Recently, a fisheries PhD candidate at Oregon State brought to our attention the work of Dr. Shigeru Nakano. Dr. Nakano was a researcher in Japan, who conducted groundbreaking research on trout and the ecology of small streams. Like many fisheries professionals and students, Dr. Nakano was an avid angler. In conducting some of his studies, Dr. Nakano also used tenkara as a method of catching fish he observed while diving on small streams, there is a very cool picture on the video mentioned below of him with face in the water in full wetsuit, while holding a rod outside the water...Yes, it's that effective. We hope to learn more about Dr. Nakano, his love of fishing and tenkara, and post more information here later on.

Meanwhile, here's the trailer for a really good movie on Dr. Nakano and on small stream ecology, River Webs. We received this video today, watched, drooled a bit, and loved it. If you get a chance, and are interested in the subject, we'll highly recommend you purchase it.

An important take away from the movie "Adding [non-native] rainbow trout in streams reduces emerging insects, and those feed not only the spiders that we studied, but also birds and bats" - Dr. Kurt Fausch, Colorado State University.

"RiverWebs is a 1-hour documentary film that chronicles the inspiring life and work of the pioneering Japanese ecologist, Dr. Shigeru Nakano. From his boyhood exploration of Japan’s mountain streams to his leadership of an international effort to understand river ecosystems, Nakano’s life demonstrates the unquenchable curiosity and bold creativity that drive scientific discovery. Yet it is Nakano’s tragic death that shows us the profound personal impact of his life, and reveals what is perhaps the greatest scientific strength... community.