On June 15th, we went boat fishing with Uchida’s fimily, Takashi Inoue, Ito, and Adachi.

Since it was right in the middle of the rainy season, we were worried about the weather, but perhaps someone in the group is a “sunny-weather person,” or maybe our actions are good everyday — either way, we were lucky to have cloudy skies in the morning and clear, sunny weather in the afternoon, making it a perfect day for fishing.

For Professor Inoue, it was his very first time going boat fishing, and for me, it was my first time since Korea-Japan Symposium last year. Adachi, I think he’s fishing master, also hadn’t been boat fishing in a while — he was so excited the night before that he said he could hardly sleep.

On the day, we gathered at Takehara Port, and we headed offshore and enjoyed fishing together with Uchida’s driving.
During my last boat fishing trip, the waves were relatively calm, and I experienced the tranquil beauty of the Seto Inland Sea just as I had imagined. However, we ventured into areas with strong tidal currents, and perhaps due to the recent spell of unstable weather, the waves were much rougher. Moreover, for me, the lingering hangover from the night before combined with the rough waves to deliver a double punch of seasickness shortly after we set out.

We visited several fishing spots, and everyone steadily caught fish along the way. I caught a flathead and a small rockfish (akou), and I thoroughly enjoyed the unique experience that boat fishing offers — very different from fishing off a pier.

At the end of the trip, we went all the way out to the Kurushima Strait, which connects Ōshima and Imabari along the Shimanami Kaidō. This area is well-known for its dramatically shifting tidal currents, making it a prime fishing ground. There, Uchida caught two large rockfish, and Adachi landed good-sized sea bream. In total, we caught over ten fish, making it a much more successful outing compared to our last trip.

The following day, the students prepared and cooked the fish we had caught, and we held a BBQ that also served as a welcome party for a student currently interning with us from Kure National College of Technology.

Though it was a short time, I believe it was a great opportunity to refresh ourselves from our usual research.

Personally, I got snagged on the seabed a few times in the Kurushima Strait and ended up ruining a few of the borrowed rigs, so I’d like to go boat fishing again someday to make up for my mistakes.