First herabuna fishing of 2013

Fishing at a stocked herabuna pond seems to me one of the most scientific forms of angling there is, in addition to being very fun too.  I never tire of it, and am glad to have made the trip despite my recent busy schedule.

Possibly

the only underground railway station in the world that has bamboo fishing rods on display in it: Hatogaya.  Three herabuna rods, one kawahagi and what looks like a rod for snapper.

Autumn-time

The bamboo nori frames are stuck in place at Kanazawa Hakkei; the nori will be ready to harvest in December.  I always like sailing from Hakkei and this time was no different.

This photo was from last Tuesday; the weather was still roasting-hot but at least there was a breeze.  Today I went herabuna fishing in Tokyo to crown off three trips in the last week – flathead, aji and hera – and we have a another long weekend from this Friday, so we shall see what’s to do then.

Over the holidays I also broke down and bought a secondhand bamboo herabuna rod; my current one, also bought secondhand, is near its end, creaking whenever there is a fish on and somewhat warped beyond repair.  I consider it a marvel that it is indeed the first bamboo rod I have bought this year, and it being September; however, in hindsight I have built three new rods myself in 2011!   With the autumnal equinox soon upon us it is almost offshore haze season, so I broke out my haze rods from storage and look forward to hitting the water soon.  I replaced the black nylon line on a couple of my rods with a new-fangled high visibility white line, and re-greased the joints in preparation.

From the cook-house: salt beef cooked in the Jewish deli-style (of course served with very vinegary dill pickles, hot mustard and rye bread).  This stuff is boiled for many hours and then eaten hot, but if instead it is caked with crushed black pepper and hot-smoked, and thin-cut, it becomes pastrami.

I also dry-cured some pork which made acceptable bacon.  This time I used a brown sugar cure:

The rashers ended up as a gift for a neighbour, but the end-pieces (usually a bit salty and difficult to slice properly) were easily taken care of in a simple pasta, chopped up and sauteed with red bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms and Japanese shiso leaves:

Tanago Fishing?

Made the trip up to Kasumigaura for some freshwater fishing yesterday.  The mist and vapours gave an air of impending Spring, but it was deceptive: the rice farmers were burning the stubble in their fields and all about was still Wintery brown brush and low water.  There was plenty of birdlife around, which always provides a diversion when fishing Kasumigaura: I spotted a Kingfisher, gigantic Grey Heron – surely one of the most absurd creatures in flight – and although I thought I remarked a buzzard, it turned out to be one of the usual kites.  The regular discharges of shotguns in the distance throughout the afternoon was another reminder that it is still Winter, and perhaps accounted for the lack of pheasants that I usually spot when fishing in the area.

Back from Kasumigaura

First funa of 2011!

Very big net

or very small fish?

Getting good service from my bamboo landing net.

Plugged

Carved a bamboo dowel for my herabuna landing net today.  This protects the insert joint of the handle when the net is taken down for travelling.

  

Landing Net Completed

After an eye-opening earthquake, I completed the final adjustment of the plug this morning - the bamboo changes very slightly during the lacquering process – and my landing net project is now done.  I need to pick up a bag to put it in, and carve a dowel to protect the joint when the net is in transit/storage, but it is ready to use.  Hopefully this summer I will be doing a fair bit of herabuna fishing, and I can’t wait to give it a try!

Another view, with the net taken down:

For a comparison I trawled through my old photos and found a picture of the raw bamboo:

Closeups of the handle and the net joint:

 

Landing Net Update

Just one more coat of lacquer, and then some re-adjustment of the plug, and the net is ready.   It didn’t make it in time for the mabuna season, but I hope the net will see some use this year when I am hera fishing.

Dirty Work

but so nearly there.  Two finishing coats of raw lacquer, a little re-adjustment to the fit of the plug, then my hera/mabuna landing net is ready.  I recently bought some lacquer mail order from Joboji in Iwate Prefecture.  Joboji is one of the last few places in Japan where local craftsmen still tap lacquer from Rhus trees in the traditional style, by scoring the tree bark with a circular blade and collecting the sap from the wound.  I will use this lacquer to finish the net handle.