First Look: new yellow hi-vis Tenkara USA level line

Yesterday evening I received a package from Tenkara USA with their new yellow fluor carbon hi-vis level lines. The color appears to be truly hi-vis and I am looking forward giving them a try on-stream very soon. One of the advertised features is that they have reduced coiling (a typical characteristic of fluor carbon lines) so I was wondering how they look brand new right off the spool. Well they have some coil but they can be straightened-out very easily. I will let you know how the coiling is once stretched and then re-stored on a spool.

More to come once I have fished with them and compared them with Tenkarabum's hi-vis lines. Should be fun!

Tight Lines, -K

PS: don't forget the "Your Tenkara Story" contest, submission deadline is March 31st. 

Christmas Swag

I got myself some gifts prior to Christmas from Tenkara USA, i.e. the Iwana 10ft handle (well, I guess it's actually now a 9'4" rod), a t-shirt, the bigger 27cm tamo and some level lines.

But my better half got me something much more special, a wooden hand-made tenkara fly box from fellow Tenkara USA forum member Rick Setina with a laser engraving of my name in Japanese. This box is of outstanding quality and a beauty just to look at. Can't wait to tie some more kebaris to fill it.

What tenkara swag did you get for Christmas?

Couldn't buy...

... a bite today. Skunked. Nada. No love. Yes, this happens. When it does, it makes you appreciative of the days when fish are cooperative, rising and taking your flies eagerly. I don't want to start blaming this or that or over-analyzing it, at the end of the day it doesn't matter. I couldn't figure out how to adapt and the wind made things worse. So I decided to call it a half-day and drive home and take my daughter to the movies.

Today I focused on fishing with my Amago and the no.4 level hi-vis fluoro line from Tenkarabum. The level line made it easier to cast in the wind (until the wind became too much and blowing directly downriver). I am still trying to figure out how to properly fish without an indicator and I agree that the hi-vis line makes it much easier to follow the drift and probably to detect strikes (did I mention I had NO strikes yet?). The line was a bit kinked from being stored, but stretching it out while extending the rod took care of that. I remembered somewhere reading to keep a bit of kink in the last foot or so that would enable to detect strikes easier when the line became tight. I agree, I was very much able to detect immediately when I hung up on the bottom. I am sure it also works when a fish actually takes your fly, but, well, maybe I can confirm that next time when I actually get one to bite.

This was also the first time I took out my new waist pack (yes, some would call it a fanny pack) and I am so for very happy with it. Small and compact, it holds what I need, plus two granola bars should I become hungry. It also functions as a wading belt and my net and a bottle holder can be easily attached. It became a bit wet due to my lack of wading abilities (I slipped and was barely able to recover) and my inability to gauge water depth...

My rig consisted of a size 16 RS2 Sakasa Kebari, the one I tied for the swap mentioned in the previous blog entry, my go-to fly, a size 20 lazy RS2 mercury as a dropper as well as a 3rd dropper a size 20 Wire Bloodworm which I later changed for a size 20 souped-up Top Secret Midge.

RS2 Sakasa Kebari

Lazy RS2 mercury

Wire Bloodmidge

Top Secret Midge

No fish pix today, but some shots of the river:

River Notes:

South Platte River, somewhere below Deckers

Flow: 190cfs-ish

Water Temp: 38F (so I have been told. and which would explain to a certain extent lack of bites)

Air Temp: 23F @ 10am, 56F @1.30pm

Weather: Sunny, windy/breezy

Tenkara Iwana 12ft with Fuji Hook Keeper System and level line (fc).

My current setup, an Iwana 12ft from Tenkara USA with a level line (fluor carbon) of Chris Stewart of Tenkarabum and Fuji hook keepers.

I am currently on the fence whether to keep the hook keepers or to change to a foam spool cut from a pool noodle (yes!).

The hook keepers are great if you want to wind line quickly but they will kink up fluor carbon lines a bit (nothing that you can't stretch in less than 20 seconds though). Also, keeping the fly on can pose some issues if you'd put it in a backpack (get stuck, crush the fly). The foam spool is very light and can be pushed down the collapsed rod onto the grip.

Tight Lines, -K




Foam Line Holder - left one is a Level no. 3 Fluor Carbon line, 12ft. and right is a TenakaraUSA furled line, 10.5ft.



Fuji Hook Keepers