Line Box, Rigging Secrets

This is the box and materials I use to create my genryu, honryu and keiryu lines for tenkara. The box sits on my bench organized and I use it all the time throughout the years of my tenkara practice.

I've written quite a bit about crafting lines for different rods and general line making articles. All were made from this box. I sort of look at it like my crayons, colored pencils or oils to paint my pictures. The box is the tools that I use to create what I want to use.

I have shared much of my craft with you. Personally, and online, if you like what you see here, maybe share the credit. It feels good to give credit where credit is due. I do it all the time, I know.

At any one point in time, I am helping many people with articles like this or in person. Right now I have a gentleman who is a talented fly fisherman that is going to take his friend and his kids to Japan to catch Yamame, Iwana and Amago, I'm helping him coordinate so he can catch his dream. I have another gentleman that is a talented fly fisherman who is having difficulty with his cast. Masami Sakakibara taught me so well that he taught me to teach others how to cast. I will teach him as well. Another gentleman in Southern California is asking for help on finding fish. Another is asking for help casting. At any one time, I am helping people, I don't ask for money, it's just what I do.

This is just another example. 

Tenkara-Fisher is noncommercial. We do this because we love tenkara. What you see here is what we do on our own, no commercial interest, we don't have to place a disclaimer that we are supported by a company, we do what we do and we share it.

Check out this Rigging Kit, it's what I've been using at home for years.

Where the magic is created, my line making box

Cheap Plano box, I rescued this one out of the trash. You don't need a facy box, just one that works.

Top shelf, this tray lifts out, my travel kit is on the right side

The top drawer comes out to expose the storage area below.

I keep line material in the bottom

Each spool represents either an era of my tenkara or is a part of my current tenkara lines that I use.

Tools of the trade

I dedicate space for each tool I use. The drawer is divided, I could reach in and know where something is blindfolded. It's not necessary to do, it just came out that way. I could take out the drawer and dump everything in the big compartment but I enjoy the organization.

More things, useful inserts I keep for further reference

I also use the box for my fly rod line rigging. I kept some things from a long time ago when I quit fly fishing. Now I am fly rodding again, I really missed it. I don't do it much, but blah blah blah, this is a tenkara web site.

Tools and stickers, I found my rod labels, lost for some time under the product inserts

I found my rod labels! They were under some of the inserts. I have tore my shop apart looking for them. Thank you for causing me to write this piece, I found them.

My travel rigging kit, most used tools in my tenkara rigging

This is at the heart of my Line Box, my little rod repair and rigging box. This thing rocks! it is about 12 years old and I use it hard.

That's a piece of sand paper in a plastick ziplock

My little swan scissors were a little hard to find

The contents of the box have evolved a bit as I learned more and more rigging techniques.

Some of the components in this kit are about 40 years old

Each component has a specific use. The needle holder on the cotter pin is 40 years old. It is out of a Chouinard Expidition Sewing Kit. I used to carry this in the harness of my hang glider. It has been on some fantastic flights with me. I use it to splice tapered fluorocarbon knotless tapered leaders directly into the braided core of floating line. I always have a variety of sewing needles. Sewing machine needles are perfect for making lines and adding in tippet rings.

A simple Plano box and a velcro tie from REI

Cheap but bombproof container. The Velcro strap prevents the contents from spilling out.

You learn how to put it all back after using it so much

You learn to put everything back in it's place after using the kit so much.

My honryu lines, I also make keiryu lines from these two, InvizX is my favorite

The Seaguar InvizX is THE stealth level line. I learned about InvizX a long time ago from John Vetterli, he knows his rigging. I use InvizX for all of my tenkara, it works beautifully because of it's handling qualities i.e. it is soft yet strong and holds knots well.

My favorite color tenkara line, the #3.5 is the sweet spot

My favorite color tenkara line. I like it a little bit more than the Pink Oni line. 

When I craft lines, I use this material at the end of my lines to make a "leader" with a tippet ring

All of my tenkara lines, even my InvizX lines get stepped down a size with this material. I sometimes use 70cm to 1m of line terminated in a tippet ring. This does many things, so many that I've been using it for years and this stuff alone is responsible for more fish caught. 

My second favorite but not second best, probably the best level line, really, not really

Without fail, I learned so much about level line tenkara from this line. It is EXCELLENT. I highly suggest that if you haven't used it, try it. I use the #3.5 the most. Somewhere in my kit is always a spare line of the #3.5. It is the #1 choice for level line even though I use the FC above.

Secret #2 from American experts conversations, sent to me to try

Experts talk to each other, this is what we talk about. Yes, it works, no it doesn't work everywhere.

I often trade secrets with my tenkara friends

David Walker and I often passed back and forth equipment suggestions. I mis him so much.

Notes from David Walker, I miss him very much (RIP)

Page two

If I think about this too much I will tear up. I really really miss his presence in the tenkara community.

Excellent tippet

My back up, expensive but well worth it, that's about $100 alone

The best tippet in the world, my favorite, probably the most important aspect of your equipment choices

The most important part of all of my tenkara kit is the tippet. Of course, there are more important aspects like a rod that is accurate but after that, you travel halfway across the globe, you are sweaty, tired and far up a valley and tie on the wrong fly and hook up! and your old spool of tippet lets go. Just imagine if you had paid attention and made sure you had tippet that held %100 of your knot strength and blah blah blah... It's not necessary but I think it is.