Wind can really be annoying when fly fishing. It can be even more troublesome if you’re using a soft tip or flex tenkara rod. A strong wind can put a substantial bend in your rod prior to you even attempting to cast it. If you can manage a decent cast, the wind can still be troublesome by making it near impossible to keep any kind of dry fly on the surface of the water. Where I fish in Colorado and Wyoming, wind is pretty much a certainty. Especially in the canyons. It’s less of a “if” and more of a “how much” situation. So, what’s a tenkara angler to do?
Wind was actually the reason our Zen All Purpose Tenkara Lines were developed. I hated casting Level Line in the wind since it was so light and delicate. Not only did I find it frustrating to work and tie with on a windy river, but on particularly blustery days the wind would scoop my line up into the air. If I tried to anchor my fly by laying my line in the water, the dense fluorocarbon would pull everything underwater. Small dry flies had zero chance to stay afloat. Tenkara Level Line simply added to the frustration of fishing on these windy days. Of course, Furled Lines are easier to cast in the wind because they are heavy. But furled and braided lines absorb water if they get wet, which can also cause dry flies to be pulled underwater. I needed a line that could punch through wind and make casting easier but wasn’t as clunky as furled or braided lines and, I wanted a tenkara line that would float. Thus, the All-Purpose Line was born.
Zen All Purpose Lines, available in length from 7ft up to 22ft, have a solid core coated with a floating material and are only 0.028″ in diameter. The resulting lines are light and delicate but still have punch, and they float. So, when the wind is really howling and lifting your line and fly off the water, you can lay your All-Purpose Line on the surface to anchor it without sinking your dry fly.
If you enjoy the feel of casting or need a longer reach, Zen Fusion Lines, available in lengths from 15ft up to 25ft, are heavier, thicker and float. They provide the tenkara angler with the feel of a full-flyfishing cast but on a fixed setup. Because they are thicker and have a heavier grain weight, they are very easy to cast in wind. They effortlessly load tenkara rods and lay out smooth on the water’s surface. So, depending on how and where you like to fish, different tenkara lines give you effective options for making gusty days on the water more pleasant.
One final note about dealing with wind while fishing tenkara; All of our Zen Tenkara Rods, excluding the Hachi and the Kyojin, use our same Standard Tip which is relatively soft and dainty. However, we do offer a secondary tip option, the Performance Tip. This tip replaces the Standard Tip and changes the action of the rod. The performance Tip is a faster action tip and will greatly help when casting into the wind. The difference this tip makes is quite substantial. The Performance Tip also helps deliver faster and more solid hooksets and provides more control over maneuvering flies both on the surface and underwater. I particularly like using the Performance Tip when fishing streamer patterns and double dropper setups, but it is highly effective for simply casting your rod on windy days.
Colorado and Wyoming both offer up many spectacular, bluebird days. But as sunny and gorgeous as they are, they often come with roaring wind. Don’t sit those days out or let them get the best of you. Wind can be managed with a thoughtful set up and the right line pairing. To learn about windy day presentations, clink here.