All six of us were fishing today: Anthony, Matt, and me, along with Hiro, Takashi, and Aki. Takashi took the role of lead guide and made sure we were all properly outfitted before heading out. Not entirely sure what we were getting into, we gathered around one of the outdoor picnic tables to gear up. He had pre-rigged rods waiting for us, Shimotsuke Tenkara Gen 240s, each with a line roughly the same length, some tippet, and a very basic but clean fly already tied on. Off we went.

Moco, the lodge’s resident dog, watched us from the tall grass with what I can only describe as mild suspicion as we started down the trail and into the valley.

The path was well-worn and in a few spots washed away from erosion. The headwaters of the Kinugawa ran off to our right, dropping in and out of view as we descended. Eventually we reached a clearing where we could have turned right to fish the Kinugawa, but instead turned left toward a steep, muddy berm that required a rope to get up and over. As we backed slowly down the other side, the feeder stream we were after came into view.

This was an angler’s playground. Shallow riffles, deep pools, plunge pools, boulders, timber, you name it. If small stream features are your thing, this water had all of them. It was admittedly a little tight in spots, so we spread out and hopscotched each other as we made our way upstream, Takashi leading the way.

The Fishing

I’ll be honest, I found it difficult. Not because the surroundings were unfamiliar. In a lot of ways it felt like home. But I was uncomfortable with the shorter rod and line setup, as I am used to fishing 320 to 360cm rods, and my reach felt limited on every cast. More than anything, though, I was just so damn nervous. I was finally in Japan, standing in the headwaters I’d thought about for years, and I wanted badly to be successful. I was more in my own head than anything else, and that only got worse as the day went on.

Takashi caught the first fish, a beautifully freckled iwana, about ten yards from me. I walked over to get a good look before he released it. If I had been in North Carolina, I could have easily mistaken it for a pale-spotted brook trout. A stunning fish, and one you can tell immediately is special to everyone who encounters it.

Matt was the first of the American contingent to get one. I was scrambling over some rocks when I spotted him upstream handlining a fish to his feet. I hustled up and he was genuinely elated. With a huge smile he said something along the lines of “an iwana in Japan on a kebari, my work is done here.” It wasn’t exactly those words, but you could tell he was happy, satisfied, and filled with accomplishment.

Anthony was next. No photos of the fish in question, just him claiming he caught one on a dry fly. But all jokes aside, I was genuinely thrilled he could check that box. By then it was nearly lunch and we’d been at it for a while, with modest results across the group. Hiro had a fish, Takashi had several more, but it was slow going overall.

Lunch on the Stream

We found a good spot to sit and opened up bento boxes of onigiri and assorted other delicacies. And somewhere in the middle of all that, I started to have a bit of a moment. A kind of surreal stillness where you look around and can’t quite believe you’re actually where you are. This one was more intense than the one I’d felt on the Ojika two days earlier. I was sitting on a remote mountain stream in Japan, with my friends from home and my friends from halfway around the world, enjoying our surroundings. When I’d close my eyes at night and imagine fishing in Japan, this was exactly what my mind would picture. And there I was, right in the middle of it.

The Afternoon

After lunch, we all lost a little steam. The continued ascent was long and steep, occasionally a bit sketchy underfoot, and the fishing didn’t deliver enough adrenaline to keep the energy up. A few more fish were caught collectively, mostly by Takashi, but I ended up with nothing. The group was even generous enough to let me fish out in front for the last half hour, giving me first shot at the best water. Still nothing. The iwana had no interest in cooperating. Oh well.

Being the “bozu” of the group, the Japanese term for getting skunked, was mildly deflating and temporarily embarrassing. But honestly, it was a tough day for everyone. I don’t think Anthony or Matt caught another after their first, and if our group of six managed eight or nine fish total over five or six hours, that might be generous. Either way, it was truly a remarkable day, and one I will remember fondly for a very long time.

The Hike Out and the Evening

From there, we suddenly came to the realization that we had to backtrack, or hike all the way down the way we came to exit over that same roped berm. While the hike along the the stream back to the main trail was not super treacherous, general fatigue and multiple stream crossings certainly made it interesting at times. But eventually, we made it back to the trail and then the lodge.

And let me tell you, the dip in the onsen bath after cleaning up was a real treat for my now achy muscles and joints.

We closed the evening relatively quietly. Aki had to head out after fishing, so we said our goodbyes. Takashi needed to get back to Nikko City to tie up some loose ends before returning in the morning. That left Matt, Anthony, and me with Hiro for a wonderful dinner of vegetables, sake, meats, locally sourced venison, and skewered grilled fish.

Tomorrow was another day of fishing. Would I finally get my iwana? We’d find out, weather permitting.

Entries to the Japan 2026 Series:

• Part 1 – 16 Hours on Planes & Exploring Tokyo
• Part 2 – Sunday in Shibuya
• Part 3 – Welcome to Nikko!
• Part 4 – Three Rivers, Ramen, and a Mountain Lodge in the Clouds
• Part 5 – Into the Headwaters

Note: This post was originally posted to Tenkara Angler as the fishing portions of the trip are being “simulcast”.

The post Japan 2026: Into the Headwaters appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

After Monday’s long car ride, sightseeing, brief teaser session on the water, and welcome dinner, we had a full day lined up to fish Nikko City before heading deep into the mountains of the National Park to our accommodations for the rest of the week.

