日本語
Japan Trips
Rainbow Lodge hosts fly fishing trips to Japan every two years. The most recent trip in June 2016 was a huge success. Our interpreter and trip organiser Masako Sawada does an amazing job to ensure that everything goes smoothly and that anglers are able to experience the best of Japan's fishing and culture.
Here is some more information on the fishing you can experience on our trips:
Akita Region: Char (Iwana) and Cherry Salmon (Yamame)
The fish are not big by our standards but very plentiful. The attraction here is in catching gorgeous species (and new species for some people) in beautiful surroundings on dry flies while learning new techniques. It is designed to improve your river fishing skills while emphasising attention to detail – something the Japanese are very well known for. In my opinion, there are no finer small river dry fly anglers IN THE WORLD than the Japanese and if you want to improve, there is nobody better to learn from than the best! You will see things that you have never encountered before no matter how well travelled you are. New flies, new casts, wonderful mending techniques, new set ups, etc are all a part of the trip.
Apart from the fishing, the chance to sample Japanese culture and food is something that all previous attendants have seen as a further highlight.
Tokyo Harbour
Having now run a number of trips to the area, you will also have the option of sampling fishing for Bass and large Bream in Tokyo harbour or perhaps a trip to the famous Tokyo fish markets. The best time of day to fish in the harbour is early and late in the day which gives you plenty of time to explore Tokyo through the day.
The Bass are often seen chasing bait fish and are usually caught sight casting on surface flies while the bream are polaroided around structure. If there is a better place to see Tokyo from than the harbour, I am yet to see it.
2018 Trip
In 2018 we will be running another Japan Trip. We have once again secured the best weeks of the year for dry fly fishing and are looking for expressions of interest. The dates are as follows:
Option 1: Monday, May 28th to Sunday, June 3rd, 2018.
Option 2: Monday, June 4th to Sunday, June 10th, 2018.
If you are interested please Contact us.
2016 Trip Report
Please click below for a full report on our 2016 trip to Japan.
2010 Trip Report
Please click below for a full report on Christopher Bassano's 2010 trip to Japan.
Photos
To see some more photos and some video footage of fly fishing in Japan please click below:
Rainbow Lodge Japan Trip Gallery
Testimonials
Here are some testimonials of past participants who have experienced the Japan trips:
“I’ve heard there may be another trip to Japan in the offing. Put me down for it. Right now. Last years’ trip was amazing. I still day dream about the scenery....wisteria drooping down to clear rainforest streams, fishing from a ledge in a mossy canyon, mist coming off a snow melt covering a rivulet...outstanding. And the fish...small Yamame but big takes right off the surface. It took a while to master the loooong leaders but it has come in very handy on our own small streams here. Hope you are using the same guides as last time...."slow, slow…enjoy"”
- Michael Beech
“Two aspects of the fly fishing trip to Japan remain vivid in my memory. One was of course the fishing which was conducted in pristine mountain streams bubbling over granite boulders deep in geologically young, precipitous valleys. Walking the streams was a constant delight with the sun dappling the water through the canopy that was only interrupted by my back casts. One does not have to be an expert fly caster to be entranced by fishing in these conditions. The second was the cultural experience. The trip is based in a small town in the Akita prefecture where foreigners from Australia are still somewhat of a novelty, but the local people and the expert guides were always hospitable and patient. At each end of the trip, Masako took the opportunity to show us her Tokyo. Her local knowledge was an unexpected bonus as we gained a small insight into the culture of both the big city and the village life of Japan. I am fortunate to have been able to fish in many countries, but this trip was a fishing and cultural experience unlike any I have enjoyed before."
- Jeff Mount
“Who would have guessed it? Japan, the epitome of mountain creek trout fly fishing! A wonderful experience with a lot of beautifully marked trout chasing your dry fly and ‘busting’ the water surface at the take...Very addictive!”
- Julien Thomas
“…to say it was a great experience is an understatement as the fishing was so much more technical than what I was used to and what I learned there in a short time has been so rewarding for my fishing at home streams. The guides and people are extremely friendly and the scenery is magnificent…”
- Peter Hawkey
“The experience of fishing the mountain streams of Northern Japan is as about as contrasting to Tassie fishing as you can get, a hell of an adventure, and not to be missed. The challenge of trying different techniques in water that was gin clear and free of other anglers was very agreeable and at times amusing. The local guides were also remarkable in that they were unwaveringly polite.”
- Trevor Jones
