Hello Everyone!
Chris and I had spent yesterday ice fishing with several of Chris's teammates and their families. It was easily one of the best days we've experienced in Japan so far.
Chris's teammate Kei, his wife and his daughter picked us up bright and early yesterday morning for our big day 'on the lake.' (I'm not exactly sure if I'm using proper ice-fishing lingo....I am a beginner, although after yesterday I may consider becoming a regular) Originally the forecast looked suspect, however, the day could not have been any better. The weather fully cooperated and we had a great day of sun, clear skies and 'warm' weather.
Once we arrived at the lake we unloaded the car and waited for our 'Fishing Master' to drill our holes and pitch the tent on the ice. It's actually a great setup. For a small fee, the Ice Fishing Lodge will provide (and setup) the ice holes, tents, chairs and other various equipment that one may need to spend a day fishing. That way all one would need to bring is their fishing poles, bait and warm clothes.
Our guides drilling the ice-fishing holes.
Our guide(left) and Kei (right) setting up our Ice Fishing Tent.
Nico (Kei's daughter) hanging in the tent, waiting for fishing to start.
Nico is BY FAR one of the cutest kids ever!! She will turn 1 in a few weeks.
We eventually got settled into the tent for our big day of ice-fishing. Neither Chris or I were prepared for the sheer magnitude of the fish we were about to catch. I've never been ice fishing before, and I knew we weren't going to catch 5 ft. long Muskies.....but I sure didn't expect to catch the fish that we did.....
Below are pictures of Chris and my first fish of the day.
I snagged the first catch of the day.
Chris was REALLY EXCITED about his fish.
(Yes, that is a fish on Chris's line)
Japanese ice fish for a fish called Wagasaki. These fish can only be caught in the Winter months, and are typically eaten as tempura. Chris and I neglected to take any of these beauties home as we prefer to eat fish that are large enough to be filleted and de-boned. Even though we caught well over 100 fish over the course of the day, we still do not understand the appeal of eating these fish or even whether one would eat them as a snack, a meal or as an appetizer. It's one of those things I may just leave unanswered.....
Jun (Chris's D-partner) and his family joined us later in the morning after Ichiro's hockey practice was finished. I sit with this family during Chris's hockey games and really enjoy his wife and children. Jun has three children: Yuiko, Ichiro and Nijiro. Nijiro (Niji) is the child that I previously deemed as 'the cutest girl in the world.' I originally thought he was a girl because he is four, and has NEVER cut his hair. His hair is always is the cutest ponytail, complete with perfect curls.... Even though we now know he is a boy, we still believe he is one the cutest kids in the world.
Yuiko was simply the master, or 'Sensei' as Chris began to call her. (Sensei is Japanese for 'teacher') As a group we caught over 100 fish. She easily caught 40 by herself. Just as I would get her fish off the line, she was catching another one. At one point I put my line in the hole and upon her simply tapping the line to show me how to 'put on some action' I caught the biggest fish of the day. Chris called her 'sensei'....I called her Jesus. She was too funny and really enjoyed hanging out with Chris and I for the day. For the majority of the day Chris and I had all three children in our tent and Jun and Aiko were no where to be found. I think they enjoyed their free time away from the children, which was great for us because I think Chris and I had more fun than the children did.
Chris and Ichiro
Nijiro (Niji)
Me and Yuiko (aka Sensei)
All in all we had a great day ice-fishing. The weather was gorgeous and we really enjoyed spending the day with the Takahashi and Tonosaki families. After spending 8 hours outdoors: ice fishing, sledding and playing with the children, Chris and I were EXHAUSTED. We both were sleeping soundly on the couch by 8 p.m. Days like this make us feel thankful we can play with the kids and then allow them to go home with their parents.... :)
Here's a pic of the fish we caught throughout the day (and no, its not our bait)
We posted tons of pictures and a few videos of our fishing expedition on our Shutterfly Account.
Please check it out!!
I made a (late) New Years Resolution to get back to regularly posting on my blog....so I'm hoping to keep it going and have some more new posts soon!!!!!
Yuiko was simply the master, or 'Sensei' as Chris began to call her. (Sensei is Japanese for 'teacher') As a group we caught over 100 fish. She easily caught 40 by herself. Just as I would get her fish off the line, she was catching another one. At one point I put my line in the hole and upon her simply tapping the line to show me how to 'put on some action' I caught the biggest fish of the day. Chris called her 'sensei'....I called her Jesus. She was too funny and really enjoyed hanging out with Chris and I for the day. For the majority of the day Chris and I had all three children in our tent and Jun and Aiko were no where to be found. I think they enjoyed their free time away from the children, which was great for us because I think Chris and I had more fun than the children did.
All in all we had a great day ice-fishing. The weather was gorgeous and we really enjoyed spending the day with the Takahashi and Tonosaki families. After spending 8 hours outdoors: ice fishing, sledding and playing with the children, Chris and I were EXHAUSTED. We both were sleeping soundly on the couch by 8 p.m. Days like this make us feel thankful we can play with the kids and then allow them to go home with their parents.... :)
Here's a pic of the fish we caught throughout the day (and no, its not our bait)
We posted tons of pictures and a few videos of our fishing expedition on our Shutterfly Account.
Please check it out!!
I made a (late) New Years Resolution to get back to regularly posting on my blog....so I'm hoping to keep it going and have some more new posts soon!!!!!
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