『職漁師伝 渓流に生きた最後の名人たち』("The history of the commercial fishermen, the last masters who lived in the streams."

https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/4540112597

The last commercial fishermen in the streams used Kebari, in the same way as Tenkara we call so now.
Fishing with kebari is called in many ways, it depends on areas, Tenkara is one of them.
This book reminds me that there are many kebari and techniques for Tenkara.
The photo is much kind of kebari from many areas.(I’m sorry I’m poor at taking photo)

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I’ve run upon that book several times over the past couple of years, and have wondered what is inside. Mostly text? Or if there are a lot of diagrams and pictures? I can’t read full pages of Japanese text. I can do ok figuring out the captions on pictures and diagrams.

Something that confused me a couple of days ago is in the magazine, Mountain Fishing Joy, they mention a guy who has done a lot of research into the footsteps of the jobs fishermen, the so-called shoku ryōshi (職漁師).

The names of the researcher mentioned in the magazine and the author of this book are very similar. The author of this book is 戸門 秀雄 (著). The researcher’s name in Mountain Fishing Joy is 戸門剛さん. I was curious if both are the same guy, but different names are used. . Perhaps a formal name and a nick-name or pen-name. Or if different people - if they are related to each other.

I know there is a tenkara master. who was / is known for an old unique style of casting a long line with a short rod. Nylon too if I recall correctly. I think his name is Takekabu. But maybe my memory is wrong. He used two names, his real name and a pen-name. So that caused confusion. When looking at different websites especially when some had new pictures of him , and others older pictures when he was much younger. And looked much different.

David

This book is made from about 90% text and 10% diagrams and pictures.

And 戸門剛さん is 秀雄さん’s son.

Thank you. A story of the son following in his father’s footsteps. Both following the footsteps of the tenkara shoku ryōshi. :grin:

Person with Special technique
takekabu = 竹株渓遊(takekabu-keiyu)

nickname
渓遊( keiyu) = Playing with mountain stream

竹株さんの紹介記事 Introduction article
http://www14.plala.or.jp/PARRMARK/page061.html

Interesting short video clip.
I think it is taken from the Weekly Sunday Fishing Tenkara Masters 1 video.

「テンカラの達人1」 出演、竹株渓遊、天野勝利、石垣尚男
[Tenkara Masters 1] Featuring, Takekabu Keiyū, Katsutoshi Amano, Hisao Ishigaki ]

The video is on YouTube, but not listed by the original video title.
You can find it in this previous forum post:

https://10colorstenkara.com/t/dr-ishigakis-weekly-sunday-fishing-video-series/32

I have looked at the PARRMARK web pages many times before.
There are several pages about him. He seems to have also used this pen-name:
竹株希朗氏 , Mr. Masaru Takeyoshi, if that is the correct translation.

His casting style is very different from what is mainly seen taught today. From information on that website it is a difficult casting method to learn. His casting method appears to take a lot of energy. Not the 12:00 to 2:00 arc used now.

I could never figure out what ハイループ [hairūpu] means in the description of the lines he used.
Digital translation will translate ハイループ as High Loop.
I thought maybe it was an old line company name. Or a name for a type of line no longer made.

From the PARRMARK web page.
道糸 :ハイループ4号
ハリス:ハイループ2号

Thanks for the links.

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Yes !
ハイループ= High Loop

At that time the idea of fly fishing was prevalent
It is similar
High Speed High Line Casting Charles Ritz-F.F Casting Method
・・・A Fly Fisher’s Life
Expression method strongly influenced by the influence

I think that it was named without knowing how to express it

Vogue word of that time・・・ハイ+○○
One case ハイトップ=Product name of dry batteries & Detergent product name

Thank you very much for your information.
I am always grateful for your help

Interesting. Apparently instead of listing his line, for example as :
道糸:Sunline 4号 6.8m
It was listed as:
道糸:High Loop 4号 6.8m
Not calling the line by a brand name, or a material name like nylon or silk.
But calling the line by a popular descriptive name taken from the casting method of Charles Ritz.

My understanding of Takekabu’s casting method is that is not the Charles Ritz Fly Fishing Casting Method.
It was instead a casting method popular in the Kishū region. And known as Kishū Tenkara casting method.
A casting technique made popular or taught by a 筏師山岡氏 ( Mr. Yamaoka …)
Who used what was called テグス糸ロングライン, tegusu-ito (Gut thread) long line.
And at that time his long casting distances were thought of as being supernatural.

