There are a lot of excellent graphics and animations available that show the knot used to attach your tippet to your level line, but they typically don’t show you what you actually do with your hands and fingers. The Tenkara Knot was shown to me by Daniel Galhardo of Tenkara USA who learned it from Dr.…
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about using Cortland braided nylon level line for tenkara. I liked how it cast in my backyard, but hand’t had it on the water. That is, until today. And the verdict is in… While it seemed to be a pretty a good candidate for tenkara, I had…
A while back, I wrote a review of Tenkara USA’s “new” yellow line. It was supposed to have less memory and be more visible than the company’s previous level fluorocarbon lines (and it was). But Tenkara USA recently came out with a new line of lines that is supposed to be even better (and it…
Math is definitely not my strong point but I did a little to try to answer some questions I’ve been getting about the Japanese line rating system for fluorocarbon level lines and what it translates to in diameter. Please note: lb. test is irrelevant. Diameter matters more for turnover than test. And, test per diameter varies from…
I recently had a chance to field test the new Yamatoyo level lines available from Tenkara Times. There has been a proliferation of fluorocarbon lines on the market over the last few years–especially good ones. And this line is no exception. When the new yellow level lines came out from Tenkara USA, I was one of the…
If you’re anything like me, you’ve accumulated a bunch of level lines that live in anonymity. You’ve long forgotten the size and have no idea what the length is. And they all start to look the same after a while. Rather than getting the micrometer and measuring tape out every time you uncoil a mystery…
An ongoing dilemma I’ve faced has been line visibility. If you’re using a furled tenkara line, then visibility is usually not an issue. But if you use level fluorocarbon lines, you know that even the brightest line can sometimes be hard to see in different light conditions. I basically use two colors: orange, and bright…
Some rod manufacturers may cringe at me suggesting this tip to remove line twist when you’re winding your line on to the spool for fear of broken rod tips. But I have been using this technique for over two years and have never broken a rod. You just have to take the same care you…
Not too long ago, I wrote a post about using Red Amnesia as a sighter for tenkara level lines. Having fished it for a while now, I can say really like it. The bright red Amensia is easy to see in all lighting conditions and makes it much easier to follow your fly and detect…
The big news this week for lovers of level tenkara lines is that Tenkara USA will be listing a new yellow fluorocarbon line on their website within the next few days. I recently had a chance to field test the line and here is my initial review. Any discussion of tenkara level line inevitably involves mention of the orange…
There seems to be a fair amount of confusion among tenkara newcomers when it comes to level lines. People talk about level lines in terms of “lb. test” or “breaking strength” and people don’t seem to get the rating system used in tenkara so I thought I’d make a post to clear it up and…
I went a little crazy tonight building level lines with my girth hitch attachment method and it quickly became apparent to me that I’d need a way to store and organize them. So, I bought a bunch of 3″ X 4″ plastic bags at Michael’s and printed out some inserts that allow me to write…
Today, I got some fluorocarbon tenkara level line and a nice note from Chris Stewart of Tenkarabum.com. Chris is a level line guru and has tried just about every type of level line out there but also encourages experimentation. So I was delighted when he sent me a couple of “extras” to try out. The…
Many people talk about high visibility fluorocarbon level lines for Tenkara fly fishing and I’ve recently gotten into them. As a predominantly dry fly fisher, I really don’t “see” (get it) the need for this. And, I think in certain situations, it’s best to have a line you can cast over the fish without scaring…
If you’re like me, you dig level fluorocarbon lines for Tenkara fishing but miss the convenience of the girth hitch knot that the traditional furled lines offer. Luckily, there’s a simple technique you can use to get all the benefits of fishing a level line with the convenience of the braided loop connection. Here’s how……
In my last post, I wrote about how to choose a tenkara fly line. Many people had questions about how to attach a level line to their Tenkara fly rods so I thought it would be helpful to post a quick video on it so here it is. I hope this helps: If you’re not…
Tenkara USA level lines are now available in the gear shop! If you’ve been using traditional, furled lines, click here to see why you might want to give level lines a try.
One of the things I love about tenkara is that it lends itself to DIY gear and experimentation–especially when it comes to lines. If you think about it, people don’t really do much in the way of DIY lines in mainstream fly fishing. Most people just buy something off the shelf and while they might…
When I first saw the prototypes of the new line spools from NIRVANA On The Fly circulating around Facebook, I didn’t really give them a second thought. They looked exactly like the old Raji Leica I had already been using for years. I wasn’t much interested, but when owner Brent Auger offered to send me…
Yuzo Sebata. AKA, “Tani no Okina“, or, “the old man of the valley”. I recently shared some pictures of his tenkara flies. But just as each Japanese tenkara angler has their own signature fly patterns, many also have their own lines–as unique as their own thumbprints–and settled upon by years of experience and experimentation. Sebata-san…
I was recently contacted by my friend and veteren tenkara angler Paul Vertrees who told me about a new tenkara line he was developing with Royal Gorge Anglers. He offered to send me one to try and of course I accepted because I love to try out new gear, but honestly, I wasn’t really expecting…
As tenkara anglers, we like to push the boundaries and experiment with different techniques and tackle. One area of our sport that particularly lends itself to R & D is using unconventional materials for lines. While early lines may have been constructed of furled or braided horse tail or silk, commercially available modern lines have…
We’ve all been there before. You’re fishing your favorite line and it’s the perfect color for the spot you’re on. You can see the tip perfectly and detect even the gentlest strike with ease. But then, things change. Maybe you move slightly upstream where the lighting conditions are completely different, or the sun suddenly disappears…
I recently found these tenkara line cards during my weekly scouring of eBay for unique tenkara gear and thought they looked interesting, so I ordered a few (well … OK … eight). For those of you not familiar with line cards, they’re an alternative to using the popular plastic line spools and are nothing more…
One of the advantages of having a diverse background in fishing is that there can be some interesting crossover among the different genres. I’ve borrowed many tips, tactics and techniques from spin fishing, bait casting, deep sea fishing and (of course) western fly fishing that I’ve been able to incorporate into my tenkara fishing over…
A few weeks ago, I met up with Karin Miller from Zen Flyfishing and she let me try out her new floating line along the banks of the Fall River in Estes Park, CO. I pretty much exclusively fish level fluorocarbon lines; however, there are situations in which I find a floating line works better…
When we think of tenkara lines, we tend to think either of tapered, braided monofilament lines or level fluorocarbon lines. Undoubtedly, those are the two most popular kinds used today; however, there is another type of line you may not be familiar with that’s a little more (shall we say) “esoteric”. There’s a small number…
French company Tenkara Pyrenees just announced the release of their new product, the TWIN Adapter. The Adapter allows you to connect two spools of level line, allowing you to cut down on the number of spools cluttering up your fishing bag by 50%. They’re available in different colors, allowing you to devise a color-coding system to…
Tenkara USA is launching a new line. Not a new product “line”, but an actual “line”. It’s tapered nylon which is a departure from from their traditional offering of fluorocarbon level lines and furled tapered lines. They’re made by Fujino (one of the industry’s most trusted brands) and will be available in various lengths under…
For the last several years, I’ve been fishing level lines for tenkara almost exclusively. While tapered, furled lines are a pleasure to cast, level lines (due to their almost anti-gravity weight) make it much easier to keep your line off the water and maintain a good dead drift. Usually, I fish fluorocarbon level lines since…
