25.SEP.2011-2

Actually, I wanted to fish for snakehead a bit more, but it's time to make a move. We booked a
guide seabass boat tonight at Akashi. Originally our booking was from 21:00, but captain called
us we would better to start earlier because of weather forecast said it would be strong northern
wind late tonight.

Made a quick stop at noodle shop on the way to the fly shop, becase I like a kind of heavy and oily
noodle of this chain noodle shop especially in Kansai region. At the fly shop, we chatted a little bit
then on board.

Akashi is well known city in Japan, as Japanese standard time site is there. Also this city is very
famous for seafood, Snappers and Octopus are big name. The very narrow channel, strait, called
Akashi Kaikyo in between mainland and Awasji Island causes very strong current and it hold very
rich seafood.



From the beginning, babies were so aggressive. You know it's great fun, when you got contact in
almost every cast, even if it's small fish. Every spot we tried were more or less same, once I hooked
up a really good one, it's a pity, A couple of minutes later when I tried to lift it harder as fish still
stayed in deep, it's gone, hooked off. Soon I got another chance, saw a big mouth sucked my fly
and swam down, it's also gone within a few seconds, probably, the set hook was not firm enough...
Average size was 30-40cm and some 40-50cm fish. Tonight squid pattern worked pretty well.

Anyway, I really enjoyed fish together with my friend. Thanks a lot!!



Data
Guide Boat Fishing, Akashi, Hyogo prefecture
Fly Shop Loop Knot, Tel: 078-912-1056
JPY26000 per 4hours charter
Tide: The 2nd day of Half tide
Moonage: 26.9
High tide: 19:12, 109cm, Low tide: 00:08, 75cm
Moonset: 16:09, Moonrise: 04:08
Sunrise: 05:49, Sunset: 17:54
Weather: Passing clouds, Warm
Temperature: 23.8 - 21.2 ℃
Wind: E 3.4 - NNE 3.3 mps
Fishing: 19:30-23:30
Catch: Seabass, 30-50cm
Fly: EP minnow, Squid pattern 7-9 cm
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapan AT mail.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

24.SEP.2011

A sunny Saturday afternoon, we tried bread chumming carp on fly at Tusrumi river in Yokohama.
It's easy when we have real bread, chumming and fish up then take it. All we have to do is drift
the fake, bread fly naturally. There's many fish and we got a couple of nice carp.

Data
Tusrumi River
Weather: Fair. Warm
Temperature: 24.1 - 21.2 ℃
Wind: ESE 3.1 - SE 4.0 mps
Fishing: 14:30 - 18:00
Catch: Carp
Fly: Foam bread fly
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapanATmail.goo.ne.jp

23.SEP.2011

Got a few hours to fish. Just one hour to fish and fished for bass in midday. Strange, no one
was there. After tropic storm, the water was very clear and many babies. Seemed very easy,
however all babies would not take my fly, not easy to fool. Later hooked a pretty good one but...



Data
A small pond
Weather: Passing clouds. Warm
Temperature: 21.3 - 21.2 ℃
Wind: N 4.4 - 3.0 mps
Fly: Foam fly
Want to know more? Email to me.

19.SEP.2011

Mid September, it's the end of summer means the end of Mahi season and the beginning of
the Bonito season. This trip was our last Mahi trip in this year. We were just very lucky, as
we could on board. According to the weather forecast, it would be very heavy seas in the
afternoon, because of the slow moving tropic storm, the Roke is now getting close.

We gathered at the jetty just about five in the morning, then headed for the first spot then
the sun's up behind us. Irregular rolling waves, over 2m high, it made us difficult to find birds.
On the way to the fist spot, the mooring buoy for sports fishing, I spoken to the captain and
he said there's Mahi but Bonito stay in deep and would not come up to surface, even if we use
live chum. Today's live chum is small anchovy, 6-8cm long and our flies must be more or less
same size.



