Stories that land

Takahashi and the regular across the pond

Takahashi recalls a good day of goldfish fishing—and a regular who kept staring at him.

Before the story

Comedian Takahashi (サードメン・高橋) recalls a visit to a neighborhood fishing pond, where he fished for goldfish with a rod.

At the fishing pond

Takahashi here. I liked the fishing pond near my place. I’d go there to catch goldfish.

The experienced anglers used liquid bait. I was a beginner, so I used dough bait.

But for some reason, I kept catching fish. One after another.

That day, I was having the same luck with my dough bait. Across from me was this older guy who was always there. He looked like a sage. He was using the liquid bait the good anglers used, and he was glaring right at me.

Then he slowly got up and came over.

I’d been catching so many fish, going “Yeah!” and “Woo!”—really getting carried away. I thought, I’m about to get told off.

I braced myself for something like: “Hey! Quit showing off! You’re ruining it for everyone!”

And then this sage-looking guy said:

“Could you please teach me how to fish?”

A single-story white fishing facility with a red sign, green shrubs and a brown wall alongside it.
Text in the illustration:つり堀 → Fishing pond

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