Fly Fishing in Japan – Fantastic River Fishing Destinations
Japan stretching tall between latitudes 24 and 45, like lower 48 States or Australia, has very diverse climate and wild terrains – home to 3,800 species of fish from Sakhalin Taimen in the northern most estuary in Hokkaido to Archerfish in the southern most mangrove river in Okinawa. Yet Japan doesn’t stretch too wide meaining you can travel very easy from one location to another thanks to splendid public transportation and highway network nationwide.
What Kind of River Fishing Can I Do in Japan?
Rivers in Japan come in wide variety from the northern island of Hokkaido holding countless trout streams to the southern island in Okinawa with tropical species. Narrow stream deep inside mountains allow only one person to fish at a time in a meantime estuary of coastal river is often few kilometers wide hard to locate where fish is.
Rivers as Inland Water Fiseries
Inland Water Fishing Control Regulation for rivers are governed by prefecture government office for fishing determining what species, open season, sizes, and fishing methods are permitted.
There are 3 types of river fisheries.
1. Free Rivers
Free river is not managed by Gyokyo or fishery cooperatives therefore there is no license required, but all anglers are still subject of Inland Water Fishing Control Regulation. Population of fish are 100% native reproducing on natural cycle, which is rarity in Honshu Island where stocking programmes are common. Majority of rivers in Hokkaido Island are free rivers having only few Gyokyos.
2. Gyokyo-managed Rivers
River is managed by Gkyokyo and authorized fishing license is required otherwise angler will be a subject of poaching. License is daily (1,000-2,000/day) and annual (10,000 – 25,000) that comes in ticket that needs to be stashed in tag or case for durability or arm band. Majority of productive rivers in Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu are gyokyo rivers. Fish are stocked by local goernment approved programmes by the mix of hatched egg, parrs, or adut fishes.
3. Special Section
Some Gyokyo-managed waters are special section for catch & release fishing only or only open for special time of year. Out of which, some special section is all year long managed by private organization known as Kanri Tsuriba running outside of license system requirng entrance fee charged by hours or day.
Unless there are carried over fish from the past season(s), adult fishes are stocked in special sections.
Salmon Fishing in Rivers & Special Occason
Salmon Research Fishing is also a type of Special Section Rivers which require special application approved by Gyokyo in select salmon rivers where salmon hutcheries are set up inviting anglers as researcher to help them harvest returning salmons during reserved days which requires daily fishing license of local Gyokyo.
Otherwise, river fishing for salmon species (sea-run cherry salmon, pink salmon, and keta salmon) are strictly prohibited and arrests of poachers are frequently made by police with punishment by 3 years of imprisonment and 2M JPY fine. So don’t take this lightly and if you make “accidental catch", never raise your net outside of water which will be considered “hauling", keep the fish wet for all time and release the fish safely to its original state. Moving away from the same area where you now know fishing there is illegal is highly advised.
How to Purchase Fishing License
Fishing license can be purchased online, nearby shops (convenient stores), and on site.
Stock fishery set up on rivers require play fee separately.
Keiryu aka Rocky River
75% of Japan are mountains, hills, and plataus covered by forest or jungle producing countless fast flowing streams on rock bottom known as Keiryu or rocky rivers. They can come in wide variety such as alpine rivers, highland rivers, river running through forest on platau, or freshwater section in coral islands.
Bottoms can be made of volcanic rocks coming straight from volcanic activities in the ancient past or sendimentary rocks coming from diastrophism very common in such volanic islands – together why Japan is mountanous.
Coldwater kinds of rocky river make perfect trout habitat where catch & release section or stock fisheries can be found giving ease of access, but mostly they are kept wild where trekking, wading, and optimal athletic abilities are required.
Majority of fish are 20-30 cm size very active for dry flies, wet flies, and nymphs, but sometimes they grow to 40-60cm size in wild habitat ready for streamer actions.
Free river type of keiryu are usually part of wild life sanctuary where preparation to preserve nature, creativity in approach, and safety precaution for wild animals are required.
| Game | Tackle | Line System |
| Dry Fly |
Singlehand: 7-9′ 3-4wt |
Floating WF or DT line Rod length tapered leader + slack tippet |
|
Singlehand: 7-8′ 0-2wt for flat pool |
Floating DT line Rod length tapered leader + slack tippet |
|
| Nymphing | Singlehand: 10-11′ 2-4wt | Floating level nymphing line Level indicator leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Wet Fly | Singlehand: 10′ 3-4wt | Floating WF or DT line Rod length tapered leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Streamer | Singlehand: 7-9′ 4-6wt | Skagit + floating running line Polyleader + class tippet |
Sato-Gawa aka Village/Town River
Small to medium size rivers are running through valley, platau or plain often inside a village or town – known as Sato-Gawa or village/town river similar to that you can find in British country side. Current is usually very slow and some are spring river with high clarity perfect for sight fishing.
