Titanium line

by Mike
(Boulder, CO)

Discussions about "drag" usually relate to "drag" from water current. However, I feel that drag from the wind blowing from upstream is equally problematic. With tenkara, drag from water currents is nearly absent, but a wind can sometimes pick up a flouro line out of the water (yeah, yeah, I should just sit it out, but I don't). With a Ti line, that problem is solved.

I live in Colorado where the winds are often strong enough to be a problem. Recently, I have been using a 14'6" Daiwa 43MF that I use with a 1/2" thingamabobber to fish Deckers and Blue River -- tail waters. In that kind of water, I am not casting straight ahead. It is drift sideways, drift, drift, quick set, flip back upstream.

Most of the time, I use Chris's orange tenkara line because it is so easy to manage. A couple of casts and the kinks are out. But when the wind blows hard enough, i use the Ti line. The only resistance I feel is the thingamabobber being blown by the wind as I cast it. However, once the cast is completed, the thingamabobber does "anchor" the line, otherwise, with 14' 6" out there, a strong wind can blow hard enough to move the rod around!

Chris mentioned using a Ti line for Czech nymphing because the Ti lines sinks quickly and doesn't drag in the water. I like his idea. However, there are times when I still like using floats and adjust it based on the depth of the water. Sometimes I want to remove the float. Floats such as a thingamabobber and some yarn indicators would kink a titanium line and ruin it. I found a float called an SOS indicator that looks and floats as a thingamabobber, but does not kink it. The SOS indicator can be easily installed or removed as well, on a Ti line or any kind of line. It also has the advantage of not slipping. I enclose a photo of what it looks like.

I will write about using that combination when I have a chance to try it out on the river.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"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.