Let's Go Fishing in Uono-gawa!

Back when I was a kid, I used to love fishing. It is such a peaceful and relaxing pastime, and it’s a good way to earn yourself some lunch or dinner.  Given my affinity for it, I’ve often wondered about fishing around here in Niigata. I’ve seen plenty of folks out wading with their fishing poles in the local Uono-gawa, but I’m not savvy on local fishing licensing requirements or even what kind of fish the river has to catch...until this morning’s walk, that is!

Fortunately, I chanced upon this sign board that recently went up that answered (almost) all my questions.

The sign was helpful for clearing up a few key things, such as...

Type of fish

Since we’re so high up in the mountains and the river is relatively shallow, we don’t have huge fish up here, but it turns out that what we do have is pretty great.

Ayu (sweetfish)  These are among the most popular freshwater fish in Japan, and you can find them at many Ryokan and festivals served whole, salted, and roasted.

Nijimasu (rainbow trout)  I grew up eating rainbow trout, and Japanese trout is even better than its American counterparts. Just throw some lemon and salt and put it in the fish grill and you have a delicious meal!

Yamame (landlocked masu salmon)  This was a surprise, because I was unaware that we’d have such a delicious fish swimming through our river here. Masu salmon is great when roasted and put inside Niigata koshihikari onigiri!

The other fish are not too appetizing, but those three above would make the trip worth it!

So the sign also explains the cost for pulling those fish out of the river, and it is pretty pricey: over 2000 yen for licenses for those fish for the day. I guess if you got a good enough haul, you wouldn’t be complaining though.

So the only thing I have left to find out is where to pay for the licenses, then it’s game on to get the hook on!

Oh, and in case you’re wondering about how the fish might taste coming out of the river up here, just check out this clear water. Can't get much purer than this:

Just one of the many perks of living in yukiguni!