Back in the autumn of last year, just as the mountain stream season was drawing to a close, I went on a "BikeToFishing" trip with Aniki (I hope you don’t mind me calling him that!), the owner of the BIKE FRIDAY / New World Tourist I introduced previously.
This bike was a wonderful commission from Aniki and his wife, who asked for "a bicycle for fishing!" For more details, please be sure to check out the blog post below.
Although I had jokingly promised to go on a trip in 2023—the year I handed over the bike—we finally managed to align our schedules last season for this long-awaited BikeToFishing excursion.
I had originally hoped to document both of them on their BIKE FRIDAYs, but unfortunately, his wife came down with an illness, so this time it was just a trip for the two of us.
As both of them are well-versed in outdoor activities like trail running and hiking, they used to combine hiking with fishing. However, they decided on the BIKE FRIDAY to prioritize mobility for better fishing access, while also considering how easy it is to load into a car.
When you need to pack two bikes and two full sets of fishing gear, the foldable convenience of a BIKE FRIDAY is indeed a huge plus.
I was riding my Doppo ATB (the current Ronin) on this day, so there is inevitably a gap in performance compared to the 20-inch wheels of the BIKE FRIDAY, but the charm of that bike is its high level of off-road capability that makes you forget the wheel size difference. (Plus, my climbing speed was just slow! Haha.)
The approach was primarily on paved logging roads. While the surface was degraded in some spots with loose sand and gravel, the stability of the New World Tourist allowed us to climb to the entry point without any issues.
Our strategy was for Aniki to head out ahead with his fly gear while I followed behind using lures. Since it was the end of the season, conditions were quite challenging, and we didn't get as much reaction as we had hoped for in the first half.
Of course, catching fish is great, but heading out into the great outdoors, feeling the change of seasons on your skin, and taking photos are all part of the enjoyment.
In the end, we managed to turn things around in the second half and were both able to make a catch.
With the forecast calling for rain clouds to move in, we called it a day right there. As we were heading back to where we stashed the bikes to pack up, the weather turned ominous, so we hurried down the logging road. We were caught in a flash downpour and ended up enjoying a wild descent where the water flowed like a river, but we made it back to the car safely. It was quite a tough descent—I thought I might use up all my brake pads! (Haha.)
Aniki and his BIKE FRIDAY New World Tourist. He stores his minimalist fishing gear in a Patagonia bag and makes great use of the OUTER SHELL Stem Caddy and KING CAGE Longer Thing Cage. Since he's already well-versed in trail running and hiking, I was impressed by how carefully he selected his equipment by discerning exactly what was necessary and what wasn't.
When trying to enjoy both fishing and cycling, it’s easy for the load to grow, but trimming down the excess is also part of the fun of BikeToFishing. As I mentioned earlier, for those who find it difficult to mount roof or hitch racks on their cars, the BIKE FRIDAY—which can be easily folded and tucked away—is a truly reliable ally.
Models like the New World Tourist, Diamond Llama, and All-Packa are particularly well-suited for the types of surfaces you'll encounter on these trips, so if you are considering fishing by bike, please be sure to look into them.
By the way, Aniki operates under the name Ikeda Seikou, providing services like reel overhauls with the theme "Cherish old things, and fish for fun rather than for volume!"
To use a bit of technical jargon, he is particularly skilled at maintaining old Ambassadeur reels. If anyone reading this blog uses an old Ambassadeur, please consult with Aniki! (In bicycle terms, he's the kind of guy who’s great at overhauling vintage Campagnolo components or hubs!)
He also runs a YouTube channel called Inusa Fishing Club, so please check that out as well.
In the meantime, this year's mountain stream season has already kicked off, so I think I'll get my SKLAR PBJ set up for BikeToFishing and head out soon.
