With the impending extinction of the famous orange level line from Tenkara Bum, many tenkara anglers have been on the quest for a good replacement. Sanyo has recently come out with a new orange fluorocarbon line of its own called Valcan, but is it a good substitute for the Tenkara Bum line?
At first glance, the line looks very bright on the spool and promises to be just as high vis as the Tenkara Bum line.
But when placed side by side with the Tenkara Bum line and the new Tenkara USA yellow line, it “pales” in comparison. A.) Tenkara Bum Line, B.) Tenkara USA Yellow Line, C.) Valcan Tenkara Line …
“Pale” is the key word here. As you can see in the photo above, whereas the Tenkara Bum and Tenkara USA lines “glow”, the Valcan line is a more subtle, opaque color. And there isn’t anything wrong with that. In fact, some people actually prefer duller colored opaque lines. It just means it isn’t as high vis as the Tenkara Bum line (or Tenkara USA line for that matter).
In terms of castability, the Valcan line is pretty much the same as the Tenkara Bum line and has the same memory. By comparison, the Tenkara USA line has much less memory and casts “smoother”.
While the Valcan line from Sanyo is a good line, anyone looking for a Xerox of the Tenkara Bum lines won’t find it here. But if ultra high visibility isn’t high on your priority list and you prefer more subtle colored lines, this is a good one to try out. From left to right: Tenkara Bum Line, Tenkara USA Line, Valcan Tenkara Line …
Valcan tenkara line comes in sizes 3, 3.5, 4, and 4.5 and is 2,000 Yen (about $25) for a 30 meter spool. It’s available through PLAT Japan and also on eBay.
Just to let everyone know, the Hi-Vis TenkaraBum orange line is still available in size 4, which is the most popular size, and will be for quite some time.
I am almost out of the size 3, and had considered offering the Valcan line as a replacement for the size 3 only. I decided it didn’t meet my standard of visibility and so I chose to carry a different size 3 line, which is a fluorescent yellow and is quite visible (it is not the same line as that sold by Tenkara USA).
There is nothing wrong with the Valcan line, it just isn’t as visible as I want a tenkara line to be. In deep shade or in the evening, it is harder to see, whereas the Hi-Vis orange line and my new fluorescent yellow line just glow.
Thanks for the update Chris. It’s good to know the size 4 line will still be around for a while. To me, that is a good all around size. If people like this line, it’s probably a good idea to stock up now (I just ordered a couple more spools for myself today).
I’m hoping to order a Tenkara USA Ayu rod in the next week or two, which size line would you recommend? I mainly fish streams no more than 20 feet wide and probably 3 feet deep at most if that makes any difference.
Hi Sean. The 4.5 is a little easier to cast but the 3.5 is probably the best all around size with the best balance between castability and delicacy. It casts well with the Ayu and that’s what Daniel uses too.
Thanks Jason, that’s what I was thinking too from reading your posts on lines but I figured I’d ask before I blow $20 on a line that isn’t needed.
thanks for the review Jason. I came close to buying some when it came out,but refrained as my stocks are still good. based on your review, it looks like I saved some money. I’d be interested to here your views on the TUSA yellow compared to Chris’s new yellow also, as i think that his yellow is brighter.
I haven’t tried Chris’s yellow line yet but would like to.
I just got a spool of this myself, I have not had a chance to try it out. (it seems like you are always one step ahead of me Jason) but on a side note, it comes in a nifty little round box that allows a little bit of the line to stick out and holds it fast, which I like because I can strip off a section without unraveling the whole thing…aaannddd incidentally the tenkara usa hi viz spool fits perfectly inside that little box. that being said I would love to see the others who offer these hi viz lines to start offering these spool boxes,(wink wink TenkaraUSA) they make managing your line sooo much easier, and the convenient spool size cant just be a c. of course that being said once you have a couple boxes you can just keep replenishing the spool.
Hi Matt,
I also like the round box they come in. Thanks for letting us know the Tenkara USA level line spools fit inside. I didn’t even think to try that! You’re right, they are very convenient.
There is still plenty of the #3 and #4 available from me. I’ve been playing with the Sunline BMS Sniper which has alternating pink and orange 15cm sections exactly the same colour as has the hi-vis line separated by 40cm of clear. Each section glows in the sunlight. It does vanish when the sun is in your face, but then most lines do. Slightly stiffer than the hi-vis it casts well. I’ll be putting up some 20m spools for others to test at very reasonable price.