At the first spot, we could not find any Mahi, some tiny amberjack. Then next spot, birds and
birds, boats and boats, bait and bait, the Tuna were hunting bait fish. Everyone got crazy, the
struggle for existence in the ocean. We had a few chances but no one had any luck.



Drifting along the current line, first we have to find a Mahi school. When we find a school,
immediately cast lures and hook one or some Mahi, then more Mahi follow the hooked fish.
Yes, start chumming and keep the school near the boat. Shortly we found a first school, all
small fish, but you know it's very exciting moment. Small fish are usually very aggressive and
it's a good fun.



All other schools were almost same size. Last trip we landed many big fish, but... Stay in deep?
Already moved up north? Due to tropic storm and heavy seas, we had to back a bid early.



Backed to the lodge, we enjoyed the traditional cold noodle, SOMEN and rice cracker, SENBEI.



Data
Sagami Bay
Boat: Maruimaru, JPY76000 per boat, 8 anglers, live chum at market price
http://www.maruimaru.com/
1st day of Neap tide, Moon age: 20.9
Low tide: 02:41, 43cm, High tide: 09:42, 119cm, Low tide: 13:38, 106cm
Sunrise: 05:27 Sunset: 17.45
Moonrise: 21:33, Moonset: 11:29
Weather: Fair. Hot.
Temperature: 23.4 - 30.0 ℃
Wind: NW 1.4 - SSW 5.1 - S 3.5 mps
Fishing: 06:00 - 11:30
Fly: Heavy dumbbell clouser minnow, etc
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapan AT mail.goo.ne.jp

18.SEP.2011

According the weather forecast, it seemed like there's no chance to fish in this weekend as
two tropic storms, the Roke and the Sonca have been heading for us, Kanto area. Luckily the
Roke became slower and the Sonca headed for the west. I think we have been really good boys
in these days, haha!

We booked one of the best guide boat captain for seabass in Japan today. From mid August to
end Oct is great season for top water seabass fishing. We use floating minnow which is made
by styrene foam and mylar tube. Very easy to tie and you can tie various size. It's really effective
fly not only seabass but also fresh water bass and trout, all kind of fish eaters.

The boat drifts along the manmade structures, concrete levees, banks, mooring boats, anchoring
boats and various industrial constrictions in the sea where fish can hide and wait for hunting
the bait. You cast to the structure and nicely move you fly along it as close as possible then
the sudden attach and the breathtaking moment.



A bid windily day but not so bad as we imagined. The Sun's up and at the first spot, captain
gave his lecture for the first angler. He was a very nice student so...



Well, he landed the first and memorial Japanese seabass.



It's a nice spot. fish were really active. splash and splash in front and back, fish and fish, very
exciting. All three of us landed a few fish at this spot, then tried other spots.



We also tried seabream, no catch. Then seabass again but got very slow...
Anyway we enjoyed top water game and were really lucky as we could fish.

Data
Guide Boat Fishing, Yokohama, http://www.seakuro.com/
JPY31500 per 4hours charter, max 3 person
The 4th day of Half tide
Low tide: 01:36, 46cm, Hight tide: 08:19, 167cm, Low tide: 13:26, 100cm
Moonset: 10:35, Moonrise: 20:45,
Sunrise: 05:25, Sunset:17.46
Weather: Passing clouds, Hot
Temperature: 25.7 - 30.3 ℃
Wind: SE 3.5 - 5.4 mps
Fishing: 06:00-11:00
Catch: Seabass, 30-50cm
Fly: Floating minnow 5-7cm
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapan AT mail.goo.ne.jp

15.SEP.2011

Hearing the chorus of crickets chirping with neat popping sound, a sudden breathe taking explosion
of water surface with sucking sound and strong take. This is the real thrill of night popping for catfish.
Fish were really aggressive tonight and on the way back saw huge population of catfish. Six bites
and luckily I got a good one.

