09.JUN.2013-1

Tried snakehead after the long way back home from Baku, Azerbaijan on Sunday morning,
Found a couple of fish in weed jungle, only a few times fish chased my the popper, however
none would not bite it, even some were scared and swam away from it. Again got skunked.

Data
Small ponds, Miki, Hyogo
Weather: Fair
Wind: NE 0.8 - SSW 2.5 mps
Temperature: 18.4 - 22.8 ℃
Fishing: 06:30 - 09:30
Catch: None
Fly: Zonker tail Popper, etc

02.JUN.2013-1

The ponds looked pretty good as glasses and water caltrops in water where fish can hide
were growing in June when water has become warmer. Two real chances I got fish were
a few centimetres below the popper and about to take it, however they recognized something
wrong and did not bite it. Some of them did not pay any attention to popper even it was very
close to them, did they become too cleaver or too much fishing pressure to fool? No bite, got
skunked.

Data
Small ponds, Miki, Hyogo
Weather: Partially rain
Wind: NNE 1.4 - 2.5 mps
Temperature: 17.1 - 20.4 ℃
Fishing: 07:00 - 09:30
Catch: None
Fly: Zonker tail Popper, etc

29.APR.2013

While I was away, my friend and his friends had a great time. Each three of them landed a couple
of fish. He said it's a best day ever and it made me very envious. Weather was ok and when I got
to the pond I heard a typical biting sound of snakehead. It's a positive sign, I found some fish were
swimming around and calmly staying in bushy water. It looked much better than last week, as fish
showed interest in popper and followed it a bit. However they never bit it as probably guys teased
them too much a few days ago. Tried to find aggressive fish, unfortunately there's no aggressive
fish at all. It's very slow day.

Moved to the other pond near by. A biting sound in bush, yes, fish came out from bush and start
chasing my popper. The breathtaking moment, I murmured, bite it, bite it. Bang! Finally fish bit it.
After taking photos, I found more fish, but it's enough for today.



Data
Small ponds, Miki, Hyogo
Weather: Fair
Wind: NNE 0.9 - S 3.7 mps
Temperature: 13.2 - 19.3 ℃
Fishing: 08:00 - 10:30
Catch: One
Fly: Zonker tail Popper

14.APR.2013

Tried snakehead pond alone again. Only once fish locked on my fly, it kept following just a few
centimetres after fly. when fly moved fish moved. However when leader got into top guide, it
probably found me and sunk into weed jungle. Fish were nervously up to breath, but too quick
to cast. It's much slower than last week, the winds were picking up and no chance to find any
fish. Got skunked again!

Data
Small ponds, Miki, Hyogo
Weather: Fair
Wind: N 0.7 - S 7.9 mps
Temperature: 7.9 - 14.8 ℃
Fishing: 07:30-09:30
Catch: None
Fly: Various

06.APR.2013

The weather forecast said it would be stormy weather in the afternoon, so we hit snakehead
water early on Saturday morning. Today's my buddy was a famous flyfisher who often on
the flyfishing magazines and guided me to fish whenever I came to Kansai area. There's Lots
of small ponds for rice field around this area and some of these ponds contain good quantity
of gamefish, such as Black Bass, Bluegills and Snakehead. The water level was a little bit higher
than my last visit, weeds were not grown to the water surface. Soon I found a snakehead in
shallow which immediately swam away in weeds. Walked along the small pond, found nothing
only busily spawning carps.

Waited for a whole, the first chance came to me all of sudden as fish was up surface to breath.
Quick cast, luckily fly was a meter ahead of the target. Breathtaking moment, fish locked it on.
First strip, fish came after it, pause, second trip. Fish was still just under the fly, my heart was
beating quicker and quicker, could not breath, expecting any moment its bite. Suddenly fish lost
interest and down in deep, a sign of big disappointment. We know fish were not aggressive as
its still cold for warm water fish, however fish liked my buddy's fly and he landed the first fish
of the season.



I missed lots of chances, fish chased my fly and about to bite it but always they found something
wrong before bite it and went down in weeds. Started raining, winds were picking up earlier
than weather forecast. No way to find fish in winds, it's time to go. Well the exciting and thrilling
season has just started and I must back again next weekend.

