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

Category Archives: Tenkara Lines

Tactical Tenkara Nymph Line

Why We Don’t Use Leaders in Tenkara

graphic by Anthony Naples I was struck recently by a comment I read from Chris Stewart in a Facebook group. I can’t remember the exact wording, so I’m paraphrasing. It was to the effect of, “remember in western fly fishing when we were all concerned about having a well-tapered leader? Whatever happened to that?” It might…

July 4, 20198 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Kevlar Braided Tenkara Line

Bulletproof Tenkara Line

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…

April 17, 20196 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Tippet Expiration Dates

Does Tippet Expiration Really Matter?

A guy came into the shop the other day and was filling his basket with handfuls of tippet material. We got to talking and he told me he replaces all of his tippet every year with “fresh” tippet. It was his ritual. I know the old argument–heat, UV exposure, and water absorption all degrade tippet…

February 16, 201924 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Sebata Tenkara Line

Sebata’s Hand-Furled Tenkara Line

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…

February 5, 20194 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Tactical Tenkara Nymph Line

Tactical Tenkara Nymph Line

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…

January 1, 20196 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Eso Line Wax

Tenkara Eso Line Wax

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…

September 29, 201811 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Jason Klass Tenkara Line Formula

My Simple Tenkara Line Formula

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…

September 14, 201810 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

tenkara floating line

Zen Tenkara Floating Line

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…

July 28, 201715 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Titanium Tenkara Line

Esoteric Tackle Titanium Tenkara Lines

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…

August 28, 20161 CommentTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Furled Tenkara Lines

Katana & Tachi Tenkara Lines

In my last post, I wrote about some new hooks from Moonlit Fly Fishing. Moonlit isn’t a tenkara-specific company. They mostly sell conventional fly rods, leaders and accessories, but seem to be increasing their offering of gear relevant to the tenkara angler–and they’re doing it well. I recently received two of their lines, the Katana and…

July 23, 20162 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

tenkara

Tenkara USA Tapered Nylon Lines

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…

June 12, 20168 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Esoteric Tackle Braid & Bead Tenkara Strike Indicators

Where I come from, nymphing meant two things by default: 1). a heavily weighted fly and 2). a high-floating strike indicator (usually the bulky teardrop type with a toothpick stopper). That was an effective rig on a 5 wt. It’s the perfect balance between sinking the fly and getting a visual indication of the take…

May 27, 20169 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Tenkara floating line

Three Rivers Tenkara Floating Line

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…

November 15, 20153 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Nissin SP Pro Tenkara line

Nissin SP Pro Tenkara Line

Every time someone asks me to try out a new tapered tenkara line, I always say the same thing: “I’m a level-line guy”. But, because of my STGA (“Severe Tenkara Gear Addiction), I always accept, and am always reminded of how easy tapered lines are to cast. So when Chris Stewart of Tenkara Bum asked…

May 6, 20158 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Fujino Tenkara Line

Fujino Tenkara Line

A couple of weeks ago, Chris Stewart from Tenkara Bum told me about a new line he was thinking of carrying. It was a nylon tapered line similar to those used in conventional fly fishing. This type of tapered line is nothing new in tenkara. There are many tapered nylon lines available today such as…

April 7, 20158 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Rainbow tenkara line

Dennis & the Amazing Technicolor Dream Line

I went fishing with Dennis Vanderhowen a couple of days ago. I usually don’t pay much attention to the gear my fishing buddies use, but something caught my eye as I turned my head to see where he was upstream–his line. Tenkara lines are notoriously difficult to see–both on the stream and on camera. But…

February 8, 201516 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Nymphing Line

Moonlit Flyfishing Oudachi Tenkara Line

I’ve tried many furled tenkara lines and most of them are pretty similar: a single-material, single-color, line that tapers from butt to tip. But the new Oudachi line from Moonlit Fly Fishing is a whole different animal. The Oudachi is billed as a “nymphing” line and I’d say that’s accurate.  First, rather than a consistent…

November 22, 20145 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Zen Fly Fishing Hybrid Tenkara Line

Zen Fly Fishing Gear Hybrid Tenkara Line

I’m always interested in unique tenkara line designs and materials. Recently, a new line from Zen Fly Fishing Gear caught my attention. At first, it didn’t look like anything special. It was labelled “level line” on their site so I assumed it was just another orange fluorocarbon level line. But after Karin Miller from the…

