Moonlit Fly Fishing hooks

Moonlit Fly Fishing is expanding their offerings for fly anglers from just furled lines to now fiberglass fly rods, Loop fly rods, reels and hooks. I was at their office the other day and picked up a few of the new hook offerings. They come in various hook shapes, sizes and gauge of wire.

The hooks are competition style hooks -- barbless, needle point and, in one model, jig style. They are strong and competitively priced.

On one of the styles that I received the eyes were pretty small, but usable. Other than that, I can't find any issues with these hooks.

So, if you are in the market for some new hooks (or new fiberglass fly rod, Loop rod, furled line or reel), give Moonlit a try.


Disclaimer: I have no formal affiliation with Moonlit Fly Fishing. I receive no compensation for reviewing their products. I did receive the hooks free of charge, however.

Two New Tenkara Lines from Tenkara Times

I recently received two new fluorocarbon level lines from Oleg Stryapunin of Tenkara Times. He is aware that I, like many tenkara anglers, prefer level lines over furled lines, as they provide a lighter presentation and are easier to keep off the water's surface. I have used Sunline Buttobi fluorcarbon line for a number of years now, and it has been my preferred line, but these two new lines appear to be up for the challenge.

The two lines are Line Systems Tenkara (LST) orange and YGK pink fluorocarbon level lines. Both are supple fluorocarbon lines that come in #3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 sizes. The LST also comes in a 2.5. The YGK is just a little stiffer than the LST.

Both are highly dyed lines with excellent color retention. Both come on a plastic spool, but the YGK spool is much thinner than the LST. The YGK spool is about as thin as a standard tippet spool, making it much more easily carried in a chest pack or vest, as it takes up very little room.

There's really not much more I can say about these lines other than they both work great. So, if you use fluorocarbon level lines you should consider the LST and YGK fluorocarbon level lines from Tenkara Times. They will serve you well.

Items for Sale Tab Updated

I have a few items for sale on my "Used Items for Sale" tab. One item is new and unused. The other is very lightly used.

I'm still thinning my stock of items, slowly. It's better that they get used by someone than sit in my fly room!

Tenkara January 14, 2016

I fished for one hour today. It was fairly warm at 36° F. I caught browns and mountain whitefish. I used an Oni type II tenkara rod with tungsten bead head jig patterns. It's not the best nymphing rod but it worked OK. Here is a video of some of the fish:

Tenkara January 9, 2016

I got to the river at noon today and saw that most of the blue ice had melted, leaving only the white ice at the edges. When the valleys here get thermal inversions the night time temperatures can get into the single digits or worse, into the negatives. When that happens for more than just a few days, dense ice (blue) forms in the water and it's too cold to fish, even if the daytime temps are in the twenties. If the temperatures are in the normal cold range then white ice, or ice with lots of air forms, and waters temps will be fine for fishing.

Anyway, I went fishing today, from noon to 1345. The water was nice at 38° F and the air was 36° F.  The other thing that made it nice was a light snow and little to no breeze.

I fished a stretch of the river that I hadn't fished for a while. The last time I fished this section it was spring, so it looks and fishes differently now.

I used a bead head jig nymph and took one nice rainbow along with many browns. After catching a baker's dozen I drove home.

Long-term Follow Up of a Few Commonly Used Items

I have been using a few items for tenkara for quite some time now. Today, I thought I'd revisit a few of those and let you know how they are working out for me.

1) Line

Ever since I went to using level lines I have been using highly colored florocarbon lines with a contrasting colored sighter. I've used all sorts of color combinations, but the one that seems to work best for me, for my eyes, is an orange line with a green sighter. Right now I use Sunline Tenkara line, usually in either a #3 or #3.5, with 8-10 inches of 8 lb green Amnesia tied to the terminal end. The Amnesia is the sighter. This is where I focus my eyes, and it seems to me that I can find that green color easily and adjust my line to make it hover just above the water's surface. (FYI, I used furled lines for only a couple months in early 2012, then changed to level lines.)

Conclusion: This line color pattern works for me and so I'll keep using it.






2) Tippet Rings

I've been using tippets rings for years. There has been some controversy regarding whether the ring causes the tippet to break off more frequently than the more traditional line-to-tippet knot connection. In my experience I have not seen this problem. I am aware, however, that not all tippet rings are made the same. Although most all are circular, not all have rounded edges and this may be where the "increased tippet break off" issue comes from. I use Stonfo brand competition grade tippet rings (from TenkaraBum), but any high quality ring with rounded edges should be just fine.

Conclusion: Tippet rings work for me and so I'll keep using them.






3) Line Spool Cards

Recently there was a discussion on line control on one of the tenkara forums. There was nothing new, but rather, they were ruminating upon the same argument that has been visited and revisited over and over again. Personally, I gave up spools early in 2014. It was then that I started making and using my own spool cards. I call them spool cards because they are shaped like a spool but are thin as a card. I make mine out of polystyrene sheeting; they are 80 mm in diameter. I prefer a 6 tab design rather than a 5 tab star-like design. They are thin and take up no room at all. I can carry a few different lines with me and they take up less room than just one of the more traditional line spools. I still have a few spools, but I only use them to store some of my longer lines, like a Fujino Tenkara Line 7 m.

