I'm using about 6-8 feet of level fly line plus my leader. Should be G-2-G so far as fly fishing. No reel, but everything else .. not like I'm using a "wrong" reel like a spinning or level wind.
For the most part I agree with the folks who would rather use a conventional fly rod, however .. application. I spend a lot of time out exploring canyons with no real intent to fish. I'm jumping logs, plowing through brush, falling on my ass fairly frequently. I'm not taking my "good" fly rod into that crap when I have no expectation of fishing. My tenkara rod is a Nissin pocket mini 270, something like 8' 10". Rather than multiple joints, it telescopes collapsing to about 9 inches in length. I carry it inside a 10" piece of 1" diameter PVC pipe .. pretty well protected even if I fall on it. If I do stumble over water that looks fishy, I have SOMETHING, even if it doesn't have a reel.
Tom