July 14, 20147 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Furled Tenkara Line

Moonlit Fly Fishing Katana Tenkara Line

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…

July 7, 20148 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Tapered Tenkara Line

Fujino Tapered Tenkara Line

When I first started tenkara, I fished furled, tapered lines because they were easy to cast. The turnover was very good and loaded the rod well. But they are typically “heavy” and difficult to keep off the water when you want to make a good dead drift presentation. Eventually, I “graduated” to level fluorocarbon lines…

May 15, 201411 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Dark Tenkara Line

The Dark Side of Tenkara Lines

I can’t remember who it was, but a long time ago, someone sent me this furled tenkara line. It’s made of black and dark green strands of thread. For months, it sat shunned on my desk because my first reaction was, “I’ll never be able to see it!” After all, every discussion I’ve ever seen…

May 3, 20145 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

floating tenkara line

Calcutta Ultrabraid Tenkara Line

While I use fluorocarbon level lines for 99% of my fishing, I always like to experiment with different materials to see what applications they might have for tenkara. Last year, I wrote a post about using Cortland braided mono running line and many people seemed interested in it. However, I recently discovered that that line…

April 20, 201410 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Scientific Anglers Freshwater Tippet

Scientific Anglers Freshwater Tippet

I’ve been using Rio Powerflex tippet for years and have been pretty happy with it. So, I didn’t really feel the need to shop around for a new tippet. But then I saw the freshwater tippet from Scientific Anglers and was intrigued–not by the tippet material itself, but by the spools they came with. The…

February 23, 201418 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Furled Tenkara Line

Zen Outfitters Tenkara Lines

I’ve been testing some furled tenkara lines from Zen Outfitters. I’m really a level-line guy, but these seemed interesting to me so I thought they were worth a look. The first thing you should know about their lines is that they’re made of UNI thread (the same thread used to tie flies). This makes for…

February 8, 20144 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Bi-vis Hi-vis Tenkara Level Line

The Bi-vis Hi-vis Tenkara Line

Tenkara level lines are so thin that, by nature, they’re hard to see. To combat this, manufacturers dye their lines in bright colors to make them more visible. But conditions can change throughout the day (and even from spot to spot) so rarely is one color trackable in every situation. It could suddenly become overcast,…

January 25, 201411 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Sunline Tornado Tenkara Line

Sunline Tornado Tenkara Line

I recently got a spool of Sunline Tornado fluorocarbon line from The Tenkara Times in size #2 (o.235mm). When I first started fishing tenkara, I preferred a #4 line. Then, as my casting got better, I started using lighter lines such as a #3. I liked the way a lighter line was easier to keep…

January 22, 20143 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Titanium Tenkara Lines

Titanium Lines from Tenkara Times

Say that 10 times fast! A while ago, I wrote a post about a titanium line I got from Tenkara Times (click here for that review). In case you missed the memo, titanium lines slice through wind like a lightsaber through butter making them an excellent choice when the gales make it nearly impossible to…

December 1, 201313 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Tenkara Line

RIGS Updates their Nymph & Floating Tenkara Lines for 2014

When RIGS fly shop introduced their floating tenkara line and tenkara nymph line last year, they answered the prayers of many tenkara anglers who fish outside the “tenkara box” that were craving specialty lines.  The floating line made from an actual PVC running line (same stuff your regular fly lines are made of) was a…

November 14, 20132 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Silk Tenkara Line

Silk Tenkara Line

The first thing I think of when I hear “silk fly line” is bamboo. Some say that there is no smoother combination than a bamboo rod and silk line. And since the action of tenkara rods is often compared to bamboo, it would seem like silk and tenkara would go hand in hand. After my…

October 20, 201311 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass

Braided Tenkara Level Line

Braided Nylon Level Line for Tenkara

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…

September 7, 201321 CommentsTenkara LinesBy Jason Klass
12
Next page
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 >>

TenkaraTalk Sponsors
Tenkara USA   Dragontail Tenkara     TAO Tenkara   Tenkara Tanuki Tenkara Fisher
Search by Category
Send Jason an Email
Search TenkaraTalk
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
  • Tenkara Book
    Tenkara Today Book Review
    November 7, 2020
  • Tenkara Tanuki Retractor
    Tenkara Tanuki Retractor
    October 28, 2020
  • Hoo Rag
    The Hoo Rag
    September 23, 2020
© 2019 | TenkaraTalk by Jason Klass | All rights reserved