Data
River Tsurumi, Yokohama
Weather: Fair. Hot.
Temperature: 27.0 - 26.6℃
Wind: S 4.7 - SW 3.3 mps
Fishing: 20:30 - 22:15
Catch: One
Fly: Pink frog popper
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapan AT mail.goo.ne.jp

13.SEP.2011

The weekday morning excise! It's a incredibly slow day. I know why, it's you, dude, you teased
them too much last weekend, haha!

Data
A small pond
Weather: Fair. Warm.
Temperature: 25.1 - 25.2 ℃
Sunrise: 05:22
Wind: SW 2.9 - WSW 2.0
Fishing: 05:00 - 06:00
Fly: Foam fly
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapanATmail.goo.ne.jp

10.SEP.2011

After huge tropic storm hit across Japan, there's no chance to fish last weekend and still most
of rivers near Tokyo are too high or too muddy to fish. Not much choice left and we decided to
fish in Yozawa fishery in a fine September Sunday, fished together with an American military man
and an English gentleman.

In Japan, most trout rivers and stretches are controlled by local fishing association, they release
juvenile and adult fish before the season or time to time. You can buy day or year ticket to fish
in certain area which is belong to this association but you should be careful even in a same river
there's a couple of associations and you need different ticket.

On the other hand there's private owned pay fishery like this Yozawa fishery in some river, it's
like pay pond. Very high fish population and your catch is almost guaranteed as you pay a lot.
These fishery are located and occupied certain part of rivers, well maintained along the river,
very easy to way down to the river from road, good for family or group fishing.



The Yozawa fishery is a typical Japanese freestone gin clear river and fly only, fly fishing and
Japanese traditional Tenkara. The stretch is about 4km, natural river, a tributary of river Tamagawa
which runs through metropolitan city Tokyo. Easy access by train and bus, take train from Tokyo
station to Musashi-Itsukaichi station, then Bus to the fishery. About two hours you would be in
beautiful Japanese country side.



There's tons of fish in the river, mostly farm raised and newly released fish, mainly rainbows size
15-30cm, some 50cm+ fish, a bit of brownies and Yamame. It seemed like quite busy day, guess
over 50 people in the river, but no worries, every pool fish took your fly.




In early September day, still hot but you can see some fish are already nicely dressed and preparing
for their marriage. It's the sign of the end of season.



Data
Yozawa flyfishing area, Tokyo
http://yozawa.jp/
TEL／042-596-5108　Ｅ-mail／yozawa-1954@oasis.ocn.ne.jp
Day ticket: JPY4500, bag limit: 10
Afternoon tcket: JPY3000, bag limit: 5
Season: March 1 to October 31
Fishing: 06:00 - dusk
Catch: Rainbow, Yamame, Brown and Iwana
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapan AT mail.goo.ne.jp

07.SEP.2011

It's already September, still very hot during daytime over 30℃, but once sun set you feel the
Autumn is getting closer day by day. The morning excise, fly on bass at small pond. The reed
bush became higher than a few weeks ago as it was nicely cut along a quarter of this tiny pond.

Fish got really active when it became a bit bright, just before the sunrise. Got two good fish
and more babies haha!!

Data
A small pond
Weather: Fair. Warm.
Temperature: 21.5 - 21.6 ℃
Sunrise: 05:17
Wind: N 3.4 - NNE 2.5
Fishing: 05:00 - 06:00
Fly: Foam fly
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapanATmail.goo.ne.jp

06.SEP.2011

Have not fished more than a week after fishing trip, as so much things to do and also tropic strom.
There's already a lure guy, he said he got a few bites but hooked nothing. Later I got two bites but...
Saw a couple of nice fish on the way back and tried to fool but none had any interest in my popper
and gone into deep.

Data
River Tsurumi, Yokohama
Weather: Fair. Warm.
Temperature: 24.8 - 23.9℃
Wind: SSE 2.3 - ESE 1.6 mps
Fishing: 21:15 - 22:45
Catch: None
Fly: Pink frog popper
Want to know more? Email to me, flyfishinginjapan AT mail.goo.ne.jp