Tenkara is very effective for small streams fishing. A good Tenkara fisherman can use that long rod to achieve excellent presentation. Tenkara flies are tied with this technique in mind. the placement of hackles and weight considers how a Tenkara fisherman fishes often with no line on the water, but with a direct connect to his or her fly. The long rod is used to guide the fly through riffles for the ultimate in drag free presentation. You can fish Tenkara flies standard or standard flies on a Tenkara setup. But Tenkara flies have been designed with specific technique in mind.
I have flies I have designed specifically to suit my fishing style, which is very long leader, very short cast, stealthy movements, and spotting fish. This means big airy flies don't work as they are less accurate and don't cast as well on a long leader. They also spook more fish than nymphs and emergers.