Howdy Bamb - Long time no see!
Glad to hear our little winter time escapade got you interested in Tenkara.
Knowing the type of fishing you often do, you might want to stick with a level line. When I get into those really tight spots, I prefer either a mono or fluorocarbon leader. I try to keep the length around 10', and add 2 or 3 feet of tippet to the end. I've been using tiny little tippet rings on the end of the leader, and add tippet to that. The leader is usually 15lb test for the entire 10' length.
When I do get snagged, I just collapse the rod completely and hand line the leader in to protect the rod. I often fish up to size 14 beadheads - both brass and tungsten. Most of the time, I'm either bow and arrow casting, or just lobbing the rig upstream. No problem with a tiny yarn indicator as well.
I'd be happy to meet you again and give you the chance to try my Tenkara rod under actual fishing conditions. I've got several different types of leaders you can try as well, but the level line is my favorite for nymphing, and when I know snagging branches is going to be common.
My Tenkara rod lives in my truck. It hasn't been indoors since I saw you last, and it doesn't seem to mind a bit. When it gets wet, I just take it completely apart, and wipe it down with a microfiber cloth before storing it. The design of the rod makes it easy to do. If you're worried about the rod freezing up, you can put a little paraffin wax on the joints when it is apart to prevent it from sticking. I used to be really paranoid about the rod being delicate. They're surprisingly tough, and as long as you avoid side pressure when collapsing them, I doubt breakage would be a problem. Even if you do manage to break it, the top sections would be the most likely ones to break. TenkaraUSA sells replacement tip sections (the top three) for under ten bucks for the set, and the entire rod has a lifetime warranty.
H.A.
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