Traditional Winter Pond Smelt Fishing with Fresh Tempura from Sapporo

Definitely test ones patience at times but was an absolute enjoyable experience. Grew up fishing in Aus so this mini fishing style was different and would definitely do it again. Thank you to the guides you were all very... lovely and c'mon it's Japan love the country!!!! Thank you Veltra organisation :)

This was to be our first experience at ice fishing, and really, we were excited just at the thought of it but were not exactly sure what to expect.

Our little adventure started with a pick-up right at our hotel lobby ...in Sapporo. No hiccups – the vehicle arrived right on time. A good surprise here though – while it was stated upfront that this would be a tour entirely conducted in Japanese, you could imagine our delight when our tour guide demonstrated that he is more than able to converse in basic English!

The ride to the fishing ground (my wife believed it to be the Barato river) took slightly less than half an hour, and the guide stopped by at a local convenience store just prior to reaching our destination. Here, you could grab some light refreshments but more importantly, make a trip to the restroom.

The frozen lake (or river) was a beautiful sight. Walking through thick snow en-route to the fishing site was an experience in itself. Prior to alighting from the vehicle, the guide made sure that we had the proper footwear on us; I didn’t, and was given a pair of waterproof boots. We got into one of the pre-built tents at the fishing site, and was glad that the guide thoughtfully brought along a portable heater. Not exactly warm and cozy, but more than comfortable enough, even for our 2.5 year old daughter that we had with us.

The fishing session commenced after short briefing by the guide – mainly on how to handle the rod, replacing baits, and the appropriate fishing depth for smelts. You’ll certainly get the opportunity to try putting on live worm baits yourselves during the 2 hour session. It was a productive session alright – we had 4 adults in total and together, we must have caught more than 30 smelts! The guide would fry them on the spot towards the end of the session. Add a dash of salt, and they are a delicacy. Nothing quite beats a hot tempura on a cold morning!

Overall, an awesome experience that we would thoroughly recommend!