About the Area

As our alarms went off for breakfast service, we had a few minutes while packing up gear to step out on the balcony and actually take in the Kinugawa Onsen section of Nikko from above. With a morning mist hovering over the rooftops and rolling hills, it dawned on Anthony, Matt, and me how much this looked like Southern Appalachia back home. The buildings were a bit different, sure, but we could have easily been in a mountain town somewhere in the Smokies. Similar topography, similar energy, just with more kanji on the signage. We were in “Jappalachia,” if you will…

Breakfast service, much like the dinner the night before, was wonderful, though far less formal. It was just the three of us, in a section of the restaurant we had all to ourselves. The food was delicious, our “Healthy Japanese Breakfast” just filling enough without weighing us down, and we were feeling ready to hit the water.

Let’s Go Fishing!

Today’s plan was three different rivers in Nikko. First, the main stem of the Kinugawa River which is bigger, broader water with a deep central channel. Not exactly tenkara ideal, but we were going to give it a shot.

After that, a different section of the Ojika River, the same water we had briefly fished on Monday, but this time slightly downstream from Nature Planet and a bit closer to where it meets the Kinugawa. For those familiar with western North Carolina, think something along the lines of the Oconaluftee flowing through Cherokee.

Finally, a third stop was planned. Technically, not a third river, but further upstream on the Ojika, where it could have passed for a Colorado freestone. Larger boulders, deep pools, tall but open canyon walls. A completely different character than what we’d fished in the morning.

Hiro drove us from the hotel down to Nature Planet, where we met Takashi, along with Takuya Yamakoshi, one of the gentlemen from our welcome dinner the night before, and Akihiro Hoshino, our friend who had come over and fished with us in Colorado back in 2023.

If you’ve been following along, you’ve already met both Takuya and Aki in earlier entries. It was really great to see Aki again. He speaks English well, so beyond talking fishing, we got to catch up a little and hear how he’s adjusting to being a new father. Some things are just universal, you know?

The Kinugawa

Fishing the Kinugawa was a good experience, even if the results weren’t exactly what I was hoping for. I started with kebari, fished it for a bit, then eventually switched to nymphs given the depth and current speed. Neither made much difference, as I didn’t land anything in that section anyway, ha! Between the six of us, maybe two or three fish were caught in some of the shallower pockets closer to the bank. Matt got at least one, which I’m attributing entirely to the magic of his cool new hat!

It wasn’t stellar fishing, but it was a proper baptism wading into Japanese waters for the first time. I do wish I’d had a 390 or 400cm rod with me. It probably wouldn’t have changed my results, but I felt a little undergunned fishing a 340cm Shimano Pack. My longer rods just wouldn’t fit inside my carry-on luggage. Next time…

The Ojika, Part One

After the Kinugawa, Takashi led us up a path to a section of the Ojika below a dam spillway. Urban water, with a lot of manufactured cement channels, but also two or three deep pools worth targeting if you were patient. Honestly, it was the kind of scenario where I would have loved to have my spinning tackle along. Some onsen buildings lined the banks, which made for an interesting backdrop. We weren’t there long, and I’m not entirely sure anyone caught a fish. I hooked one, but it came off before I could do much about it. 0 for 2 on the day for me at this point.

Lunch Break!

Food was a recurring highlight throughout our time in Japan, and after a slow morning on the water we needed it. We regrouped at Nature Planet, piled into one of Takashi’s vans, and drove across town to Ikari, a ramen shop near our next section of river. I don’t know if it was the hunger or just that the food was legitimately great, but that bowl of noodles, vegetables, and pork reset everyone’s energy and enthusiasm for the afternoon. Exactly what we needed.

The Ojika, Part Two

After a short drive from the ramen shop, we parked at an overlook lot and dropped down to the final stretch of fishing for the day. The bear warning signs were both ominous and hilarious. But this was probably my favorite piece of water we touched all day. Open casting lanes, large boulders, a small dam spillway, some deep pools, and just an endless number of nooks and crannies where trout could reasonably be hiding.

Hiro, Matt, and I went upstream. Anthony, Aki, and Takashi went downstream. Takuya kind of split the difference, drifting between both groups as he saw fit.

I’m pretty sure everyone caught fish in this section. I landed two, both on a honryu kebari for those keeping track. I watched Matt and Hiro each catch at least one from a distance. Anthony and Takashi reportedly caught multiple each. I’m guessing Takuya and Aki did as well, though I never got a full debrief from them by the end of the day.

Time flew. Interesting and technical water has a way of doing that. At some point I looked up from tying on a fly, glanced back at the van, and realized everyone else had already gathered and was waving me back up the bluff. A quick check of my watch confirmed that yes, it was absolutely time to go.

Before splitting up back at Nature Planet, we grabbed a group photo. One of my favorites from the whole trip. One of these times I’ll get Anthony to crack a smile…

Takuya had to head out, as he had work the next morning and wouldn’t be joining us for the rest of the trip. We said our goodbyes and thanked him for his time. He’s a genuinely great guy and a talented angler, and I’m really glad we had the chance to fish with him.

Hatcho-no-Yu

With Takuya heading home, the rest of us loaded up for a long drive up and down winding mountain roads toward our next destination: Hatcho-no-Yu.

The drive was long, bumpy, and at moments a little sketchy, but also beautiful. Large bridges over dammed lakes, small villages tucked into the hills, sweeping scenery at every turn, and our first roadside monkeys! After about an hour and a half, we descended slightly into a valley and arrived at the lodge. Within minutes of getting out of the van, Anthony spotted a “kamoshika” or Japanese serow, which is something like an antelope crossed with a goat, climbing some rocks streamside. They’re rare to see in the wild, apparently. We’d run into this mysterious animal several more times over the next few days. (Spoiler alert!)

