The Shokuryoshi Experiment
The start of the month brought with it a heatwave that seemed to drag on. This would drag on for a few weeks, and would impact the fishing for the first part of the month. It was tough to find time to get out, but I was still able to hit the river and get in a few decent sessions.
Week 1
The first week of the month was hot. With temps in the 100s sustained throughout the week, there weren't many options of creeks or rivers to fish that weren't exposed to that same heat. With so many of our tributaries being lined with granite boulders, the heat transfers to the water fairly quickly, especially when the lows don't dip below 76f at night.
I did get out one evening and hit a popular tailwater in the area, but this wasn't a recorded outing as it wasn't fished with a tenkara rod.
Week 2
With plenty to keep me busy during the second week of the month, I was looking forward to hitting the river on the weekend - especially with the days getting a little cooler (below 100F).
This outing wasn't as productive as I had hoped. With higher water temps, and higher flows, navigating the stretch that I wanted to fish was a little difficult. You can read the more about this outing in the journal entry post which I will link below...
I got out the next morning as well, just to the local creek, to work out an idea I've had for a little bit. I'm still testing some things out regarding the idea, but I hope to have a post about it relatively soon!
Week 3
There was a lot going on this week, unfortunately I was not able to get out and fish. Maybe I'll be able to get out next week!
Week 4
The week started off with some hot weather, but it was looking like it was going to cool down toward the end of the week, so I set my hopes on fishing one day in the coming weekend.
The weekend rolled around, and so did the cooler temperatures. I got out for an evening session on the favorite river and explored a new-to-me stretch where I was able to find some decent success. I would definitely like to revisit this spot when conditions are a little more favorable, as the water was still a little warm on this day.
Stats Update
I have hit the half-way mark for the second year of this experiment! Comparing the stats from this year to those of last year, I see consistently higher catch rates. But, looking at the month of July specifically, there is a pretty big jump in fish caught this year compared to last year. I attribute this mostly to the fact that the majority of my recorded outings in July of 2023 were from when I was traveling, and those sessions were on a river that I find tough to fish. Being able to spend more time on familiar waters allowed me to boost the numbers for the month. Even then, the fish caught still suggest a better understanding of technique and approach to fishing these waters.