By June 24, 2011 – 4:53 pmTenkara may have been invented cerenuits ago in the Japanese hills, but I can tell you it has been practiced in the small mountain streams of the Smoky Mountains longer than folks can remember. I first heard about this form of fishing back in the mid-1970 s. I heard many tales from old-timers about their experiences, and those of others, fishing in the small mountain streams with a 12-foot bank pole, no reel, and a yeller-hammer fly. These guys were masters using every means of cover (and there’s a lot of it in our laurel-covered steams) available to them to sneak-up on their prey.This all has me thinking I know where there’s a fine canebrake from which I’m sure I could harvest a 12-foot bank pole Nice article!