Microfishing: When the Tiniest Fish Becomes the Biggest Catch小物钓：钓小鱼成就大

Catching fish as small as a penny would be nothing short of embarrassing for the average fisherman， but in Japan it’s a source of pride， as in the old art of Tanago Fishing， the smaller the fish is， the bigger a catch it represents.

对寻常钓鱼人来说，钓到一分钱硬币那么小的鱼堪称丢脸，但在日本，这却是一份骄傲，因为“小物钓”这项古老的艺术正讲究鱼获越小，钓技越高。

Most fishermen believe that the bigger the fish they catch， the greater their fishing skill is， which is why you routinely see them posing only with very large fish， and hear them telling tales about veritable1 sea monsters that only narrowly eluded2 them. However， things are very different in Japan， a country where minimalism is pervasive in all aspects of life， from gardening， to architecture. Fishing makes no exception， so it’s not very surprising that fishermen judge their skills not by how large their catch is， but by how small it is.

大多数钓鱼人相信，钓到的鱼越大，越能彰显实力，所以你往往看见他们只和大鱼合影，也常听他们谈起那些在千钧一发时失之交臂的、真正的海中巨怪。但在日本的情况完全不同，从园艺到建筑，极简风格在各方面都很普遍，钓鱼也不例外，所以钓鱼人评判各自本事的标准，不是看钓到的鱼有多大，而是看鱼有多小，也就不奇怪了。

Tanago fishing is an ancient Japanese fishing method dating back to samurai over 200 years ago. Tanago is a Japanese term used to describe several species of a small freshwater fish we know as “bitterling”. Some species of tanago grow up to 15cm in size， but these are the less valuable to fishermen， as the goal is to catch the smallest fish possible. Tanago anglers believe that the smaller the fish caught， the greater the testament to the skill of the angler.

小物钓可溯源至武士时代，是一种已有200多年历史的古老日式钓法。日文Tanago一词是对几种小型淡水鱼的统称，这类鱼俗名“苦鱼”。有些品种的苦鱼能长到15厘米长，但这样的大鱼对钓鱼人来说价值不高，因为他们志在钓到尽可能小的鱼。在小物钓者看来，鱼儿越小，越能证明其技艺高超。

Truth be told， even in Japan， tanago fishermen are considered eccentric， not only because of their counterintuitive3 way of judging their skill， but also by the amount of time and resources they invest in this hobby. Catching tiny fish isn’t easy， and many enthusiasts spend small fortunes4 on specialized gear.

老实说，小物钓者不仅以小论技有悖常理，还在这项爱好上投入了大量时间和钱财，所以即便在日本也被视为异类。要钓到小鱼并不容易，为此许多发烧友不惜重金购置专业装备。

Early micro fishing techniques involved the use of simple equipment made from natural materials. Anglers would fashion5 delicate hooks from sewing needles， while lines were made from silk or horsehair. Bait， often tiny pieces of dough or insects， would be carefully placed on the minuscule6 hooks， enticing the diminutive7 fish to bite.

早年的小物钓用的是使用天然材料制成的简单装备。钓鱼人会用缝衣针制作精微的鱼钩，用蚕丝或马鬃制成鱼线。他们通常会用小块的面团或昆虫作饵，将之小心地挂在极细的鱼钩上，来引诱小鱼上钩。

Today， Japanese bitterling are usually caught using a handmade bamboo rod called Edo Wazao. There are only a handful of such rod makers left in Japan， and the process of making such a tool can take up to two years， so they can be pretty expensive. Then there is the fine fishing line， and the needles， which are usually sharpened under a microscope， using a jeweler’s diamond file.

时至今日，日本人往往会用一种手工制作、名为“江户和竿”竹钓竿来钓苦鱼。日本现存的此类钓竿匠人屈指可数，制作这样的一根竿子可能要耗时两年，造价自然不菲。另外，配备的钓线极为纤细，鱼钩更需用珠宝匠的钻石锉刀在显微镜下精心打磨。

This ancient pastime is now practiced and kept alive by modern Japanese fishermen as a way to learn the traditions of their ancestors and to reconnect with nature. Some tanago fishermen have either always been fascinated by this centuries-old art， or have simply become bored of angle fishing and want to try something more challenging. They all use their laughably small fishing rods to try and catch the smallest fish， with the declared goal being to nail a bitterling that can fit on a one yen coin.

这项古老的消遣活动得以在现代日本的钓鱼人手中沿袭和延续，他们借此学习先辈的传统，再度亲近自然。有些钓者自始至终痴迷于这门沉淀数百年的技艺，也有人厌倦了传统垂钓，想寻求更具挑战性的钓法。他们人手一支小得可笑的钓竿，费尽心思去钓最小的鱼，宣称目标是钓到一条能放在一日元硬币上的苦鱼。

You may ask why it is fun to fish such a small fish. The answer may lie in the aspect of Japanese culture. Japanese people cherish small things. You may have heard the word Bonsai. It is about an old small tree grown in a pot. For Japanese people， it is more than a tree. They think that the bonsai is expressing nature on a miniature scale. It is an art， aiming to represent aspects of nature on the pot. For Japanese people， representing reality in a small package is important. Tanago fishing is one such instance. They see the core of the fishing in it.

你可能会问，钓这么小的鱼乐趣何在？答案或许藏在日本文化中。日本人珍惜小的事物。也许你听说过“盆栽”这个词吧，就是种在花盆里的小型古树。在日本人眼中，盆栽不仅是一棵树，而是一种在方寸之间展现自然的形式。它在小小花盆里再现自然景观，俨然是一门艺术。日本人认为在小的事物中展现现实是很重要的。小物钓也是同样道理。他们从中看到的是钓鱼的精髓。

Legend has it that tanago fishing was born as a way of bypassing a prohibition on angling during the Edo period. Fishermen could hide a tanago rod easily in a pouch8 or bag slung from the waist， but they became so fond of fishing for small fish that they never went back to angling.

相传在江户年间，为规避禁钓令，小物钓应需而生。钓鱼人可以轻易地将钓竿藏在荷包或腰间挂袋当中。但他们从此迷上了钓小鱼，以致再也不去钓普通的鱼了。

1 veritable名副其实的；不折不扣的。  2 elude躲避；使不理解、达不到。  3 coun-terintuitive反直觉的；有悖常识的。

4 small fortune一大笔钱；巨款。  5 fashion （尤指用手工）制作，使成形。  6 minus-cule极小的。  7 diminutive特小的。

8 pouch小袋子；荷包。