I just ran across a really unique site that Tenkara and Backpacking Fly Fishers alike might find interesting. It’s called The Eclectic Angler and it has a good mix of finished products (such as hand made reels) and DIY supplies for reelsmithing and line making.
Of particular note for Tenkara fishers, they sell horse hair and furling tools which could be used to make your own Tenkara-style fly lines such as the “Walton’s Engine” pictured above. I’m pretty excited about finding this site because it opens up a whole world of opportunities for experimenting with DIY leader and Tenkara-style fly line taper projects. Plus, I like the fact that they adhere to tradition by promoting 19th century methods. This site is definitely worth a look for any fly fisher seeking the unique.
Very cool, They look like minature rope making devises that used to be used on sailing ships. Heck thats probably exactly what they are.
Great site, they even have some information on how to make your own fishing line! out of horse hair, wow, haven’t seen that done in a long time.
I wonder what the test is on horse hair these days?
Adam,
It’s pretty strong. I have some that I use to make midge bodies with and that stuff is tough. But it’s pretty thick. I wonder if you could use their tools to make a line out of mono.