Hatcho-no-Yu is a genuinely magical place. Remote, sitting at 1,300 meters of elevation, with little around it except outdoor activities and its famous 100% natural mineral hot springs. The ryokan has been in operation since 1929, one of the oldest still running in Nikko, and legend has it that it was the last in the area to get electricity, which didn’t happen until the 1980s. You wouldn’t know it from the free WiFi and televisions in each room. A nice blend of old and new.

Anthony, Matt, and I were sharing a room again. A small rustic log cabin with tatami mat floors and a great view of the Kinugawa headwaters from the balcony. The one catch was that the room had no shower, so the onsen facilities were the only option to clean up after a long day on the water. No complaints there.

We closed out the night with a “barbeque” dinner our hosts prepared in a stone oven. Grilled meats, freshly harvested mushrooms and vegetables, and of course, cold beer. Unwinding, laughing, and recounting the day, it was exactly the kind of evening you want after a full day of fishing followed by a winding mountain drive. We also got a good laugh when we realized yukatas were apparently not mandatory dress for this particular meal.

Needless to say, we all slept well that night. Restlessly well. The headwaters were waiting.

Entries to the Japan 2026 Series:

• Part 1 – 16 Hours on Planes & Exploring Tokyo
• Part 2 – Sunday in Shibuya
• Part 3 – Welcome to Nikko!
• Part 4 – Three Rivers, Ramen, and a Mountain Lodge in the Clouds
• Part 5 – Into the Headwaters

Note: This post was originally posted to Tenkara Angler as the fishing portions of the trip are being “simulcast”.

The post Japan 2026: Three Rivers, Ramen, and a Mountain Lodge in the Clouds appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Our friend Hiro picked us up at our Tokyo hotel early Monday morning in his Toyota van. The plan was to drive up into Nikko, do some sightseeing in the morning, meet up with Hiro’s Nikko Tenkara partner Takashi Sakauchi in the afternoon, check into our hotel, and then have a “welcome” dinner that night ahead of our first day of fishing on Tuesday.

Nikko Toshogu Shrine

After a quick pit stop for what Hiro called “cheap sushi” at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant along the way, we arrived in Nikko and proceeded immediately to the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The shrine is a memorial to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate. To toss in a bit of pop culture, Tokugawa Ieyasu was the inspiration for the Yoshii Toranaga character from the modern Shogun books and television series. There was just so much to take in, I’m not sure we could possibly do so in the time we were allotted. From beautifully carved gates, buildings, and seemingly endless oversized stone steps that finally led to the mausoleum of Ieyasu himself, it was certainly a lot to take in and mind-blowing to imagine the effort it took to create and build.

Perhaps running a bit ahead of schedule, as we were in the parking lot leaving the shrine, Hiro asked, “would you like to go fishing?” I’m sure he knew the answer before he asked.

Our First Fishing in Japan

It was a short drive some winding mountain roads to Nikko City, home to Nature Planet, which is the office for Takashi’s outdoor tourism business. It’s also where Nikko Tenkara is based. A generally small building, it immediately stands out from the others around it as you notice the kayaks and PFD vests staged by the entry. In addition to tenkara, Nature Planet offers canoeing, kayak, SUP, hiking, and snowshoeing tours in Nikko National Park. They also cater to dogs, it’s not uncommon for them to take their clients’ furry friends out in the canoes as well.

The Nature Planet offices are also perfectly located on a ridgeline perched right above the Ojika River, a tributary to the larger Kinugawa River. After some quick “hellos” with Takashi, we were grabbing our tenkara rods and walking down a paved path down to the river behind the office. Along the way there was plenty of signage, as you can tell people recreate here quite a bit, whether it be for walking, fishing, or even just having fun down by the water. There’s even a hut with a public hot spring foot bath spa ideal for relaxing your feet after a riverside adventure.

As we walked down to the water and began to rig up our rods, it all kind of sunk in. Anthony, Matt, & I were about to fish in Japan for the very first time. No, today wasn’t up in the headwaters, but it was still a really surreal moment. Emotions of disbelief turned to unadulterated joy.

We only fished for maybe an hour or two, and I’d be lying if I told you it was stellar. That wasn’t the point. A 17 year tenkara journey had brought the three of us here. And it was awesome. Fishing a bit upstream from our group, I was lucky enough to catch the first fish of the trip, a rainbow trout that was no more than 6 inches long. I was so excited to run down the bank and show everyone, after doing so I released it into the water before snapping a photo. But that was okay, it’s a memory filled with child-like joy I’ll cherish forever.

Anthony was next into a fish, one that was quite a bit larger than mine and that gave him a good fight in the current. He wrestled it for what seemed like a good two minutes before it came off the line just as he was bringing it to his feet. Matt was also toying with some fish downstream, if I recall, he had a lot of follows, but no takes. He’d make up for it later in our tip for sure.

Regardless of the fish count, we all left with huge smiles on our faces.

Kinugawa Grand Hotel Yume no Toki

After fishing it was time to check into our hotel, the Kinugawa Grand Hotel Yume no Toki. A exquisitely modern ryokan style hotel with multiple mineral hot spring onsen baths, this was certainly a treat following our days of travel and cramped hotel in Tokyo.

