The canicular month of August was long to me as I did not go fishing any single time but hopefully September has started with rain and this was good news for the streams and their inhabitants. I did go back fishing last sunday which was the day of the trout season end in most of streams. The sky was overcast and the air mild.
The few rains of the previous days have obviously not had much effect on the water level, but a supply of water makes a lower temperature and brings the fish back in feeding activity. So I prepared myself quietly. My gear was a Nissin Zero Sum Oni Honryu 395 rod, six meters of line 2.5 号level line, a meter of 号0.8 fluorocarbon to which was tied a Yamato kebari.
I did fish all the fish spots downstream. After casting I did give my rod an oscillating movement to make my kebari drift erratically up and down just like does a real nymph trying to swim to the surface but carried away by the current. I successfully tested this technique last summer with Masami "Tenkara Oni-no" Sakakibara and as I had already experienced the techniques developed in Japan by true tenkara experts are effective on any stream because they are based on rational observation of the salmonids behavior and on long experience of tenkara fishing.
All trout caught during this matinee took my kebari when ascending, when it was going towards the surface. This technique gives very good results for the focused angler on its fishing because the constantly tension in the line helps very effective strike detection and hook setting.
Finally towards the end of the morning the sky cleared and I did take a break for lunch by the river as I like to do as soon as the weather allows. The place is usually much frequented but I did not see anyone which is pretty unusual for a season closing day.
I took during this last visit many trout revived by recent rains. I do not go through a long distance during the morning but I did fish every potential fish spot within cast reach.
After about three hours of fishing I collapsed my rod back and disconnected the line that I put up on a spool and turned back to my house. Autumn starts well for trout, rain so beneficial to the rivers after a very hot summer is back, and fishermen will have the next six months to prepare for next season.
This morning I was driving near that river, having some time I stopped my car on the side of the road to observe; trout rising to the surface in the fog disappearing under the sun.