I have learned to place a bead in a slightly different area on the hook that has given me the ability to catch and use an entirely new technique with my tenkara rod.
I will try to remember to bring it back here. I have so many things to write about, my presentation for the tenkara summit is beginning to press me for attention.
Until then…
you don’t use any soft hackle ? and what do you mean “not wet fly” ?
This is surprising to me
I know, obviously there are many different kebari - but I have Japanese tenkara books with soft-hackle kebari in them
Just curious about this
Adam,
If you get a chance show some pictures of the fly you are talking about. This sounds really interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Mike Shelton
Yes !
I don’t use soft hackle tenkara-fly for Mountain stream
kebari is Old legend [Oral tradition]
「流れの強さに羽根を合わす」
Fit the hardness of the feather to the strength of the river’s flow
「蓑毛で誘って胴で喰わす」
Invite fish by movement of feathers
and
Let the fish judge that it is food in the form of a kebari-body
Kebari has no concept of dry and wet
Everything is done by operating the fishing rod
I see what you mean.
I do like different flies for different things though - light wire hooks for flies near the surface in low water conditions of summer and fall. Heavy hooks for when I what to break through surface more easily and when water is higher in springtime and after rains.
I like stiffer hackle sometimes - but if i had to choose one type I’d go with soft hackle. With soft hackle I can make it sink better and also keep it near the surface if I want. Stiff hackle I feel is more limited to near surface fishing in general - so for me not as versatile.
I have not found soft hackle to be a detriment in rapid water as is sometimes spoken of. I have used soft hackled flies of partridge hackle often in tumbling high-gradient streams and the fish don’t seem to care. Still catch plenty.
As you say using the rod (and casting) as a way to control the fly is key.
Hi A_Naples
important point is said well
Standing position and presentation
Long line Tenkara is highly flexible in that respect(line 8m ＋tippet 1m)
I will fish after confirming the location of the fish with my own eyes
I use 4.5 m line ＋ tippet 1.5~1.7m
To small stream（Mountain stream） line3.6m tippet 1.5m
In this case the difference of kebari becomes very important
I want to enjoy every move of fish
The fun of kenbane-kebari is there（Hard feather hackles）
The fun of tenkara is how it approaches without being noticed by fish
木化け岩化け（ki-bake iwa-bake）Do not let your fish feel your presence
I do not use the weight when sinking kebari
Put it in reverse flow and sinking
食い波に入れる（kui-nami ni ireru)
・・・I hope to translate well
do you use long nylon line? if so what is the diameter?
In the past I was using line 3号
The fishing rod at that time was made of glass fiber
diameter 0.297mm~0.33mm
Now the fishing rod is Daiwa tournament Tenkara rod
Line 富士流tenkara Braided thread 3.6m~6m
Paul Gaskell, and John Pearson have advocated long nylon lines, in calm wind conditions, in recent post.
I thought it was something new they were on to. But last evening I was looking at the tenkara forum in the UK, and saw a post from 2015 in which Paul was recommending long nylon line for some special situation. It appears they have been using long nylon lines for a while, when wind conditions permit its use.
And I asked the host of the Star Hiroji [ スターひろじ] YouTube channel what size line his 10 meter line is. His reply was #4 line [ ４号 ]. He didn’t say FC or nylon. My guess is that he is using FC line. Fishing with a 4.5 m Daiwa Expert tenkara rod.
when I started tenkara I used only nylon - never that long though - more like the usual 3 to 4 meters. I’m thinking they would have been in the 3 gou diameter range
I liked nylon lines for their extra floatability and availability (and cost).
I’d recommend folks trying it - I think it will improve your casting - the less dense line is less forgiving of errors
I have some long nylon tapered tenkara lines in my possession right now (I believe they are 7 meters)
I got them to sell in my shop but when I tried them I decided not to sell them. I can cast them just okay…but most folks would not have much luck with them
if anybody wants to try one for free let me know with a private message
they are yellow and not super bright - and if you can manage to cast them the have a very delicate delivery - they are super stealthy
I have just come back from trying out my new Shimotsuke Kiyotaki 300 with a Fujino Soft White Tenkara in 3m length. It is nicely tapered and handled very well in an irritating wind. In fact earlier I had been using a 3m unithread furled leader and I reckon the Fujino line handled better.i am not sure what it is made from but I assume it is nylon.
Before you ask - no I didn’t catch anything.
Yes!
I used it nearly 40 years ago（nylon line ８ｍ ＋1.5ｍ tippet)
In a place where the river width was wide there was only that way
There is also this simple method
It’s an easy way but it’s worth a try
Looks similar to the method used by Eji Yamakawa
テーパーラインを撚る Twisting a tapered line.
http://www.eonet.ne.jp/~tenkara/page011.html
I’ve not make any lines using this method. Eji, Eddie, taught this method to many people at a Tenkara Summit meeting in , I think Colorado, a few years ago.
I have a tied a few of them. Not fished with them much yet.
I know they are held in high esteem by many people in Japan.
I read a story somewhere that said.
Nature only provides a limited number of ken-bane feathers .
Because, if people had to many ken-bane kebari [ 剣羽根毛鉤 ]. They would catch all the fish. 
I always appreciate your kindness.
It is how to make a very universal line
In the past, there were many handmade lines and fishing rods
I make similar lines - I learned to make them before I learned tenkara - I made them as western fly fishing leaders. But I just twist them by hand using coffee mug handles to keep the strands separated
Thank you for a good idea coffee mug handles
Furled lines vs level lines is Fun topics
How to Choose a Tenkara Line
The answer to the question above is that there is no “best” line.
and
The best answer is to be able to talk with everyone on this topic
I have enjoy imagine how fishing and views of the river of the person who is talking
Like This?
Karel’s 3 Cups 3 Strands Method
http://www.tenkaraonthefly.net/2011/01/make-your-own-tenkara-line.html
http://www.tenkaraonthefly.net/2011/07/diy-tenkara-line-furling-update.html
Thank you always
