Among giants….

Hello everyone, before i start I like to say what I’m about to write is purely for entertainment and information only. But for some it might even be a cultural enlightenment. Not trying to sell an idea or pushing for another fishing merchandise, just for a good read. Most if not all on this “panfish” ultralight subforum already know what JDM stand for when it comes to rods and reels, thanks in part to our own Randy…aka Alphahawk. I like to also introduce another thing that’s very Japanese- their obsession with catching the tiniest of fish called Tanago: a tiny freshwater fish less than 2 inches long often found in rain drainage and tiny creeks. In the US it’s “microfishing”, but I won’t go there. Contrary to popular belief, not all Japanese live near a ocean dock or have the means to drive to their favorite trout streams and rivers. Those living in crowded cities often resort to fishing out of pay-per- visit private ponds stocked with putNtake “goldfishes,” with this thin short chopstick of a rod made mostly out of bamboo just to have an outing with the kids…..
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Today I got an hour and caught a few micros of my own, the smallest bluegills swimming among their giant adults as you can see in photos. Equipments used: a #30 Tanago hook, 1lb mono line, top-section of a UL rod (no reel), BB split shot and minced shrimp as bait. Thanks for reading and enjoy the photos! PS the last bluegill is the “smallest” fish I’ve ever lipped in my life!!!
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Chris Stewart sells some micro gear on his Tenkara Bum site:

https://www.tenkarabum.com/micro-fishing-gear.html

Thanks DBD, I did buy my hooks from Tenkara, didn’t know he owns that too, thanks.


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That is a very interesting read. They do take hteir fishing serious. I watch a fella catch trout out of all sorts of ditches and storm drains

Thanks for sharing the interesting read! I learned something new..
:biggrin

Man, those little guys are something else. They will attack anything.
Bob

That was good to read. Thank you for posting it.

I used to catch minnows for bait that way when I was a young boy. Used a rod tip section, some of my mother's nylon sewing thread, a size 20 hook (smallest they had in local stores), and a small piece of bread balled up on the hook. Wasn't the most efficient way to get a lot into the minnow bucket, but still was entertaining trying to hook up those little guys.

I've watched several videos of old guys in Japan doing this. Many times out on a tiny canal in the middle of nowhere by themselves. Then there are the ones who go out in these boats with opposing seating on each side just having a relaxing day. I notice they watch those floats like a hawk tracking a field mouse. I have also seen them carry them away in a bucket...I assume they eat these tiny fish..maybe you know.


Regards

Cricketcage, you and I got something in common right there. Growing up in Thailand refugee camp in late 70’s I got to use mother’s sewing thread as well, but it was no quality thread so she showed me how to fold them over and put a little spit on my palm and braid the (now 2 strings) over my knee so it’ll twisted together and become stronger. In fact she got me started in my life long journey to become a multi species fisherman….catching everything from Asian farm eels, snakeheads, needle nose, tilapias, and those little aquarium fishes we call gouramis, excellent tasting fish fried whole BTW..lol.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

I've watched several videos of old guys in Japan doing this. Many times out on a tiny canal in the middle of nowhere by themselves. Then there are the ones who go out in these boats with opposing seating on each side just having a relaxing day. I notice they watch those floats like a hawk tracking a field mouse. I have also seen them carry them away in a bucket...I assume they eat these tiny fish..maybe you know.


Regards

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Yes Randy I believe I saw the same video and if correct the fishes they after are what they call "Edo", a saltwater goby species love to live in Tokyo brackish canals and interscoastal waterways. Since location is not permissable as a commercial fishing area, the avid anglers have to catch their meals so to speak. A gent from the document was showing how he prepared these little "rock fish" looking things and his fridge was full of dried freeze Edo fillets, saying "only" anglers get to enjoy these delicacies...lol.

Nice. I also love microfishing. I enjoy catching different species of fish more than catching big fish of one species. Microfishing is the only way to be able to do this given the vast amount of fish species that never grow big enough to be caught on "normal" fishing gear.

