Trout Fishing in Lake Shumanari featuring Mr. Nobuyuki Takanari


2019.02.26

NAVITIME TRAVEL EDITOR

I dream of spending my days as a fishing guide, and running my small whisky distillery here on Lake Shumarinai. ” -Nobuyuki Nakano

In northern Hokkaido, in an area that feels a bit like a no man’s land and is regarded by locals as the coldest place in Japan, lies Lake Shumarinai, the country’s largest man-made lake. This massive lake is known to outdoor enthusiasts as the go-to spot for scenic camping, canoeing, and sports fishing, with the latter being the main reason why Japanese from all over the country make the pilgrimage once a year (or season) to this far away land to cast their fishing lines in the hope of catching the ever-so-elusive Ito, or Japanese huchen, of the salmon family.

  • This popularity did not appear out of the blue though; it has been the arduous work of the NPO Lake Syumarinai World Center with Nakano-san at the helm. Nakano-san has dedicated his last 20 years not only to the promotion of the lake and Ito sports fishing, but also to the conservation of this “ghost fish”, as it is commonly known, which several years ago was on the verge of extinction.

    To gain a deeper appreciation for Lake Shumarinai and Nakano-san’s work, we took on the challenge and visited this beautiful land to get a closeup look at the association’s work and at the Ito itself, although this proved far more challenging then we had expected.

    As is customary with Nakano-san, or so it seems, our time with him begins with a welcoming glass of whisky. It is clear the man loves his whisky, and who wouldn’t, living in the frigid temperatures of Horokanai-cho. We love it too and get right into the conversation, which for the next two days will be about Lake Shumarinai, how the man made his way here all the way from his hometown of Osaka, and about his beloved fish. After a couple of drinks and Nakano-san showing us a hint of his skills while holding his own hand-made fly fishing lure, we get the rundown of the next day’s event, an early morning start and lots of Ito await.

    Bright, early and with the very cool temperatures of Lake Shumarinai in late fall, we meet the morning crew and set off to the heart of the lake to see first hand how the NPO sustains itself; in other words, to catch a lot of wakasagi, or smelts, which are farmed and commercialized, and as we later found out, bycatch which is fed to the farmed Ito.

    Out on the middle of the lake and armed with tenacity and huge fishing nets, the crew begins their daily routine and in unison start pulling in net after net full of wasagi, and the occasional Ito which is thrown back. It is cloudy and cold at this point and we can’t help but interrupt Nakano-san and ask what brought him this far. He tells us, that his adventure began when he was 19 yrs old around these waters as the keeper of these rivers. As he stayed on longer at Lake Shumarinai, single and without kids, he saw an opportunity in breeding the threatened Ito for sports fishing at a time when there were no solid guidelines regarding the sport; it took several attempts to get the government's support but eventually, his determination paid off. Along with the game fishing side of the equation, farming wakasagi helps to fund the NPO and keep the project running.

    The nets keep coming out of the water full of the little fish, and the men’s serious (obviously from the cold weather and early start) faces begin to fill with smiles just as the buckets are filled with the fish that will later be served at the Lakehouse and sold around Hokkaido.

  • The biggest joy though is when Nakano-san himself grabs a hold of a large Ito caught in the net and shows us his “baby” with overflowing pride, knowing that their job in breeding this mysterious fish is bearing fruit. This beautiful Ito has to go back in the water but with this inspiration in mind, we’re ready to head back to the lodge, get our gear together and head back in the water to try our luck at game fishing again under the guidance of Nakano-san.

    Equipped with some of the best fly-fishing rods and intricate baits, we head back out to the water, this time to one of Nakano-san’s favourite fishing spots, the location being a tightly-kept secret. We navigate for several minutes deep into this majestic lake and start to see why so many anglers are attracted to this remote place. The fall foliage does a lot in making Lake Shumarinai look like a surreal vacation spot. And with clouds clearing, we cast the lines and hope for the best.

    As our private guide gives us the in and out of the sport as well as some tips, we go back to learning more about the person. As we ask him if he misses Osaka he hesitates in his answer (probably out of respect for his homeland) but then clearly replies that after living in this paradise he sees no reason to go back to the big city life.

  • We wonder also about his family and especially about his kids… are they as passionate about fishing as he is? Does he want them to take over when he’s ready to retire? To which he answers, “I want my kids to travel their own road and do what makes them happy”, this followed by “Do you know kendo, my son is number one in Hokkaido!”, again, with a proud smile similar to that when he was holding on to his precious fish.

    We cast line after line, sometimes with surprisingly perfect form, chat some more, enjoy the scenery of Hokkaido’s wilderness, and hover over various fishing spots waiting for our prize. Our lines got tangled (city slickers doing a good job at being just that) and we keep Nakano-san busy fixing our gear, but even after several hours of being out on the water his persistence does not fade. Only until it is too dark to even see each other does he decide to call it a day. Our encounter with the Ito, at least in sports gaming conditions will have to be postponed, but we do not leave empty-handed. Back at the lodge and with a whiskey in hand we dwell on the experience and feel lucky to have such an insiders’ look into the life of Nakano-san, his crew, and their adventures in Lake Shumarinai.

    Official web site: Lake Shumarinai

    レークハウス しゅまりない
    place
    北海道雨竜郡幌加内町朱鞠内
    phone
    0165382029
    View Allarrow
    no image

Click here for a summary article including this article