Two nights stay camping in NASU Heights

Since I have special long summer vacation this year, we planed two nights camping for the first time.

COCCO_LAND campground was located in NASU Heights and it took 1.5h drive from my wife's parents' home.




Site-F was surrounded by tall broadleaf tree, very good location.

She could get to catch insects by herself, like butterfly and dragonfly.




Dragonfly was catching HIRATA mayfly! We again realized that it was definitely predator insects.







After dinner, their favorite 'Marshmallow time' had come.





Next morning, we found KABUTO_MUSHI beetle on the willow tree. It was first experience for my daughter to see and catch the wild one.






Using dutch oven, what we were making was,









Pizza! So nice to eat!!








KOGERA(Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker) again.









Playing around YOSASA river. It was quite unusual for me not to have fishing time during this camping.








Curry & rice as typical camping dishes.







She helped her mam to flip Pancake over.

We decided to take two pairs of KABUTO_MUSHI beetles just for her observation for a while , and released this NOKOGIRI_KUWAGATA stag beetle.

If you have a chance, let me recommend you 'two nights camping' strongly to enjoy camping itself with enough time.

HOUKI_GAWA C&R Section

Just for change, I picked HOUKI_GAWA River Catch & Release Section as today's destination. It is famous for the large scale, scenic beauty and good rainbow trout.

Maybe I was missing American fly fishing in summer. I tied form beetle pattern first.

First fish was typical hatchery one though, gave me lots of fun!

Water itself was so clear. Wide and very strong stream.

I could enjoy nymph fishing with indicator also, and several fishes were caught. Especially sight nymphing was so exciting, but I couldn't catch several huge ones...

KAWAGARASU(Brown Dipper) was so busy for his hunting of aquatic insects.

This bow was so nice fighter, and had pretty red band. Long cast to the shade on the opposite bank was needed.

I couldn't catch any big boys though, could enjoy fly fishing with #5 rod after very long interval.

River's scale, scenery and beautiful red banded bow, everything there reminded me of fly fishing in US today.

KIRIFURI Heights and W-GERA(Woodpecker)

We went to KIRIFURI Heights in NIKKO today.

Before 8AM, we arrived at KIRIFURI FALLS first. Female OOAKAGERA(White-backed Woodpecker) welcomed us. Needless to say, I was so excited to see her at first time!

They were sneaking to the butterfly which she found.

KIRIFURI falls. If we have another chance, would like to go down to the basin of a waterfall.

Move to next view point.

Around KISUGE-DAIRA, it was just cloudy when we reached there. But it changed to the sunny for a while.

We used the ropeway both ways.

After that, we dropped in OOZASA ranch and went back to my wife's parents' house.

When we got there, KOGERA(Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker) welcomed us in their garden. It was also my first seeing it.

Today was got started with Woodpecker, and ended with it also. Very Unusual surprise for us.

About today

In the morning, we visited interior shop today just for thinking of our new house's. A lot of fun should be coming soon.

Afternoon, playing in the park. Her grandpa was likely by her activeness.

My first shot of ONAGA(Azure-winged Magpie).

Its color balance is pretty though, very noisy bird.

My 2nd trip to YUKAWA; HIGENAGA was so hot!

It was almost one year interval to YUKAWA river since last trip .

Got up 4:30 and left my wife's parents' home 20min later. Arrived AKANUMA_CHAYA restaurant just six o'clock, and bought 1day fishing ticket for today.

Starting hole was the same as last trip, YUDAKI.




This tiny brook welcomed me. Just before 7 o'clock.




This is my first catch of HONMASU_trout. Looks like YAMAME trout very much.
Nice to see, so nice one!
After 4 caught there, went down to the stream.



Weather itself was fine, but most of stream were in the shade by hung over trees.


About fly selection itself, small terrestrial and curved shank parachute #14-18 were likely good choice today. Especially black color like ant was so effective today.
But today's my new finding was HIGENAGA! I changed fly to its pattern when I saw several splash rises for it.


Then it gave me a lot of strikes!! I couldn't count exactly though, almost 10 fishes were caught by it.



HONMASU_trout again. Beautiful mark.






He seemed to have a beer belly. This fly pattern was originally as a hopper, but worked as HIGENAGA so well.





Every water pocket, like under fallen tree and bank shouldn't be missed.















KARASU_AGEHA(?) butterfly.



Today's last one was so gorgeous! (That was the reason why I stoppded fishing about 15:30)





He lurked just in front of fallen tree. After I saw his failure attack to my fly, did countless(not overstatement!) casts for him. So It was a kind of dramatic catch for me.



It was so nice fishing trip today. Hopefully see you next year, YUKAWA_river.

Berry picking is

her routine morning work here in TOCHIGI.

We are so happy to have them with yogurt every morning.

Rainy TOCHIGI...

We had to change our original camping plan because of rainy weather.

Water drops on the rose leaf.

This garden of my wife's parents' should be good model for us planing ours now.

Move to TOCHIGI

Finally I've done for first check point of our new house building. It was just big deal though, we are glad to proceed to the next step.

So following my wife and daughter, I move to TOCHIGI, my wife's parents' home by car today.

Since they asked me to take OZIKO , I put it on her child seat. It grew so well. We are looking forward to seeing its flower soon.

My new OSHINO records; 4th trip to OSHINO

I could come to OSHINO again today!

Needless to say, today's theme was 'enjoy terrestrial big form fly fishing'.



1st one, good start.





2nd one was brown trout which wore well-balanced color.




'Shade' and 'Tight to the bank ' are important key words for terrestrial game.








Good YAMAME by CDC stonefly.




Move to FUJIKYU hole.









4th was superb brownie by yellow form beetle.








Effect of 'Match the Hatch'? (Bee including hornet is pronouced like 'hatch' in Japanese. Just jesting, sorry.)



Move to ONSEN-URA hole.

6th one was also good brown by white marabou(LTM).


I did check his stomach because I couldn't identify what he was feeding this time.
Looks like one of small caddis species. Need to be identified....



I could succeed in hooking this big boy by sigh nymphing using huge stonefly nymph pattern!




He was not under best condition though, his size was my OSHINO record, 54cm(21inches).








10th one was brown again and again and... by FUTASUJI's crippled dun.
He was so wild! I liked it very much, perfect condition!!


Long-horned beetle on the flower of SHISHI-UDO.

Move to downstream of S turns hole.




11th one was also well conditioned bow by olive body parachute#20.





Stonefly's shuck , Baetis' nymph and one of MADARA mayfly's dun were in his stomach.



I decided to enjoy evening fishing at upper stream section today.



After added 3 rain bows by midge adult and FUTASUJI's crippled dun pattern, last 15th one was this IWANA trout.
I don't think much of the number I caught usually, but today was different, a kind of special day.
In the end I caught 8 bows, 4 browns, 1 YAMAME and 2 IWANA. 15 was my new OSHINO record. And 4 species was also new.
Today was too good for me. The goddess of fishing must have smiled on me.