【First Stream Fishing】 A Journey of Stream Lure Fishing at the Arima River and Tempura Udon at Lakeside Diner

I came to the Arima River in Hannō City, Saitama Prefecture to challenge myself to stream lure fishing for the first time. The deep mountain valley was so remote that it was frightening to think bears might appear! A first experience full of mistakes.

I went to Arima River in Hannō City for my first stream lure fishing

For me, it's a familiar upstream of Arima Dam, and I came here for my first stream lure fishing. In the mountainous area of Hannō, there have been many reports of bear sightings, and while I felt a great deal of fear heading into the mountains after getting out of the car, I challenged myself to go alone.

The mountain road along Arima River is known as a difficult spot for hill climbing. On this day, several off-road bikes went up, but due to many falling rocks and the roughness of the road, I saw them turn back within a few minutes.

However, as a location for my first stream fishing, it’s perfect. The Arima Gorge is truly spectacular and beautiful. Just being here is half the satisfaction.

In stream fishing, one must find places where you can access the stream by walking from the forest road, as it’s tricky to find the right points. Also, when navigating upstream in the stream, areas with significant elevation changes, like waterfalls, need to be bypassed, which requires looking for places that can be climbed instead.

What I fear the most is becoming unable to return from where I have advanced, and I must make a decision to turn back at some point. The route is not clear, and lacking experience, I constantly felt anxious while walking along the stream.

I threw in the lure, but it requires experience and skill for stream fishing

I hit an impassable dam where I thought there might be fish, so I cast my lure, but on the first cast, I got snagged and ruined the spot.

Up until I got here, I couldn't cast where I aimed and kept getting snagged, which made me realize my lack of skills and the challenges of stream fishing. Since I couldn't continue fishing any further, this outing ends here.

Later, I found out that it's a theory to use lures that don’t sink easily in shallow areas, and this time I was using a sinking lure. I think there’s an element of skill deficiency, but I understood the reason for the numerous snags, and it was a learning experience.

There are countless things that can't be understood unless one tries, so I plan to improve while practicing.

The tempura udon I had at the cafeteria after walking so much was the best

I decided to dine at a cafeteria along the lake just down from the river. After walking for 2-3 hours, I had unwittingly become quite hungry. The peaceful terrace seating with a view of the lake is very calming.

The simple taste of the broth combined with the freshly fried tempura creates a rich flavor. It’s a very good taste that seeps into a tired body. I didn’t catch a single fish, but it was a fulfilling trip nonetheless.

Fishing was rough, but walking by the stream with fishing in mind is a lot of fun. The gear I gathered from my online research worked perfectly, so now it’s just a matter of practice. This year, I want to enjoy a wonderfully cool summer fishing in the streams.

Interview/Text by Kazuma Tanaka

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