Fishing Spot Japan

Amago fishing in Nagara River (Gujo)

May, June and July are the prime months. A cooperative day permit is required.

When

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Season grading is our editorial judgement, not a sourced figure. It says when the fish is catchable, not when the water is legally open — for that, read the closed seasons below.

Do you need a permit?

A cooperative day permit is required. Typically ¥1,000–2,000, and more for ayu. Ayu permits cost considerably more than general permits and are strictly enforced.

Water
Freshwater
Prefecture
Gifu
Region
Chubu
Getting there
1 h from Nagoya

How far our answer goes here

  • ✓National lawApplies everywhere. Foreign-national gear limits, protected species, bluefin controls.
  • ?PrefectureMinimum sizes, closed seasons and legal gear. This is a floor — local rules add to it, never subtract.
  • ~Sea-area / inland committeeDirectives that close specific waters or periods. We hold these for a few prefectures only.
  • ✓Cooperative permitGujo Fishery Cooperative
    Licence , covering the Nagara, Yoshida and Kibushima Rivers. This is the home of Gujo ayu, national tasting-contest champion in 2008. The co-op publishes daily river-level readings for seven gauges.

Rules stack. Everything above the line we hold; everything below it you still need to confirm on the ground. That gap is exactly what a local guide is for.

Size limits and closed seasons

Not yet transcribed for this prefecture. The cooperative’s permit rules and national law still apply.

About Amago

The red-spotted southern-western counterpart of yamame. The dividing line runs roughly through central Honshu.

Japanese
Scientific name
Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae
Typical size
20–33 cm (8–13 in)

How it is fished here

Tenkara, Fly fishing

Tenkara — Japanese fixed-line fly fishing. A long rod, a line, a fly — no reel. Developed by professional mountain-stream anglers and now followed internationally.

Elsewhere

This is the only place we list for Amago. See the species page.