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I came home from work today to find a nice package from Japan in the mailbox waiting for me. Red fluorocarbon! I’ve been talking to a company there about getting some bulk hi-vis level line and they were gracious enough to send me some sample line. Here’s what it looks like and my initial thoughts…
The line is 0.35 mm in diameter making it a slightly heavy #4. It’s made by a company called Mikado and while the line color is marketed as “red”, at first glance, it seemed more of a pink.
Mikado red tenkara line closeup
However, when I put it next to the Daiwa Plasma line I got on eBay, there was a noticable difference. The Mikado line is indeed “redder” than the Daiwa line (which is a much paler pink). It’s hard to tell from the photo below but there is a big difference in real life.
Mikado line (left) vs. Daiwa Plasma line (right)
In terms of visibility, the Mikado line is definitely more visible than the Daiwa line, though I’m not sure it’s as visible as the Tenkara Bum orange level lines. I’ll have to do a little more side-by-side testing to say for sure. My wife and I rented a cabin this weekend that’s literally right on the Arkansas River, so I will be testing out this line (along with some other tenkara gear) and will post my findings. If this line proves to be a winner, I have an opportunity to buy it in bulk which will be nice. If not, then it will have been a fun experiment.
For some reason, they also sent me some clear #2.5 fluorocarbon line on a spool labelled “tenkara”.
#2.5 tenkara level line
I’m not sure why they sent this. I didn’t ask for it and our discussion was clearly (ironically) about high-vis lines. I haven’t really fished a level line this light yet and I’ve already experimented with clear tenkara level lines, but maybe I’ll give it a try in ultra stealthy situations (no wind of course).
Anyway, the experimentation continues here at TenkaraTalk. If you’re not getting out, I hope you’re at least playing around with some tenkara gear or casting in the backyard.
Don’t know what your plans are and certainly do not want to get in the way of a quiet weekend alone….
….but if you are near Salida and want to wet a line I can show you a couple of spots.
Greg
[BTW, your Contact Captcha did not like my math, hence this post]
Greg, what was the problem with the Captcha?
Hi Jason,
I plan to go to Estes Park Colorado once each year just for a little rest and recreation. What Tenkara outfit and line would you recommnend for mountain stream trout fishing?
Thanks,
Dan
Hi Dan,
I’m assuming you’ll be fishing in Rocky Mountain National Park. If you prefer a stiffer rod, I would recommend the Iwana 12 ft. If you like a slower rod, I would recommend the Ayu. Both rods will handle any streams you’ll encounter in the park but it just comes down to preference in action. Hope that helps!
I am not an expert but i imagine there are advantages to both. Do you have a recommendation in actions for trout Jason? Dan
Ayu because it loads better. Call/email me if you have more questions.
very kind of you to bring me up on this. Thanks, Jason. I used to live in Colorado and i love the mountains. I never was very good at catching trout but this system looks doable to me. Dan
Jason,
Level line is basically fluorocarbon? Is it possible to make your own level line out of fluorocarbon?
Thanks,
Brandon
Yep. That’s one of the advantages of it. You can cut it to any length you want.
love to see those testing outcomes. when you are testing, would it be possible to get someone with weaker and/or older eyesight to help with the testing? I’ve noted that as I get older and my eyesight diminishes, I have more and more trouble seeing the line in the shade, and I don’t think red would work my eyes – something to do with the wavelength v.s my old cones. I’ve read that “our cones, which give us our acute and color vision (photopic), are most sensitive at 555nm (yellow-green). This is the reason, by the way, for the newer fire truck and ambulance colors – it’s the color we see most readily during the day – not “fire engine” red”. nt sure if it matters in this case, as I have no trouble seeing sanyo valcan mist green or even standard clear FC in the sunlight, but in the shade or at dusk, even the orange is harder to see.