Data
Small ponds, Miki, Hyogo
Weather: Cloudy/Rain
Wind: NE 1.8 - 2.4 mps
Temperature: 14.5 - 17.7 ℃
Fishing: 07:00-09:30
Catch: None
Fly: Various

31.JUL.2012-1

A dull thing to do in Kobe, but it's good, as it gave me a chance to fish before and after that.
When it comes to summer it must be the predator hunting, as first I called my friend and
we decided to fish at small ponds in Miki, Hyogo for snakehead. Before the dawn, we were
already setting up at the first pond, usually the most productive pond in this area and waited
for a whole, as first we had to find fish. It's a kind of sight fishing, find fish, sneak up on within
the casting distance, make a quick cast and presentation just about a meter ahead of fish.

The pond was almost fully covered by weeds, the water chestnuts jungle is their favourite,
as it gave plenty of food and hide away. It's more heavier than last season and was pretty
difficult to find. I walked along the pond but could not find any fish so made blind cast on the
weeds but no response. Time to make a move, another pond was just a few hundred meter
away. We found a couple of fish there and finally with a big sucking sound fish attached my
spider fly.



Backed to the fist pond and immediately my buddy found two fish in the shallow water and the
one aggressively bit his popper while the other one disappeared into the weeds. We fished here
and there, and I missed two more bites. Too hot to fish, time to go.



Data
Small ponds, Miki, Hyogo
Day ticket: Free
Weather: Fair, Hot
Wind: E 0.5 - NNE 2.1 mps
Temperature: 26.1 - 30.8 ℃,
Fishing: 04:30-10:00
Catch: One
Want to know more? Email to me.

18.APR.2012

A short trip to Kobe gave me a chance to fish with my friend. We wondered what and where
to fish for a few days and decided to fish on small ponds for snakehead. Snakehead, the warm
water predator is considered a sort of summer fish with a lot of weeds and grasses in water,
consumes fish, flog, insect whatever lives in water and waterfront. It's a very popular game
fish and some very keen predator hunters chase this fish all over Japan.

Since we have never tried to fish for snakehead in May, were a bit worry about if we can find
any snakehead in ponds where we have fished. Normally, during the season, it's easy to find it
as we can hear their sucking sound and sometimes see the movement in the weeds, also this
fish has to rise up to the surface to breath.



Anyway, we got the first pond quite early in the morning, before sunrise as last year it's very
productive. Sun's up, no fish in the first pond was found so we moved to the second pond.
There's so many small ponds around this area for agricultural use but only a few of them contain
this predator. We were walking along the pond to see any fish or movement, then I found a fish
stayed in withered bush just 20-30cm from bank, in very difficult spot to deliver a fly. During the
high season, when you find a fish it's not so difficult to, fool if fish are active. It's breathtaking
moment and I was so exited. I tied a bead head marabou tail and hung it with only tippet length
from the rod tip to deliver it just in front of fish mouth. Slowly and quietly like hunter I inched
to the fish and delivered my fly then started to shaking it. Fish made a bit move and it looked
like fish bit it, as fly disappeared from my sight. Hookset, sharp and big sweep but I without any
feeling fly just flew over my head. Fish was till there and I tied again, then fish slowly moved
away as if it annoyed him. Found the other one later, it sticked it's head in bush and would not
move at all.



We moved back to the first pond again, shotrly my fried hooked a first snakehead of the season,
good job. Then more and more fish were our sight in shallow water, I never seen but none had
any interest in any fly at all, just like sleeping in sallow pond bed in sunny and warm spring day.
When fly came and annoyed him, simply they slowly move away. Some fish I tried to push it by
rod tip but still stayed in same postion, even if I tried to lift a bit. I even tried to fool small bass
or bluegill but,,, strange enough. Anyway it's a skunk day. Hopefully, it will be better in by June.

Data
A small pond, Miki, Hyogo
Weather: Fair
Day ticket : Free
Temperature: 6.7 - 17.7 ℃
Wind: NNE 1.2 - N 1.3 mps
Fishing: 05:00 - 11:15
Catch: None
Fly: Various
Want to know more? Email to me

25.OCT.2011-1

It's getting cold day by day, late October now, Summer has gone and Autumn has come. The
last chance of the season, year 2011, we tried snakehead on fly early next morning, before
their hibernation. Water was high and dull. Most weeds have already turned yellow.

