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Cherry Salmon • The First Stage  --Vol.38--

A Ray of Light -- Snow Melting Water

In 1987 I started cherry salmon fishing in the Kuzuryu River in the middle of March. The previous year’s experience taught me that was a good time to start. February, the opening month of fishing in the mountain stream there, seemed too early because of so much snow. Mr. Mori went with me on my first fishing of the year as usual. We met in Gifu city and drove north through Hokuriku Road.

All I wished in the car was to fish safely and properly. No more heavy snow or muddy water, please. In Gifu city it was sunny and no piece of snow remained. We drove ahead past Sekigahara and Sizugatake to Fukui. There was very little snow on the roadside or the ground. Only shadowy northern slope of mountains had some snow. As we approached the Kuzuryu River I was full of happy expectations.

Separating from the motorway and driving on National Route 8, I looked down from the bridge. Hurray! I’ve got it! Snow remained only in low spots in the bank. Slightly blue gleaming water was flowing swiftly under the bridge.

The river had a large amount of water, but not high water or muddy water. Finally I can fish properly!
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The pool under a power transmission line was flowing in its proper style with snow melting water. All tetrapods were under water.

Shadows of Fish

Looking at the river from the bridge, I was making the fishing plan on that day. There were still some hours before noon. I decided to fish around here at first and in the afternoon to head upstream. Suddenly I found shadows of something on the bottom under the bridge. The water was not transparent enough to see through but they seemed to be some fish. Almost ten. What kind of fish? Mr. Mori and I stared at the shadows. They fixed on the bottom and never moved. Their sizes were about 40cm. If only they were cherry salmon! But they were a little bit too small and their shapes were different. Then one of them moved some distance and lay on the bottom like they licked bog moss.

They were not cherry salmon but Japanese dace, bigger than ordinary ones. They must be Malta (sea-going Japanese dace).

If our guess is right, which means they have come upstream from the sea, it will be sure that cherry salmon that prefer colder water have already come upstream here, too. We were excited at our guess and immediately prepared for fishing.

In spite of scarce snow a foothold was not firm under the bridge. I admit I had seen only water and walked down like mad. I should have been more careful. Here the bank was covered with bush and we could not walk along the bank to the spot of suitable stream. After several casting we moved to another spot we knew well.
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General Practitioner, well known as GP. Does this shrimp that fascinated Steelhead attract cherry salmon, too?

An Iron Tower

We drove upstream along the embankment, passed under Hokuriku Road and went into the path between fields until we saw our old power transmission line. I thought casting would be easy there. We parked in front of concrete plant and ran down the embankment to the pool downstream.

As I had closely watched the bottom at low water in the previous year, I had no worry about fishing here.

I reached near accumulated tetrapods. The bank scenery was completely different from the previous year. Willow branches spread in all directions and the space for rod swinging was smaller than I had expected. But there was still enough space near the end of the pool. Water amount was very sufficient. I held 15ft rod named Landlock and type II line with Flat Beam 35lb. I used 10ft of Minus 2X leader and General Practitioner tied on 1/0 hook. All were the same as the previous year. I had no reason to change because I had had no proper fishing in the previous year.
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The pool of the front of kindergarten was beautifully spreading. I was excited when I stood at the head of the pool.

The bank was too steeple to stand in the water but I managed to cast the fly to the edge of the heart of the stream that was 40m ahead. I knew a big tetrapod lay under the point where the fly had just settled because the water surface was sometimes disturbed. Do cherry salmon stay here? If so, will they catch GP that are crossing above their head?

Apart from cherry salmon, Steelhead, if they should stay here, will attack my GP. I was excited at my idea. Regardless of how I was feeling, my GP swam repeatedly crossing the attractive stream spreading at the lower reaches of the tetrapod. My heart beat fast when my fly started crossing the stream and I breathed out when it finished drifting. How many times did I expect in vain?

I was not sure whether I could catch a fish here or not. If I had little chance I should move to another point without delay. It was past noon. How fast the time passes when we are absorbed in something! I spent more than 1 hour here. I signed to Mr. Mori on the embankment and crossed the large bank to return to the car.
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I was fishing at a ditch at the upper reaches of Hatayaura. The water rose here.

Long Flats

After quick lunch we headed for the front of kindergarten. Looking down from the embankment, I found an attractive pool spreading underfoot. After repeated visit I finally saw the large and shallow pool with a gentle slope. The pool at medium water reminded me of my favourite Upper Island Pool in the Campbell River. Although the stream flowed in the opposite direction, the size and the look were similar. I imagined where Steelhead would stay if it were Upper Island Pool and walked down the embankment. I felt something pushed my back.

I stood in the head of the large pool and cast the fly. I could see dimly my shoes 1m under water. The water was not transparent but the best condition I had ever found. I walked 2m downstream after every casting. In the water I felt as if I were fishing Steelhead in Canada.
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One of several tetrapods embankments built at the upper reaches of the barrier of Naruka. People said there used to be countless cherry salmon around here but not now.

I fished down 50m from the starting point. The water surface became calm and the stream near the bank became slow. Even type II line sometimes snagged at the bottom. There was no rock or ups-and-downs around. The water was about 2m deep at the heart of the stream. If cherry salmon stay here they will find my fly from faraway.

When the fly passed the heart of the stream I tried to retrieve the line rhythmically. This method was very effective to Steelhead. Who can say it is ineffective to cherry salmon? Soon I felt something touched the fly when I pulled the line. It was only a feeble tug but I was sure it came from a living creature but not a plant or a twig.

My heart was beating faster but nothing happened until I fished down to the end of the large pool. The sun was gradually going down and the temperature became lower. I walked up the river and hurried across the large bank to return to the starting point far upstream.

-- To be continued --
2002/02/03  KEN SAWADA
Tranlated into English by Miyoko Ohtake