I went on a business trip to ASAHIKAWA city, HOKKAIDOU. Speaking of ASAHIKAWA, Lake Shumarinai is famous flyfishing field. Japanese Hachen “ITOU” is living in Lake Shumarinai.
One of my fishing dream is to catch a native Japanese Hachen “ITOU”. Incidentally of work, I went to Lake Shumarinai for fly fishing. Lake Shumarinai is Japan’s largest man-made lake. Very clear water, beautiful scenery,, This is top of lake fishing field in Japan.

Best fishing time is early morning and evening. I started fishing at 4:00 am.

There are many island in Lake Shumarinai. Small island is good spot for Japanese Hachen “ITOU”. But it is narrow space. So fly fisherman must cast by SPAY casting. I have to charter to go to island, 2,500 EN / person.

It is hard to fishing, because I can cast OVER-HEAD CASTING only. OVER-HEAD CASTING is for wide space.

As the result, it is no fish. So I change the method of fishing.

I rent small boat. I started fishing by trolling.

You can see beautiful scenery.

My tackle is as follows.

Type-6 fly line
Dropper(Spoon for lure) 4x 9ft tipet line
Streemer, 5cm, Green & Black

Boat speed is “level 3”.
Good spot for Trolling is Island Nakanoshima and Island Benten.These Island is in front of Boat pier. Staff of Boat pier can speak Japanese only.

I can not catch “ITOU”, but I catch 4 Salvelinus Leucomaenis.

It is good fishing and great nature.
If I get a chance to come here, I want to try to fishing of “ITOU”

If you are interested in Lake Shumarinai, please see following web page
http://en.visit-hokkaido2.jp/travelPlanner/details.php?code=6101011000010

To fish a Japanse Hachen “ITOU” is this year’s  my goal. Japanse Hachen “ITOU” inhabits in Hokkaido.

I went to famous hachen river “BEKKANBEUSHI river” in HOKKAIDO. I leave the hotel at 7 o’clock. The guide picked up and drive for 40-minute to the base camp places in the vicinity of Bekanbeushikawa. So getting ready, transfer the car, running for about 5 minutes while towing the boat.

We ride the boat at small river. I started the casting while down leave the ship to the flow of the river.

“BEKKANBEUSHI river” is narrow and slow river. Japanese hachen inhabit near the riverbank. So I need casting in correct.

Good fly is streamer like a surf smelt.
Slow retrieve is good.

As the result I caught 2 of Salvelinus Leucomaenis.
I could not catch Japanese Hachen.
But I enjoyed fly fhishing and big nature in Hokkaido.

*East HOKKAIDOU FISHING GUIDE English page
http://www.welcome2nz.com/hokkaido/fishing-e.htm