1. Buy a rod that fits your price range. The cheaper rods are heavier and usually stronger. I'll talk about carbon fiber in a future journal entry. 8:2 action is a stiffer rod than 7:3 action. Softer is usually a little easier to cast.
2. You don't need anymore than 6 flies (and a duplicate of each). I will let you know that some Master's only use one fly, for everything. I can only hope I can make it that far in my process!
A popper
Olive woolly bugger
Tan or light yellow/brown kebari
Black/brown kebari
Red or orange/ brown kebari The wooly bugger can be bait fish, damsel, or crawfish imitation, and I try to go with a size 6 or 8. Everything else is a size 10 or 12. Keep in mind I fish warm waters. The concept is to try to keep it light and to have your flies imitate more than just one thing. Remember Tenkara is a generalist platform. You can certainly adopt Western Fly fishing fly hatch matching if you would like to go down that rabbit hole!
3. Always make sure the tippet that you use is weaker than the tip of your rod. Normally manufacturers will send tippet with the package that is best suited for use with the rod. The idea is that you want a fish breaking a tippet with a $2 fly, as opposed to, replacing a $15 tip. You're certainly more than welcome to fish with a tippet that exceeds the breaking strength or rating of your tip. I do, but I also understand it if I get a larger fish on, the rod will break before my tippet will. I am ok with that, I carry extra tips in the car and a back-up rod. One is none, two is one.
4. Stick with it (meaning Tenkara). The casting and catching will come.
5. Never stop creating, learning and perfecting the craft
Bookmark this site and visit our FB site for tips, tricks and step-by-steps. We're just getting started putting our experience and knowledge out here in the community and we are excited to bring you more each week. If you have something to add, ask or just want to talk warm water Tenkara, we welcome it.
So now you know... get out there an tighten a line.