Toward the end of 2022 I had become increasingly more interested in the origins of tenkara, and of the anglers of historical Japan - The Shokuryoshi. The stories of these anglers, and their culture intrigued me.
Long before today’s prominent anglers such as Masami Sakakibara and Hisao Ishigaki, the commercial anglers that lived and fished in the mountains of Japan were known as Shokuryoshi. These professional anglers would leave their villages to traverse the mountains - sometimes for days on end - harvesting Iwana and other species from the waters to sell to local inns and restaurants.Â
With the geographical traits of Japan, the streams and rivers often have a fast, steep descent in the considerably short run from the mountains to the ocean. That, in conjunction with hazardous terrain that they may have encountered to reach their fishing spots along the rivers, made for a laborious and dangerous profession.
Without the luxury of gear such as graphite rods and fluorocarbon level lines that are available today, they were resourceful. Their techniques and approaches were formed to fit the need for efficiency. The more fish in the creel in the shortest amount of time meant you could get paid out or, more importantly, feed your village.
Things are different these days. Not many of us fish with bamboo rods and horsehair lines, and I think it’s safe to say that not many of us absolutely have to hike into the mountains in order to catch the food we put on the table. So why was I so drawn to these anglers of the past, and what could I learn from them?
First and foremost, I think fishing should be fun and enjoyable. For many of us, fishing offers so much more than just fish. Aside from a meditative aspect, the scenery of the places tenkara takes me, and a connection to nature often helps me to clear my head. While I enjoy my time spent in nature and on the water, part of the fun of fishing is catching fish. Part of my draw to learning more about the Shokuryoshi was to learn to become a better tenkara angler. What could I learn from adopting the mindset of someone who had to put fish in the creel? What could I learn from taking a moment to dissect my habits, and how could I build better ones?
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the trade, it seems there’s not much information that was shared between anglers. Why would you tell your competition about your secret, high-yielding spot, or what kebari you use? Another issue I faced in my research of the subject is that a good portion of the information available is in Japanese. But, with a little bit of reliance on translation apps and some help from others, I put the bits of knowledge I received into practice.
Over the last year I have been thinking, practicing, and thinking some more. I spent the vast majority of my time fishing streams in the Sierra Nevadas in pursuit of trout and char. I’ve been taking note of my own habits and evaluating which ones I could build off of, and which ones needed to be changed completely. This year my main focus for articles will revolve around these experiences. Some articles will be about the progression of different ideas and practices that I experimented with, and others may be about some of the things I learned while taking a different approach to how I go about catching fish.
In no way am I claiming to be an expert on the subject or the techniques employed by the Shokuryoshi. Nor am I claiming to be an expert angler. But, within these writings, you will find my observations on what worked, what didn’t, and the refinement of certain ideas. I wanted to share my experiences and what I learned in hopes that others would either find some of it useful, or gain the inspiration to try out their own ideas to better their own angling experience. I hope you follow along!