Let me just say, the hotel was amazing! I cannot recommend it enough. It was downright upscale and fancy, making me feel a bit of imposter syndrome. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff, provided tea, and a rundown of the facilities. We found our room to also be wonderfully appointed. This was our first experience with ryokan living arrangements, so it took us Westerners a little bit to get settled into in our tatami-mat room. But after a spell of sitting and unwinding at a table that was no more than 3 feet of the ground in the middle of the room, Anthony, Matt, & I again were finally gaining our equilibrium. The only chore ahead of us was to figure out the yukata (robes) that were provided for the evening’s dinner.

A Magical Dinner Service

The dinner was a bit more formal than I anticipated, but it was also incredible. We were escorted to a banquet hall, also with tatami mats and two long tables on each side of the room. The Americans (and Hiro) sat on one side of the room, while Takashi, and two other Nikko-based anglers, Takuya Yamakoshi and Shoichi Onada were seated on the other side. Takuya and Shoichi not only had interest in tenkara, but interest talking to us about growing tourism into the Kinugawa-onsen hot spring resort area. Shortly after we all arrived and seated, the President of the hotel came and joined us for dinner as well. It was an unexpected surprise, and lovely to have her there too.

From there, we were treated to what seemed like endless courses of seasonal and local Nikko dishes. Many of the foods were literally so foreign to us, it was difficult to follow along on the menu, but it was all so delicious. The meal was magnificent, and we later learned the Chief Chef is highly regarded in Japanese culinary circles. What a treat!

There was a bit of a language barrier which made conversation difficult at times, but with the help of electronic translation tools, we all got along well, learned about the Kinugawa-onsen area of Nikko, as well as exchanged ideas about our personal tenkara fishing. We also exchanged gifts.

The Tenkara Angler team gifted our Japanese friends with a Zimmerbuilt strap pack filled with stickers and fly boxes of kebari tied by some of our favorite Amercian fly tyers. Anthony also thoughtfully brought some goodies from Pennsylvania, including Penn State t-shirts and towels with a map of the commonwealth. In return, we were gifted some hand tied flies from Shoichi, tippet spools, tapered lines, ultralight strike indicators, and a wonderfully woven conical kasa (shade hat) that had a fish design on it. The hotel also gifted us some sweets.

The most humorous moment of the evening was possibly when Shoichi was examining the kebari in the fly boxes. He took note of the barbless hooks and questioned it saying something along the lines of, “there are no barbs, don’t you want to catch the fish?” in a playful fashion. Hiro kindly translated that most Americans fish for trout as sport and not food. An understanding chuckle filled both sides of the room.

A Visit to the Onsen and then Bed

I don’t recall, but I feel as if the meal service was a good two to three hours long, so once completed and everyone began dispersing, we were all tired from a long day and eager to get back to our room. However before we turned the lights out, Matt & I did decide to try one of the hot spring onsens. No pictures for obvious reasons, but it was a wonderful, and uniquely Japanese way to unwind before bed. Here’s a stock photo from the hotel’s website.

But if you’ve never visited an onsen before, it is a whole other experience for us Westerners, with specifc rules to follow. Once you figure them out, the experience is one of a kind.

In any event, that concluded our first day in Nikko. I felt like we had done so much already, and our fishing adventures were just beginning!

Entries to the Japan 2026 Series:

• Part 1 – 16 Hours on Planes & Exploring Tokyo
• Part 2 – Sunday in Shibuya
• Part 3 – Welcome to Nikko!
• Part 4 – Three Rivers, Ramen, and a Mountain Lodge in the Clouds
• Part 5 – Into the Headwaters

Note: This post was originally posted to Tenkara Angler as the fishing portions of the trip are being “simulcast”.

The post Japan 2026: Welcome to Nikko! appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

August 30th, Let’s Go!

Sunday was our one full day in Shibuya, and it had to count. Anthony and Matt were going to be back in Tokyo after Nikko since they were staying in Japan for a few weeks, but for me, Shibuya was it. The NFL regular season was kicking off in about a week, which is when I earn my paycheck, so I’d be heading home shortly after Nikko. With that hanging over us, we ignored the jet lag, agreed to meet in the lobby at 8 AM, and Anthony & Matt kindly made a pact to try and squeeze everything I wanted out of the day.

Breakfast Buffet

The Tokyu REI Hotel was a good find. Beyond the comfortable beds and the bum-tickling Japanese toilets, the hotel had a toiletry bar stocked with everything from razors to skincare products, all complimentary, plus a mini fridge with free drinks and snacks after 4 PM. But the real highlight was the breakfast buffet in the lobby restaurant. You had to pay for it, but it was absolutely worth it. A stress-free, fill-your-plate-twice kind of start to a big day.

While I didn’t take any photos of the food itself, the graphic above shows all the dining options. Everything was excellent. 10 out of 10, would eat there again.

Yoyogi Park and the Super Yosakoi Festival

After breakfast we hopped on the train one stop north to Harajuku, then wandered into Yoyogi Park. If you’ve never been, think Central Park in New York, but somehow more serene, which is saying something. It’s a massive green space where people run, cycle, walk their dogs, picnic, and generally decompress from the city humming around them. It was evidently the original site of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Village and has water features, a bamboo grove, tons of wildlife signage (including information about the tanuki raccoon-dogs that live there), and more public restrooms than you’d ever need, which, it turns out, Japan takes very seriously as a matter of national pride.

There were also many vending machines, which came in handy because the morning was warming up and a cold Pocari Sweat (or Aquarius if you prefer) was definitely necessary.

We happened to pick an exceptional day to visit, as the 2026 Harajuku Omotesando Genki Matsuri Super Yosakoi Festival was underway. Over 100 teams of dancers and performers were rotating through multiple stages across the park all weekend. When we arrived most of the stage areas were quiet, but all the teams were spread throughout the park warming up and rehearsing. Stopping to watch them was one of the coolest unplanned moments of the whole trip.

