NOTES AND IMAGES FROM DAVID KLEYN IN JAPAN

(David is a South African who got his first fly rod when he was about 7. Fifteen years ago he went to spend some time in Japan. He soon fell in love with the place and is still there. An accomplished photographer, excellent writer and keen fly fisher he shares some of his worldwide fly fishing experiences and brilliant photography with us. He has fished around the world but is presently reinventing his love for Japanese streams. See also 31 July Newsletter for more of David Kleyn on http://www.tomsutcliffe.co.za/index.php/fly-fishing-diary/182-31-july-2011-newsletter-)

Waterfall rock by David Kleyn

Yukon Canada - Two fish on one cast

This is a northern pike in Dezadeash Lake in The Yukon (Canada). This fish was caught in the main body of the lake over submerged weed beds in late summer. The fly is one I had copied from an earlier trip; the story of which went like this: the first time I fly fished for pike was in The Yukon spring (late June) and the ice had just “gone out” a few weeks earlier. The mature pike had moved into a large shallow “basin” in the north east corner of the lake to spawn. These “flats” were probably a few hundred meters in diameter and about 1 meter deep. I was fishing from a shallow-hulled fishing boat with a guide and was using a light saltwater/salmon outfit (fast-action 7wt Sage, an Abel 3N and a clear intermediate WF line). I was about to tie on a large streamer when the guide handed me what looked like a cigar-shaped orange and black mouse – it was about 12 cm long and, when wet, was heavy enough to cast with a light spinning rod! The pike were a little skittish is the shallows and the fishing was probably as close as one could get to “tarpon flats fishing in the arctic”. After getting the “mouse” out and letting it sink about halfway to the bottom, I would strip it in. The pike would often follow it right in to the boat before grabbing the fly and then sprinting away when they felt the hook.

After a couple of hours of crazy action it was almost time for a lunch break, I was bringing in what I through was the last fish. It was a decent pike of about 70 cm and as it got close I saw it was being followed closely by what was without doubt the biggest fish we had seem all day - over a meter long and as thick as a decent-sized log. I gave the hooked fish some line and it was able to unhook itself. But before I could do anything else, the big fish grabbed the fly and took off! Fortunately I had most of my line on the reel and did not have coils of loose line lying around on the desk. This was a big, powerful fish and the water was literally being sliced open by the line which was screaming off the reel – that also turned out to be the best fish of that session and I think the first time I had ever caught two fish off one cast. That fish was released as well.

But I did keep one of the smaller fish (about 60 cm). This was on the suggestion of the very capable resident chef at the lodge that morning. For dinner that night he prepared the pike and fried it in his signature beer-batter. The fillets came out crispy, golden brown and the flesh was white, firm and delicious.

After lunch we headed to the other side of the lake to get into the lake trout. These are beautiful fish that grow to almost 50 kg and The Yukon is one of the best places in the world for them. They are only native to Northern Canada and parts of Alaska.

Here too is where we drift dry flies for the arctic grayling and cast for the wild native rainbows. This particular population of rainbow trout is protected.  The rainbows tended to stay in the faster stretches of water while the grayling favour the slower water (at least at that time of the year). So for the rainbows I used a weighted nymph, and there was no doubt about what you had when the rainbows picked up the nymph. These fish are exceptionally powerful and seem to be immune to the forces of the current. Each and every time they would take me straight onto my reel and then get that screaming – while swimming upstream! I don’t think I have ever come across fish with that weight to power ratio.

Sockeye salmon and trophy grayling on a RAB!

The last time I went salmon (sockeye) fishing was in Alaska in 2001. We were fishing a beautiful stretch of water called Clear Creek near Haines (having driven down from The Yukon for the day) and that day was magical in terms of scenery, quality of the fishing, company and weather. It was the 10^th September 2001. And the very next day, the whole world turned on its head. We were also due to fly (in a small Cessna with fat sand-tires fitted to land on the beach) to a place called Dry Bay on the 12^th . Here we were to have cast for the Coho just as they left the salt water and entered the fresh – so still very lively! But of course the airspace was closed and this trip was cancelled. Incidentally, early on the morning of the 11^th, a different party from our lodge did fly to Dry Bay and were stranded there until the airspace was re-opened. And when they got back, they swore never to eat salmon ever again! So instead, we made do with some fantastic arctic grayling and lake trout fishing on Kathleen River. The grayling at that time of year are trophy sized (40 plus cm), and they are unable to resist a RAB drifted over the broken water as it enters the lake. For these I use a favourite old, and very well used, Reddington 4wt.

This sockeye pictured here was released, but I did keep 2 that I had cold-smoked by one of the locals, which turned out to be the finest smoked salmon I have ever had. I love smoked salmon and consider myself something of an authority when it comes to good food, but that salmon was in a class by itself.

Japanese landscapes

These are the Myogi Mountains in Japan. This is actually an ancient volcano caldera about 150 km north of Tokyo.

Below is the countryside at an area called Haruna, in late autumn, about 150 km north of Tokyo and about 50 east of Myogi

This picture below was taken at a place called Jigokudani (Hell Valley). You may have seen similar images in National Geographic. This is where the wild monkeys use the hot springs in winter!

Fishing in Chile

Fishing in Chile some years ago I caught a lot of fish, but not in this particular river. I set the camera up on a tripod and used the timer on this shot. I guess I was getting bored having not had any action whatsoever on that river so decided to get some photos.

Landscape from a fly fishing trip to Tasmania