Why We Don’t Use Leaders in Tenkara
I’ve recently been testing out a new furled tenkara line design from Moonlit Fly Fishing called the “Katana”. Normally, furled lines don’t really appear on my radar because many of them are so similar. Sure there are different tapers and materials, but for the most part, empirically, they feel the same to me. But I discovered the Katana is definitely a different animal thanks to a few unique design elements.
Most furled lines are tapered down from the butt to the tip (i.e. the butt is thicker and the line gets progressively thinner closer to the tip). This generally makes for a good transfer of energy during the cast. But the Katana is a “weight forward” line. There is more mass toward the tip of the line than the butt. This extra mass puts more weight further from the tip of the rod, helping it load better and turnover more easily. In fact, I was surprised by how easy the line was to cast. I was able to load the rod with very minimal movement and I could also punch through the wind with no problem. To preserve delicacy, the line tapers down to a thinner diameter as it approaches the tip.
Another interesting feature is that the Katana is built around a monofilament core. The furl is made with polyester thread (about the equivalent of 8/0 UNI in diameter) but the mono is lighter and stiffer than the thread, giving it better turnover without adding too much weight. According to Brandon Moon of Moonlit, this blending of materials maximizes the overall performance of the line. I’m sure it took quite a bit of experimentation to get the recipe just right.
I should also mention that the Katana is extremely accurate. I pretty much picked out a target visually and it was almost like the line telepathically knew where I wanted to put the fly. I think this characteristic would be welcomed by any tenkara angler, but especially beginners who struggle with accuracy.
At the business end, the tip has a pretty standard shorb loop for a loop-to-loop connection with the tippet.
And the butt end features a Dacron loop for a girth hitch connection to the rod.
Overall, I’m impressed with the Katana. It’s a pleasure to cast, unique in design, and Brandon’s consistent quality in furling always amazes me (see the closeup of how tight the furls are in the first pic). It’s nice to see a company continuing to innovate and push the limits of design.
The line I tested was 18′ with a mix of green and black strands for the main line and a hi-vis yellow tip section though different lengths and color options will be available on the Moonlit Fly Fishing website.
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I have to agree with Jason on this one. I’ve also been testing the Katana and am amazed at how well the line works. EXTREMELY delicate presentation and as Jason also pointed out, very accurate casting ability.
The only issue I found is it’s not as effective as the Bushi in turning over heavy flies, Brandon has stated they will fix that, I don’t know how much detail to go in with as I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag ahead of Brandon announcing it…
I can tell you guys, I’ve used quite a few different furled lines and leaders from different vendors and completely settled on Moonlit. They work as promised/described and the quality blows everyone else away.
How would this line work in warm water applications? I live in Florida so my application is a little different than traditional tenkara fishing and consequently I throw a variety of different flies from traditional styled sakasa kebari, to BH nymphs and variations like that, as well as some bulkier small gurgler type flies. I’ve been using 3.5, or 4 level line, but I find it sometimes doesn’t always turn some of the larger foam flies over as well. Would a line like the Katana be be more effective at that?
Rick this line Jason cast has a different taper. The big heavy bugs need the heavier lines like we had discussed. In fact for the one you were using I’d recommend our Oudachi which is made for heavy nymphs. I believe you will really like that line.
I have been using there Bushi furled leaders for at least 6 months now. In the 13 1/2′ ultra light/light. I have on all three of my rods. It really cast good.
How is the weight of the line? Is it easy to keep of the water or do you almost fish underneath your tip of the rod as is the case with a lot of furled lines.
Hi Chris, since the line behind the “weight forward” part is much thinner than a traditional taper, it is easier to keep off the water than other furled lines; however, it’s still not as light as a level fluorocarbon line. Id’s say it’s somewhere in between.
Dan a heavier version of this should do fine, but for heavier weighted flies we are getting ready to introduce a new nymph line that will be better suited for subsurface fishing. Hopefully it is up and running very soon. The reason for the Different lines is both situations are different and to get most out of each different materials were used.
I don’t see the ronin any more. What is a good substitute? Ronin was so good.. Dick