The Shokuryoshi Experiment
With The Shokuryoshi Experiment done and wrapped up, I wanted to write a post regarding some thoughts on my experiences, and the numbers.
If you’ve followed along since the start, or even gone back to the first few posts in the series, you may know that my interest was to see how my own fishing might change if I had to put fish in the net. But, one problem with this is that I still approached it from a sport fishing mentality. I didn’t HAVE to put fish in the net as I still worked an hourly job, and was still able to leave the river and have a home-cooked meal. That’s not to say I didn’t find success in my own practice though.
Comparing the Stats
Looking at the first two years of my tenkara “journey,” my best catch rate averaged out to 0.8 fish per hour. This was for the fishing season of May through October in 2021. During those months, I had caught 47 fish in 60 hours of fishing, over 32 outings. These recordings are for outings that fit within certain parameters.
In the first year of this experiment I saw a large increase in that fish per hour average, and almost tripled the number from 2021. I ended the 2023 season with 111 fish caught in 48 hours of fishing over 36 outings - bringing my average to 2.3 fish per hour.
The trend continued this year, with 2024 being a successful year. Even though I didn’t put as many fish in the net, or have as many outings (or hours), I increased the average fish per hour once again. My counts include 91 fish landed in 24.75 hours over 25 outings - leaving me with an average of 3.7 fish per hour.
Catch Rates
Now, thinking on my own progression, I am trying to identify what exactly contributes to this increase in numbers. But, to keep things fair, I’m also considering what may have caused lower catch rates early on.
Looking back at the first two seasons of fishing with a tenkara rod, I can think of a few big reasons for the low catch rates. The first of those being the learning curve that comes with adopting a new form of fishing.
There were a lot of things that were new to me in fishing with a tenkara rod. Having a fixed-line, learning to cast that line in a way that would deliver the fly where I wanted, learning to read water, and even just fishing with a fly were all new concepts for me. On top of that, I didn’t know exactly which creeks and streams held fish. There were a lot of aspects that could contribute to the lower catch rates.
In those first two years, I was still learning a lot, but it was more on becoming familiar with the style and the techniques. I can’t say that the experimentation with the style in these first two years was the main root cause of low catch rates, because I still did plenty of experimentation during the experiment - although, this experimentation was done under more scrutiny. The first two years really did set me on a path that would allow me to reach this point.
Looking back through journal entries from those first two years helped me to understand little details over time. These understandings all contribute to my success in later years. Being able to look back and compare notes on things like how overcast days offer more fish on the local creek, or evening sessions had higher recorded catch rates on my favorite river influenced my decisions over these past few years. Being able to plan my outings a little, but also take advantage of timing played a role in the increased catch rates.
Refined
Echoing the beginning of the last section, I was learning a new (to me) style of fishing back in 2020 and 2021. Since then I’ve spent plenty of time refining many of those aspects that contributed to that learning curve.
I’ve refined my technique - casting, presentations, and handling fish (fighting and releasing).
Being better at casting has opened up more opportunities to catch fish. Knowing how to present the fly in different situations garners more strikes than just a dead drift (all I knew at the beginning). Knowing how to play a fish on the end of the line has secured more catches.
I’ve refined my gear - the way it’s set up, the lines I use in different situations, and the flies that I choose to tie on the end of those lines.
My setup on my pack is more conducive to spending my time on the water with my fly in the water. Knowing which line will allow me to present the fly the way I want, in the conditions I’m facing at the time, opens up more opportunities to catch fish. And, knowing which fly pattern to put on the end of the line to best fit that presentation sweetens the deal.
Knowing Where to Fish
Some of this confidence also comes with a better understanding of the waters in my area, and the trends that I’ve observed over the past few years. During the experiment, I have purposefully chosen water that holds a higher population of fish, and I have spent less time fishing other tributaries with fish that are few and far between.
This has also contributed to a better understanding of how to adjust my tactics based on the water conditions, whether it’s high or low water, or changes in clarity. I better understand how the time of the day, or time of year affects certain sections of the rivers or creeks in my area.
Along with that, I have also learned when to move on from unproductive spots in search of areas with more actively feeding trout. But here is where I want to evaluate and compare my own progress to a standard outside of my own numbers.
Cutting the Mustard
Even with choosing more productive waters, I do realize that these numbers pale in comparison to different areas around the nation, or even the state. From what I understand, even 3.7 fish per hour would seem like a slow day in certain regions.
This experiment was done with the goal of increasing my own catch rate, and with that I found success. The refining of my gear, technique, and understanding of home waters are all benefits that came from this experiment.
Maybe I don’t catch as many fish as other anglers, and that’s alright. I found increased success in chasing wild trout in my little area of the Sierra Nevadas, and I’m happy with that!
With all this being said, I had to ask myself, “Would I cut it as a shokuryoshi?”
My answer…
Heck no!
I say this with a small scope of reference. A friend of mine wrote an article for the Heritage Tenkara Project where he talks about the subject. In this post, titled “Catch & Release, Catch & Eat, and Stewardship of Our Streams - Part Three: Meeting At The Present” he opens with one shokuryoshi’s estimate of fish caught in a single year on a single river - 7,000.
Taking a step back, and thinking about it, I don’t know where exactly this number falls in with other Shokuryoshi. 7,000 is a lot, don’t get me wrong, but is this on the high end of what others would harvest? Is this number maybe on the low end? I can’t imagine it is, but who knows…
I also don’t know how many hours these master anglers would fish during a single day. Maybe it was sun-up to sun-down? Maybe it’s only a few hours and they’re really bringing in the fish around sunrise and sunset. Without that knowledge, I couldn’t compare an average fish per hour. I bring this up being that fish per hour was how I decided to measure my own progress in the experiment.
But… If I were to use my own personal best fish per hour average for the 2024 season to compare to the estimate of fish harvested from the Azuma River in Japan, it would take me roughly 1,892 hours to catch 7,000 fish.
That would translate to about 315 hours a month (with a fishing season between May and October) - Then roughly to 79 hours a week - And, finally to 11 hours of fishing every day of the week.
As much as I enjoy fishing (recreationally), that may be too much fishing for me. I do realize that this was their livelihood, though, and that one would have to commit their time and energy if they wanted to make a living off their success in fishing.