FLy Fishing of Hokkaido
All About, all year round
Fall
Late September to early November
As the water temperature in the river drops, the rainbow trout start to become active again during the day.
From around mid-September, aquatic insects start emerging more frequently, mainly in the mornings and evenings, and as we move towards the end of October
The hatch time changes to early afternoon.
Even in seasons where midsummer temperatures continue until late in autumn, mid-October is prime season.
Big fish are lurking quietly along the edge of the bank where there is a little depth and a current .
On weekdays, you can take a leisurely ride down the raft boat and get off at the fishing spots (not possible when the river is crowded).
In early November, when there are no fishermen in the river, rainbow trout are busy with their last rise amid the falling leaves. In recent years, rises have been occurring here and there until the first week of November. Please come and visit us and practice for next year.
The only target for autumn is rainbow
There is no better time to catch rainbow trout than in autumn. In terms of ease of fishing, early summer is easier than autumn because there are more aquatic insects and anglers are not as out of tune, but from the perspective of someone who has been taking fishing photos in Hokkaido for over 25 years, the difference is clear.
The look and power are slightly different.
The difficulty of fishing can be overcome by using flies or following the fishing methods instructed by the guides, so this is a season that we hope you will enjoy.
Compatible Fly
A male rainbow trout with a crooked nose jumps out onto a large caddis pattern.
It's hard to tell from a photo, but it's important to keep the head trimmed and have a clean silhouette overall. If it's too voluminous, it will often be seen through.
As a person who has been spreading the word about the Big Dry in magazines, I can say that this is a phenomenon that has been occurring in rivers that have become worn down in recent years. It also shows that if you think of Hokkaido as synonymous with the Big Dry, you may suffer a painful backlash.
There are also terrestrial types, but it would be strange to reveal them too easily, so I will provide more details in the guide.
How to FlyFish
After mid-September, the number of fish decreases compared to early summer, and because fishing is more difficult, the number of anglers in the Okawa River also decreases. However, this does not mean that there are no fish. Fishing in the shaded areas deep in the river and along the banks becomes more interesting.
In clear, sunny weather, nymph fishing is the only option in North American rivers, but since I know where the fish are, I try different methods and dry fly fishing. Of course, nymphing is also a good option.
Wet flies and streamers are only suitable after heavy rain.
Drift Options
From late September to late October, drift boats are permitted in some of the main rivers and large tributaries.
We do not drift on weekends when there are many anglers, but on weekdays, you can move the boat to areas where there are fewer anglers and fish. Enjoy the view from the boat as you fish.
What's particularly interesting in autumn is that some years you can see the second generation of large long-horned caddisflies hatching.
This is an exciting and unique type of fishing that involves using a single-handed or switch rod to spey cast a dry fly, skating it, and enjoying the rainbows that pop out.