I've been tinkering with Tenkara again as it's proving an effective technique for small rivers like the Braid. So far I've been using the traditional furled, tapered leader supplied with the rod. This is usually considered the best choice for the beginner as it is relatively easy to cast and achieve turnover - especially if there's a breeze. Now I was keen to try a couple of homemade alternatives.
Left to right - Traditional furled, hand-twisted nylon and orange Dacron backing.
Instructions for making furled nylon leaders can be found on the web and I frequently use them in Western style fly fishing as they have little memory and good turnover. On the downside they can spray water. Next time I make some for Tenkara I'll probably use some coloured line to improve visibility. You can experiment with line diameter to get the best compromise between castability and presentation. The line here is 12lb mono.
One of the modern trends in Tenkara is the rise of so called level lines; ie completely straight casting line with no taper. The gold standard here is a specially developed, coloured fluorocarbon available in different diameters to suit wind conditions and your casting ability. I haven't sourced this esoteric material but some folks have experimented with Dacron backing and I had some nice bright orange stuff to hand. I cut a 12ft length, tied a perfection loop in one end and girth hitched it to the rod's lilian ( that's the short piece of line on the end of a Tenkara rod ). To the other end I attached a couple of feet of clear fluorocarbon and another couple of 4lb tippet.
This 30lb Dacron cast surprisingly well but I struggled a bit when the breeze got up.
On a very calm day it might be worth trying 20lb Dacron for a lighter presentation.
Another possibilty for level line ( even some Japanese tenkara masters are using it ) is old floating fly line of 4wt or less. This is cut from the back of the line if using WF; not the thicker front. I had a spare WF4wt but it's too good to vandalise so I tried some old cheap 6wt. This sent the fly out like a rocket but it tended to land like one too. So, on balance the traditional furled line is still my first choice and I'll report back when I've sourced the fluoro.
Oh, and some advice before I go. The design of many of the so called EZ line holders supplied with some rods means they are prone to falling off, as mine did, straight into the river. Did this faze me? Not a jot! A couple of bent paper clips held on with small o-rings or rubber bands did the trick - and far more secure. I love this DIY fishing.
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