Outdoor Gearzine's 10th anniversary celebrations for Tenkara and mountain stream fishing at Minamiuonuma

There were concerns about the impact of Typhoon No. 10, but for some reason the weather gods always seem to favor this membership event, as once again, the Niigata area where the event is scheduled to be held appears to be miraculously less affected

So, the planned members-only event, Outdoor Gearzine 10th Anniversary Festival (at Iwamorimatsugoya, Minamiuonuma, Niigata Prefecture) was held in a small way!

(Only those with permission are allowed to appear in the photos)

Unfortunately, some people were unable to make it, but the total number of participants was four. The typhoon was still affecting the group on Saturday, so we decided to keep an eye on it and spend the day shopping, visiting the hot springs, and then having a party at a mountain hut to recharge our energy for the next day

The local supermarket is stocked with fresh summer vegetables such as eggplants, bell peppers, and okra

First, we quickly make a stir-fry of summer vegetables and toast

Tonight's main dish is teppanyaki

I got this seasonal limited edition sake, "AKIAGARI Nama Genshu," from Takachiyo Sake Brewery in Minamiuonuma City, where the mountain hut is located. It was fragrant and mellow, and went perfectly with the meal

As we enjoyed the local bounty to our heart's content, the night of the joyous 10th anniversary celebration passed by in a flash

Now it's Sunday. Miraculously, the sky is a clear blue in the morning, making it the perfect day for outdoor activities. Almost all of the members were looking to go fishing, so we headed out to the mountain stream we had been aiming for to catch 100cm long char

Feeling the subtle autumn breeze, I absentmindedly cast my fishing line into the clear stream

Whether I catch anything or not, it's a satisfying moment

After about three hours of fishing, the long-awaited catch finally came. He was confused by the unexpected moment, but he couldn't help but smile like this!

What's more, it's a wild char measuring nearly 100cm, with a beautiful, toned body

By the way, this was caught by bait fishing

Unfortunately, the Tenkara team didn't catch anything this time either. We gratefully released the fish, saying, "Next time, I'll catch one with Tenkara, so don't let anyone else get caught."

Then the weather started to get a little worse, so we decided to call it a day and head home

Finally, we returned to Tokyo and enjoyed some more hot springs and a local set meal before disbanding

In the end, we were able to spend two incredibly fulfilling days on both Saturday and Sunday, and we are extremely grateful to everyone who participated

At Outdoor Gearzine, we will continue to hold various small events with our membership that are open to everyone, from first-timers to veterans, so please look forward to our next event and beyond!

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Offline event in June: "Let's start fishing for the mountain stream this year" [Beginners to stream fishing are welcome]

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We'll be holding the "Packing Course 2016" taught by experts on Saturday, November 12th! [Outdoor Gearzine Trailhead report on one after another]