High water gave their high activation there

 Yesterday, while soaking in the hot water of Iwatake after the Hakuba trek, I thought about the unfinished business of this trip...

The answer was in the O River (^^)

I called the Lodge at the hot spring rest stop to check the water level and color, and then headed back to Shizuoka!

Went out slowly(left the car around 7:30), but AIT was unexpectedly empty, so I went in from there!

The water level was high enough to cross, but not too muddy.

The water was rising, so it was easy to narrow down the points because there were only slow-flowing zones and rolls.

It was nice to feel that the fish would come out if the current was strong enough! The catch was 4 amago and 1 iwana, and twice as many were misses or missed bites, so they were very active.

Almost I got to the lodge when I finally decided to turn back because I couldn't cross the river!

Fished from 8:30 to 14:30, and it was past 4:00 when we turned around and returned to the Akaishi Watershed by bicycle, arriving at the parking lot just after 5:00!

To my surprise, everything was paved at least as far as AIT! No more MTB is needed there?

2nd one around 11AM.

3rd one around noon.

4th one around 1PM.

5th one was 1st IWANA around 2PM.

Walking back to the bike after 4PM.

1st fish around 10AM

First try for the uppest section

Added two colored ant pattern mainly by thread.

Later noticed that it is easy to be cut by fish's teeth. Should be coated to protect from them.

On the way to the river.

7:59 Dropped the bike at a little lower place than AIT. There were two bikes separately at AIT.

In the morning got two chases at lower section. It is a kind of expected result.

Checked in the rodge first, and decided to fish around it until dinner time.

13:04 parked at the suspension bridge.

Though there are two cars and bicycle three or four above the bridge, I thought that there should be a chance because they must have started fishing from early morning.

There were two short byte though the section. And at the last hole shaped Y streams, good one took my fly and could set a hook on it once. But it came off immediately...

17:00 dinner time.

I set the second day to unseen the uppest section and I left the lodge at half past 5 and, after breakfast of 5:00, Arrived the upper lodge at half past 6 AM. The feeling that is earlier than an assumption more than 30 minutes. I deposit a bicycle and walk to the junction of two branches. One had too much quantity of water, and should be eliminated from options. Expectation that there is slightly much quantity of water, but is sublimed into the flow that I seem to be able to catch.

Began to fish seriously past 9 AM. Stream itself looked not but though, there is no reaction at all…

I discovered  a preceding person upstream at past 10:00…Are you serious? Went down once.

I discovered a bait angler downstream earlier than expectation. So began to fish a litter upper than him. Got only two nervus bites.

12:42 Back to the bike.

14:18 Let's start fishing at the lower section.

15:03 First and the last one.

18:15 Lance's toughest two days biking, walking and fishing were getting the end.

Three chances through a day

8:30 dropped my bike at the middle point once.

Lower section were crowded with many fishermen.

Sunny day just before the typhoon coming.

10:03 Took the first rest soon after no response from fish.

Water showed higher level and stronger stream than usual.

10:17 Got first reaction from fish and could catch it. #16 brown ant parachute.

Around noon found the other fisherman forward, so walked down to the bike. Then met another two lure fishermen downstream. Middle section was also crowded...

Biking up and reached the AIT point soon. There was one white colored ban only having permission. Since there was no bike between the middle and AIT, I decided to fish below the AIT. Walked down from the spot dropping bike and went down to the river at the bridge.

Restarted fishing after 13:00. And the second chance came suddenly.

At the pool shaped from two wide stream a kind of big 'Y shaped' hole. When I drifted around #12-14 peacock bodied parachute beetle, huge fish floating up and tried to bite my fly! But couldn't. Kept chasing and failed to bite again. And third try to bite made me set a hook a little earlier than usual. Couldn't set a hook... He never rose up again... 

Past 14:00, fished up around AIT. Decided to kept fishing upstream after earlier fisherman who should own the white ban.

Got the third chance from the riffle. Good fish chased and tried to bite my fly. But it couldn't because of fast stream. Stopped fishing  around 16:45 and walked down to the bike past 17:45. Enjoyed biking back to the car till 18:30.

There were only three reaction from fish through a day. But one of them was...

Need to study and modify the plan.

Lance's summer vacation day 12; Couldn't set a hook on good floating AMAGO...

Left my parent home around 4:30 day after annual baseball game there.

7:15 arrived the parking space crowded with many cars...

Saw many fishermen around downstream though, there was none around upstream. So dropped my bike at the entrance of AIT and walked down a little.

8:57 Got started fishing below the entrance of AIT.

Water level was the lowest one I've ever seen. Most of the section didn't work because of the low water. Walking upstream searching the pool and the deep riffle.

9:06 Could see 1st one soon on #16 parachute ant.

Soon, found the big good AMAGO floating and rising something on surface at the edge of the pool!!! Changed my fly to #14 Renegade and added 6x tippet longer. Could do good first cast, and he took my fly slowly and suspiciously. But couldn't set a hook when I rose my rod... Maybe I should have chosen smaller fly. I waited for a while though, he never flew up. I decided to try it again later today.

9:33 a little size upped 2nd one escaped from the net before I took a pic.

12:17 beautiful AMAGO as the third one took my #14 peacock bodied EHC from the bottom of the big pool.

13:06 First IWANA as the forth one from the riffle.

13:22 the fifth one was the biggest today from the deep rapid riffle.

I thought it must be good AMAGO first though, it was nice 28cm IWANA by the formed beetle parachute pattern. Around 14:00, I decided not to walk up any more and began to be back to the bike.

14:56 Could be back to the bike after almost 1 hour walk. Went down with the bike a little and restarted fishing. Soon I could set a hook on good AMAGO at the edge of the pool by #16 ant parachute! But he escaped doing rolling many times...

And could see big AMAGO at the same pool which I found him in the morning. But he got so nervous because of my mistakes in the morning that I couldn't make him bite my #20 giffith's gnat any more...

Just before the end of fishing today, missed one good one's take rising up just in front of the big stone. Stopped fishing around 17:15 and picked my bike around 17:45.

18:38 could return to the car before the dark.

Would like to come here again soon.

At a loss, twice...

 

9/10 Took a day off on Monday.

Made a preparation at 6:04.

Saw a flooded and colored stream around 6:15.

That was it...

9/16, on the day of NAMIE AMURO's retirement.

6:30 Joined ICHIGO and his wife around the gate.

We left there about 7:30.

Did see very colored and high float stream soon...

I was at a loss twice in a week...

We climbed up to find the hole we were able to fish. But could find nothing...

10:07 Stopped by the lodge to get information and soft cream.

It was my first visit.

Crazy biker...

11:35 Could catch small IWANA from the shallow near the bank.

Strict teacher and obedient student.

16:03 It was a kind of miracle.

About 26 nice AMAGO!

Thanks god and ICHIGO!!

17:49 OTSUKARESAMADESHITA...

See you there next year again.