[Stream Fishing Trip] Fishing in the Iruma River in Saitama Prefecture with a Jimny! Walking the tranquil riverside and the wild headwater region

The Naguri area in Hannō City, Saitama Prefecture, has good access from Tokyo and is popular as a driving and touring spot. Having already experienced the Arima Valley as a hobby fishing spot, I wanted to try fishing in the Iruma River, which is in the same fishing district, so I took the Jimny and walked through the riverside area and the headwater area.

Fishing upstream in the Iruma River from the countryside area towards the source

The stream fishing in the Iruma River involves walking upstream from the Kashiwa Bridge area, returning briefly to the Jimny, and then fishing again in the upstream source area beyond the campsite.

Since it seems that the countryside area, which I usually observe from the car, can also be fished for stream fish, I intend to leisurely enjoy the first half and savor the sense of remoteness in the source area during the second half. By the way, there are free parking areas provided by the Iruma Fishing Association at various locations along the river, so you can enjoy fishing with peace of mind.

Standing in the lower reaches of the countryside area, it feels just like an idyllic country river, exuding a perfect sense of relaxation. Unlike the streams in the mountains, there is little sign of wildlife, allowing for a leisurely enjoyment. Most of the areas are shallow, and I observed small freshwater fish gathering in pools and swimming upstream in schools.

However, there are no signs of the target stream fish in the countryside area.

As I got closer to the upstream, I spotted small fish that seemed to be Yamame chasing the lure. However, perhaps due to a lack of skill, I couldn't catch any. The fish were seen in a spot resembling a calm, shaded pool without current, so they might be hiding in areas with lower water temperatures.

Moving from the countryside river! Riding the Jimny to the source area.

At some point, I decided to head back to the Jimny and head toward the headwaters. In stream fishing, if you don't think about how to enter and exit the stream, you will end up walking endlessly in a river without information. When I’m engrossed in chasing fish, it’s common to realize I've exhausted my energy before I know it, and it's natural to gather information about the field on-site, so I use my head and energy for all kinds of things.

As expected, the headwaters had a dense population of fish, and it was not uncommon to find multiple fish at a single point. Most of the fish I confirmed were small, but it didn’t seem to be a bad point.

When I dropped the lure at this point, three yamame came over, so I thought I might catch one, but I ended up dropping it in a pile of sugi leaves, resulting in catching the leaves instead and spooking the fish... When I think that I might have caught something if I'd dropped it in a good spot and reeled it in, I profoundly feel the lack of my casting control.

At the end of the Iruma River forestry road, construction was underway for a new road.

After putting away the rod, I explored the forestry road. I had never driven along the Nishinaguri Line by the river and decided to explore it. The sign for the forestry road in the upper image has faded; it's from the Yakiwa Irisen forestry road. There was a fence, and it didn't seem possible to enter the forestry road with the Jimny, but it felt like it was still actively used for construction and work.

Discovering new things with the Jimny + forestry roads + stream fishing is enjoyable.

The end of the mountain road is under construction and leads to a dead end. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have come here if I weren't fishing, but I feel that by pursuing stream fish, I have increased my chances of encountering unknown landscapes. By combining the Jimny, mountain roads, and stream fishing, I thought I could further explore new ways to enjoy the mountains.

Interview/Article by Kazuma Tanaka

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