Making a Tamo

Always in my pack, gloves and my pocket saw

Making My Own Tamo

Since finding out about tenkara, I’ve always been interested in the round nets that the anglers in Japan used. For me, they are iconic much like the sakasa kebari. Many of the nets or tamo are made out of a tree branch. They are made by selecting, bending, curing, splicing and finishing. I own two that are from a shop in Japan. I like the fine monofilament net bag that are color blend on the Mankyu Net makers shop.

The traditional nets are not perfect, the flaws, whether they be knots or bends in the branch are accepted and worked with. I really enjoy this aesthetic, it is one of my favorite aspects of the tamo.

Recently, I’ve decided to make my own.

I will detail my study and progress at this thread.

I hope you become inspired to possibly make your own...

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Notes

August 29, 2019 Ordered a 35cm akane (red to yellow fade) net bag and thread mounting kit

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Supply List

Curating: Silky Boy Saw 130cm fine teeth, gloves

Curing: Parafin Wax, Zip Ties, Twine

Splicing: Fine Pull Saw, bamboo toothpicks

Miscellaneous: Mineral Spirits

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Tamo Making Links

Japanese Tamo Construction: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13

Japanese Tamo Google Resource Search 1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Tamo Shop
Mankyu
Mercari search

YouTube Videos

fishing water wheel 8/11/19

When ever you read "fishing water wheel" at tenkara-fisher, it is the East Verde just North of Payson, the closest stream to my house. Today took 65 minutes to get there by car. Not bad.

What is bad is this is the confluence of Ellison Creek and the East Verde River, in a canyon that is popular with swimmers. This is the place where in 2017, ten people in one family were killed in a torrential flash flood. Out of respect, I did not take pictures of the memorials along the stream where they found the bodies. It is very morose...

Moving on, it's close to home and there are plenty of fish to be caught, even in high and chocolate water. We moved up the canyon to third crossing and walked the road back down the canyon to the car.

I've been using the Wrong Fly with a small tungsten bead tyed in and today it was the ticket. I caught a couple of types of rainbow, about a dozen fish in all. Super happy with this pattern, I've caught fish with it everywhere, it is my go to fly for sure.

Bendo in my Furaibo

As you can see, the water is chocolate brown and high from the run off from recent storms. The flash flooding that occurs is when there are active storms in the area. The last storms in the area where greater than 12 hours before and I am always careful about fishing here. I know about flash flooding from early on when I was a kid.

We caught a lot of fish today, just what Jimmy and I needed. It's a nice place to run up to, and escape. It is noon and I've been back for a while collecting the images and writing down my notes.