Every year around this time I go Animal House crazy and order a single beer at the Sapporo Beer Garden in Odori Park. And for the third year in a row that beer has been the Kirin Ichiban Shibori “Frozen” draft. This year I opted for the stout version. I am not privy to the […]
Been trying to get into a fly tying groove. Working on my basic skills, especially doing my whip finishes by hand. Using a whip finishing tool seems to make things more difficult. So I keep it simple, minimalist and quick. 100 Yen sewing thread, some simple hackles, and that’s it! A little peacock herl […]
A couple weeks ago I partook in some early season fly fishing on the never freezing, but always chilly waters of Lake Shikotsu, about an hour and a half from Sapporo. This being my second time fishing on this caldera created lake, once again me and my friend found ourselves skunked after more than six […]
Took the classic, three day, Golden “Week” family vacation in a minivan towards central Hokkaido. Through Asahikawa, then on to a night at Sounkyo hot springs resort, then finally spending another night in Minami Furano – with many stops along the way. It was good to see the change in topography as we entered the […]
A few weeks back we had a bit of an Indian winter in the midst of a rather balmy March. It allowed me to strap on my Tubbs Wilderness snowshoes one last time to frolic in the environs of Asahiyama Park. The snow was fresh, the wind was strong, and the backcountry was mostly untouched. […]
Fly fishing is for true men. Hemingway did it and he wasn’t no pussy, right? It’s what all true God-fearing man’s men aspire to become – an honest to goodness, straight out of “A River Runs Through It”, fly fisherman. No time for pansies here. I strap on my waders like Calvin Coolidge on an […]
For the past three winters I’ve felt that the mountains of Hokkaido were a no-go. Snow and ice made impassible trails that were downright dangerous to even attempt. My wife was even under the misguided belief that the mountain trails were “closed”, i.e. it was illegal to even go there. As preposterous as that sounds, […]
Winter is now fully here, no turning back this time. Pretty much a constant accumulation of snow, low temperatures, shoveling, and most importantly – snowshoeing, until at least mid March. This past week I’ve gotten to fully field test my Tubbs Wilderness snowshoes as well, as all my other trekking gear, in Asahiyama Park. Asahiyama, […]
Nakajima Park in winter. There’s numerous plowed thoroughfares for pedestrians passing through going about their day. Yet large swathes of it remained untouched due to a deep blanket of snow several feet deep. It wasn’t this way a week ago, but a dip in temperature and a decent accumulation of snow overnight on this past […]
Last April I returned from the U.S. with a pair of Tubbs Wilderness snowshoes, acquiring a hefty luggage fee along the way. It was well worth it, since finding snowshoes that suit my weight can be tough in Japan. I’ve been patiently waiting for the snows to come, gathering assorted cold weather gear, and preparing […]