Every fly tier I know has their favorite type of music to listen to while tying their favorite flies. I am no exception. In the past, I listened to various kinds of music, country, folk, new age, classical, metal, and classic rock. However, my taste has changed in recent years, and I have been consistently fly-tying to one particular artist.
I was introduced to the artist by my friend Daniel Galhardo, the founder of Tenkara USA. I first heard his music when we shared a house for a few days when I worked with him at the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show a few years back. I want to thank Daniel if he ever reads this. He introduced me to new music, new food, and, most notably, a new way to fish.
The artist in question is Nick Takénobu Ogawa, a Japanese American cellist. I let his LinkedIn profile describe the rest. “Takénobu is the middle name and musical appellative of Japanese American cellist and composer Nick Ogawa. Over the course of 6 studio albums, Takénobu has had iterations as a trio with percussion, a multi-layered solo outfit, and currently as a duo with violinist and wife Kathryn Koch. As a duo Takénobu performs original live-looping cinematic folk songs ranging from vocal harmonies over layered pizzicato chords to dreamy and dramatic instrumental pieces.
I even got a chance to meet the artist when I was invited out to Colorado to attend the Tenkara Summit in 2019. I had the opportunity to hear him play solo as well as along with his equally talented wife, Kathryn Kock. As much as I enjoy his recorded music, it was even better to see it live.
I think it is the looping rhythm that makes it work as good fly tying music. I often find myself spinning the bobbin around the hook in perfect rhythm to the music. Since being introduced to the Takénobu, I have listened to his music more than anything else when tying flies.
As I stated at the beginning of this post, the range of music I enjoy is wide and varied. So Takénobu may not be for you, but it just may! Especially if you are a fan of tenkara and tying Japanese-style tenkara flies. Give some of his music a try, even if tenkara is not your bag.
What did you think if you listened to his music while spinning up some of your favorite bugs? Do you have a particular artist or genre that you prefer to listen to while fly tying? If so, leave a comment below.