Trout Fishing in Tokyo may sound impossible, until you look to the metropolises westernmost border. The Okutama area is a rural part of Tokyo that is best known for its camping and hiking. Ever since hiking Mt. Kumotori, we’ve been interested in returning to the Okutama area. In addition to other outdoor activities, trout fishing is popular along many rivers in Okutama. We set out to find a fishing area that would accommodate our “hands free” criteria.

Some of the places we were looking at were very close to a train station meaning that they were likely to be inundated with people from Greater Tokyo. We chose the Otanba River International Rainbow Trout Fishing Area for its scenery, reviews on Google, informative website, and rental rod option.

Getting Started

The Otanba River International Rainbow Trout Fishing Area was located around two kilometers north of Kawai Station on the Ome Train Line. When we arrived, we were able to park in the main parking lot. We recommend going to the reception area first before bringing all of your stuff. We got in at just before 7:00 in the morning and there were already several dozen people in line.

Despite there being a lot of people, the line moved quickly and we were able to order and pay without any issues. We purchased two all day fishing passes, two rental rods, and one container of both grape beetles and salmon eggs. There was a limit of 20 fish per person. We picked up some free blue net bags to hold our fish. While it might be more effort in the short run, we recommend securing a place along the river ASAP. We did so, and then took turns going back to the car to get the rest of our things.

Note: The two baits to choose from were grape beetles and salmon eggs. We definitely had more success with the grape beetles and recommend them over the salmon eggs.

Some larger groups brought carts to carry larger items like tables, chairs, and canopies. The path along a good stretch of the eastern bank of the river was paved, so it was cart, stroller, and wheelchair accessible. Despite there being a lot of people, the river area did not feel crowded. The fishing area was a section of the river that had been artificially separated into a series of large pools that fed into each other. The width of the river was wide enough to where both sides could be fished from at the same time.

Choosing A Spot

While fishing might be the primary activity, we were always looking at the long game. Particularly when it comes to choosing a place to set up camp. We chose a place fairly close to the entrance with several large trees casting shade over our area. We calculated that we would have shade throughout the morning. On particularly hot days, the west bank of the river will get morning sun which could be brutal. The place we chose was shady throughout the morning and only got a little sun in the early afternoon.

Fishing

The rental rods were pretty basic. They consisted of a bamboo pole that was about 6 ft in length and was quite limber at the end. At the tip of the pole was about 10 feet of fishing line with a small weight, bobber, and hook attached. With the combined length of the pole and fishing line, we could almost reach across the entirety of the river. Since there was no reel on the pole, we just beached the fish, when we caught one. Taking out the hook was a little difficult and we were glad that we brought a pair of pliers with us.

After getting the hook out we put the fish into our blue netted bag and placed it back into the water with a rock over the opening. In addition to the fish already in the river, there were two dedicated fish release periods. The first one was at 9:00 in the morning and the second one was at 13:00. We definitely recommend having your pole in the water at this time. Staff members make their way to each of the pools and drop a good amount of fish per person. There were five people fishing in our pool and the staff dropped over a dozen fish each time. Within a couple minutes, each of us had caught at least one new fish. The thrill of a bite and bringing the fish up were both exhilarating.

The rental rods were absolutely essential. When a hook breaks off or you get snagged in the rocks, you can just replace your rod for a new one. We did this about a half dozen times each. We took our old bamboo rod back to the reception area staff and got a new one off the rack. The rental rods were so convenient and they insured that we spent more time fishing and less time fixing our line.

Fishing Strategy

We had the best fishing results when we threw our line into the water where the current was the strongest. We then let the current take our line down the river naturally. The fish were smart enough, not interested, or didn’t see our bait when we were in the calmer parts of the river. Around 80% of the fish caught in our pool were caught in the same general area.

Fish Grilling

While the novelty of cooking your own freshly caught fish over a charcoal fire is very appealing, in practice it was much more difficult.

After we caught some fish, we headed back to the reception area. They had a fish cleaning station just to the right of it. Some staff members cleaned our fish, salted them, and then put them into a bag. We purchased a grilling set for ¥1,000 from the reception area. The set included a grill top, small bag of charcoal, fire starter, lighter, fan, tongs, gloves, and two sets of plates and utensils.

All along the river, there were concrete grill areas where we could grill our fish.

Fire Woes

Getting the fire started was a bit challenging. We needed to forage for significant amount of kindling and small branches. The challenge was getting the fire big and hot enough to activate the charcoal. Retrospectively, it probably would have been best to put all the fire starters in at once as opposed to adding them in separate batches. The heat from the grill needed to be pretty hot to cook the fish in a timely manner. After several rounds of kindling and some concentrated use of the fan, we were able to whip up and maintain a large flame. The flames caught some of our bigger branches and we were able to activate most of the charcoal.

We threw a couple of our fish on the grill and cooked them for a while. Retrospectively, we should have wrapped them in foil to retain their moisture. The time on the grill had really dried the fish out.

Next time we go, we’re likely to bring a cassette stove which runs on gas canisters. We’ll bring a frypan and cook it in some cooking oil. It may not be the most authentic, but the results are almost guaranteed to be good.

Final Thoughts

The Otanba River Fishing Area was commercialized in the sense that it was a very controlled environment. However it did have a feeling of authenticity, since it was in a rural mountain area and was along a natural running river. If we had to do it over again. We would have placed our base camp in the shady area and then moved to the opposite bank to fish.

At the end of the day, we caught the perfect amount of fish. At home, we cleaned out the remaining blood and made sure to pat the fish down, so they were completely dry. We then put them into a hot fry pan with oil. We seared each side for about two minutes before taking them off. The pre-salted fish needed no additional seasoning. The skin was crispy and the meat was nice and flakey.

We have come to grade an experience like this on how easy it is for a novice. To have an enjoyable experience we recommend being able to do the following

• Be able to put a grape beetle on a hook
• Be able to grab a fish and pull the hook out
• Be able to start a fire

By no means do you need to be an expert on the above, but having a working knowledge will go a long way.

We really enjoyed our time at the Otanba River International Rainbow Trout Fishing Area. In total we caught 17 fish which was the perfect amount. At a price point of about ¥5000/person it was an enjoyable experience that we’re looking forward to doing again. If your looking for a fun outdoor experience we recommend Trout Fishing in Tokyo at the Otanba River International Rainbow Trout Fishing Area.

Recommendations

• Rental rods are the way to go.
• Need one container of bait per person.
• Grape Beetles are our recommended bait over salmon eggs
• Bring non slip gloves to handle the fish
• Bring a pair of pliers to remove the hooks
• Bring folding chairs to sit on
• Fish in the area where the flow of water is quickest.
• Bring plenty of liquids to drink
• Bring lunch and some snacks.

More to Come…

Here is the link to their website.