A few points... The front taper of a typical 2wt fly line is for the most part thinner through most of its length than the butt of a factory tapered mono leader. Depending on the length of the forward taper, the 11-12' may in fact be only slightly heavier than a mono or furled leader. As I normally fish the 2wt tip attached directly to a 4-6' section of tippet, the 2wt tip in effect serves the same role as a leader with a few advantages including better energy transfer and built-in flotation. I don't think we are so far apart on this point as you might think. I regret not making comment on the tippet length in the article as it has been raised elsewhere, but I felt that was a discussion for the next piece on presentation (one that I'll probably be ready to write in about 6 months ).CM_Stewart wrote:skunkaroo,
You must like much heavier lines than I do. I was given a 12' section of level 2-wt silk line (I now understand why people are as passionate about silk lines as they are about bamboo rods!) but I thought it was way too heavy for a tenkara rod. If you think about it, a tenkara rod is a "nothing" weight. A rod labeled a two weight is designed to load properly with 30 feet of fly line weighing 80 grains, to which you add 9-12 feet of leader and tippet in order to fish. A tenkara rod is designed to load properly with no fly line, weighing exactly nothing, plus 12-15 feet of leader and tippet. Of course, if you fish heavy flies or have to fish into the wind, you'll need a heavier "line", but a North Country fly on a windless day will cast beautifully on an unbelievably light line. Charles Cotton would have loved it!
As with most of my rods, I view the Tenkara as a tool--one which I want to get the most possible use from in any given situation. While I am still very much in the experimental phase, I still want to be able to apply it to the widest range of water situations and required presentations. I suppose I also want to do it with the least amount of fuss. The two weight tip serves the widest range of situations that I have had to deal with to date (flies, water and weather), suits my casting style and keeps my kit lean--and after all it's that spartan simplicity that is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Tenkara.
Aaron
BTW I want to thank both you and Mike for encouraging me to pick up this rod.