East meets west and it’s pretty good

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UNI Products Fly Tiers Corner

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COLDWATER

September 2026

Column and Photos by Steve Hudson

In this complex world of ours, definitive statements abound. Some are silly. Some are mundane. But a few are truly profound, and the profoundest of them all may be this: Bugs are bugs. Right?

Yes, bugs are bugs. But the flies which imitate them are as varied as the individuals who create them. Here in the western world, where we seem to want to do everything as elaborately as possible, that has led to the creation of tens of thousands of fly patterns, each better than the last 9,999. Every new iteration is said to incorporate at last that elusive magic twist, that ultimate Secret Sauce, which will surely make it the pinnacle of everything when it comes to fooling trout.  

So many patterns! Yeah, you’re going to need a bigger vest! The trouble, though, is that this fly-flation never ends. It just gets more and more. What’s a fly fisher to do?

I’ll tell you what I’ve been doing. I’ve been heading east – all the way to Japan, at least in my mind – and having fun with something called tenkara. Tenkara for trout is flyfishing simplified. There’s no reel. The rods have no guides., The line length is fixed. Think “simple and effective,” and you’ll have the idea.

We could talk a long time about tenkara and how it fits into the broader fly fishing world, but right now I want to drill down to the matter of tenkara flies, and what I want to say won’t take but a moment.

What I want to say is that when it comes to flies, the tenkara folks are onto something.

“Something,” in this case, is simple-with-a-twist. Tenkara flies tend to be generic, focusing more on broad impressionism rather than on specific imitation. They’re generalized creations that look a little like a lot of things but exactly like nothing – especially if you factor in the forward-swept hackle which is often their defining characteristic.

That hackle is the “with-a-twist” thing. Yes, many tenkara flies do indeed have hackle that sweeps forward. Imagine a feathery subsurface cornucopia, and you’ll have the right idea.

I’d be less than honest if I said they don’t look a little odd. But think about it. In the water, a forward-sweeping hackle is perfectly positioned to respond to even the most subtle bit of movement. The slightest nudge of current will bring those forward-sweeping fibers to life, and the result is an enticing vision of bugginess that few trout are willing to resist. That’s what we want, isn’t it? A fly that trout just can’t resist?

So this time around, we’re not going to focus on a specific pattern. Instead, we’re targeting a philosophy of sorts, a functional philosophy of intentional simplicity. Its yields flies (“kebari” is what they’re called) which work just as well here in the South as they do in the plunging, boisterous mountain streams of Japan.

One new tying technique

To dabble in that philosophy, you must learn one non-Western tying technique – and that’s the matter of forming a forward-sweeping hackle. It really is straightforward, though, and here’s how to make it happen.

The simplest way is to, first, orient your soft-hackle feather so that the barbs naturally lay forward. Make a few wraps that way. Then reinforce the fibers’ inclination to inclination by making a few wraps of thread behind (yes, behind) or even barely over the base of the hackle collar to prop the fibers toward the front. That’s really all there is to it.

In most Western-style tying, the hackle is the last thing to be tied, But it’s usually the starting point of a tenkara fly. Form that front-sweeping hackle first…then add tailing (perhaps a few strands of Antron) and a body (most any buggy-looking dubbing works fine). Tie in ribbing wire if you desire. Then build the rest of the fly from the bend forward to the hackle collar, where you’ll tie off your thread. And that’s it..

A pattern, nonetheless

If you’re the type of tyer who likes to wing it, that’s all you need to know to tie effective kebari-style flies. But it’s still nice to have a recipe, so I’m going to give you one of my favorites. Materials are listed in the order in which they’re tied to the hook, with a few notes and observations to help you along the way.

Hook: Size 10 or 12 nymph hook, standard or 1XL. You can go smaller once you master the hackling, but kebari are often larger than their Western counterparts.

Thread: Red, 6/0. Why red? Why not?

Hackle: Soft mottled hen feather with barbs about the same length as the overall length of the hook.

Tail: Try a very few strands of Antron. Less is more, so don’t get too heavy-handed.

Ribbing: Fine gold or silver wire

Body: Brown dubbing. Hare’s ear blends are always good.

Tying tips

As noted earlier, getting used to the forward-sweeping hackle is probably the major challenge here. But you’ll master it in no time. It’s not hard; it’s just different.

There’s also the matter of the head. Some kebari tyers don’t form a head, but others like to do so to provide something for the forward-leaning hackle to lean on. I usually start by forming a very small head first and then tie in and wrap the hackle.,

Also different, or at least less familiar, is the idea of tying off your thread behind the hackle instead of in front of it. Again, it’s just different…though note that you will have to reach over the hackle to form your finishing knot.

Instead of a traditional knot, however, some kebari tyers use the Superglue-on-thread approach. Simply spread a drop of instant glue over a short length of your thread and then wrap a few turns; the glue will set, and all will be secure.

Fishing your forward-hackle nymph (okay, kebari)

You’ll quickly realize that the forward-sweeping hackle of a kebari-style fly opens the door to incredible and delightfully subtle motion in the water. You can add even more motion by twitching your rod, lifting the rod tip, sweeping or pulling on the fly, and so on. Or you can do nothing and let the subtleties of the current do the work for you. It works very well!

These flies do well when fished upstream. I like to cast them upstream into the top of moving water, watching the leader/line connection (or perhaps a tiny tuft of indicator yarn) to know what’s going on.

Frequently (and this surprised me at first but is now familiar and fun) you won’t even need an indicator. It seems to me that fish (not only trout but sunfish too) will often go out of their way to chase down and pounce on these flies. If you’re watching, you’ll sometimes see the flash of the fish as it goes for the fly. That’s a thrill too – but don’t get so excited that you pull the fly right out of its mouth!