(The Shokuryoshi Experiment)
I’m a creature of habit. I like to have routines and practices that I feel help me in keeping consistency. How I go about approaching the water and fishing is no different.
As I step to the edge of the water, I like to take a moment to look around the environment and take it all in. But, before I do that, I usually take out my net and drop it in the water so that the thermometer can get the temperature while I’m enjoying some nature.
I like to crouch down and watch for a little bit. I look at the flows and all the trees and plants. I put my hands in the water and get a feel for how cold it is. I look at the rocks to find the line (Heisui-sen) that indicates where the water level usually rests so that I can get a feel for whether the water is higher or lower than normal.
As I’m watching, I look for flashes or rises in the spot that I plan to fish first while also looking upstream for any activity.
In doing this, I can draw a reference between how the water feels and what the thermometer reads. This is something that I can check throughout the creek by using my hand and gauging the temperature by feel. I don’t always use this approach, and It’s not the most accurate, but it can help.
Another benefit is that I can make plans on how I want to move through the creek to reach spots that I would like to fish. I can try to figure out the order of which pools or pockets to fish first, and get a feel for how I should approach them. This changes a bit as I move closer and closer to each spot and I can get a better feel for how it looks before I make my first cast into that area.
When I’m ready to get started I attach my line and extend my rod downstream, pick up my net to get the reading, and make my first cast!