Adam Guy writes:

One of my fishing buddies volunteered to drive, so we decided to go fishing for a flatfish known locally as ‘ishigarei’ (Stone flounder; Kareius bicoloratus) from the port of Kashima, which is on the Pacific coast of Japan, in Ibaragi Prefecture. My mate and I took three each, including one good-sized fish each; since this was the first attempt at this kind of fishing for both of us, we did quite well.

Unusually the ishigarei does not have scales, but instead a few bony protrusions (the Japanese refer to them as ‘stones’ hence the name) on the skin on its dorsal surface, that produce copious amounts of a rather foul-smelling fish slime. However, if one removes these the fillet of the fish possesses a firm, white yet oily flesh that is quite delicious. Also, unlike most flatfish, they grow quite large and can prove quite amusing to catch; the largest one I took was 47cm long and put up a tremendous fight. To ensure their anglers enjoy the eating of their catch as much as the fishing, most boathouses will kill, bleed and de-stone the fish that you catch for you when you get back to port, and give you salt to rub into their skin to reduce the slime, before packing the fish in ice and going home.

When it came to eating my catch, first I made sashimi. It was quite delicious, without a hint of the smelliness of the live fish, with just the right balance of texture and oiliness. Each fillet is quite long, and preparing sashimi leaves one with a strip of skin that is a shame to waste, so I deep-fried these till crisp, to make an excellent accompaniment to a cold beer. I left the skin on another fillet, and simply chopped it into chunks, dusted these with flour and deep-fried them, and then smothered them with a Thai-style hot-and-sour chilli sauce, with lots of ginger and garlic, and topped with shredded spring onions. The rich flavours of the sauce go well with the white fish, which is sealed in neat crispy parcels…you couldn’t eat better anywhere in Tokyo!

Cheers,
Adam Guy

As always thanks for your contribution Adam!

You can also check out Adam’s other “From the Table” contributions like Japanese Cuttlefish and Japanese Flounder (different variety of Flounder).

This simulator will not only take up a fat portion of your income, but also has a footprint of 9 feet deep x 5 feet wide x 7 feet tall. Say good bye to the dinner table. The simulation is controlled by preprogrammed cues from the built-in DVD player as robotic motors control the tension and fight of your virtual catch. Five species of fish, Bass, Dorado (Mahi Mahi), Sailfish, Swordfish, and Trout are all included in the base package and more can be added later.

The Angler’s Quest Virtual Fishing Simulator is a marvel of technology achievement. Never before has there been a more realistic simulation of catching a fish than Angler’s Quest. A precision robotic stepper motor controls the line tension in the drive unit. The computer system constantly monitors the video from the industrial quality DVD player. As a fish on screen jumps, pre-programmed cue points tell the computer when to add or release tension on the line. The computer also adds in some random calculations so that a player will never have the same fishing experience twice. The computer measures how well the player retrieves or releases line in time with the movements of the fish. The better these measurements line up with the computer predictions, the better the score. The player’s score is displayed on screen during the game. If a player scores too poorly or pulls too hard on the line they can either loose the fish or “break” the line causing the game to end.

Video monitor is a 40″ high definition projection screen
Surround sound system with sub-woofer lets you feel the action
Captain Fighting Chair with drink holder and foot pad
Highest quality rod and reel are also included

If you take a closer look at the position of the reel you might notice that it seems a little backwards being on the underside of the rod and still having the crank on the right. Either there is some technical reason for this in reguards to the way the motor pulls, or they didn’t do very much research, like opening a fishing magazine perhaps. The rod and reel do not look high quality, in fact it looks like something you’d pick up at walmart for your kids with hello kitty or scooby doo on the side. Then again the guy also looks like a tool, so maybe its the photo, but I doubt it.

Look on the bright side, it has two drink holders for double fisted drunkenness.

Link via Luxist