If there are two fishing phrases I hate, it’s “stock ponds” and “bait fishing,” and to my dismay, this was the plot of Negative Positive Angler Episode 2. Yet, at the end of the episode, I was grinning from ear to ear at how well it explained something so mundane.
Negative Positive Angler Episode 2 Summary
With his apartment in ruins, Tsunehiro is forced to spend the night at Takaai’s house. Although this provides him with temporary refuge, he now faces more problems than he had at the beginning of the series. Yet life, or rather Takaai, gives him a little wiggle room with the prospect of a new job. Understanding that the job offer stems from pity and that anglers are exactly the type of people his parents warned him about, he deliberately sabotages the interview.
But his plan backfires, and he lands the job. And with that new job comes a day of fishing! And so, he spends the next day at a stocked pond fishing for trout. While initially, he laments his luck, he’s soon drawn in by it all. However, when he meets with classmates at the end of his trips and flees, we realize he’s far from alright.
Fishing Theory
With Negative Positive Angler Episode 2 focusing on bait fishing in stock ponds, let me give a brief overview of those two things for those who aren’t fishing inclined. Bait fishing refers to using anything a fish may find edible to catch it. It doesn’t matter whether you’re using live fish or insects, corn meal, cheese, or seeds. Stock ponds are bodies of water, either artificial or natural, where game fish are intentionally introduced to allow fishing.
This episode focuses on bamboo pole fishing, highlighting a more primitive style that omits the use of reels. But primitive doesn’t necessarily equal simple. I’ll forego the explanation of using floats, as the show covers that well. Instead, I’ll concentrate on the handling of the bamboo poles and the presentation of the bait.
I, for one, refuse to use a stick to catch a fish; that’s the realm of peasants. And if you agree with that sentiment, you’re in luck, as several reelless fishing options exist. For example, anglers can choose from tenkara rods, keiryu rods, cane poles, and telescopic cane poles, to name a few. However, note that in traditional fishing combos, the reel does most of the work. Without that, you’ll feel all the strain of landing a fish.
Playing with Poles and Setting Hooks
When it comes to this type of fishing, Negative Positive Angler Episode 2 nails the two most important things. Keeping pressure on the line and how to hook set. For both in angling and daily life, knowing how to play with your pole is an essential skill for any man. As Hana explains to Hiro, you don’t want to jerk your rod the moment something nibbles on it. That’s always a no.
Unless you feel full-on pressure, the fish is still deciding whether or not it wants what you’re giving. This means that once you feel a nibble you should wait a few seconds to set the hook. If you’re fishing with circle hooks (and you should always bait fish with circle hooks), it takes the guesswork out of when to set the hook as the fish will do it for you.
The next point is keeping pressure on a line. This is way more nuanced than explained in the show. The basics were explained perfectly. You always want to move your rod in the opposite direction of the fish. If the fish dives or jumps, you also move the rod in the opposite direction. But, Hiro and the gang are fishing in structure-free water and that’s important.
The more tension your line has, the more likely it is to snap when it rubs against something. Different fishing lines will give you some leeway, but even the best line will snap with enough tension. If you don’t keep tension on your line, the fish is likely to shake the hook and escape. It’s a delicate balance that you really do learn as you go along.
Fishing Different Depths & Matching the Hatch
Fish move. That’s difficult to believe, I know. Believe it or not, fish tend to move around throughout the day. This means that if you stick to the same spot without varying your approach, your chances of making a catch diminish. Negative Positive Angler Episode 2 explains this well. However, when it comes to bait fishing, they miss an important piece of information. You always want to ‘match the hatch.’
What does that mean? Let’s say you’re fishing a mountain stream, and you chuck a juicy shrimp into it. Minutes pass and nothing happens. Why? Because the fish in that area have no idea what a shrimp is. In that scenario, you’d be better off fishing with bait that’s present in the area (bugs, worms, baitfish, etc.). You want to match what’s in the water that you’re targeting.
Negative Positive Angler Episode 2: Final Comments
So there are a few things that the show and I failed to mention last time. The most important thing is that fish are living beings, and that’s something you always need to keep in mind. Angling is intrusive, and even if you plan on releasing the fish and you practice proper catch and release, you’ll kill a lot of fish. For your own benefit, make sure you understand the laws that govern fishing where you’re from. In a lot of places, you can’t just go and catch fish. There are bag limits, protected species, size limits, and other laws you need to follow.
Secondly, in some places, bait fishing with live bait is illegal or heavily regulated. It may seem arbitrary, but trust me, there’s a reason why those regulations exist. Introducing non-native bait to an environment can lead to severe ecological damage. Using non-native bait can introduce everything from invasive species to diseases, pathogens, and parasites to an ecosystem. So be a responsible angler and make sure you know your local laws before you head out on the water. Tight lines.
Screenshots: Crunchyroll
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