The rest of the story seems to be that when Mr Takekabu was in junior high school he saw Mr. Yamaoka casting and was amazed by it.
Takekabu persuaded Mr Yamaoka to teach him his casting method. Acquiring Yamaoka’s 飛ばし(tobashi / skipping or casting) skills.
Later Mr Takekabu improved, and refined it into a technique to cast long level lines.
That became known as Kishū Tenkara Takekabu style tobashi [紀州テンカラ竹株流トバシ]

Sometimes it’s interesting to see how people thought about things in a different place in a different era. :grinning:
Or is so for geeky guys who like history and the fun of discovering or finding things out. :wink:

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Thank you very much for the detailed explanation

that’s right

飛ばし=tobasi-Method
It is a competition as to who can casting the nylon line the farthest
Among them, takekabu-san had a best talent

This is also interesting. A good example of what was done many years ago comes back - again gaining favor as a superior line material to use if the conditions are favorable. Calm wind.

I recall the guys at Discover Tenkara writing something in one of their recent blog post [or maybe it was in one of their recent videos] about attending a tenkara gathering in Japan where they also had a contest to see who could cast a 10 m nylon level line. However, they also wrote that FC level line is preferred over nylon level line if it is at all windy. Equating the weight of a 3号 nylon level line to a 1.75号 FC level line. Writing the nylon line is difficult to cast without good casting skills, and to light to use at all in wind.

Anyway, I think Mr Takekabu is still living today. I wonder if he is still able to go fishing and if he still cast using the same method used when filmed 25 ~ 30 years ago.

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Performer
takekabu & fuji

Mr,amano said because of the comparison with the Mr, takekabu nylon line
Mr. Ishigaki is Commentator
・・・・・It is recognition at that time

Mr. Takekabu and Mr. Fuji is tenkara fishing is a talent that everyone can recognize

More than these people

Each district has many individuals with unique talent

Knowing the mountains, knowing the river, knowing fish, getting prey are all Tenkara fishing

There is a history that has been to enrich the lives by obtaining prey

Tenkara fishing which is introduced mainly now mainly relates to how to fish the clear stream area

There are various ways of fishing being done in various places
This difference, of course, even mountain stream of mountain streams and plains

What is introduced in the book is the life history of the area

Fishing Cafe AUTUMN 2017 VOL.57 技の奥義、テンカラの秘密

On page 35 has this listing in the TOC
35◎伝説の紀州テンカラ師、竹株希朗
35 ◎ Legendary Kishu Tenkara, Takekabu Nozomi Akira. (or Takekabu Marerotei ??)

afaik :
竹株渓遊 = 竹株希朗
Takekabu Keiyū = Takekabu Nozomi Akira.
Same person, One is real name, the other a pen name.

This name is at the top of the page:
尾鷲 竹株希朗邸 Takekabu Nozomi Akira-tei. (or Takekabu Marerotei)
With this title:
竹株流トバシの昔むかしのエピソードなど
Takekabu style Tobashi (skipping) long ago episode ??

http://www14.plala.or.jp/PARRMARK/page062.html

The above story is wide ranging, looking for someone in the forest, the road collapsed by a typhoon. Learning to set up an internet HP, types of hooks, and after the war, making their 3m Tobashi pole from local bamboo. Or wood. Two handed casting. In an era before jointed poles, then a progression to glass poles, then carbon poles, and so on.

https://fishingcafe.shimano.co.jp/magazine/

Anyway, I’m gone a fishing tomorrow, back in a week or four. Only short time access to the internet while away.

Thank you @dwalker
竹株渓遊 = 竹株希朗
Takekabu Keiyū = Takekabu mareo

紀州のテンカラとふるさと(book)
竹株希朗 著 竹株希朗 1992.1

Takekabu. Bottom book. 下 ブック。

http://www.geocities.jp/tenkarakimura/book.html

I am quite confused about the proper translation of the following. But the website has a fun picture, and some historical information about Takekabu-san aka Kei Yū. As I recall I think he also authored various articles under a pen name.

第20回 The 20th Miyabi portrait
竹株希朗(77) Takekabu NozomiAkira (77)
秘技紀州テンカラ Secret Kyushu Tenkara
「竹株流・トバシ」考案者 Takekabu-ryū tobashi (skip ?) inventor
[Tobashi , 飛ばし, skipping or skip. Tobaru. 飛ばる, to fly (as in the line flying through the air) ]

渓遊 魚との知恵比べ [魚との・知恵・比べ]
Kei Yū Wisdom · Compared with fish ??

http://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/feature/miebito/list/CK2017062102000295.html

第20回 竹株希朗(77) 秘技紀州テンカラ English translation

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I forgot I have this book. I found it today when putting away some older Headwaters magazines that I got today in the mail.

It’s fun to study tenkara. It’s great to have the books in your hands, the magazines and the people from Japan willing to help.

I need to get back to work on my own website.

It’s time.

Cool book, I like it.

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