To the Crystal Line in Yamanashi Prefecture with the Jimny! A fishing trip aiming for native stream fish at a massive dam and mountain stream

Discovered a huge dam (entai) while driving on the paved forest road, Crystal Line, which is about 68.1 km long. Since this area does not have fish stocking, if I catch something, it's confirmed to be a native stream fish. I drove the Jimny with my heart racing.

Are there stream fish in the giant dam of the Crystal Line?

The destination was a stream along the Crystal Line in Yamanashi Prefecture. When I visited before, there was a huge dam near the red-bordered area, and I thought it would be great to fish there. I'm going to put that plan into action.

On this day, the forest road Arakawa Line on the Crystal Line was closed, creating a situation where I had to take a detour, but it seems that a route to the destination was secured. I made my way along the forest road, taking advantage of the Jimny's mobility.

If my memory is correct, this (image above) is the location of the giant dam I was seeking. I thought there would be no one around, but there were cars and motorcycles parked, which caught me off guard. Since it looks like I can enter the creek from here, I will give fishing a try.

The long-awaited giant dam has results within expectations!?

There are traces such as a fire pit and footprints that suggest people frequently come here, but the massive dam towering in the mountains has an outstanding atmosphere. I don’t feel like I’ll catch anything at all, but my excitement is rising.

When I let the line down, it indeed has no current and the water temperature is high, so there were no stream fish at all. The atmosphere is more suited for playing in the water rather than fishing, and it seems more enjoyable if you have swim trunks instead of a rod.

Just being able to confirm that there are no stream fish was enough, so I decided to head upstream toward the campsite. There must be native stream fish beyond this point.

I parked the Jimny at the upstream campsite and headed towards a beautiful stream.

As I drove upstream, a creek appeared along the forest road. It looks easy to enter the water from the forest road, and the atmosphere is good. However, being easy to access also means it's a place frequented by anglers, which could diminish the expectation of a good catch.

For the time being, I parked the Jimny at the campsite, and now all that's left is to fish. The dam was a miss, but I’m excited for the challenge of a new field.

From here upstream, the trail becomes a hiking path and the river width seems to narrow, so I will go downstream and enter the water at a point that looks accessible.

A gentle flow, beautiful orange rocks, and white sand make for a preferred stream scenery. Since it’s close to my usual fishing spot, it’s very calming. When I cast my lure, I get a reaction from small fish, confirming that the stream fish are definitely present! It really was a good decision to come upstream.

At the last point where I almost gave up, I finally encountered a stream fish.

Although there are some fish responses, they are not quite biting on the lure. While it’s partly a skill issue, it might also be because the area is close to a campsite, making the fish somewhat wary.

Thinking that way, after nearly an hour of fishing upstream, I finally returned to the spot in front of the campsite. Just as I almost gave up on one last cast, a dark fish shadow leaped at the lure, and suddenly my rod bent! While excited by the vibrations transmitted to my hand, I calmly reeled it in and netted it.

After persistently reeling it in, I successfully caught a beautiful "Amago" about 25 cm long with stunning orange spots! Its beautiful fins are a testament to the resilience of native stream fish that have thrived in this stream. I didn’t expect to encounter such a good-sized fish at a point where campers are most likely to approach.

Later, when I confirmed with the local fishing association, they said there has been no stocking upstream of the dam from here down, meaning there hasn’t been any release near the point where I caught the fish. The joy of catching a fish is doubled, so it seems pursuing minor spots suits my nature. I hope to continue exploring hidden fishing spots and embark on new adventures.

Interview/Article by Kazuma Tanaka

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