Monster Carp

Here we go!

The carp.

Get 'em!

- This is no ordinary fish.

- Whoa, how have you still got energy?

For thousands of years,

they've existed in waters across the planet.

From feeding the romans,

I like it.

- Right through to pulling anglers' arms off.

Oh, my life.

- They have grown to mythical sizes

that is the stuff of legends.

Absolutely awesome

I'm fishing mad, Ali hamidi.

How are you?

And this is a journey of friendship

Culture,

I've got tight hamstrings.

What are you laughing at?

Okay, it's going in.

And most of all, adventure.

This is the life eh boys?

As we travel the world

oh my god.

Another high five.

In pursuit, of monster carp.

This week's adventure takes us to

the land of the rising sun, the island nation of Japan.

We don't mean that lightly.

The country is made up over 6,800 of them.

But for our trip,

we'll be sticking to the main island of honshu.

Carp fishing in this country is

in its infancy compared with Europe,

but that doesn't mean that

there isn't a chance for a monster.

The largest carp caught, or should I say the longest,

is just over one meter 20.

Unlike us westerners,

the Japanese don't tend to weigh the fish,

they only measure them.

So there could be a shorter, but colossally heavy fish

being totally ignored, and we were here to find out.

Tom dove and myself have both fished

very briefly in Japan before.

But our third musketeer, Daryl peck,

was a total newcomer to Asia.

So we decided to give him a night out

in the country's capital, the mighty Tokyo.

Oh, that sweet smell of noodles,

and prongs, and pecky's excitement

because c'mon son,

you never expected in your life to be coming to Japan,

but carp fishing in Japan.

- Yeah mate, you better take me carp fishing

because you let me lose in the city,

you'll never find me again.

- Well it's bright lights and beautiful.

You've been fishing here before

yeah.

- And you're a well-traveled far eastern visitor.

But, you must be really excited?

Yeah, I really am.

And this is what i'm used to in Japan,

but I haven't seen much of the other side of it.

So I can't wait to go fishing.

Now boys, I have a real, real,

hectic schedule in store for us.

But, we've got one night in Tokyo.

What do you say?

Let's make the most of the it, do the tourist thing,

and have a look around, maybe even hold hands.

What do you say?

.

C'mon let's go.

- With a population of well over 13 million,

Japan's capital has so many things to do.

But with only one night to play with,

we couldn't resist heading to the highest point in the city,

to have a grand view of the place.

In fact, the Tokyo skytree is the tallest tower in the world

and the second tallest structure that's ever been built.

Just look at it, it's absolutely mental.

So what better way to kickstart our Japanese trip

than with views like these.

This was going to be the trip of a lifetime.

It was fair old trek right through the middle of

busy Tokyo to get to our first fishing destination.

This is our friend and excellent guide shuh, by the way.

He was taking us to the tama river.

It's actually a tidal river that divides Tokyo

with neighboring kanagawa,

and it's known to hold a lot of carp.

Dove had already fished it a few years previously.

We knew it didn't hold anything massive.

A fish over 20 pounds would be a bonus.

But really, seeing as we were in the area,

it'd be a travesty not to try out some proper urban carping.

- Well lads, this is the exact same spots I fished last time

and we caught quite a few.

So I think we're gonna be good.

Mate, it's absolutely crazy.

This is like a river,

snaking through two major cities in Japan,

crammed with carp.

And how about this?

European anglers, when they think of Japan,

they think Sushi and koi carp, don't they?

Yeah.

- They don't think of the carp we're after,

so really mate,

this place is untapped, totally untapped.

What are you thinking peckanator?

- Well it's not like I expected, you know.

I was expecting countryside, maybe mountains.

And we're right, like you were saying,

in the middle of the city.

And it looks mental, and I am excited

to have little go at this.

- Dovey, every nook and cranny in this country

yep.

- Is amazingly full of the that carp we love.

Why do you think it's overlooked?

Japanese are not really into

fishing for carp and put them back.

They want to take fish home for the table

and the carp aren't very good for that.

So for us, it's really good because there's carp everywhere,

and it's completely unfished.

So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Good, good.

I am really excited.

But boys, this is a tidal river.

The tide is about to go out.

All of our gear is in suitcases, our base in boxes.

We've got a lot of preparation to do,

so would you reckon put the bait out

and get started tomorrow?

Yeah, 100%

- right, c'mon then peck, piggyback?

Oh grimey, you are gettin' heavy in your old age.

- It's nice being back on the river to be honest.

I really enjoyed it last time,

and it's good to show the other lads as well

what this has in store for us.

I'm sure they're gonna love it,

and I'm gonna love it again I think.

- First time I saw the river, I just couldn't believe it.

Sandwiched between two major cities is this river

just winding its way through,

and there's skyscrapers left and right.

And then carp swimming around right in close.

So I just can't wait to get amongst it.

Hold your horses peckey,

the tide was on the way out

and wouldn't be coming back in until noon the next day.

So to not waste our time and be productive,

we thought we'd prep the spots with a bit of bait.

Ah

Yeah, funny?

Ah, shit.

- We were providing a feast of highly nutritional

pellets and boilies to draw fish

from all over this huge river into the area.

There's no carp in the world

that will be able to resist this free meal.

So we were confident, that we'd have some action,

so we were confident, that we'd have some action,

when we return.

It was a glorious golden morning on the tama river,

and finally, after a couple days waiting,

we'd be getting the rods out.

But even with the tide out,

there was still signs that intrigued us anglers.

All these little holes in the mud

are actually made by carp chowing down

on the natural food it holds.

We just couldn't wait for the tide

to come back in so we could fish.

- Well we traveled half way around the world,

and just to get my hands on one of these

wild Japanese river carp, is gonna be awesome.

It's lovely day this morning.

We're all sitting right next to each other.

We're gonna fish literally, just one rod each.

I'm really excited to get the rods out with the lads.

- And as the little feeding holes

filled back up with water, we were buzzing.

After such a long journey,

I think we all deserve this.

The rigs the boys were using are called snowman rigs.

A buoyant pop-up boilie mounted on a sinking bottom bait,

would sit like a little snowman on the deck.

I was packing a few extra more morsals

into what's known as a pva bag,

a water soluble material that dissolves,

leaving a neat pile of food right next to my hook bait.

Well Mr. Peck, this is your first ever trip to Japan.

I think it's only right that you cast out first.