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Satoshi
09-27-2011, 07:24 AM
On the next day, the other guest of the Kubota Lodge, Mr. Kubota, and I went fishing together, because there were only 2 guests, including myself, in the Lodge. The other guest was a nice person and he was a friend of a person whom I had fished with when I stayed at the lodge before.
The weather front that caused flood water the day before still remained and most of the streams around the lodge were blown out. We drove along a freeway for 2 hours to look for a fishable water.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d3.jpg
When we got to the stream, it wasn’t raining and the water level seemed very much normal. There were two other fly fishers already fishing the stream at the end of the logging road where we parked. We further hiked upstream along a trail for 40 minutes.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d3yamame2.jpg
Although fish didn’t respond frequently, we caught fish once in a while. There were both yamame and iwana in this stream.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d3Kubotatakingaphoto.jpg
Mr. Kubota is taking a photo for his blog. He has a bear spray on his hip.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d3Kubotafishing.jpg
We took turns to fish. We didn’t parted so that we could get out of the stream all together if something had happened.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d3iwana2.jpg
We caught less than 20 fish among three of us. Nevertheless, it was fun. At around 4 o’clock, it started to rain heavily and we stopped fishing for the day.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d4Itofishing.jpg
On the 4th day, the same three of us went fishing together, again looking for fishable water. The weather front was still sticking around and water seemed very high everywhere. We finally started fishing a stream, which was very beautiful as you see in the pic, though the water was a bit high. We saw some nice fish, but all we caught were a few tiny iwana.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d5firstpool.jpg
On the last day of the trip, I had to get to the station of a local city before 1:30 PM. I went to a stream near the city to fish in the morning. I didn’t have many options of streams. Luckily, the weather was finally fine. I saw a car with a Tokyo number parking on the access point to the stretch where I had planned to fish. So, I went to the upper stretch, which starts from a dam filled with sand. There were only shallow riffles for the first few hundred meters from the dam. I fished only this riffle area because I have learned from experience that such a place often escapes heavy fishing pressure.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d5iwana1.jpg
This iwana readily took the fly in the very shallow water in the previous photo.

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d52ndpool.jpg
I saw a trout rising here. I caught the fish on the first drift of the fly and also another from this small pool.
http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d5iwana3.jpg

There were plenty of fish. Because the water was very shallow, I had to cast farther than usual, which made the fishing more fun. I caught perhaps 10 fish in the morning before I stopped fishing, packed all my baggage, and headed for the station around noon. This trip would be my last fishing for this season. In the area where I live, we had some devastating typhoons this year, and I’m afraid trout might have been washed away from their habitat. We won’t know until the next season begins.
We’ll see.

At least for this season, …. All’s well that ends well.
http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109%20last%20trip/d5iwana4.jpg
The last fish of the season.


Satoshi

ksbioteacher
09-27-2011, 09:42 AM
This....

http://i384.photobucket.com/albums/oo282/fdrwd421/1109 last trip/d4Itofishing.jpg

is what it is all about---outstanding image that tells a story. You've very nicely captured concentration, mood, and environment wtih the interplay of the three.

gusstrand
09-27-2011, 11:11 AM
Satoshi, awesome storytelling and images as usual! Tell Kubota-san that he should visit here to read your story! :smile:

adam
09-27-2011, 01:17 PM
Well done my friend and please fwd his blog address.

ofuros
09-27-2011, 06:03 PM
Love pict six too....green canopy, hint of mist, clear water & a lone fisher, immersed & surrounded by nature.

Brooktrout
09-28-2011, 02:43 PM
awesome and beautiful pics, especially the shot that ksbioteacher selected above.

trout-nut
09-28-2011, 04:59 PM
very, very nice wish I was there.

Satoshi
09-29-2011, 06:56 AM
Thank you guys. I'm very happy to know you like this post.

Adam, here is his blog, but, as you will see, Kubota-san is very slow in updating. By the way, Gus, I think Kubota-san doesn't read English language.
http://lodge.ldblog.jp/

and this is the homepage of Kubota Lodge
http://iwateasunaro.com/lodge/

In this page, just under the logo of "KubotaLodge," there are several link buttons of small blue characters of Japanese language. Click the third one from right, and you will find the photos of fly fishing.

Satoshi

MikeMax
09-29-2011, 09:17 AM
That is one seriously awesome photo (no. 6) Satoshi - great post :smile:

Satoshi
10-03-2011, 08:12 AM
I'm glad to hear some of you say you like the 6th photo.
When I saw him fishing there from behind, I thought the scene would be a great picture and took several photos, one of which is that photo.

Satoshi

adam
10-03-2011, 09:49 AM
#6 invokes the beauty in our pursuit, it makes me imagine how I would approach the section.

It is indeed a thought provoking image.

flickfly
10-04-2011, 07:37 PM
Didn't see any mushi shi over the misty water or brush ;)

Wallyran
10-11-2011, 06:03 AM
Classic photo: Captured the essence of the experience we all seek so beautifully. Great story too!

Satoshi
10-12-2011, 08:35 AM
Thank you, guys. I didn't think you liked the photo so much. I should have posted a larger version :smile:

Satoshi

rbaileydav
10-12-2011, 10:58 AM
i always love your posts outstanding and i love how beautiful water is veautiful water and fish are beautiful no matter where we are in the world
DD

Alpinefly
10-12-2011, 04:18 PM
Fantastic small stream and scenery !!! Would love to fish that stream some day. Such beauty !!!!! This is what it is all about !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

heathcote
10-13-2011, 11:47 PM
Great post Satoshi San! I just love the photgraphs of such very beautiful Japanese streams; one day I hope to visit Japan and will put Kabota Lodge on my bucket list of places to fish before I die!

Sagebrush
10-14-2011, 11:10 AM
最も美しい

Sage

Satoshi
10-16-2011, 03:17 AM
Guys, thank you very much for your words.

Sagebrush,
Thank you very much. Can you use Japanese letters with your computer?

Satoshi