We are very excited to share an article that Mike put together for a great online fishing magazine called Kype. Its a great summary of Badger's approach to Tenkara fishing in Driftless streams. Check it out! 

Badger Tenkara is excited to announce our sponsorship of a genuinely epic family adventure! 
We are big believers that sharing outdoor adventures with family can create powerful, positive experiences. We also firmly believe that Tenkara is a perfect fit with backpacking, bike touring, and paddlesports like kayaking and canoeing. This summer, we are happy to be sponsoring some adventures that will highlight how well Tenkara fly fishing compliments just about any outdoor pursuit. 

Last year, at the age of 5, Christian "Buddy Backpacker" became the youngest person to ever through-hike the 2,184 mile Appalachian Trail. On April 8th, just a week after his 6th birthday, Buddy and his family will begin their journey on the 2,650 mile Pacific Crest Trail. On this trip, the family will be carrying Badger Tenkara Classic rods, learning how to fly fish Tenkara style, and checking in with us along the way! 

1) Please tell us a little about your family, and how Buddy became the youngest thru-hiker in Appalachian Trail history. 
We are from NY, born and raised. We moved to Colorado in 2012 to start living a more active lifestyle with Buddy. We spent the summer in the Rockies and Buddy just fell in love with backpacking. He loves being outside and sleeping in the tent. After a season of skiing in CO we decided that we would to hike some of the AT, not really ever intending on completing the whole thing. We hoped that we would finish, but didn't put any pressure on even getting half way. We always took it one day at a time. 

2) How much fishing has Buddy, and your family in general, done before now? 
Buddy has done a bit of fishing on Long Island with his grandfather, they fish off the south shore of Long Island. They haven't ever fly fished, actually none of us have before. Dion grew up on a sail boat fishing his whole life, so he has a bit of experience but also hasn't ever been fly fishing before. 

3) What about Tenkara fishing encouraged you to choose it as a tool for your thru hike? 
We chose Tenkara because of the ultra-lightweight design of the rod and how compact it is. We think it will be perfect for carrying long distance. 

4) Are you planning on fishing to supplement your food on the trip, strictly for recreation, or both?
We plan on fishing mostly for recreation, but should we catch something worth eating we will film it and cook it up! We are bringing a grate for grilling the fish we hope to catch! 

It is going to take a month or so for the trail to wind its way through the deserts and into more"fishy" territory, but we'll be posting updates on Buddy's journey and the whole family's experiences as they learn Tenkara. In the mean time, please check out their website and drop by their Face Book page to wish them a safe and happy hike!