Microfish the Planet!
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What is Microfishing?
The definition everyone would agree on is 'fishing for small fish', anything beyond that becomes a matter of some debate. We want this site to be as inclusive as possible, so we'll break down different styles of fishing that are (or can be) geared toward targeting the little guys. Speaking of little guys, 'small' is also a bit of a relative term. Some purists may say the fish has to be under 5" (12cm), but we feel that's the wrong approach. It seems more accurate to tie the style to the size. So we'll start with the smallest and the method which most people think of when they say microfishing: tanago.
Tanago
Tanago fishing originated in Japan centuries ago as a technique to catch bitterlings, which are a genus of small fish (max size for any species is 11cm) related to carp. There are variations, of course, but the defining elements of the style are:
- A fixed line rod between 90cm (3ft) to 360cm (12ft)
- Our personal preference being 180cm
- Tiny hooks
- Bread/gluten bait
- No overhand casting
Tenkara
Another style of Japanese origin, tenkara is a fly fishing technique that developed among anglers in mountain streams in Japan and can target freshwater fish of (almost) any size, but trout and smaller are what most tackle is geared toward.
- Fixed line rod with an average length of 360cm (anything shorter would be considered a 'short' rod and anything longer a 'long one')
- Furled or level line for a main line with a thinner tippet at the end
- Hooked fly as a lure
- Cast overhand
Ultralight/BFS
Less of a specific style and more an approach to fishing that focuses on using ultralight equipment while using modern spinning and casting reels. You can target fish of almost all sizes but trout, panfish, and >2lb bass are the most frequently sought
- Ultralight or lighter rods
- Small spinning reels, usually 1000 size or less
- Casting reels designed and tuned to cast lures in the 1.5-7gm range
- Most often cast side arm or flicked
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