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In the River KATSURA  --Vol.104--

A Thunderstorm

One day in early July, it was shining from the morning in spite of the rainy season. It was hot and humid, different from the previous day. The weather seemed to be perfect to fish evening rise. I had planned to go fishing to Kawamo in the evening. But in the afternoon the dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky and it got dark as if it had been after sunset. At the next moment it thundered hard and big drops of rain fell down like arrows.

Watching heavy rain, I imagined how the river was like. In that season there were a lot of thunderstorms around the area between Ohtsuki and Fujiyoshida. Judging from the weather so far, large areas seemed to be hit by the thunderstorm. If it was a heavy thunderstorm, I would have to give up fishing evening rise. But if it was proper rain, what would happen? High water would be desirable in spite of no expectation of fishing evening rise. Then I would rather go now before evening. Even if I fail, I will be none the worse off.
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Various styles of Professor dressed on 3 types of hooks. An Almighty fly and great performer even in muddy water.

As I had already prepared, I left home in the rain to go to the River Katsura. On the way, the road was not wet and the sun was shining around Lake Sagami but I was caught in a heavy thunderstorm before getting to Ohtsuki. High-speed movement of wipers was useless to look in front of me, as if I had been driving in the water. Fortunately the rain slackened off when I left the motorway and it stopped when I got to the river.

Standing on the embankment, I saw the River Katsura brown and muddy. But the water level was not as high as I had expected. I thought that I would have no problem of fishing. I took plenty of time to prepare myself for safety, watching the river condition many times, because sudden high water was often caused after the rain stopped. Muddy water meant the water level had got higher but I had to know whether it was the highest or would get higher. Finishing preparation, I watched the river carefully again. No higher water or muddier water, either. I walked down the bank without hesitation.
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A tail fin of a rainbow trout like a yacht sail. It was taking bait in the weed with its tail fin stuck out.

Vertical Turn of the Line

I chose Aberdeen of 9ft. 6in. and #7 line and put 2X leader of 7ft. 6in to it. I also chose size 4 Jock as a lead fly and size 4 Professor as a dropper. My target place was the falling water or the stream with some variety, even a little. I cast both flies powerfully and immediately loosened the line to make them go into the water. Then I tightened the line at good timing to make flies float on the surface. Such vertical turn is very effective in muddy water. I often get a bite when the fly comes up to the surface and not a few fish follow the fly to the surface to bite it. As larger flies are effective in terribly muddy water, I usually use size 4 flies in the River Katsura and Oshino.

In the river full of sedges, muddy water without remarkable high water during the day gives a good chance to wet fly fishermen. Sudden muddy water makes it dark underwater, which promotes sedges to hatch because they misrecognize that the evening, their hatch time, has come. It is the same situation for them as evening rise. However, as it is dark only underwater, hatched sedges never crawl on the surface. There is no rise but fish are taking early dinner underwater. I had come across such conditions many times in Oshino and had a good catch. One disappointing thing is that fish taking a lot of bait greedily during the day never make rises in the evening. Even if water condition improves in the evening, there is no more sedge left to hatch.

On that day I caught several rainbow trout in the muddy water although they were not worth a photograph. The water level got lower during my fishing but muddy water improved only a little. Probably soil of the field or embankment flowed into the river as muddy water. I did not take a risk of crossing the river but walked around the possible fishing spots. I fished almost all the points twice. Not expecting evening rise, I planned to move somewhere.
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A Pointed Tail Fin

Then I saw a mysterious ripple just downstream. It was made within 1m away the bank. Definitely a fish made it underwater but it happened less than 20cm deep. Muddy water showed only a ripple. Alas, if the water had been clear I could have seen the bottom and the whole body of the fish. I thought that it could be a mouse or a weasel but not a fish.

I wanted to know what it was and watched the ripple spot, standing still. 1 minute passed. Nothing happened. Not a fish nor a mouse but a piece of driftwood might have made the ripple. I thought that probably muddy water made me misrecognize it. I walked to change the spot. Then the same ripple was seen a little far away. I hurried to the spot. This ripple had also been made within 1m away the bank. Standing on the bank, I was eager to know who made　the ripple.
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How sharply pointed the tail fin was showed the speed of running fish.

Several minutes passed. Suddenly the surface split near the bank 5m upstream. I hurried there to watch it more closely. Something was moving underwater. What? Suddenly something pointed stood out from the surface. I took only a glance but was sure it was a tail fin of a fish. The fish was eating something near the shallow bank.

Immediately I changed my plan to go somewhere. Here is a fish! I took the fly from the fly keeper and cast it to the tail-fin spot. Probably it was less than 20cm deep. There was almost no flow. I made the fly drifting around the surface at random guesses. Nothing happened. Then the surface split just downstream. Immediately I cast the fly and made it drifting on the surface. At the same time there was another ripple just behind the fly. But it did not mean that the fish responded to the fly. I cast the fly again and tightened the line a little while later. I got a bite!? No, the fly was caught in the waterweed. As high water kept grasses on the bank side underwater, the fly was entangled in them when it went into the water only a little. I flapped the rod several times but could not take the fly off. I had no choice but to walk into the water to take it off. Alas, no more ripple again.
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A huge amount of bait was among the waterweed along the bank.

What I had just seen was a tail fin. Definitely that was a fish. A rather big one. It came near to the bank to eat something. What bait? Most fish in muddy water eat the bait that comes flowing to them underwater. Did it eat a tiny fish or a leech looking for a shelter near the bank? I have got some experience of seeing such a rise or a ripple. But it usually happens only once at a time. So I can not wait for it. But if I see it again I will make sure of who makes it by all means!

-- To be continued --
2007/03/08  KEN SAWADA
Tranlated into English by Miyoko Ohtake