Tenkara Tippet
Tenkara tippet is a bit of a misnomer, I guess, as you don't need special tippet for tenkara. You do need tippet, though, even though it never seems to get included in the rod, line and fly "necessities." Although different anglers use different lengths of tippet, I generally use between 4 and 5 feet of tippet (up from 3-4 feet when I started tenkara fishing). Most tenkara anglers tie their tippet directly to the line, without any taper between the relatively thick line to the relatively thin tippet.
Traditional tenkara wet flies will
turn over if you tie the tippet directly to the line, but I firmly believe it is easier to get consistent turnover if you build in a bit of a taper between the line and the tippet. Advocating for a tapered leader definitely puts me in the minority on this, so feel free to tie the tippet directly to the line.
In general, I recommend 5X tippet for most tenkara rods. For most fish I don't think you need to use tippet stronger than 5X, and the stronger the tippet the greater the chance that either a snag or a larger than expected fish can break your rod.
Most Japanese anglers never hook a fish that could break a rod. Many American anglers do. Most of the rods do not have warranties, so use your own discretion (personally, I would stick to 5X - except with rods for which the manufacturer recommends lighter tippet, including the Suntech Kurenai rods).
For the Suntech Kurenai II AR rods, 5X is too strong. Suntech recommends tippet no stronger than 6X (but please understand that the recommendation is just that - a recommendation, not a guarantee that the tippet will break before the rod)!
The reason for light tippet is that without a reel, you cannot let fish run against a drag system. In tenkara the line is tied firmly to the rod tip, and as a fish tries to run it meets gradually increasing resistance as the rod bends into its stiffer middle and butt sections. If the fish is strong enough, though, eventually something is going to break. You don't want it to be the rod. In tenkara, tippet is the weak link that has to be built into the system. Tenkara rods are very supple, and are very good at protecting light tippets. Light tippets are very good at protecting tenkara rods.
Japanese Line Sizes
Japanese line sizes are given in 号 (pronounced like "go" with the o held
a little longer than normal, and written in English as go, goh or gou).
The following table gives the equivalent diameters in mm and X ratings. Please note that the X ratings are closest equivalent. The breaking strength is for Varivas Master Spec fluorocarbon tippet. Their nylon tippet is a little stronger in some tippet sizes.
号
.2
.3
.4
.5
.6
.8
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
4
mm
.074
.090
.104
.117
.128
.158
.165
.205
.235
.260
.285
.330
X
9
8
7
6.5
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-2
lb test
1.5
1.8
2.4
3.4
4.4
5.1
7.2
9.6
11.2
13.2
16.0
While Japanese line sizes for tenkara line can be converted to pound test by multiplying by 4, tippet material is stronger for a given diameter so the same conversion ratio does not apply.
Varivas Super Tippet Master Spec II
Varivas Super Tippet Master Spec II NylonVarivas Super Tippet Master Spec II Nylon is a premium quality tippet material at a premium price. The spools hold 50 meters (compared to 25 or 30 for most other brands).
Varivas Super Tippet Master Spec II spools are color coded, and have color coded retainers to make it easier to get the right one if you have several on a post.
50m 5X - $15
Varivas Master Spec II Nylon
50m 6X - $15
Varivas Master Spec II Nylon
50m 7X - $15
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"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662
As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.
Warning:
The hooks are sharp.
The coffee's hot.
The fish are slippery when wet.
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