Ayu fishing

Ayu fishing was practiced by Samurai as long as 430 years ago.

The art became more refined as the samurai, who were forbidden to practice martial arts and sword fighting in the Edo period, found this type of fishing to be a good substitute for their training: the rod being a substitute to the sword, and walking on the rocks of a small stream good leg and balance training.

So, the samurai who enjoyed ayu fishing would take sewing needles and bend them themselves, and make their own flies by hand."

[3] This fishing method based on habit of strife among Ayu is called Tomozuri (ja:友釣り friend fishing) in Japanese and deemed unique in Japan, but research is propagated from Korean Peninsula as well.

[4] Ayu are the second highest species of fish in Japan in terms of released juveniles.