The ban on mountain stream fishing was lifted on the 7th in the Houkigawa River in Nasu-Shiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture, and many people are enjoying fishing for the first time in a while.
The Hoki River, which flows through the Shiobara Onsen town of Nasu-Shiobara City, opens to mountain stream fishing for mountain trout and rainbow trout on the first Sunday of April every year.
Approximately 600 anglers from within and outside the prefecture visited on the 7th and entered the river when the fishing season opened at 5am.
According to the local Shiobara Fisheries Cooperative Association, there has been less snow this winter, and less cold melt water flows into the river, so the water temperature on the morning of the 7th was around 9 degrees, the perfect temperature for fish to start moving actively.
In addition, the fishing cooperative stocked approximately 26,500 rainbow trout and yamame trout in a 6-kilometer area before the ban was lifted, and some people caught over 20 trout in about an hour and a half after the ban was lifted.
A local man said, ``I come every year on the opening day. I've been waiting for a long time and I'm enjoying catching fish for the first time in a while.''
You can enjoy mountain stream fishing in the Houkigawa River until September 19th.