In 1573, Samurai warlord Oda Nobunaga overthrew the Ashikaga shogunate and ended its 200-year reign before launching a series of wars that would ultimately unify Japan. Less discussed, however, is his deep love of fish. He was particularly smitten by ayu, a freshwater trout pulled from the Nagara River in modern-day Gifu City, though not by any ordinary fishermen. In the ancient practice of ukai, there are no rods, no bait, and no nets. Instead, fishermen employ sea-faring birds called cormorants to catch ayu for them as the fish migrate…
