Tenkara Winter Line

Winter fly fishing around Bozeman has a lot to offer, but the weather can sometimes be a little discouraging to say the least. Ice on the guides and frozen reels can be enough in itself to keep even the most dedicated winter angler on the slopes rather than the weather. We have really embraced Tenkara fishing the last year and especially this winter. You can learn more about this style of fly fishing in our blog archives, Tenkara USA’s website, and by attending this Saturday's free fly tying seminar here at the shop with John Geer of Tenakra USA fame.

One thing we’ve found this winter is that we prefer using a standard fly line in a level taper for nymphing and dries. We say standard fly line, but it’s not really a standard line as it has no taper and would be more comparable to the “running line” portion of a standard line in a very small line size. The one that we have been using is made by RIO, designed by the guys at Blue Ribbon in West Yellowstone.

Branded as “East Meets West” tenkara line, it’s a 35’ piece of level fly line in a small diameter with welded loops on both ends. We’ve been selling these lines for the last several months and see them as an ideal choice for winter conditions as the don’t freeze like the traditional lines when it’s super cold, have less memory when compared to the level line fluorocarbon, and have enough bulk to help with basic line management while wearing gloves. They’re a “break” from the traditional Tenkara style of fishing in that using this style of line results in a more western style of fishing, but when it’s super cold and you just have the itch…using this setup on a Tenkara rod is great way to get the “fix”!