Why We Don’t Use Leaders in Tenkara
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 (more on that in a minute).
I’ve been tenkara fishing since 2009 and since then I’ve experimented with a lot of different lines. But I have to say, I was blown away on the first cast with this line. My friend Brian Lindsay was there too and I kept asking for the rod back because I couldn’t get enough of casting this line. It’s hands down one of the easiest lines to cast with an effortless turnover that makes you feel like you’re a tenkara rockstar. Not only is it a thrill to cast, but some of the design features are pure genius …
Technical Features
First of all, I’m not sure what material the main line is made from but I’m assuming it’s PVC-based similar to a regular fly line to give it its floatability. On one end there’s a (Kevlar?) loop to easily attach it to your lilian. But the real genius is in the tip end. It’s an 8-inch section of hi-vis orange for strike detection and at the very end there’s both a loop and a tippet ring. This means that you have the option of attaching your tippet either by a loop-to-loop (handshake) knot OR a clinch knot to the tippet ring! I’ve never seen this on any other line and I think it’s pretty innovative.
From end to end, I can tell Karin put a lot of thought into every detail of the design of this line. It’s currently available in the following lengths: 7′, 11′, 12.5′ and 15′. Some other practical advantages are spelled out on the packaging itself …
Applications
I mentioned earlier that sometimes I think a floating line is preferable to fluorocarbon in certain situations. To me, these include …
- High-wind conditions. The greater mass of a PVC line cuts through the wind. And, if you’ve ever tried to maintain a dead drift with a level fluorocarbon line, you know that the wind can make it impossible because it grabs your line and thrashes it around, taking the control away from you. It’s better to have a line that cuts through the wind and keep it on the water to make a good presentation.
- Stillwater. In lakes and ponds, I prefer a floating line. There’s no need to keep your line off the water in stillwaters and I feel like I can make a better presentation.
- Fishing larger flies. Floating lines tend to be able to turn over bigger flies like streamers or weighted flies with more grace whereas with a fluorocarbon line you’re kind of “lobbing” it out there with an ugly cast that just feels terrible.
- Beginners. Again, because of the heavier mass, a line like this is much easier for a beginner to cast that a level line. It almost turns itself over without any effort. I’ve seen plenty of novices get frustrated when they couldn’t get a fluorocarbon line to lay out. But with this line, it’s much more intuitive and will shorten the learning curve of the casting stroke and timing.
- Dry fly fishing in slow waters. There are some places I fish where the water is slow moving and there are no cross currents to create drag, so it’s OK to have your line on the water. In these cases, I like a floating line.
Conclusion
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of experimentation and innovation in tenkara and in my opinion, the Zen Tenkara Floating Line is one of a few notable hallmarks of the evolution of our sport. It may not end up being your everyday line, but it’s definitely worth keeping in your arsenal when the conditions demand it. You’ll be glad you had it with you.
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Jason, nice write up! Looks like it may be worth considering. By the way, who won the ugly hat contest?
Jason FYI, the line is not a PVC… That letches and is not 100% recyclable or Eco-friendly like the Zen lines. PVC is yuck for our environment! The entire line is made of a single material with the exception of the tippet ring and shrink tubing which simply holds material in place while it bonds to itself.
Ah, OK, thanks for the clarification Karin! I’m assuming it’s a proprietary material then that you don’t want to disclose. No worries. I just didn’t know what it was.
Is this line performing the same as all the other floating tenkara lines? By that i mean that you cant keep it of the water like the levellines?
Chris
No, you can’t keep it off the water like you can with a fluorocarbon line. But I would say it’s a little lighter than the Riggs line. Still I don’t think the purpose of floating lines like these is to keep it off the water. They’re different tools for a different job. Everything has a purpose, yet not everything matches every purpose.
Just a matter of semantics, but I believe the monofilament line, with its reduced drag and ability to be kept off the water is essential to tenkara. Remember, tenkara evolved primarily as a tool for fishing smaller high gradient mountain streams. Certainly we can adapt it for larger streams or stillwater by attaching a floating line, but I would argue that this is no longer tenkara angling but rather just fixed-line fishing. Why not just use the old 5-weight?
Semantics..If you read at the packaging it states: “Defining American Tenkara”….you can define what you believe to be essential but the reality is that the paradigms are shifting. This isn’t Japan, very few have the luxury of fishing high gradient mountain streams, and we are not fishing for subsistence. If we all held firm to this contrived and applied definition of “Tenkara” only very small sect (very small being the key phrase) will ever fish “Tenkara”…why not accept the the word tenkara as a method with multiple variations on execution and focus more on the simplicity of the style and the core fundamentals of the intent when one fishes tenkara style.
Kind of like Kleenex.
I agree with Chuck. Why do we have to pigeonhole tenkara into an archaic technique? Certainly there are limitations, but there is also flexibility as has been proved by many western anglers.
Gentlemen when fishing my long rod and a line to traditionally match I am able to keep this line off the water and most often do as it is extremely light. I do lay it in the water when wind becomes a continual battle. What I also enjoy about the line is it has no memory so no tangles or bird nests and almost no stretch so hook sets are immediate. Plus it’s eco-friendly and 100% recyclable so that good for everyone. Thank you for the discussion.
On your recommendation I ordered their 7’ Line for my Kiyotaki 240. I just received it and I’m excited to get it on the water. However I have a few questions. 1.) Does it attach to the Lillian the regular way given the color coded tab? 2.) Are the clear shrink tubing sections intended to be permenant?
Rick, this post was two years ago and so I’m not sure what the design of the current connection is. Can you please post pics of both ends of the line here in the comments? Right below the “Submit” button, just click “Choose File” to upload pics. Others may have this question as well and might find it helpful.
Thanks for the response. Here’s a photo of the two ends that shows the colored tab and the clear shrink tube
Try that again
I picked up
Some of this line last week for windy Sierra Nevada Days…! I Love it; you’re right, I felt like a rock star casting this….
first catch on this line! Putah Creek