On our way out we caught one team on stage mid-performance and I got a quick video. Incredible!

Meiji Jingu Shrine

From the performance area we headed slightly north through the park and passed through the Meiji Jingu Ichino Torii gate into the shrine complex. Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine built in 1920 to honor Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, who were responsible for transforming Japan from a feudal state into a modern power in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The grounds were immaculate. The thing that stopped all three of us in our tracks was a pair of enormous camphor trees near the shrine entrance, so perfectly round they looked almost surreal, set against architecture built to a scale that just makes you feel very small. It’s a “must-see.”

Takeshita Street and the Walk Back South

From Harajuku we basically walked the train ride back to our hotel through the city streets, which turned out to be its own adventure. First stop was Takeshita Street, a narrow corridor packed wall to wall with shops and street food that is absolutely a tourist destination. Otter cafes, capsule arcades, the Sanrio store, extremely confident knockoffs of American intellectual property, and a wild costume shop that didn’t allow photos but had everything from samurai armor to pirate gear to something Liberace would have worn on his wildest night. It was chaotic and fun, but I was relieved when we popped out the other side onto a wider street heading south.

From there the shopping got considerably more upscale. Apple, Google, GUESS, Christian Dior, Fender Guitars, Fjallraven, all lined up along Meiji-dori Avenue. We ducked into a department store with an interesting rooftop terrace that turned out to be decorated in a kawaii theme with cartoony characters and a good view down over the intersection below.

Mont-bell & Tower Records

Two specific stops on the walk back deserve their own mention.

Mont-bell is essentially a Japanese version of Patagonia, featuring private label ultralight outdoor gear and technical apparel with particularly intelligent designs for anything performance-oriented. While there’s no fishing rods or lures, they do make wading boots that I have been coveting for years. Unfortunately my American feet and their sizing don’t quite align. If I’d had more room in my suitcase I would have done serious damage in the layers and rain jackets sections, as the prices seemed extremely reasonable.

Tower Records was a whole other adventure. I don’t know if this is the last Tower Records on earth, but it is seven floors of very fun exploration. Floors dedicated to Japanese exclusives, J-Pop, K-Pop, Rock, R&B, Alternative, CDs, vinyl, movies, pop culture, and even a bar serving a Tower Records branded beer. Anthony mentioned there was live music on the top floor too, a young girl band performing to what he described as a sparse audience of enthusiastic older dudes…

I was slightly disappointed by the limited “Tower Records Shibuya” merchandise, a few t-shirts and not much else, but as a visual experience it was top shelf. Memorabilia and photo opportunities all over the store. Plus, it was nice to touch physical media again. Not downloads or streaming services.

Quick Lunch

By around 2:30 we were all running on fumes from the morning and nobody had eaten since breakfast. What should have been a simple decision turned into a full-on indecisive kerfuffle, and we ended up in a food court near the hotel settling for burgers and fries. No regrets. We had more adventurous dining still ahead of us on this trip. I did take a photo of the Japanese Heinz Ketchup label though. Make of that what you will.

You Still Here?

This post is going way longer that I intended, but I still need to get to the fishing shops, Shibuya Sky, and our back alley dinner!

The Fishing Shops

After freshening up at the hotel we took Anthony back to Joshuya, the fishing shop Matt and I had stumbled into the night before. It was a lot more fun with the three of us at a less exhausted pace. Anthony pointed out fly boxes he used to sell when he was running Three Rivers Tenkara, which was a cool little moment. I picked up a yamame sticker and a tiny 75cm Nissin Minamo rod for about $24 US. I’m not planning to actually fish it, rather it’s going to decorate a shelf in my office, but at 9 inches collapsed it was sized perfectly to slide right into my backpack for the trip home, so that was an easy call.

We also tried to make it to Sansui No. 1 and No. 2 afterward. Their website and the window signage both said they were open until 6 PM. We got there around 4. The gate was already rolled down. Bummer.

Shibuya Sky

As it was getting toward sunset, we headed up to Shibuya Sky, the observation deck atop the skyscraper right at Shibuya Station. This one required some planning. Tickets go on sale at midnight two weeks in advance and the popular time slots disappear fast. I had to try three times when I bought ours because the slot I wanted kept evaporating from my cart!

You take an elevator up to a staging area on the 20-something floor, where there are shops and food while you wait for your timed entry. There was a great little shop dedicated to Hachiko, the Akita who is one of Shibuya’s most beloved figures. If you don’t know the story, Hachiko waited on the same street corner outside Shibuya Station every day for ten years for his owner to come home, not knowing his owner had passed away. There’s a statue of him right at the Scramble, and the shop did him proper justice.

From there, it’s another, almost theme-park like elevator ride up to the roof. And once outside, the views were staggering. We spent a couple of hours up there. The building itself put on a laser light show once it got dark, and as a bonus we caught what we think was a concert at a nearby stadium that shot off fireworks around its rim. Just an unexpected extra layer of spectacle on top of an already incredible evening. The photos I took don’t do it justice, but I’ll drop them in anyway. That big dark patch in several of them is Yoyogi Park, the same place we’d started our morning. You can see the yellow and red Tower Records sign too if you look closely.

