Trout Overnighter in Yanagita (柳田)

Due to an extended gap between work shifts, I was able to get away for an overnight trout excursion in the mountainous area between Ajigasawa and Fukaura. This was the last general area of Aomori that I had yet to fish. The bite was sporadic. I did manage to catch/release several small fish and kept the one nice Iwana and two small hook swallowers shown above. The river was flowing fast and was at times difficult to manage. I had to abandon my starting location after about 300 meters and start again 3~4 kilometers upstream.

I set up camp (so to speak), next to the river and just got the tent up prior to sundown. This is the first time I've used my Kelty trail tent, and It proved to be great. Although it rained on and off throughout the night and the mosquitoes were swarming, I managed to stay dry and bug free all night. It was a comfortable stay in general and a good night's sleep. This was a good field test for my gear. Next summer I can safely plan more overnight excursions into Akita and Iwate.

The fishing was hit-and-miss, but the scenery was spectacular the entire day. I also got a chance to try out my new waders, which proved to be watertight and comfortable with a nice grip on the rocks.

I put the fish on ice and stopped by the local Onsen on my way back for a quick soak and sauna. Trout season ends on 30 Sep, but there's still a month or so of boat fishing available if I can get away. This has probably been my last trout excursion for the year. Hopefully by the start of river season next year, I'll be geared up for Ayu.