In mid-June 2023, we went fishing with Field Staff member Shinjiro Kinoshita to mountain stream in the Daisen mountain range, Tottori Prefecture, Japan.
Guided by Mr. Matsui, the San-in Trout Fishing Guide who also helped us last year, this time, we planned to target Yamame (Landlocked Salmon) in the morning and Char in the afternoon.
It had rained a lot the week before, and right after that, we heard that a 40 cm Landlocked Salmon trout appeared.
We entered the river with our full of expectation.
The river in the mountainous area early in the morning, with the mountains blocking the sun and providing moderate light.
It was a sunny day with a few clouds.
When we arrived at the field and checked the river, the water level was normal or slightly low as the effects of the rain seemed to have subsided.
The water was also a bit low with moss everywhere, and our impression was that we need a bit more rainfall again if we were greedy.
A variety of hooks are prepared to take advantage of different conditions.
Shinjiro Kinoshita used only single assist hooks. All the prepared lures were also equipped with single assists.
At the first large drop-off, he searched extensively with from floating shad to large 85mm minnows without any preconceptions, but did not get any response.
After that, we continued to visit promising points with good results, such as weirs with abundant water and rapids with large current changes, but we did not get any response, probably because the water condition was not so good.
As time passed and the sun began to rise, the weather was sweaty and the conditions were tough, even though it was mid-June in the middle of the rainy season in Japan.
Fishing up the river, a beautiful view through the river.
While fishing under the severe conditions, we saw a large Landlocked Salmon and a Rainbow Trout on the way up the river.
They seemed to be feeding on insects that were floating downstream.
We approached the situation, which seemed to be tough with lures, carefully and attentively.
We change lures and attack while changing our standing position, but the lure does not seem to match the bait? It was difficult to get bites.
When we changed the lure to the Cyarl Blade from Jackson, a large Rainbow bit!
Got a bite but off in vain!
It was unfortunate that it got off, but this was a long-awaited bite.
We fished up the river with high expectation, but unfortunately the time was up with no fish in the morning.
Headed for the cooler headwaters in the afternoon when it’s getting hotter.
In the afternoon, when the sun was shining strongly, we headed for the headwaters in search of Char and cooler water.
In contrast to the midstream area of the river, the response of Char in the upstream area was very good.
Beautiful Char popping out from behind the rock
Char jumps out from promising points at a high rate.
Although many of them are small, the fish are in very good condition and are hooked with a single assist hook.
The numbers of catch were increasing steadily, with very few fish off.
Using a single assist can also reduce damage to small fish.
The “Cyarl Blade” worked well as we fished up the stream, and it is the lure that we got bites from Rainbow Trout in this morning as well. The frog seemed to be one of the main baits, as frogs could be seen throughout the watershed. Perhaps the frog-like silhouette worked.
This lure is originally designed with a single treble in the crotch, but Shinjiro Kinoshita had tuned it to have a single assist attached along with both blades.
Cyarl Blade “Single Assist Tuned” that worked throughout the day.
This fishing trip was not only about the fishing results, but also about the beautiful nature that enriches our lives.
Also, lunch at a local restaurant where we were guided was also very good and gave us great satisfaction throughout the day.
Fishing on the plains becomes more difficult as the temperature rises, why don’t you go to cool mountain stream in search of a healing experience that goes beyond fishing results?
