Kochi Shimanto River- Pristine Water and Premium Fishing - Journeys in Japan.

A gentle breeze ruffles the surface of the Shimanto River. There are prized game fish living in these pristine waters. This unspoiled river attracts anglers from far and wide. A fisherman from Canada has come to meet the people living alongside this river. On this edition of Journeys in Japan, fishing the crystal clear waters of the Shimanto River. About 650 kilometers from Tokyo, the Shimanto River flows through Kochi Prefecture in the south of Shikoku. Known for the clarity of its water and its gentle currents, the Shimanto River flows for 196 kilometers through unspoiled nature. Like the surrounding countryside, the river remains virtually untouched. Ken Blacksley has come to explore this land along the Shimanto River. Canada is a country where river fishing is very popular. For Ken, it was a hobby that became his passion. Ken now lives in northeastern Japan, where he crafts fly fishing rods. Hi, I'm Ken. Ever since I was a child, I loved river fishing. Even now, when I have time, I like to get on the river. Today, I finally made it to the Shimanto River, where I'm going to travel up it, meet the locals, and do some fishing. That's an unusual bridge. A narrow bridge with no railings along its sides. Because there are no railings, dirt and driftwood don't get piled up on the bridge when the river floods. This prevents it from being washed away. There are about 50 bridges like this along the Shimanto. They're a testament to the common sense of the people living along the river. Because the rocks piled up in the river attract eels, this is an age-old method for catching them. Ken is keen to find out how to catch eels this way. First, they put a net around the rocks. Next comes the really hard work. The rocks are quite heavy, and there's lots of them. So it's hard work moving all the rocks. So I hope there's some eel in there. There's one. It's coming this way. Right here. Oh, got one. Oh, so this is a good season for eels. All right, I'm going to go with salt. It's a lot fattier, but it's really clean, so it's easy to eat. That's delicious. I've never had eel like this before. It's so good. Ken will be taking the local train to get further upstream. It's a diesel train with a sightseeing car attached at the back. It's the peak season for a favorite fish that lives in the Shimanto River. Ken has come to meet a fishing master, Ando Masahiro. These ayu will be used as decoys. Ayu have slender, elongated bodies. The Shimanto River is famous as a habitat for wild ayu. And here's how to find the best fishing spots. If you find rocks like this when the river level is low, that means there are ayu living in that stretch of the river. You need two things to catch ayu this way, a fishing rod about nine meters long, and chest-high fishing waders. Ando is going to show Ken how it's done. He ties a line to a decoy fish and sets a hook in its rear fin. Then he gets it to move where there might be some ayu. The key is to get the decoy fish to swim naturally. Ando has got his first bite. Now it's Ken's turn. His first time trying the tomozuri decoy fish technique. It already feels like I've caught a fish. It's really hard keeping the tension right on this. Ken seems to have got a bite. Okay. Thank you. It's big. It's beautiful. My first ayu on tomozuri. It was a little bit tough at first, but I'm happy I got it. This is where Ken brings the ayu he's caught. Konnichiwa. I've caught some ayu. Ayu, I see. I understand. Let's go this way. Yes. Yes, please. Here you go. Yes. It's about 300 grams. I'll let you know the payment later. This place is a fisheries cooperative, which purchases fish from anyone who has a fishing permit showing it was caught the right way and during the permitted season, including from tourists. The Shimanto is home to many different kinds of fish and other creatures. The back meat is really tender and soft, but the inner is a little bitter, but it's actually quite pleasant. It's really good. Fishing is not the only thing to do at the Shimanto River. What's this? This zip line is 220 meters long and 20 meters above the river. It's about 25 seconds. It's the only way to view the river from above. All you need is a little courage. Here we go. Japanese rivers are so beautiful. The water is so clear and the places I often go fishing are in the remote mountains, so you get to get away from so many people and really connect with the river and feel the energy of the nature. And the fish here are gorgeous. You can't catch them anywhere else in the world. So that's why I like Japanese rivers. I'm starting to feel a bit chilly. Miyazaki Sei works in forestry. He also does woodcrafting. For Miyazaki, this sauna truck is his hobby. This is such a luxurious way to enjoy the river. When a major earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula on New Year's Day 2024, Miyazaki drove his sauna truck to the disaster area. And worked there as a volunteer. I guess this sauna isn't about just warming your body. It's about warming your heart, too. Ken moves on, heading towards the upper reaches of the Shimanto. He's reached a tributary close to the river's source. There are unusual fish here that only live in the clearest mountain streams. Toyota Shoji is a master fisherman. He knows everything about the upper reaches of the Shimanto River. Toyota takes Ken to one of his special fishing spots. Ken uses a rod that he made himself. He also makes his own fly, which he designs to resemble insects that float on the water's surface. They are a kind of salmon endemic to Japan. They live in clear, cold water that is no warmer than 20 degrees Celsius. Amago are very sensitive to changes in their environment. It's said they won't return for a day after someone fishes in their territory. Another small amago, but it's beautiful. The red spots really stand out. I can see why they call it the queen of the mountain stream. All right, I'm gonna let her go. There's a regulation that all amago under 10 centimeters must be released. It looks like Ken has caught another. All right, I'm gonna let him go. He changes his fly in the hope of snaring a larger amago. I got a good one. Nice, beautiful amago. The bigger ones have a little bit less red spots, but you can see them right here. I can see why they call it the queen of streams. I was able to get three amago at the end here. They're all so beautiful. I'm so happy. Mount Irazu rises to a height of 1,336 meters. This is where the river has its source. Up here, the shimanto is much narrower. So this is where it begins, the long journey of the shimanto river. The shimanto river isn't just about its vast scenery. It's a river you can fully feel and experience. Spending time with the locals rod in hand in these crystal clear waters is a memory that will last with me forever. In this river, I saw people living in harmony with nature, working to protect its richness. Here, everyday life and the river's flow quietly come together. The shimanto river is kind of a miracle. Created hand in hand with the people that live along it. And the people I met here have truly left an impression on me. The place I definitely want to come back to. Until next time. Flights from Tokyo to Kochi take about 85 minutes. From there, it's about an hour and 40 minutes by express train to Shimanto City.