John as far as the long twisted leader, someone here came up with a great solution. I just run the ends through a separate coffee mug handle. If you keep the cups about five feet apart and let the ends run off the edge of a table, it is pretty manageable. The longest leader I have built was 15 feet before tippet for fishing the spring. Maybe this will help? I have enjoyed this thread and I am seriously considering a Tenkara. Seems it would be perfect for Big Elk (which has been hot this year by the way).
All the best,
Mike