The trees and flowers are budding, and spring has arrived! For myself, who likes the winter season, I feel a little lonely, but that said, it’s getting warmer each day, and the feeling of people in the towns and mountains overflowing with vitality is unique to this season. I’m sure everyone is planning a lot of fun rides.

I can’t help but imagine the months to come, and what I meet want to bring with me on some memorable rides during these warm and dry seasons. So today, let me introduce a recent purchase that I’m excited about.

Surprise!
It’s a fishing rod, not a bicycle part.

Combining cycling and fishing, which I have personally enjoyed for a long time, and have written about before on this blog. Amongst all of the different ways to go fishing, I think that mountain stream fishing is the most enjoyable form of bicycle fishing here in Japan, and I finally got a rod intended for just that.

I opted to buy Shimano’s Cardiff NX model – intended for light trout fishing. Since it is intended for fishing in narrow places such as headwaters, I chose the shortest rod length in the lineup. It’s a pole that can be divided into 4 segments, so you can carry it compactly.

Easily secure the whole package to the top tube of your bike with a Pack It Right strap like this and you’re done. You can stash your bike and approach a mountain stream by bicycle, and then quickly access unique stretches of the river more efficiently than you might be able to on foot. There’s great style in earning your fish by having pedaled to your catch spot.

Because it’s so compact, I can take it with me when I travel, so I’ve been fantasizing that I can easily approach remote riverside spots and cast my rod while traveling.

Here’s a couple photos from last autumn’s trip to America. After finishing the GSC closing party, I traveled to the Northeast United States- to Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont to connect with people our business is close with. After an easy hike, I set my sights on the river flowing at the foot of the mountain and decided to take out my rod and cast for a half hour or so.

I had been keeping my gear positioned at the ready in the car because I wanted to cast the rod as much as possible when the timing was just right. I was so fortunate to get to spend some time in the Catskill mountains during peak autumn color season. What a memorable experience to surrender myself to the beautiful scenery of the colored trees and try to catch a fish.

If you approach it seriously, fishing can become a lifetime pursuit and passion- so start fishing by focusing on the areas that interest you the most. At first that day, I cast a spoon, but the current was stronger than I expected; so I changed the lure to a minnow- which is the heaviest of the lures I brought.

My instinct and persistence paid off in my catching my first fish in America. A small feat in the bigger picture, but an accomplishment, nevertheless.

The river I fished this time had a law to release the fish I caught during this time of year, but the fried trout I ordered at a local diner as we departed the Catskills was very delicious. It made for a fond memory that I’ll carry with me.

The long-awaited season has arrived for those who enjoy mountain stream fishing. I am also planning my next fishing trip right away. I hope I can report back with a good catch next time!