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

Weighted Futsu Kebari

February 24, 2022Leave a commentFlies & Fly Tying, Fly TyingBy Jason Klass

Futsu Kebari

Yes, I know. The party line is that traditional tenkara flies are unweighted. Purists say that you’re supposed to use plunge pools or longer drifts to sink your flies. But this isn’t always possible (especially on my home waters). Most of my local streams are high-gradient with short, fast-running pockets. You might only get a drift of about 4 or 5 feet. And that’s not enough to get your fly down to where the fish are.

One of my favorite tenkara flies is the Futsu Kebari. It’s a versatile, stiff-hackle pattern that is easy to tie and can be fished as either a dry fly or wet fly. But it’s sink rate isn’t great unless you’re on slower, shallower water and have plenty of room to let it get down. Typically, the Futsu uses thread or dubbing for the body; however, I tie mine with yarn (see instructions here). The yarn absorbs water quickly to help it sink faster, but I still consider it a “slow water” fly. So, I decided to start making some weighted versions that preserve the original look (i.e. not adding a bead) while being better suited to fast water and short pockets.

To tie this fly, follow the instructions in my link above, but just add a lead wire underbody. This makes the body noticeably thicker, but I think this actually makes it more enticing to trout (especially the lazy ones hugging the bottom). Here’s my version …

Weighted Futsu Kebari Recipe

Hook: Firehole Sticks 633 #12
Thread: Uni 8/0, red
Underbody: 0.025 lead wire, 6 or 7 wraps
Body: Shetland Spindrift yarn (color of choice)
Hackle: Grizzly, one size smaller than the hook size

Futsu Kebari Recipe

Of course, you can substitute any of these materials with whatever you want. One of the great things about this pattern is that it lends itself to experimentation. I just like the yarn because it’s durable, fast, buggy looking, and cheap. And as I said before, it absorbs water which is exactly what you want in a subsurface fly.

Why the red thread?

You might have noticed that I tie most of my tenkara flies with red thread. The reason for this is that red is one of two colors trout can see best (second to blue). Even just a small head of red thread can catch the eye of the trout and get their attention. I think this is one of the reasons the red body on my version of the Takayama Sakasa Kebari works so well.

Why the shorter hackle?

Simply put, it’s for hydrodynamics. I want this fly to sink as fast as possible and the more hackle you have, the more resistance it will put up. The shorter hackle is just enough to give a buggy profile without impeding the sink rate.

Futsu Kebari

So, armed with both the unweighted and weighted Futsu, I can fish the entire water column–from surface to substrate.

 

futsu kebaritenkaratenkara fliesweighted futsuweighted futsu kebari
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 Harrop Dun
Caribou Harrop Dun
February 23, 2022
Shetland Spindrift yarn for fly tying
Sources for Fly Tying Yarn
November 18, 2021
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!

* indicates required



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
  • DIY Wine Cork Fly Dryer
    DIY Wine Cork Fly Dryer
    May 24, 2022
  • 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
© 2022 | Tenkara Talk by Jason Klass | All rights reserved