Top Ten Animal Mysteries: The Skyfish
By Nicola Currie
Skyfish, also known as flying rods, are super-speedy rod-like entities with wing-like appendages that apparently fly around imperceptible to the naked eye. Reaching speeds of a hundred miles per hour and faster, our knowledge of them comes from video footage, presumably taken when they have been trying to get their mugs on telly to wave to their mums. (cue comedy news report)Their size is unknown, ‘scientists’ believing they could be anyway from a few inches to hundreds of feet in length.
Perhaps no more than a trick of the light? They do show signs of intelligence, dodging around obstructions as they fly full kilter. Most interestingly, they are said to disintegrate on contact with anything solid, hence why no dead specimens have ever been found.
A Chinese investigation showed that the "rods" were no more than regular moths and other ordinary flying insects. Subsequent investigations proved that the appearance of flying rods on video was an optical illusion created by the slower recording speed of the camera
Whilst Skyfish have been "debunked" to the satisfaction of many, yet continue to attract interest. For instance, the Japanese company skyfish-maniax.com sells a device called a "spoodle" which skyfish hobbyists can allegedly use to catch skyfish.
Last sighting: 2022 Japan
Most likely: A moth
If you're interested here's a Japanese video about how to catch skyfish - they don't actually catch one of course, just show you how you can catch one.
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