Found 2 fish in this pond and the one had come up to my fly three times just a centimetres
away. The breath taking moments, kept fly moving but fish would not take it. We tied the other
pond and I found a decent one, but it swam away when heard click sound of my reel.



Well, the end of season, Hopefully I can fish here next season.

Data
A small pond, Miki, Hyogo
Day ticket: Free
Weather: Fair, Warm
Wind: S 1.3 - NW 1.3 mps
Temperature: 18.0 - 18.4℃,
Fishing: 06:30-09:15
Catch: None
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapanATmail.goo.ne.jp

25.SEP.2011-1

Biz-fishing trip to Kobe near Osaka, this port city is famous for world class Kobe beef and China
town. Whenever I come to Kobe, call my friend and fish together with him. After tropic storm
I have been wondering what to fish and decided to fish for the lovely predator, snakehead as
first.

Heard a few week ago he tried this small pond. It's quite slow as water was pretty low and almost
all area were very heavily covered by weeds. I imagined after heavy rain, water must be higher
and we may have some chance if fish are active at dusk.

The water was higher than I imagined, probably a meter or more. Quickly we rigged up and looked
around. Soon my friend found the first fish in the bush and the first bite, unfortunately the hook
set was not firm. It's difficult to set the hook as you know it has very hard mouth and fangs.
Shortly I found the first fish and it slowly chased my foam fly and locked on my fly, the most exciting
and breathtaking moment, you pray take it and take it, then bang, the lovely sucking sound, but...
no hook up. I've found a couple of more, some bit, chased and ignored. Finally I could land a small
one. Later I hooked up a really good one but from high bank I tried but could not pull it up to the
bank, it bend the hook and gone.



Data
A small pond in Miki, Hyogo prefecture
Weather: Fair, Warm
Temperature: 25.3 - 23.7 ℃
Wind: E 1.3 - NE 2.3 mps
Fishing: 15:30 - 17:30
Fly: Weed guard foam fly
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapanATmail.goo.ne.jp

29.JUL.2011-1

Tried Snakehead once again! Last time, it's so poor and I am really keen on snakehead on fly.
A good news from my friend, he found a great pond for snakehead just a few days ago. So we
tried there quite early in the morning before our day's work.

Soon we heard a typical sucking or biting sound by predator, The Snakehead!! Found a good
one slowly swimming in open water area which is not covered by weed. See which way fish
was heading and made a soft presentation one-two meter ahead of fish. Fly hit the water surface
and wait a few second, it seemed fish found my fly and slowly moved to fly. It's most exciting
moment, fish stayed just a few centimetre behind my fly. I made a really gentle pull and a sudden
heart breaking sound.



Gotcha!!!



Walked along this small pond and time to time I found some fish stayed in the weed and open
water. It's really exciting and heart breaking, seeing the python head fish chase and bite surface
fly with big sound. Hooked more than ten fish, but only I could land five... Never mind, I really
enjoyed. Yes, this pond is snakehead haven.



Data
A small pond in Miki, Hyogo prefecture
Weather: Fair
Temperature: 23.2 - 25.2 ℃
Wind: NNE 1.4 - WSW 2.1 mps
Fishing: 04:30 - 08:00
Catch: Five
Fly: Chernobyl Ant and Spider, etc
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapan@mail.goo.ne.jp

24.JUN.2011-1

Tried Snakehead! It's been really long time I have not fished this fish, provably over 30 years now?
My friend guided me to fish this small pond on a hot Friday evening. Most of the part of the pond
is covered by weed and you need weed guard on your fly. Found four fish but none has got interest
in my fly, not easy...

Data
A small pond in Miki, Hyogo prefecture
Weather: Fair
Temperature: 28.6 - 27.9 ℃
Wind: SSE 4.8 - 4.9 mps
Fishing: 16:00 - 17:30
Catch: None
Fly: Green frog popper, etc
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapan@mail.goo.ne.jp