137: Tenkara!

Took a short lunch spin on July 3, and instead of hitting the WCU Trail as usual, I stayed in the valley and cruised around the  Tuckaseegee River behind campus, using fat tires to roll on shoulders and more closely inspect the banks, and then along the hatchery-supported stream that runs through campus. Several years ago, some stone was added to Cullowhee Creek, giving an otherwise 12" deep stream some attractive, much deeper holes eddies and small ledge pourovers. 

This is the spot that I caught a 5" brook trout week before, when I first tried my Tenkara rod. With no reel, Tenkara appeals to me because it offers the same simplicity I enjoy on my fixed-gear road bike and single-speed MTB.  Plus, "real" fly fisherpeeps look at it with amusement, cynicism, or intrigue, just like mainstream cyclists view fixies.  Since then I haven't had any luck, but it's hotter now and I've gone around mid-day during lunch. 

Thinking about all the possibilities around here for small stream fishing, accessible by road or mountainbike, some legally and some questionably so (I might selectively poach some no-bikes areas just to connect legit routes but would stay out of posted private property).  Any suggestions?

Here I am on my lunch ride...bike in background.  We live in a marvelous place! 

Some other pictures of Tenkara, in Panthertown Valley and in my own trout pond near the Coldholler log cabin...