Hobby Sports

Gyotaku is a traditional Japanese art form to record natural history particularly fish that dates back to the 1700s. The art form is even still practiced today by sportsmen. There are two ways to make these prints. One way is to cover one side of the fish with ink and then place the paper on top then remove. The other way is to place the paper on the fish first and then add the ink with a small blotter.

They make excellent decorations to any home or office. I plan to add one to mine one day, in fact I asked my father if he could find one when he goes to Japan in September. Im not sure if hell find one but I asked him if he comes across one to get it. Ive been researching how to make one and maybe someday Ill record my catches. The only problem with that is that it requires you to keep the fish. Perhaps Ill do it to carp as no one cares if one keeps carp.

I practice catch and release, I did not catch or kill this fish.  I found it dead.

Not long ago while fishing one of our local waters with Chul, we found a dead 10 inch brown floating in a small pool along the bank.  When we finished fishing, we backtracked examine the fish.  I was ready to leave it when Chul suggested I take it home to do a gyotaku print of it.  So I did and placed it in a ziplock bag and hiked out of there.  Within the next few days I tried to make a print of it but all them came out poorly.  So I simply put the fish back into the freezer for another day.

Many trys at gyotaku none really all that good.

The rice paper I was using was simply too thin and had a propensity to tear.  I emailed Koji to see what type of rice paper his friends were using in Japan.  He made a few suggestions but none were available, to my knowledge, here in the States.  When Koji made me aware that he will be taking a business to LA I asked him to bring me some of that paper.   I defrosted the trout and have begun using the paper Koji gave me.  It is thick and Ive yet to tear it.  Although the paper is good my technique is not.  I am just beginning to get the hang of it but I still have a long way to go before I really make a great looking print.

Two of the better prints.