and on Sunday the high temp was below zero, which is well below normal average seasonal temps. This can get old…The cure for these fishing blues could be a nice get together with like minded tenkara anglers and time spent enjoying some art, conversation and learning…and maybe a brew.

If you haven’t heard about it, there’s a cool event going down this Saturday February 21, 2015 in Loveland, CO –  Part 2 of The Tenkara Winter Series. It’s the second part of a three-part series focused on tenkara. Each event will feature a speaker and an artist. I’m very humbled to be a part of it, as somehow I managed to get an invite to submit photos for the February 21 occurrence – which places me very good company. The featured speaker for the upcoming event is Kirk Deeter.

Kirk is the editor of TROUT magazine and an editor-at-large for Field & Stream. He is coeditor of Field & Stream’s “Fly Talk” blog at fieldandstream.com, “Fly Fishing Jazz” columnist for MidCurrent.com, and editor-in-chief of Angling Trade magazine. Kirk is the author of five books, including the Little Red Book of Fly Fishing (coauthored with the late Denver Post outdoors editor Charlie Meyers).

The third and final 2015 event will be held on March 21st, 2015 and will feature:

Chris Stewart, tenkara in the US early adopter and and the owner of the excellent online tenkara resource and shop TenkaraBum as well as the photography of Mark Boname, owner of the North Platte River Fly Shop in Casper Wyoming.

The January event featured my friend, tenkara blogger (Tenkara Tracks), and tenkara guide (for Rigs Fly Shop) Paul Vertrees as well as the photos of Kevin Fricke (Tenkara Rising).

The tickets pricing is: $20 for one event or $35 for both of the remaining two – the price also includes a craft beer.

In addition to being able to purchase my work – I’m also including a hand-pulled, signed and numbered limited edition linocut for a raffle during the event.

Here’s a little more from the Tenkara Winter Series website:

The Tenkara Winter Series will delve into tenkara, the fixed-line method of fly fishing, and explore various elements, applications and its place within the outdoor arena. Zen Tenkara by Zen Fly Fishing Gear will host this annual series and invite respected industry leaders, educators and innovators willing to share their knowledge, expertise and personal experiences of tenkara, fly fishing and the great outdoors. Each event will spotlight a guest speaker and a featured artist who captures the magic of angling, and the incredible environment that surrounds us.

This 3 Part Speaker Series begins in January and ends in March. Each month a highly respected and notable guest speaker will be paired with an amazing featured artist. These industry leaders and innovators will present their own intimate experience of this dynamic style of fly fishing. The presentation topics will be relevant to all level of anglers and exciting to both the avid tenkara enthusiast, as well as the traditional western fly fisher. Come out and learn something, add to the discussion and find out what all the hype is about! By mixing topics and art, we hope to spread tenkara and the love of fly fishing.

The Tenkara Winter Series will take place at The Fountains of Loveland, La Quinta Inn & Suites just off of HWY 34 before heading up the canyon. Each event will be from 7-9pm and will include a microbrew with the purchase of each presentation ticket. Cash bar also available.

Our goal is to continue propelling the momentum that tenkara has gained recently and make the Tenkara Winter Series into an evening of education, art and exchange that people look forward to attending each season.