I admit I prefer fishing with mono-filament lines, usually using the smallest lightest lines I can get away with, and rarely fish with a furled line. Except now and again. You never know I might develop a greater appreciation of their virtues, and also just to extend my skills.
I’ve decided instead of making new kebari I’d try making a twisted horse tail line. Just for the fun of trying something new.
If any one on the forum has made a horse tail line or fished with one.
I would be interested in hearing your experience making or fishing with the line.
Thus far I’ve only read through Chris Stewart’s instructions included with his horsehair line kit.
http://www.tenkarabum.com/horsehair-line-kit.html
My brother in Ohio has an Arabian horse named, Lad, that grows a long tail, about the same color as the horse tail hair in the TB kit. I had thought that finding horse tail hair might be something difficult to do. But my brother surprised me when he said people can buy horse tail extensions for their show horses. Some horses just don’t grow long tails, and long tails score higher in horse competitions. Here is one example. {though I usually restrict my time looking at horse’s asses to when some politician is on the news} 
The showpen our tails in action
Chris writes in step 4 that each segment is called a “snood”. He didn’t know why. Being fascinated by words origins I found this explanation. (which also has a link to the origins of the word - needle).
Online Etymology Snood
On the Fishing Cafe web-page Vol. 57 . I found this advice for making a horse tail line:
Horse-element, if you twist too tightly it will lose elasticity. Therefore, twisting loosely is the key.
[ 馬素は、あまり固く撚ると弾力がなくなる。そのため、ゆるめに撚っていくのがコツ。]
https://fishingcafe.shimano.co.jp/post_editersnote/vol57_02/
On the - The World of Nagara River and Gujo Rods website, 長良川と郡上竿の世界.
There is a fun 7 part series, テンカラ馬素の話 , Story of Tenkara Horses
(馬素, uma moto or ba moto, Horse-Elementary. I think it basically means - basic raw material, the horse hair with no processing done to it, the fundamental lowest element of the material)
Parts 3, 4, & 5 show the process of making the horse tail line. Part 1, 2 are historical and 6 & 7 mostly accessories.
Part 5 ⑤【撚り合わせ編】(twisted together knitting) has a nice picture of what it should or should not look like. Where it looks to me that another key is twisting the hair so that it lays compactly together.
If that sort of thing interest you.
You will find links at the top of the page - to previous Part 4 テンカラ馬素の話④【下準備編】【Preliminary Preparation】& Part 6 テンカラ馬素の話⑥「撚りの秘密」“Secrets of Twisting” - probably an inaccurate translation, but close enough to indicate it’s about understanding the deeper process of twisting fibers together.
Please tell us of your experiences making or fishing with a horse hair line. Negative or positive experiences are both valuable.
Or even if it is something you have thought about trying but haven’t yet given it a try.
