Early Summer

Late May to late June

This is the season when trout are most responsive throughout the year.

Among aquatic insects, this is the season when large mayflies and caddisflies emerge and large trout also rise. This is the most popular river in our guide service, and most of our customers become repeat customers. It is called the best river for "The fly fishing" in Hokkaido.

It is possible to focus on so-called rapids fishing, but as a guide I am able to point out the places where the big fish are, so I feel that even those with many years of experience often find themselves thinking, "I see!"

Another feature of this establishment is the high rate of repeat customers who are familiar with fishing in Montana and Idaho, North America.

Early summer target

The main dish is rainbow trout after spawning.

The average size is 40 to 60 cm. After being hit, most of the fish that rush and fight aggressively are females.

As June approaches, the rainbow trout swimming upstream to the dam also improve.

The rainbow trout also grows to about 50cm in size, which makes them much larger than the resident Ezo Iwana char, making them an attractive option.

Compatible Fly

Only aquatic insects are used, from small flies to large ones. No big dries are used here.

You also won't need nymphs.

The giant bear mayfly No12. appears on cloudy days from mid to late May, while the Monkagerou No.10.mayfly appears from late May to mid-June.The long-horned caddis No8 appears from mid-June to early July.

The Hiratakagerou mayflies No14 appear sporadically from late May to July.

At first, use a dan pattern. Big fish in areas with slow currents will also look at your silhouette, so once they see it, a floating nymph or a cripple dan will be effective.

Target-2 Amemasu = Char

This is also the season when the Amemasu begin to come upstream from the dam on some river. Amemasu is a good size of Char. Average size abuot 40-55cm.

If you get the timing wrong, there won't be any fish, but if you enter the river at the right time, there are many hatches of aquatic insects in the early season, so there are many rises. Many guests from both Honshu and Hokkaido are surprised, saying,

"I didn't know there was fishing like this!?"

So, not everywhere in Hokkaido.

The problem lies in the mysterious behavior of these Amemasu, and just looking at the results, one might ask, "How many fish were caught?" However, their behavioral patterns have been around for a long time (at least since I learned about this fishing about 20 years ago), and many of them clearly have different patterns from other dry fly fishing.

There are a few that react (or don't react) as obediently as rainbow trout, but overall, there are many that behave in a way that makes you wonder, "What is this?" The habitat points, the choice of flies, and the way to cast them all are all things that cannot be flexibly explained by theory alone.

I've been a guide on the same river for over 20 years, so I know roughly where the fish are. So, if I can see a faint shadow on the yellowish-brown sandy riverbed, I can tell you, "That's a rainbow trout," but most people can't find them. Another characteristic is that they're often in strange places. If they're rising, you'll know.

Depending on the spot, the fly will show completely different tendencies, sometimes it's too difficult and you have to match it with the downstream current, and other times it will only react to something incredibly large.

Such explanations are a chance for a guide to show off their skills, and are also a satisfying part of the experience.

Please give it a try.

Compatible Fly

The Muddler Head as Big Caddis pattern is a standard for orthodox fishers. It's an exaggeration to say that you can't fish without it, but it's a convenient fly to use for fishing blindly. It may not be effective for fish that eat real insects on the surface of the water.

For fish that are repeatedly rising, there is another way to tackle them. If you do a stomach pump, you will find that they are usually in a "eat anything" state.

Big Cicade pattern will be work well for season progress.