Left home 4:17, picked curryman around 4:45 and joined ICHIGO and his wife there 8AM there as scheduled. According to the web site, water level showed 0.27m and I had a kind of optimistic feeling before coming. But my thought changed a little after seeing the actual stream there.
We had to keep biking up along the river to find the clear colored and moderate water leveled stream.
After 22km biking, we found the better stream looked like we could fish(11AM).
Caught small but first fish at 11:12 at the lower branch stream. Next I checked the branch stream upper section though, there was no sense of fish... So I gave up keep fishing there and headed for them upstream.
Caught several small ones, but couldn't catch any good one for a long time...
14:13 The fantastic moment has come!
He took my Humpy pattern very slowly at the shallow first.
I could set a hook once though, felt no tension soon because of line break. Its position was a little below the connection leader and tippet, so it must be damaged between the rocks on the land. Oh my god... But I kept trying without any give up.
He reacted Wright's Royal pattern next, but couldn't take my fly well. I tied #20 Griffith's Gnat as the third one. After several casts, could set a hook. He tugged so strong in the riffle, so I paid utmost attention not to let him go. Stepped down several water drops with him. Can you see two files on above pic? I found Humpy pattern(below) in his mouse. He surely ate two files in short time. It was definitely my first experience. What a day!
Blissful time.
33cm nice buck.
HARIGANEMUSHI from the ICHIGO's fish.
Threat of nature...
Crazy folks... See you again at the river edge.