I sometimes use real small hooks to ketch real small fish myself , not as small as what is posted but pretty small none the less .
one fish I managed to ketch was actually a real minnow :Rofl

Arthur, microfishing is something I’ve only learned and experimented the last couple months….you can say I’m really late to the game. I learned of it through online blogs and YouTube videos from anglers such as yourself, but as mentioned by default I was already an avid multi species kinda guy having done it since 7. I also like to shout out to one microfishing/multi specie angler pioneering this concept- Ben Cantrell. Many microfishing articles mentioning the interesting places he’d been catching his large of over 600 as we speaks, really gets my blood boiling…lol.


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Ketchn, switching tactic and one's focus lots of time has positive affects...especially if that means preventing me from getting skunked...lol. However, even for the minnows, the Japanese anglers will want to catch only the smallest of them all. That's a cultural mindset i respect but never truly understand.

I once accidentally participated in micro fishing. I was trout fishing on the Spring River in Arkansas and there was a hatch of little blue winged olive mayflies going on with fish dimpling all over the place. I have a favorite emerger I fish on Arkansas tail races for those same hatches in size 18 on a 2x short hook that works great and so I put it on. I missed strikes on about 6 casts in a row and then finally hooked and caught a 4 inch minnow. Several fish later, I had caught at least 3 or 4 species of rough minnows all between 3 and 6 inches. That day I found out that I don't want to fish anything less than a size 12 or so fly and that streamers or very large stonefly nymphs are advised if I actually want to catch trout while fly fishing on the Spring River. :biggrin

Man thanks for a great story…awesome read!


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In European “match” fishing, species doesn’t matter. Only total weight does. So, fishermen will often target a small fish called a bleak. They will often catch several hundred (or even several thousand) bleak in a match.

I think you'll enjoy this 15-minute video entitled "Fishing Crazy: In Pursuit of the Smallest Catch,"
produced by Japan's NHK Broadcasting company (similar to PBS or BBC)
about tiny fish fishing in Japan --

Fishing Crazy: In Pursuit of the Smallest Catch - 15 Minutes | NHK WORLD-JAPAN On Demand

This video provides a glimpse of just how serious the Japanese are about finesse fishing.

Yes kmorrow, that’s one video I also seen, very well made. Another is also by same producer…”Edo style” ( a type of goby fish) fishing Tokyo canals. Cheers!


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Kmorrow, one episode on “Ayu” fishing a long rod fisherman told the host his carbon rod can cost as much as 4500 usd!! If that’s not fishing to the extreme I don’t know what..lol


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by LVSpinfisher1

Kmorrow, one episode on “Ayu” fishing a long rod fisherman told the host his carbon rod can cost as much as 4500 usd!! If that’s not fishing to the extreme I don’t know what..lol

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Top-of-the-line Euro poles cost several thousand dollars each. One company (Maver, I believe) listed a pole at $10,000. They hoped to sell fifty in the UK. They ended up selling one hundred! :yikes

Quote:

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Originally Posted by deathb4disco

Top-of-the-line Euro poles cost several thousand dollars each. One company (Maver, I believe) listed a pole at $10,000. They hoped to sell fifty in the UK. They ended up selling one hundred! :yikes

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DBD, i have no doubt but do the English also practice this type of long poll fishing or it's a type of Carp rod? I know Europeans love their carps...lol.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LVSpinfisher1

DBD, i have no doubt but do the English also practice this type of long poll fishing or it's a type of Carp rod?

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They do both, but the poles I’m talking about are for any species and are up to 17 meters long (about 55’). I own two of these poles. One is 8 meters. The other is 14.5 meters.

Euro carp rods are generally no longer than 12’.

Interesting!
Thanks for the post. I only thought I had caught small fish! LOL


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10,000 US for a rod ? holy panfish batman , that is just ever so slightly on the high end of WAY WAY past ridiculous :Rofl

I fished next to a gent once at the pond across town. He was wielding what looks like one of the Japanese Tenkara rod in 10 to 12 feet and he was catching about the same catch rate as i was with my ultralight flieNfloat setup, but i can see his minimalist approach there as he was faster releasing fish and be out with the flie in the water in no time. Thanks for chiming in everyone and good read as always!