Tackle are similar to Keiryu with more consideration for lighter line choice due fish are more pressured by frequent fishing population. For carp game, see streamer.
| Game | Tackle | Line System |
| Dry Fly |
Singlehand: 7-9′ 3-4wt |
Floating WF or DT line Rod length tapered leader + slack tippet |
|
Singlehand: 7-8′ 0-2wt for flat pool |
Floating DT line Rod length tapered leader + slack tippet |
|
| Nymphing | Singlehand: 10-11′ 2-3wt | Floating level nymphing line Level indicator leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Wet Fly | Singlehand: 10′ 3-5wt | Floating WF or DT line Rod length tapered leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Streamer | Singlehand: 7-9′ 5-7wt | Floating WF line Rod length tapered leader + class tippet |
Honryu aka Mainstream
Honryu is mainstream river that can be as narrow as 20m wide to 1km wide depending on where it’s running through, but commonly a river too deep to wade across thus called “hon" =real and “ryuu" = stream. Honryu is serving superb holding water for both landlcoked fish and sea-runs where dam isn’t built or sluice with fishway.
Most commonly fished honryu rivers are running through platau often only one side is deep adjacent to walls or hills. Deep side provides hiding place for fish while shalow side are hatching ground for aquatic insects. Fish active for feeding is often holding in between deep and shallow thus anglers need to cast enough distance to the deep side but control the presentation to actually hit the edge of shallow.
Big honryu river can be wider than 200m with one or more deep channels where fish are holding for safety and shallow parts where they feed variety of hatching aquatic insects. This is where anglers need to articulate on fish’s feeding situation which can require distance cast or accurate presentation.
Honryu is where fly tackle, line system, and choice of flies meet the challenge
| Game | Tackle | Line System |
| Dry Fly |
Singlehand: 9′-10′ 3-6wt |
Floating WF line + rod length tapered leader + slack tippet |
|
Switch-hand 10′-10’6" 3-5wt |
Scandi floating + polyleader floating + slack tippet |
|
| Nymphing | Singlehand: 10-11′ 3-6wt | Floating level nymphing line Level leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Wet Fly | Singlehand: 10′-11′ 4-6wt | Floating WF line + rod length tapered leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Switch-hand: 10′-11′ 3-5wt | Scandi/Skagit floating + polyleader floating hover-slow sinking + slack tippet | |
| Two-hand 11′-12′ 3-6wt for wing wet | Scandi/Skagit floating + polyleader hover-fast sinking + slack tippet | |
| Streamer | Singlehand: 9′-10′ 6-8wt | Floating/intermediate/slow-sinking line Polyleader + class tippet |
| Two-hand: 13′-15′ 8-10wt for weighted streamer and full-size intruders | Skagit + floating/intermediate running line Polyleader + class tippet |
Genryu (Sawa) aka Headwater River in Mountains/Platau
Genryu is often a tributary of Keiryu aka moutain stream and less than 10m wide. Physically demanding place having rocks, forests, and obstacles while routing and weather forcasting are essential skills to fish safely. It is advised to go with a guide or experienced person with clibming skills. from alpine creek deep in mountains/highlands to spring creek only a mile from ocean.
| Game | Tackle | Line System |
| Dry Fly |
Singlehand: 6-7′ 3-4wt |
Floating DT line + rod length tapered leader + slack tippet |
|
Singlehand: 6-7′ 0-2wt |
Floating DT line + rod length tapered leader + slack tippet |
|
| Nymphing | Singlehand: 10-11′ 2-4wt | Floating level nymphing line Level leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
Estuary & Tide Sensitive River
Estuaries are tide-sensitive lowest part of rivers where you can intercept anadromous fishes such as sea-run trouts and seabass. Opportunistic feeders comin on rising tide, but predators ambushing for drift baitfish are most active in lowering tide speeding up the river. Cast distance and depth control are very important to attack the right feeding range.
| Game | Tackle | Line System |
| Nymphing | Singlehand: 10-11′ 6-7wt | Floating WF line Level leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Wet Fly | Singlehand: 9′-10′ 6-8wt | Floating WF line + rod length tapered leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Two-hand 11′-12′ 3-6wt | Scandi/Skagit floating + polyleader hover-fast sinking + slack tippet | |
| Streamer | Singlehand: 9′-10′ 6-10wt | Floating/intermediate/slow-sinking line Polyleader + class tippet |
| Two-hand: 13′-15′ 8-10wt for weighted streamer and full-size intruders | Skagit floating/intermediate + floating/intermediate running line Polyleader + class tippet |
Jungle River/Mangrove River
Unique river whose banks are all covered by heavy vegitation often requiring boats or kayaks to provide fishing platform otherwise carefully wade through soft bottom. Huge abundance of both bait fish and predators whether it is freshwater section or brackish water section. Casting accuracy and depth control are very important not to snag flies while keeping it close enough to where fish is feeding – why it’s very helpful to have guided trip.
| Game | Tackle | Line System |
| Nymphing | Singlehand: 10-11′ 6-7wt | Floating WF line Level leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Wet Fly | Singlehand: 9′-10′ 6-8wt | Floating WF line + rod length tapered leader + tippet 1.5 times the depth |
| Streamer | Singlehand: 9′-10′ 6-10wt | Floating/intermediate/slow-sinking line Polyleader + class tippet |
Need Guide Service?
If you need guide service to take you through the wonders of Japnease rivers or you are travel agent looking for guide service, please contact us using this form.