Conclusion: These cards work well for me and I'll keep using them.




4) Clip on Line Control

After trying EZ-Keepers, and not liking them, I purchased some clip on line winders, way back in 2013. Back then I was ambivalent as to whether these line winders were going to work any better than EZ-Keepers, but over the past few years they have grown on me. First of all, the original winder I bought was labeled for a 3.6 m rod, but this was too loose for most of my tenkara rods. I then purchased a winder labeled 2.7 m. These fit my rods better. I placed foam inserts on the 3.6 m ones and now they fit better. I keep one in my Zimmerbuilt Chest Pack and use it to wind up the line (after collapsing the rod) if I plan on moving from one fishing spot to another. I wouldn't say they work any better than a standard line spool, but remember, I don't carry line spools.

Conclusion: I feel better about these than I did in 2013 and will continue using them while exploring other options.




5) Zimmerbuilt Chest Pack

I have used various ways to carry my fly boxes and a few accouterments over my many years of fly fishing, but the chest pack has been my preferred method. I went to chest packs in the early 90's and have used a variety of sizes and styles. After using a small Orvis chest pack for a few years (gifted now to my son) I now use a Zimmerbuilt Chest Pack. It is small enough to be non-obtrusive but big enough to not have to fight getting my fly box in or out. It holds my fly box (C&F Design S-size case), line spool cards, tippet, line winder, Smith Creek Trash Fish, and a couple Tip Grips without any fuss. On the outside I have a line clipper and a Ty-Rite.

Conclusion: This chest pack works for me and I'll continue to use it.




6) Smith Creek Trash Fish

This compact, flat, well built item is what I use to capture my waste tippet material. I find it is easier to use than a Monomaster or any other waste line control devise, and it is far more compact than any of them. Ever since getting it in 2012, the Trash Fish has been in my chest pack.

Conclusion: This small devise works great. I'll keep using it.



So there you have it, a few items that I have been consistently using over the past years. They have stood the test of time and withstood my fickle nature, so they must be somewhat good and reliable.

Tenkara Tanuki 425 "The Dark Cloud" tenkara rod -- dry review

I visited Brent Auger, from Dragontail Tenkara, the other day. It was great to see him and to see the Dragontail Tenkara warehouse. They've got a lot of exciting projects that I'm looking forward to; some new offerings and some expanded product lines. It looks like it will be another great year for them.

Anyway, while I was there, Brent loaned me a new Tenkara Tanuki 425 rod to look at and test. He received a few from Luong Tam, the designer of the rod. Here is my impression of the rod; it's a dry review since the temperatures are currently in the single digits and the streams are all full of blue ice.

The rod looks very similar to the Tanuki 375 that I previously reviewed, with the exception of gold accents and wood ends to the handle. The finish is black, glossy. But rather than me going through all the details, here is what is published about this rod:

Tanuki 425 is a Tenkara rod with Ultra light tip sections. Tanuki 425 tip's diameter is smallest and also it is lightest. It is designed for open water and for those who love traditional Japanese rod style and Western power rod. It is designed for pinpoint casting with tight loop. With a stronger backbone of Western Tenkara rod and delicate flexibility tips,

High flexibility and Ultra light tip sections help those who love to cast from small dry fly. Tanuki425 is designed beyond tractional Japanese Kebari for Czech nymphing. By putting the index finger on the wooden section of the grip, fishers would have a better feeling the rod vibration.

Grip is built with a high quality synthetic EVA and wood for comfort, increased sensitivity and durability. 
Specs:

Length: about 425 cm (~13' 11-1/4")

Closed Size: about 59 cm (~23")

Segments: 9

Handle Length: 30 cm (11-3/4").

Weight: 102 gram 3.6 oz.

Color: Glossy Black

I have been told that the Tanuki 425 is designed for larger waters and bigger fish. I don't fish larger waters, nor do I target bigger fish, so the Tanuki 425 is not a rod that will likely be in my quiver, but I can see it's appeal for those that do.

Here are some of my measurements:

Length fully extended: 425 cm (as advertised)
Weight (without tip plug): 100.4 g
CCS: 19 pennies
RFI: 4.5
Rotational Moment: 7.8

The rod has a crisp action, mainly due to it's flexible tip sections. It casts as a 6:4 rod. It has no noticeable end-of stroke oscillation or overshoot. It throws a #3 level line really well, as you would expect from its design. It balances well, but it can't defy physics. Since it's a long rod there is some tip heaviness. You can see this in its rotational moment measurement.

My impression overall is that this is a very nice rod. Personally, I'd lose the wood embellishments and replace them with either foam or cork. I don't know if the wood makes the rod heavier than it needs to be, but my own preference is for lighter weight over aesthetics. It is one handsome rod though.

So, if you fish mainly wide open waters, and desire a long reach in a tenkara rod, then you should consider the Tenkara Tanuki 425 "The Dark Cloud". It is beautifully made and very well designed. As for me, I'll stick with the "thin blue lines" and shorter rods.

Disclaimer: My opinion regarding this rod is just that, my opinion. Your opinion may differ.  Also, your rod may not have the same characteristics or functionality as my rod. There are variations between rods, even in the same production run. No description can fully tell you how a rod feels or fishes. For this, you must personally hold, cast, and fish the rod then make up your own mind.