Tenkara TalkTenkara Talk
Tenkara Talk
a tenkara fly fishing blog
Search Tenkara Talk
  • Home
  • Tenkara Gear
    • Tenkara Rods
    • Tenkara Lines
    • Line Holders & Spools
    • Fly Boxes
    • Nets
    • Packs, Organization & Storage
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Wading Gear
  • Flies & Fly Tying
  • How-To & Resources
    • What is Tenkara?
    • Tenkara 101
    • Presentation Techniques
    • Streamcraft
    • Tenkara Videos
    • Tenkara Knots
    • DIY & Hacks
    • Warmwater Tenkara
    • Books & Media
  • News & Fun
    • Trip Reports
    • Interviews
    • Philosophy
    • Humor
    • Art
    • Tenkara News
    • Events
  • Tenkara Links
  • About Me
  • Contact
FacebookTwitterYouTubePinterestInstagram
  • Home
  • Tenkara Gear
    • Tenkara Rods
    • Tenkara Lines
    • Line Holders & Spools
    • Fly Boxes
    • Nets
    • Packs, Organization & Storage
    • Clothing & Accessories
    • Wading Gear
  • Flies & Fly Tying
  • How-To & Resources
    • What is Tenkara?
    • Tenkara 101
    • Presentation Techniques
    • Streamcraft
    • Tenkara Videos
    • Tenkara Knots
    • DIY & Hacks
    • Warmwater Tenkara
    • Books & Media
  • News & Fun
    • Trip Reports
    • Interviews
    • Philosophy
    • Humor
    • Art
    • Tenkara News
    • Events
  • Tenkara Links
  • About Me
  • Contact

Bulletproof Kebari

February 1, 20192 CommentsFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

This is one of those “I already know someone’s thought of it (before I even say it)” ideas, but I had the thought last night to tie some simple stiff-hackle tenkara flies with Kevlar thread. I don’t normally use Kevlar, but I had some left over from my days tying bass and saltwater flies and when I came across a spool of it in my drawer by happenstance, the distinct yellow color stuck in my mind.

Kevlar’s natural color (if you can call it “natural”) is a pale yellow-ish. Not sulphur … not quite lt. cahill … but, well, just Kevlar. It’s difficult to dye and even the best processes can’t really produce a convincing red, black, or olive. For whatever reason, yellow seems to be an attractive color to trout, so “natural” Kevlar’s distinct take on it seemed to be a cogent choice. Plus, it’s got a slight, understated sheen that is “insecty” without being garish.

Tenkara Flies with Kevlar Thread

Like some other materials (who shall remain nameless), I’m frenemies with Kevlar thread. For one thing, it’s slippery–unruly on the hook shank and can make it difficult to secure materials without proper placement and tension. And it’s “flat”, meaning that the individual fibers splay unless you’re diligent about twisting it into a tight rope before you wrap. To be diplomatic, I’ll just say it’s not the most user-friendly thread to work with and leave it at that.

The name “bulletproof” is also a bit of a misnomer. While this fly is indeed made from the stuff of bulletproof vests, Kevlar thread isn’t as durable as one might think as a body material. It does have high tensile strength, but it’s made of many thin strands that are not very abrasion resistant. So you could probably suspend a 10 lb. downrigger ball with it, but you would make quick work of it with a few gentle scrapes of a nail file, reducing it to a scraggly pile of dubbing (…there might be another idea).

So though it may not live up to its reputation in the durability department, it sure does look elegant. The above flies are just a few dress rehearsals and I’m sure I’ll be able to apply Kevlar thread to other designs. It’s just one more crossover material from my western fly-tying days that I’ve been able to translate into tenkara and will enjoy experimenting with, just as I have the others.

Have you tried Kevlar for tenkara fly bodies?

If so, please post your pics below in the comments section.

bulletproof kebarikevlar tenkara flieskevlar thread for tenkara fliessakasa kebaritenkara flies
About the author

Jason Klass

Jason is an avid fly angler and backpacker. As a former fly fishing guide originally from Western New York, he moved to Colorado and became an early adopter of tenkara which perfectly suited the small, high altitude streams and lakes there. He has not fished a Western-style fly rod for trout since.

Like this article? You might also like these ...
Spring Futsu Kebari
Spring Futsu Kebari
March 19, 2022
Best Tenkara Flies
My Top 5 Flies for Tenkara
March 13, 2022
Japanese Lantern Sakasa Kebari
The Improved Japanese Lantern
March 8, 2022
Garrison Keillor Fly Fishing
The Lake Wobegon Special
March 6, 2022
FB Futsu Kebari
Weighted Futsu Kebari
February 24, 2022
FB Harrop Dun
Caribou Harrop Dun
February 23, 2022
2 Comments
  1. Reply
    February 2, 2019 at 6:10 am
    Bruce Pencek

    I have some leftover kevlar, too, and I remember the year or so that Cortland/Climax was peddling it for tippets. Is the availability of leftover supplies enough to justify using them? Whether in flies or lines. I wonder how kevlar compares with other threads for persistence in the environment. When they degrade, do kevlar and/or other synthetic threads convert to innocuous chemicals or do they simply shred down to microplastic?

  2. Reply
    February 2, 2019 at 7:16 am
    Jason Klass

    Hey Bruce,
    Actually, not only do I think leftover materials justify their use, I think they almost demand them. They get you to start thinking outside the norm and to be more creative than adhering to conventional materials.

    On the point of environmental impact, given the millions of tons of plastic water bottles in our oceans, I hardly think a few wraps of Kevlar on some flies is cause for alarm. How long to you think that graphite rod you’re using takes to decompose and what does it break down into?

Leave Comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

clear formSubmit

About Me

Jason Klass is a former fly fishing guide & casting instructor based in Colorado. He was an early adopter of tenkara in the West and has been fishing the method for a variety of species since 2009. Read more >>

Get an Email When I Post!
Loading
Tenkara Talk Sponsors
Tenkara USA   Dragontail Tenkara     TAO Tenkara   Tenkara Tanuki Tenkara Fisher
Search by Category
Send Jason an Email
Search Tenkara Talk
Tenkara Talk Archives
Tenkara + Backpacking!
Is there any other sport that goes better with tenkara than hiking and backpacking? Be sure to also check out my ultralight and DIY backpacking gear blog.

Tenkara and Backpacking
Latest Posts
  • Wader Bag
    How I Pack My Wading Gear (+2 Tips)
    May 15, 2022
  • Tenkara Strike Indicator
    New Tenkara Line Sighters (Strike Indicators)
    April 23, 2022
  • The Junk Drawer Fly Box
    The Junk Drawer Fly Box
    April 21, 2022
© 2022 | Tenkara Talk by Jason Klass | All rights reserved