Dinner in the Alley

By the end of the night all we wanted was warm noodles and cold drinks, which we found in a 1.2-star rated izakaya tucked into an alleyway behind our hotel. The Google reviews were not kind to this place. Whether the food wasn’t great or we were slightly overcharged on something, we genuinely couldn’t tell and honestly didn’t care. It was an outdoor spot, the vibe was exactly right, and after 12 or 13 hours of going non-stop a day after flying halfway around the world, mission accomplished.

We headed back to the hotel with full bellies and scrambled internal clocks. It was time pack again and then get some rest. Our friend Hiro was coming to pick us up in the morning, and Nikko was next!

Entries to the Japan 2026 Series:

• Part 1 – 16 Hours on Planes & Exploring Tokyo
• Part 2 – Sunday in Shibuya
• Part 3 – Welcome to Nikko!
• Part 4 – Three Rivers, Ramen, and a Mountain Lodge in the Clouds
• Part 5 – Into the Headwaters

The post Japan 2026: Sunday in Shibuya appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

August 28 & 29: Jacksonville to Atlanta to Tokyo

My Friday morning started early. I had a 7:00 AM flight to catch from Jacksonville to Atlanta, and K.C. was kind enough to drop me off at the airport. After stressing for weeks over what to pack for nine days in Japan, I had whittled things down to a backpack and a small carry-on roller bag. It was now or never.

The first flight was non-eventful. No sooner than we took off did we set down, and after a brief hour and a half layover I found myself on the second flight, Atlanta to Haneda. This was a long haul. I’d leave Friday afternoon in the US and arrive in Tokyo on Saturday afternoon, which is what a 14-hour flight combined with a 13-hour time difference does. Fortunately I had nobody sitting in the middle seat of my three-seat row, which was clutch. I messed around on in-flight WiFi while we were still over the continental United States, and watched movies over the Pacific. First Deadpool & Wolverine, then Michael. It’s crazy how villainous they made Joe Jackson out to be. I guess if the glove fits…

We eventually landed at Haneda International Airport, where a customs line greeted our plane’s worth of passengers. They were serious about mosquitoes and travelers coming in from Africa. But with my Japan Web pre-registration squared away, it was relatively painless to get through.

Now What?

I decided to take the train from Haneda to Shibuya, where my hotel was. I’m generally familiar with train systems from my time in New York, DC, and Philly, so the concept wasn’t foreign to me. I just needed to get my Suica IC card, an all-purpose rechargeable payment card you can use for transit and a bunch of other things, hit an ATM for some paper yen, and grab something to drink. The vending machines made all of it easy, even with Godzilla looking over my shoulder the whole time.

The train ride itself was uneventful. I took the monorail to Hamamatsucho, then hopped on the JR Yamanote Line to Shibuya. The second train was considerably more crowded than the first, but the signage was good and most of it was also in English, as were the train announcements. I was nervous, but for no real reason.

Arriving at Shibuya Station was a different story. Multiple hallways, multiple corridors, and the whole place was under construction with signage that wasn’t quite as clear as the trains. I eventually figured it out and made my exit, and that’s when I had my first real Tokyo experience.

Walking out of that station felt like stepping into an amplified Times Square. Tall buildings, massive billboards, people moving everywhere at once. They call that particular intersection Shibuya Scramble Crossing, and you understand why immediately. My hotel, the Tokyu REI, was only a few blocks away, and with some Google Maps help I found it and checked in roughly a day and a half after my journey began. The room was small and clean, the beds were comfortable, and the Japanese toilets were something else entirely. Let’s just say I took full advantage of that feature…

Matt & the Konbini

It was early evening by then, and my travel partners Matt and Anthony were also arriving that day. Matt got there first. Anthony was delayed a few hours due to some plane trouble in Dallas. Matt and I met up in the lobby and decided to get food, but we were both indecisive and ended up at the Family Mart “konbini” (convenience store) on our block instead of a proper restaurant.

Convenience stores in Japan are another level entirely, so don’t picture roller dogs here. (Even though I love a good roller dog!) There are three major chains: 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart, and all of them are a genuine step above anything you’d expect from a US convenience store. I grabbed an onigiri, a sandwich, and what I think was a green tea. The drink had Shohei Ohtani on the label, much like every other billboard in Japan.

After eating, we were both pretty gassed from travel, but then we noticed there was a fishing store right across the street. How could we say no?

Johshuya

Johshuya is a fishing and outdoors chain with several locations across Japan. This particular one was underground, down a set of steps from street level, but it was absolutely packed with cool stuff, especially if you’re a gear person. Saltwater, bass, carp, spinning and baitcasting for trout, and plenty of rods and reels for species we don’t really target in the States. There wasn’t much in the way of fly fishing gear, but there were some tenkara and fixed-line rods and accessories.

We were also both thoroughly amused by a brand called Rooster Gear Market, for what should be obvious reasons. We didn’t buy anything because we knew we’d be back the next day once Anthony arrived, but Matt had already locked onto a giant carp rod, partially out of jest, but also with some intent.

Crossing the street we wandered past a skill crane arcade, which was its own kind of spectacle, and then Matt hit his wall and called it a night. I didn’t blame him at all. I was tempted too, but I wanted to stay up and make sure Anthony got in okay. He was due sometime between 8 and 9.

Anthony Arrives!

I was back in my room when the text from Anthony came through. It was around 8:30, so we met up in the lobby and took a different route from the one Matt and I had walked earlier, back toward the Shibuya Scramble and into the shopping, food, and music district beyond it.

