Having the right length of line is important

The Tenkara Guy

January 2025

By Zane Jacobs

One drawback of Tenkara is the lack of adjustability of the line length. With many of the rods available you simply don’t need the length of your line to be able to change, but with the availability of zoom rods you may find yourself wanting such an option. For any who aren’t well versed in the intricacies of Tenkara rods, a zoom rod can be telescoped and fished at multiple lengths. A zoom rod is a great choice for unfamiliar water, but can leave you questioning how long of a line to bring.

Let’s say you have a triple zoom rod like the Dragontail Foxfire. This rod can be fished at about 6 1/2 feet, 8 feet, and just over 9 feet. A 7-foot line would work well on the shortest length and be okay for the middle length. With full extension that same line would feel a bit too short in most situations. So, do you go for the happy medium and use an 8-foot line? Well, that can feel a bit cumbersome on the short length while working fine for the other two. A 9-foot line would be far too long, if you need the short configuration to clear low hanging branches.

The solution I have come across is to use a line equal to the longest length of the rod. You are correct in thinking I just stated that wouldn’t work well at the short setting, but there is a simple solution. A slip knot. You can tie an additional slip knot in the line wherever you desire. Suddenly your 9-foot line that was too long, is now a perfectly sized 7-foot line. This does leave you quite a long tail on the unused portion of the line, but that too has a quick fix. I like to run the original knot down the rod to keep it out of the way. There may be another way to deal with it that I have not yet found, but that method has worked wonders for me.

When the branches clear and allow for ample casting room, you only have to pull the new knot straight. The original knot is now ready to cinch back down on the lillian and give the extra reach you need. If things get tight again another quick knot gets you back swinging flies. Rinse and repeat. I wish I could take all the credit and fame for this clever trick, but I cannot. This trick was taught to me by Luong Tam, the owner of Tenkara Tanuki.