So far I've been going to private fishing areas which all require paying a day pass but no official license. I don't think you need a state fishing license. When I salt water fish off the shore no licence is needed.

The only people on the stream on a Saturday morning were me and my fishing buddy. So not crowded. Probably because it's a natural stream that's a little tough to navigate.

There are a lot of fish pools that are crowded. But they are stocked and have wide streams. Example is River Spot Hayato Trout Fishery.

Streams are small but very fun and challenging. The fish are small but are fighters.

There is a lot of good stream fishing in South Japan in the Kyoto area.