We stopped into a 7-Eleven so Anthony could grab some cash and snacks, and evidently snag a dress shirt, a necktie, or a PG-13 girlie magazine if so inclined. When in Tokyo…

The rest of that night was a bit of a blur. We wandered streets and alleyways, looked in store windows, scoped out potential places to eat later, and encountered Don Quijote for the very first time. If you’re not familiar, it’s a sort of department store that sells pretty much everything, merchandised with the chaos of a Dollar Tree or Five Below on steroids, and it just plays its jingle on a continuous loop. Pure sensory overload in the best way. If you have ADHD, I’d suggest going in medicated.

After that my brain basically stopped functioning. Walking back to the hotel like a couple of zombies, Anthony and I were both in mild disbelief that we were actually here. And we still had another full day in Shibuya ahead of us, plus several days of fishing in Nikko after that. Time to sleep. 8AM on Sunday morning was coming fast.

Entries to the Japan 2026 Series:

• Part 1 – 16 Hours on Planes & Exploring Tokyo
• Part 2 – Sunday in Shibuya
• Part 3 – Welcome to Nikko!
• Part 4 – Three Rivers, Ramen, and a Mountain Lodge in the Clouds
• Part 5 – Into the Headwaters

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Those of you who read my earlier post about Lilly’s summer at Bard College and our plans to visit the Hudson Valley know that an extended Catskills fishing trip was very much on the table this summer. And for a while it was. I’ve never spent any real time in the Catskills, and the idea of finally fishing some of that legendary water was really exciting. But life has a funny way of rerouting your plans, and I’m not exactly complaining about where this particular detour is taking me.

The Catskills will have to wait. The Smokies, which have traditionally been my end of summer destination of choice, will have to wait too. Because instead of fishing either of those places, I’m going to Japan.

Specifically, Tokyo and Nikko, and with my Tenkara Angler comrades Matt and Anthony. And I leave the last weekend of August. Which believe it or not is this Friday!

The full picture is more or less set, with air travel and hotels booked, so I figured it was time to actually share what this adventure is going to (hopefully) look like.

Shibuya

After a 16+ hour flight, I land at Haneda airport on Saturday afternoon, get checked into the hotel in Shibuya, and promptly try not to fall asleep immediately. Maybe pop in a 7-11 or Lawson for a snack and some essentials I choose not to bring along. The full Shibuya day is Sunday, and I’m hoping to mix the cultural stuff and the fishing stuff effectively, we’ll see… Either way, Proshop Sansui Shibuya #1 and Johshuya are both on the agenda. Thank heavens for a friendly US Dollar to Japanese Yen conversion…

Nikko

This is the part I’ve been most excited to share. Our friends Hiro and Takashi, remember them? We fished together in Colorado a few years back. Well, they’re going to pick us up in a van on Monday, and from that point forward the logistics are handled. No trains to manage, no navigating with luggage, just a drive out to Nikko for a few days of fishing with those guys at the lead.

Tuesday takes us up into Okukinugawa, fishing the Kinugawa and the Ogawa en route before checking into the Okukinugawa Onsen Hacchoyu, which is a proper deep-mountain ryokan with outdoor onsen baths.

Wednesday and Thursday, September 2nd and 3rd, are the full fishing days on the main stream and headwaters of the Kinugawa River. Two full days of tenkara in the Japanese mountains, which I’ve been imagining for a long time and still can’t quite believe is actually happening.

We pack up Friday morning and make the van ride back to Tokyo, checking into the our hotel in Asakusa that afternoon. The fishing part is going to be oh, so brief. But this is all time really allows (or rather, my work allows) at this time of the year.

Asakusa

The final full day in Japan is built around a home base of Asakusa, and once again we’ll try to mix Japanese culture and fishing. On the fishing front, I’d like to try and visit two places I’ve had on my radar for a while. A few train rides will be in order, but first is Tsuruya Fishing Shop, a fly fishing specialty shop that’s been in operation since 1931. Second is Tosaku in Inaricho, an eighth-generation maker of handcrafted bamboo wazao rods, which is basically a living museum of Japanese rod-making heritage. We’ll hopefully add in some temples, parks, Ameyoko Market, possibly the Tokyo National Museum, before heading back to Asakusa for a final dinner before the flight home Sunday.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been trying not to completely lose my mind about this trip. I’ve watched so many “What to do” and “What not to do in Japan” videos on YouTube my head’s going to explode. And I only know how to say like three Japanese phrases… Just stay calm man. An invitation to fish tenkara in Nikko is not the kind of thing that happens every day.

Trip reports will follow. If you think the latest Driftless series was bad, you have no idea…

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The series is called Two in the North, produced for Expedition Portal, which is the media arm of one of the world’s largest overlanding and adventure travel communities. The basic premise: Chase and Aimee load up their Toyota Tundra in Montana and point it north, with Alaska as the ultimate destination. Vancouver Island, British Columbia, the Yukon, and eventually the Alaskan wilderness are all on the route, with no rigid plan and plenty of room for the road to take them somewhere unexpected. Three episodes are out so far, and I’ve watched all of them.

Episode 1: Cutthroat

The series opens on Vancouver Island, where Chase and Aimee spend weeks chasing sea-run coastal cutthroat in genuinely miserable conditions. Rain, changing tides, empty water, and a fish that doesn’t particularly want to be found. It sets the tone for the whole series really well. Less about catching fish, more about what keeps you searching for them. Oh, and there’s birds!

Episode 2: Grayling

With Vancouver Island behind them, the Tundra heads north through British Columbia toward Alaska. This one shifts the focus toward Arctic grayling, which if you’ve never seen one up close are genuinely one of the most beautiful freshwater fish on the planet. The landscape gets bigger and emptier as the episode goes on (glaciers anyone?), and it starts to feel like the journey is really beginning.

