Don’t be fooled!
The Tenkara Guy
June 2025
By Zane Jacobs
When I was first getting into Tenkara, I made a mistake. It wasn’t obvious at the time that it was a mistake, but in hindsight I could have saved myself some frustration. I did what I’ve seen many others do when entering the fixed line world. I accepted what I was told and had read was the level line standard.
Tenkara lines come in many shapes and sizes. You can get tapered lines, furled lines, PVC coated lines, and, for this particular discussion, level lines. I have even heard that a few people are still making lines from horse hair. I have tried many of these types and didn’t particularly care for most of them. The level line was the solution to my line problem.
A level line is a fluorocarbon line with no taper to it. This line can be found in many different sizes. I have found them ranging from 1.5 up to 4.5. The higher the number is, the heavier the line is. The most common you will find is in the 3.0 to 4.0 range. Each of these sizes will react differently to different rods.
In my heavy learning phase, I watched videos and read articles. Much of what I saw were people using size 3.5 level lines. I gathered that must be the “right” line. I didn’t see much of anything stating otherwise. I assumed if so many people were in agreement, it must be correct. I will now state otherwise.
As I have progressed through my Tenkara journey, I have learned to be flexible. I prefer a size 4.0 line in most situations. Rods that didn’t cast well with a 3.5 line now feel smooth and easy to cast with the heavier line. If I’m casting a heavy fly, I prefer a lighter line. I don’t often throw a nymph, but when I do I like it to be attached to a 2.5 line. With some dry flies I prefer a 3.5 line. It all depends on what feels the best, and what produces the results I’m looking for.
A lot of kits that I have seen for sale come with a size 3.5 line. It’s not a bad size line to learn or start with, but don’t let it hold you back. Try different sizes of line on different rods. Better yet, try different kinds of lines on different rods. Don’t follow the path I went down and buy multiple rods to try and find the right feeling. Lines are cheap and can change the characteristics of a rod more than you might think. Now all but one of the rods I have feel great. There’s no helping that one rod.
