Field Report 002 | The Southern Alps' Treasures

"The Treasure of the Southern Alps."
That is the nickname for the "Yamato char" that inhabits the mountain streams of the Southern Alps.
The purpose of this trip was to see this legendary, beautiful fish with my own eyes.



Our destination this time was "Ryomata Hut," located at an altitude of about 2,000m,
just downstream from the confluence of the right and left forks in the upper reaches of the Noro River in the Southern Alps.

Unlike my usual fishing trips, we carried all our own necessary gear and food on our backs,
walking a long distance to reach the headwaters.




We took a bus to Kitazawa Pass, from where we began our 13km trek to the hut.
The first 4km were on asphalt.

With the river flowing below, I couldn't help but look down and spot fish shadows,
making me want to start fishing immediately, but I held back since our destination was still far off.

After walking for about 30 minutes, I spotted the sign I had seen so many times on screens,
which only further boosted my motivation to fish.



It wasn't a steep mountain trail, but it was still a 9km journey.
We took breaks frequently to take our backpacks off.

The temperature was just right, and the breeze occasionally coming up from the river at the bottom of the valley felt wonderful.

Walking with the flow of the Noro River in our sights and taking in the Southern Alps scenery,
we were able to complete the long approach without any trouble.



And then, with 1km left, we saw this sign.

My patience had reached its limit.
It wasn't exhaustion or hunger. I just wanted to cast my line.

I immediately started prepping my gear and cast a lure.
While I didn't catch anything on the first cast, I did see 4 or 5 fish chasing it.

Being able to fish even while walking the mountain trail felt amazing.



We each caught one fish here, but they were Nikko char, not the Yamato char we were after.
Since the river was so teeming with fish, we released them quickly without taking photos.

We ended the day with a bit of fishing and checked into Ryomata Hut.
Our first day ended in a quiet mountain hut tucked deep into the mountains.



Because Ryomata Hut attracts many anglers as well as hikers,
those who want to fish gather in front of the hut at 6:00 AM to perform the "stream allocation," deciding which stream everyone will enter.
It is a necessary step to ensure everyone can enjoy their fishing.

After that, we had breakfast and started preparing our gear.



I assembled my rod and set my reel.
I chose my lure and packed only what was necessary.

After taking our time to prepare, we entered the stream at 8:00 AM.
The cool water of the Southern Alps could be felt against my legs.

The water was surprisingly clear, making every rock visible,
and we could see the char swimming about clearly.

"There are Yamato char in this river."

Just thinking that raised my expectations, but
actually catching the fish you can see is another challenge entirely.

It felt like most of the fish I could see were just drifting, focusing on the water's surface.
Could it be a bug pattern?
With that in mind, I switched to fly fishing, which I had just started this year, and resumed casting.

I had some chases and bites, but couldn't quite hook one.
I switched streams, went back to lure fishing, and just as time was running out and I was about to give up,
I got a hit.

I successfully landed it and let out a shout of gratitude.

It was a dark-colored Yamato char, just as I had hoped to see.



The contrast between the dark body and the white tips of the fins.
So cool, so beautiful.
It was a fish that made all the effort worthwhile.

While looking at the photos and videos of the Yamato char we caught,
we gobbled down our dinner of curry.
Savoring the wonderful time, I fell asleep completely full.

The next morning, we quickly finished breakfast and packed our bags.
We gave our final thanks to the hut, bought a towel and bandana as souvenirs, and began our journey home.

That said, since the first 1km of the trail from the hut is along the river,
we of course fished our way down.

We both got hits right in front of the hut.
The fish seemed quite active.




Remembering the previous day's conditions, I switched to a dark-colored lure.

Standing above the current and casting across the stream to let the lure drift near the surface,
the fish's reactions improved instantly.

After doing the same drift a few times, I felt a heavy strike.
When the giant fish surfaced, I let out a second shout on this trip.

An unbelievable 30cm+ "shaku" char.
I had come all this way hoping to catch a Yamato char,
but I never dreamed I would catch a Yamato char over 30cm.




After that, we kept catching them with the same method,
and ended up fishing a bit too long.

Realizing it was past 11:00 AM,
we finally began our true 12km trek back toward Kitazawa Pass.

The actual moment of catching a Yamato char is truly just an instant.
However, all the time spent walking the mountains and rivers leading up to that one fish—the entire journey—is what made this trip so captivating.

"I want to come back to this stream again next year."

With that thought in mind, I brought this trip to a close.


angler : @teriyaki_kouya ,