Stephany's Report
My time at Kamuy – short stories
Overview
To me, this picture truly illustrates the work of a fishing guide.
At the center of the picture, we see a happy guest with his catch, Paul. He enjoyed a 3 days fishing trip with us and landed 5 salmons that day on the pretty shore of the Okhotsk Sea.
At the left of Paul, we see a happy trainee, me. Happy because of my small contribution to the catch (one salmon), but mostly because of the experience I gained from this trip. Catching the fish is the tip of the iceberg for a fishing guide. The preparation, the action and the reaction are what actually constitute the success of the trip.
In the background, we see a discreet captain who knew where to take us and who was very generous with his advices. An 81 years old man agile as a ninja on his boat and a wise man on the shore eyeing the sea to make sure his guests are at the good location at the right time for the best fishing.
And then, the person you don't see in the picture because he is behind the camera, the modest guide. The one also behind the success of this trip. He handled every details and surprises of the journey. His years of experience and his passion for fishing are shown on this picture for the ones who can see the bottom of the iceberg: the location and the type of fishing recommended in accordance to the time of the year, the rods, the lures and the bait to catch salmon, the booking of accommodation, the transportation and food logistic, the equipment to make sure the guests are suited for fishing, comfortable and safe. Kamuy's guide took a guest's trip request and transformed it into lasting memories for a father and daughter.
My time at Kamuy made me learn much more than I expected. In addition to learning new fishing skills, I realised how much dedication it takes to fulfill such a job.
Kamuy fishing service
Located in the small village of Akaiwaga, Kamuy fishing service offers guiding of water trips and fishing instructions almost all around Hokkaido. Fishing can be enjoyed walking the river with waders, from a boat on the river or kayaks on the lake. All level of anglers can have fun at Kamuy, from the advance to the family who wants to experience fishing for the first time and enjoy Hokkaido traditional BBQ!
Weather doesn’t stop Kamuy’s team and guests to fish, BBQ and have fun!
Internship
I was lucky to be selected by Kamuy to become one of the first foreigner interns. I approached Kamuy to seek a position where I could learn from an experienced guide and discover fishing in Japan. With very little knowledge about me they took me into their team, office and home and were more than generous to me. Not only did I learn about fishing and guiding, but I had the chance to meet wonderful people from various backgrounds, to travel around Hokkaido, to learn about farming, to improve my understanding and speaking of Japanese and to discover more of the local culture through a complete immersion. I am very grateful for this opportunity they have given me.
The day after my arrival we woke up at 3 am to get to our fishing location and meeting point with our guest at 5 am. I am not an early person, but I became one for my time at Kamuy. If you want to catch the fish you need to be willing to wake up for it! Furthermore this time of the day let’s you enjoy a very special light and witness the morning fog disappear from the mountains a typical and beautiful scenery of Hokkaido.
Waiting for our guest at the end point of the course