Episode 3: Salmon

By the third installment they’ve crossed into Alaska, and the fishing opens up considerably. Salmon enter the picture alongside more cutthroat and grayling, and the filmmaking feels like it’s hitting its stride. There’s a sequence in this one that reminded me of why I started watching Tight Loops films in the first place.

New episodes drop every Tuesday on the Expedition Portal YouTube channel, so there’s plenty more to come. If you want to watch from the beginning, all three are above and worth your time. And if you want to follow along as the series continues, subscribe to the Expedition Portal YouTube channel and give Tight Loops a follow too. You won’t regret either of those decisions.

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FLOW Fest Expo is a brand new event coming to Asheville, North Carolina on March 13-14, 2027. It’s being built from the ground up by the Mauri family, who many in the fly fishing world will recognize from Mauri Flyfishing and their association with The Fly Fishing Show. Last week Emily Mauri announced that she’d left The Fly Fishing Show to launch this with her family and some collaborators, and the concept she’s described sounds pretty interesting.

FLOW stands for Fly Fishing, Lifestyle, Outdoor, and Wellness. The fly fishing component is the main draw for me, interactive demonstrations, workshops, hands-on experiences, a Destination Village for trip planning, a Learning Center, conservation organizations, and independent makers all under one roof. There’s also a wellness and recovery component and live artists, which rounds it out into something that feels a little different from a traditional fly fishing trade show setup. Whether that’s your thing or not, the fly fishing part of it looks like it could be solid.

The Asheville location is an added bonus for anyone who loves western North Carolina fishing. That part of the state has some really beautiful tenkara and trout water within easy driving distance, so pairing a show visit with a few days on the water in the mountains isn’t a tough sell at all.

It’s early days for FLOW Fest and there’s plenty still to be announced, but I’m keeping a close eye on this one and honestly wouldn’t be surprised if I end up in Asheville in March 2027. You can follow along and sign up for updates at flowfestexpo.com.

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On July 27th, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission voted to raise the statewide minimum harvest size for trout from 7 inches to 9 inches. It takes effect January 1, 2027, and it’s the first time they’ve touched that number since 1983. Over 40 years! Better late than never, I suppose…

This wasn’t just some arbitrary change. Pennsylvania fisheries biologists spent the last decade sampling nearly 200,000 wild brook trout across close to 3,000 streams, and of all those fish, only about 6 percent were longer than 7 inches. So the fish you could legally keep under the old rule was already a pretty rare. Raising the minimum two inches to 9 inches effectively puts over 99 percent of Pennsylvania’s wild brook trout off the table. And those two inches aren’t arbitrary either. That particular size range holds the most productive spawning females in the population. Protect them now, and you’re protecting next year’s fish too.

If you’re primarily fishing stocked trout, this isn’t going to really impact you. Hatchery fish average 11 inches coming out of the pens and creel limits aren’t changing, so your elbow-to-elbow opener next spring looks the same as always.

The PA Council of Trout Unlimited was behind this push, backed by a decade of solid electrofishing data from the Commission’s fisheries staff and an 85 percent approval rate among anglers surveyed in 2023. Good science, engaged anglers, good outcome. That’s the way it’s supposed to work.

About time, Pennsylvania. The wild brookies thank you. Oh, and Go Birds.

The post Pennsylvania Just Raised Its Trout Minimum Size Limit – And It’s a Big Deal appeared first on Troutrageous! Fly Fishing & Other Nonsense.

Meet the Classic Spey Rod and the Classic Spey Reel

The rod comes in a range of configurations spanning trout spey, switch, and full spey models, from a 3-weight 11-footer all the way up to an 8-weight 136. The one that has my eye is the 3110-4: 11′, 3-weight, four-piece, moderate-fast action in a dark clay brown blank with a matching rosewood reel seat insert. It’s purpose-built for swinging soft hackles and lightweight-to-moderate streamers, which given my general predisposition toward smaller flies and lighter gear, feels like a natural fit.

Redington describes it as “uncomplicated, approachable, and ready for that first hit of two-handed pandemonium,” which honestly sounds like their marketing department wrote that specifically for people like me who have been eyeing trout spey for years and just keep kicking the can down the road. The rod comes with a lifetime warranty, premium cork grip, titanium oxide stripping guides, and a divided brown ballistic nylon rod tube, all for $374.99.

The Classic Spey Reel comes in three sizes: 3/4/5 ($375), 6/7/8 ($400), and 7/8/9 ($425). It’s a mid-arbor, click-drag design, which given my well-documented affection for click & pawl reels, was music to my ears. It has a high-decibel click, heritage styling, and genuinely looks like it belongs next to the Classic Trout reel on the shelf. The 3/4/5 paired with the 3110-4 rod would run you right around $750 all-in for a complete trout spey setup. At least until they build and offer a bundle. $750 isn’t sofa cushion change, but in the spey world, I guess it’s considered accessible…

So Do I Take The Leap?

I’ve said for years that I want to try trout spey, but just haven’t taken the leap. Tenkara, no problem. Bamboo, absolutely. The difference is I’ve never actually been familiar enough with the brands that make spey gear or the models they offered. And I don’t live in Scandinavia or the Pacific Northwest. The Classic Spey might be the nudge I need. The aesthetics match the Classic Trout gear I already own and love, the price point is doable, and Redington has pitched it specifically as a gateway rod, which is either very smart marketing or exactly what I needed to hear. Probably both.

I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but I’d be lying if I said the browser tab isn’t still open…

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