Microfishing: When the Tiniest Fish Becomes the Biggest Catch小物釣：釣小魚成就大

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.

對尋常釣魚人來說，釣到一分錢硬幣那么小的魚堪稱丟臉，但在日本，這卻是一份驕傲，因為“小物釣”這項古老的藝術正講究魚獲越小，釣技越高。

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.

大多數釣魚人相信，釣到的魚越大，越能彰顯實力，所以你往往看見他們只和大魚合影，也常聽他們談起那些在千鈞一發時失之交臂的、真正的海中巨怪。但在日本的情況完全不同，從園藝到建筑，極簡風格在各方面都很普遍，釣魚也不例外，所以釣魚人評判各自本事的標準，不是看釣到的魚有多大，而是看魚有多小，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.

小物釣可溯源至武士時代，是一種已有200多年歷史的古老日式釣法。日文Tanago一詞是對幾種小型淡水魚的統稱，這類魚俗名“苦魚”。有些品種的苦魚能長到15厘米長，但這樣的大魚對釣魚人來說價值不高，因為他們志在釣到盡可能小的魚。在小物釣者看來，魚兒越小，越能證明其技藝高超。

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.

老實說，小物釣者不僅以小論技有悖常理，還在這項愛好上投入了大量時間和錢財，所以即便在日本也被視為異類。要釣到小魚并不容易，為此許多發燒友不惜重金購置專業裝備。

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.

早年的小物釣用的是使用天然材料制成的簡單裝備。釣魚人會用縫衣針制作精微的魚鉤，用蠶絲或馬鬃制成魚線。他們通常會用小塊的面團或昆蟲作餌，將之小心地掛在極細的魚鉤上，來引誘小魚上鉤。

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.

時至今日，日本人往往會用一種手工制作、名為“江戶和竿”竹釣竿來釣苦魚。日本現存的此類釣竿匠人屈指可數，制作這樣的一根竿子可能要耗時兩年，造價自然不菲。另外，配備的釣線極為纖細，魚鉤更需用珠寶匠的鉆石銼刀在顯微鏡下精心打磨。

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.

這項古老的消遣活動得以在現代日本的釣魚人手中沿襲和延續，他們借此學習先輩的傳統，再度親近自然。有些釣者自始至終癡迷于這門沉淀數百年的技藝，也有人厭倦了傳統垂釣，想尋求更具挑戰性的釣法。他們人手一支小得可笑的釣竿，費盡心思去釣最小的魚，宣稱目標是釣到一條能放在一日元硬幣上的苦魚。

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.

你可能會問，釣這么小的魚樂趣何在？答案或許藏在日本文化中。日本人珍惜小的事物。也許你聽說過“盆栽”這個詞吧，就是種在花盆里的小型古樹。在日本人眼中，盆栽不僅是一棵樹，而是一種在方寸之間展現自然的形式。它在小小花盆里再現自然景觀，儼然是一門藝術。日本人認為在小的事物中展現現實是很重要的。小物釣也是同樣道理。他們從中看到的是釣魚的精髓。

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.

相傳在江戶年間，為規避禁釣令，小物釣應需而生。釣魚人可以輕易地將釣竿藏在荷包或腰間掛袋當中。但他們從此迷上了釣小魚，以致再也不去釣普通的魚了。

1 veritable名副其實的；不折不扣的。" 2 elude躲避；使不理解、達不到。" 3 coun-terintuitive反直覺的；有悖常識的。

4 small fortune一大筆錢；巨款。" 5 fashion （尤指用手工）制作，使成形。" 6 minus-cule極小的。" 7 diminutive特小的。

8 pouch小袋子；荷包。