Aizu Fishing Area, a major fishing spot in southern Tohoku, is rapidly growing into one of the region's leading locations for catching large fish. In late April, after the snow had melted and almost all of the remaining snow had disappeared, Eiichi Kikuchi, representative of Valkein, visited the area. His target, of course, was a big catch. The area is stocked with 4-5 year old "Olympic Trout" and large rock trout. This time, Kikuchi focused on jointed lures.

[Featured in Magazine]
Angling Fan July 2026 issue (released May 21, 2026)
https://amzn.asia/d/05gvpXB1

Eiichi Kikuchi
EIICHI KIKUCHI
Representative of "Valkein," a top brand in the area trout fishing world. His activities are diverse, including lure design and operation of the managed fishing area "Arcus Pond." Recently, he has been actively fishing both overseas and throughout Japan, including Hokkaido, targeting both area and native trout.

Interview cooperation: Aizu Fishing Area

Located approximately one hour from the Nishinasuno-Shiobara Interchange on the Tohoku Expressway, in the lush green environment of Minami-Aizu. Originally an iwana (char) fishing pond, it has been renovated into a lure-only managed fishing area. It is known as a big game fishing spot, stocked with numerous large trout.

While it may seem like a remote area, it's only about a 10-minute drive to the town of Aizu-Tajima, so you won't experience any inconvenience with convenience stores and gas stations.