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Cherry Salmon • The First Stage  --Vol.41--

My Challenge of the 3rd Spring

My long experience of fishing taught me “Stop fishing if I do not get fish.” I mean that “Don’t get accustomed to no catch.” If no catch often happens I will not feel frustrated any more. I will take it easy, dreaming of catching someday and make no effort or device. Then I will not care whether I am fishing or watching the scenery. That will keep me farther away from catch. The best way to cut a vicious circle is to stop fishing when I get no fish in spite of all effort. That will prevent me from getting accustomed to no catch.
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Wading is tough in such high water. But I am pleased with larger hope than in low water.

Now my 3rd spring in the Kuzuryu River came.

In the previous 2 years the river was far from its usual flow. I did not care about no catch because the condition was too bad. In the 2nd year no one tried to stop me from useless fishing any more. They must have thought I was crazy. But once I saw a cherry salmon in the 2nd year, I never lost my fighting spirit. I was waiting eagerly for the 3rd spring.

A Master Spin-fisherman

One of reasons for my higher fighting spirit was that I met Mr. Ichimura, a master spin-fisherman there. He passed away some years ago. But in those days I always met him somewhere in the Kuzuryu River whenever I went fishing. It was because he came to the river every day except for terribly rough weather. He had caught a lot of cherry salmon and was quite familiar with the river condition.

He taught me a lot about weather and water conditions, change of seasons, quickness of river change into high or low water and so on. His information was very helpful to me as well as the journal of the day when he caught cherry salmon. Both really encouraged me.
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A pool spread to the upper reaches of a transmission line. It got larger at every high water.

I also learned that the river had been quite rough in 1986 and 1987, my 1st and 2nd years. Furthermore, I went there in the worst weeks. I knew that I had been awfully unlucky, which, however, did not ease my frustration. But now I could have a little hope for the 3rd year.

I had worried that I might fish only low or high water forever. If it really happens fishing will be impossible. There will be absolutely nothing I can do.

Retreat

In the 3rd year I started fishing in the middle of March. I had planned earlier start but changed my mind because they said cherry salmon were usually caught from that date on.

How is the river this year? I met Mr. Mori in Gifu in the morning and headed for Fukui as usual. It was cloudy at Gifu and later the blue sky appeared among the cloud near Sekigahara. The weather was not bad. I had heard in the previous morning the Kuzuryu River flowed quietly including snow melting water. I drove cheerfully, only thinking of what point to go first.
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The head of the pool of Hatayaura. The bank was completely covered with snow melting water.

But the weather got worse at Hokuriku Road. When we came near Nagahama the snow started to fall. The sky ahead was dark. On driving into the dark cloud we were stuck into severe snowstorm. Even in the morning we had to put on light and drive slowly. Then we got worried about driving at Kinomoto but decided to go ahead. Fukui was very near. But finally we were forced to return from Tsuruga. The snow was nearly 30cm deep on the road. We could no longer drive without chains on the tires.

We made a hasty retreat to Gifu just to know a clear sky had been spreading there since the morning. But the snow clinging to my car warned me not to drive again.

Shadow of Cherry Salmon

I knew later the Kuzuryu River had risen only a little and not been muddy on our retreat day. If only I had reached there I could have cast the line.

The weather there was favourable this spring. The next week I drove to the river. There was no flake of snow on the roadside. The sunshine was very warm as if there had been no snowfall the previous week.

The river rose but it was not muddy. The bank was full of bluish water, typical of snow melting water.
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Even snow melting water looked clear after I saw muddy water so often.

I moved around several points. Then I returned to Gomatsu Bridge in the afternoon and went to the right bank of the pool of kindergarten. The right bank had a concrete embankment and willows grew near to the water. There were 2 open points among the willows, one of which was Mr. Ichimura’s favourite spot. On that day Mr. Mori was due to fish there.

Actually I saw him swinging his rod from the space in a row of willows. The water was almost as high as the concrete embankment just under his feet. There was no extra space to swing the rod.
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A fish caught Mr.Mori’s GP at the opposite bank of the kindergarten.

Then I walked downstream along the concrete embankment with the rod on my shoulder. As I drew near to Gomatsu Bridge the pool got too shallow and the flow too swift for fish to stay. There was no other spot except for Mr. Mori’s.

I returned, pushing willows aside, stood just at the upper reaches of Mr. Mori and drew out the line. Suddenly his rod was lifted in the air and he said, “A bite, a fish!”

His rod swayed, bending in a large arc. Surely a fish bit the fly. I wanted to know what fish it was. As the right bank where we were standing was near the heart of the stream, it was deep and the flow was rapid. No Japanese dace or a grey carp seemed to stay in this cold wide stream. So it must be a cherry salmon!

Then the fish appeared near the surface. It looked dimly shining silvery in no clarity of snow melting water. It must be clearly seen in the next moment, so I thought but it disappeared with a splash.

I was disappointed not to make sure what fish it was but I believed it was a cherry salmon that bit GP. It should be a cherry salmon. We had a firm belief.

Why, Why, Why---?

Something was strange. Something was wrong. It was absolutely a cherry salmon that bit Mr. Mori’s fly. There was no doubt. But why had no angler got a bite so far? The fish came upstream just now? That was the first one?

If the answers are yes, I will admit we have fished the river with no fish. It was true Mr. Ichimura did not catch one. If there is no catch with lure there will be no chance for fly. But is my guess true?
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Snow melting water flowed, spreading over the grass. The flow was a bit too rich for us to meet a fish when only a few stayed.

I wondered whether I made a big mistake about cherry salmon fishing. There was no angler here except for us. I had to make sure by myself whether my method was right or wrong.

I did not think my whole method was wrong. But I felt something wrong. However unlucky I had been I could not catch too long.

Some people said, “To catch a cherry salmon with fly is to find a grain of gold in a desert.” I think that was only true when anglers have no method but depend on luck. If I have a proper method, my chances will be as big as those of finding a grain of gold in a bucket, even if not in a cup.
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The water spread as far as I could see. I wondered whether cherry salmon came upstream, sniffing at the water.

I was sure that there were sufficient numbers of cherry salmon for fishing in the Kuzuryu River in front of me. Sometimes we can not get a Steelhead even when there are sufficient numbers in a pool. It is quite natural that we can get none when method is not right as well as there are less fish.

I intended to check my method. It was true there were only a tiny number of cherry salmon but not zero. At least there was one in the large pool of the front of kindergarten. Yes, only one is enough! One in the Junction Pool, one in Hatayaura and one below National Route 8 would be sufficient. I want to catch one even in such a severe situation.

In the afternoon and in the next morning I moved around the points, thinking what was wrong with my method.

-- To be continued --
2002/02/24  KEN SAWADA
Tranlated into English by Miyoko Ohtake