Fishing trip to Hokkaido. HOUYHNHNM FISHING CLUB enjoys the lake and the Sea of Okhotsk very much. Part 1

I arrived at Kushiro Airport about an hour and a half from Haneda Airport. While I was looking forward to the trip, I was also afraid of the early winter cold in Hokkaido, but on the day of the trip, the weather was clear and the temperature was 7 degrees Celsius. The crisp, cool air was pleasant, and I was excited about the 3-day/2-night fishing trip. After completing the rental-car formalities, we were ready to go! As soon as we started the car, we saw a straight stretch of road and realized that we were in Hokkaido. The endless wilderness scenery never bores me, and I feel so buoyant that I end up listening to GLAY and Chiharu Matsuyama in a groove.

Enjoying the drive, we quickly arrived at our destination for the first day, Lake Akan. Lake Akan is part of a national park and is the fifth largest lake in Hokkaido. It is a tourist attraction famous for its marimo, but is also called a sacred place by anglers. After stopping by a nearby restaurant to fill up on the "Ezo-shika Teishoku" (Ezo-shika deer set meal), we will start preparing for fishing.

This is my first time in Hokkaido and my first time trout fishing. So this time, I asked a guide to take me around. When we met up with him and talked to him, he told us that the conditions were not good. We were going to fish on land by the lake, but we decided to go to the island by boat and wade into the lake. The members arrived at the point and started fishing.

Yosuke Ishii (middle left)
HOUYHNHNM, Editor-in-Chief.
Director of HOUYHNHNM FISHING CLUB. I have only visited urban areas such as Sapporo in Hokkaido. This will be my first visit to the northern land, and I am very excited. Fishing is a great opportunity for me to visit various places and expand my range of activities. This is my first time trout fishing, so I hope to catch at least one fish through trial and error."

Junpei Ichikawa (middle right)
o.r. Representative / Editor
He handles marketing and media production for all brands and is the publisher and editor-in-chief of the fishing lifestyle magazine BEFORE YOU WAKE UP, which launched issue 2 on November 30. On this trip, he will join us on the first night. I've only been to Obihiro in East Hokkaido, and this was my first time fishing in Hokkaido. I was looking forward to this fishing trip because it was the fulfillment of my long-cherished dream."

Shogo Komatsu (right)
writer
He writes mainly for fashion and web magazines. I was on a crowded morning train just a few hours ago, and now I feel like I'm at ...... warp. The air is good and the food is good. My capacity for satisfaction is already full. Now it would be perfect if I could catch some of Hokkaido's unique fish. This is my first time fishing for trout in the lake, but I have a feeling I can catch them. I want to make this day one to remember for the rest of my life!"

Fumihiko Ikemoto
photographer
He shoots for magazines, websites, and advertisements, from fashion to outdoor activities. I came here for the first time on the Tohoku-Kaido. It was great to see Hokkaido's typical scenery from the airport to here. I would like to see snowy scenery, too. I would be happy if I could touch the species of fish that can be caught only in Hokkaido. I do trout fishing at managed fishing grounds, but lakes are different. I want to fish hard."