A call to the stream came unexpectedly, from a new friend of mine. He is a native of Osaka, recently got transferred to Hiroshima due to a job reason.

Lack of local knowledge worked in his favor - he explored all corners of our rivers without prejudice, and discovered ''paradise lost'' so to speak.

In fact, the river he guided me to was familiar. Place the pointer on the pic to see the same place back in 2006.

At the height of the summer in mid August, we better go farther up, in the more rugged waters - was the suggestion of my friend. Conveniently or not, we found a tiny stream, more of a cascade running down almost vertically, where he took instant liking.

Well, I was not overly keen to be honest, as the place looked more for a climber than for an angler. Yet having ventured thus far, turning back without seeing a single fish was no proposition. We scaled on.

After a few hours treacherous climbs, we managed a few fish each, the best of the day was reserved for my courageous friend, a handsome Gogi char nearly 12''.

Again, what I saw above was a totally different world full of fish. In the lower section we used to catch 5 fish on a good day, but above the fall, fish grabbed our fly or lure one after another - and endlessly so.

The respectable thing about my friend is his bold, never give up attitude. While my wife and I dare not challenge the waterfall, he attempted the climbs in all directions, and in the end, found a skirting way, scaling up a nearby cliff on all four.

With those two outings I placed my full confidence, and a big respect in this new friend of mine from Osaka, and confided one last secret of sort.

Once upon a time there was a river . . . where my wife and I fished up often, yet hampered by a pool too deep to wade, with cliffs to steep to scale. I didn't dare challenge and chose rather to forget it, but now with my dauntless pal who was a mountaineer before angler, not many things seems impossible.

So we trekked up the valley on a fine day in mid August, to the pool we had not crossed before. I first swam up the pool, and then roped him up. Place the pointer on the pic.

And we made it - fully drenched but in high spirits. As the morning sun began lighting up the bottom of the valley, we got to work.

Our expectation ran high, as there must not be many anglers who ventures this far. However the sign of fish was few, except those half hearted attack of tiny babies.

Unlike the way up, going down was an easy ride, we just had to hang onto the dry back and floated down in the current, back to the secular world below.

All in all, I enjoyed memorable outings this year. discovering the paradise that we had come close but did not manage back then. Thanks of course goes to Mr. I the adventure angler from Osaka, who proved the true potential of our rivers in Hiroshima.

- End

Unlike the lower section where big rocks and pools alternate, upper part was more of a peaceful stream far easier to wade up. Even the sun seemed shining brighter.

Well, my wife and I had caught a few fish here, but the need to bush bash some 20minutes to the entry point did not make the river trip worthy. Most of our fellow anglers must have reached the same conclusion, the river was left undisturbed over the 16yrs since, meanwhile the fish must have quietly lived on in the 'forgotten river''.

The excessive density works against them perhaps. We did not catch particularly big ones here. But Gogi char being such fish, specimens around 10'' can be called handsome fish already.

Back to the business end - the stream above the waterfall was teeming with fish. Chunky Gogi char literally in every pool.

It was a fine day in early July, a sensational day that re-kindled my heart, my passion for trout fishing in Hiroshima's backcountry.

I was then reminded of another stream where my wife and I had fished several times, but likewise, we turned back at the sight of a big waterfall, that drops 47m straight down into a big pool.

But I was to be shocked only a weekend later, at the report that he had found a way up, fished with great success and came back in good spirits.

He generously offered to guide me the weekend next, and sure enough, there was a way. (Pls place the pointer on the pic). No easy way though!

Another thing that impressed me was his ''bait finesse' fishing style. In such tight packed stream flyfishing wins over lure fishing - so I had thought. But with fine control of the bait reel, he could hit every and all small pockets just as well, or even better than my twiggy flyrod. It was an eye opener.

Not fully convinced yet, but kindly prompted by my ''local guide'' I gave a cast, and a fish, Amego trout, instantly came to greet me.

What's more, most streams get fished out by the catch & eat elderly fishermen as soon as the season starts. Casting to lovely pools where mayflies flutter about, yet no sign of fish, is a sad sight not worth driving to..

Trout games

Mountain streams in the north of Hiroshima - we used to visit there so very often 25yrs ago. But its distance, 1.5hrs drive away, gradually reduced the frequency, particularly after I discovered the fun and nearness of the salt water FF games.