Micro Fishing New Zealand by Tony Stevens Have you heard the word. The word is “MICRO”: fishing that is, the western world asked what the heck is this? Micro fishing for most was a technique of spin fishing with ultra light gear however true micro fishing is Asian in origin and is epitomised in the annals of historical Japanese angling. As one would expect from such as Bonsai, the miniaturisation of trees and shrubs and many other organic species is a highly specialised product of Japanese culture. Some species of Japan’s fish are the very, very small fish called in the west Bitterling, in Japanese Tenago. Highly specialised tackle has been developed over the years to catch such tiny fish, now a cult has arisen which demands the catching of a fish of 25mm or less using rod, line and hook. In Japan dedicated bass anglers have abandoned their bait casting or spinning gear and adopted very traditional bamboo rods to follow their traditions catching small fish. Tenago fi...
Freshwater and Saltwater Microfishing in Japan by Ben Cantrell I’m writing this post 6 years after the fact. I’ve been microfishing pretty seriously for several years now, and I’d like to write this post to celebrate my first introduction to microfishing, which in hindsight was an incredible way to be introduced to the sport obsession. In 2008 I visited Japan for the third time, but it was the first time travelling there since I became interested in fishing, especially fishing for new species. My lifelist was only in the low teens, but I was determined to add to it! I didn’t do any research before the trip, so I had to depend on my Japanese friends and advice from the owner of the tackle shop we stopped in. The shop owner set us up with gear that was new to me – extremely long flexible rods, incredibly small hooks, incredibly small floats, and an assortment of artificial and live bait options. We packed up the car and headed up into the mountains near the city of Oka...