It was a real monster.
No word of a lie. It may be hard to believe.
I thought it might even be a dream,
but I saw it with my own eyes.
I wonder what reelin' in
a giant like that feels like.
The thought gives me goose bumps.
I'll catch it!
You, Sanpei? No way.
Yes way!
Then even I could do it.
Sanpei, Aiko... Why don't you catch it together?
Yeah.
But how?.
Well, there's a secret way.
Secret?
Tell us how to do it!
Welcome home!
We're back!
Go inside.
Gramps!
Can't you tell us?
Smells good.
Here it comes! I got one, too!
Ayu trout are a funny fish.
They'll ram into the bait to protect their own turf.
When they do that, you can hook 'em.
That's the art of catching Ayu trout.
I got one!
Ippei, I got one!
That's a nice catch.
The ones you catch yourself taste the best.
Yakusegawa River Trout Fishing Tournament
Now!
Got him!
Another one?
How many so far?
21!
21?
You're way ahead!
This river likes me!
I better prepare my victory speech!
Don't get carried away!
Today it's my turn!
Now who's getting carried away?
Hey, Ippei.
Where's Sanpei fishing?
I wonder...
You're a beauty.
I heard it. I have no intention to go back
What?
That right. Never again
You have the final round
final round of the tour
Yes
I don't need any. I told you I gonna retire
It's in contact
Contact?
Yes
Go ahead. Suit me
Do you mean it
I..
A fishing tournament...
The tournament is now coming to a close
Once the signal sounds, all contestants must stop fishing immedlately
27 , 28 , 29
You made a great haul today, Mr. Matsuyama. 29 fish.
He did it again.
And now, we will announce the winner.
Same old story.
Third, second, first.
Coming in third place...
Get ready.
Mr. Makoto Matsuyama, with 29 fish.
Me? Third place?
please come forward.
Matsuyama came third?
Third?
And next, in second place...
Mr. Ippei Mihira, with 50 fish.
please come forward.
Thank you.
50 fish?
Thank you
If Ippei came second... Who won?
And in first place...
With an impressive 51 fish,
Mr. Sanpei Mihira!
51 fish?
Who is this guy?
please come forward.
Excuse me, Mister.
Thank you, thank you very much.
It's a kid.
You did it, Sanpei.
Maybe it's time to retire, Ippei.
I let my guard down.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Thank you, you're too kind.
Can you give us a few words?
Well
Oh, I almost forgot.
Look at this beauty I found.
Hey, get it off of me! It peed on my face!
SANPEI THE FISHER BOY
Here, Yurippe. Take some home and grill them with salt.
Thanks. My mom and dad love Ayu trout.
They're yummy.
Nice job. Both of you are master fishermen.
Lady luck was smiling on us.
"Lady luck"?
What's that?
It means luck was on your side.
But fishing is about more than just luck.
You need skill to compete. It's a gentleman's sport.
But winning the way you did...
It's not setting a good example for a kid.
What do they mean?
It sounds like they're accusing us of cheating.
Cheating?
Maybe catching fish the day before and adding them in.
There's always a little cheating at any tournament, but...
50 or 51 fish?
That's going too far.
We didn't cheat!
Okay, okay. We'll let it slide.
But don't let it happen again.
What a good sport.
Well, it is only a local tournament.
Yeah, that's true.
Wait!
Let's have a showdown.
Showdown?
So I can prove to you I didn't cheat.
Let's do it now!
With that moldy old rod?
If you guys win, I'll give you my winner's cup.
If I win, you promise not to come back to this river again.
What?
Just hold on. Okay, I'll play.
The time limit is one hour.
Whoever catches the most fish wins. But...
You only get one bait fish each.
only one?
What if it's weak?
If it dies, game over?
It's the perfect way to test your skill.
It's settled, then.
Choose your bait fish.
After you.
Choose a fighter.
Yurippe, you call it.
Okay, ready?
And, start!
Over there?
No, there. Hook, line and sinker.
In the afternoon, they congregate in pools.
Go get 'em!
What's he doing?
He's just a kid.
Right.
Sanpei! It's no time to play!
Are you gonna join me? It's nice up here!
I'm boiling.
What's he doing?
I got one!
Three fish in 20 minutes.
The river's fished out but he's catching.
Gotta catch as many as he can whlie the bait's allve.
That ain't easy.
Sanpei, this is no time to take a swim!
I'm having fun!
When it's this hot, no wonder he's taking a dip.
Let's have some ice tea in the shade.
The heat's made him go crazy.
Nice and cool!
He's lost it.
Got another one.
He's sulking like a baby.
Looks like he's given up.
My bait fish is beat. I'm done.
The kid hasn't even caught one fish.
Why am I getting worked up?
Hey, it's time to throw in the towel!
How much time's left?
Um, 20 minutes.
Any minute now...
Sanpei.
I'm counting on you, buddy.
Here he goes.
He's starting now?.
Let's see what the cheeky bugger can do
Got one!
No way.
With that old bamboo rod?
What the...
And another!
Good
So cool.
Piece of cake!
3...
4...
Another one!
5
I got it
Great job!
I'm catching lots!
How am I doing, Gramps?
Come on. One more!
6...
Gotcha.
Good one!
We're out of time!
We're really done for.
The bait!
Oh, no!
Keep going!
Don't give up!
Come on buddy, just a little more.
Matsuyama? Why don't you...
change the bait?
You idiots! Would a great angler like me cheat?
What's with you two?
Matsuyama!
Yeah
Matsuyama, 5 fish. Sanpei, 9 fish.
You got lucky, kid.
There were a lot of fish around your location.
Luck?
Fishing is a sport of skill,
not chance.
So you knew they were there?
No, I gathered them there.
What?
The time limit was one hour,
but no bait fish can last that long.
So I started catching them in the last twenty minutes.
Climbing the tree was part of your plan?
From up there I can see the shiny rocks, and the moss
where they like to swim around.
Why'd you jump in the water?
When I splash around the trout all escape to
the cooler shallows in the shade.
And your little nap?
I was waiting for the fish to calm down.
Now I get it...
He's a whiz.
Well, I beat you guys. Don't forget what you promised.
Okay...We'll never come back to this river again.
Sanpei. You can't make someone promise that.
Nobody owns this river.
But Gramps...
Everybody has the right to fish here as they please. Don't they?
Fishing is not about how many fish you catch.
In the river, fish let you play with them. Right, Sanpei?
Okay... Nobody's promising anything.
You three... go brush up your skills
and next year take the cup back from this cheeky kid.
Hey, kid. You better be ready!
Lookin' forward to it!
Thanks a lot.
Likewise!
Morning.
Thanks for coming by.
Your mall.
Thanks.
See you..
Thank you.
I'm off.
Sanpei.
To: Sanpei Mihira
From: Aiko Mihira
Throw it out.
Hi there.
Fishing again?
Yes, sir.
''Sir''?
Fishing again, Sanpei?
Everyone asks me the same thing!
Summer holiday's finally here and all you do is fish?
When summer comes there's nothing else I wanna do!
Sanpei A strange mano
Where?
Over there. Don't look! He's looking this way.
Is he a pervert?
He keeps staring at me like some kind of weirdo.
should I chase him away?
No, just pretend he's not there.
He's coming...
Ignore him.
Catch anything?
Maybe minnows...
How about trout?
I'm going over there.
Yeah. Wait for me.
Don't tell me any tall tales. What line of work are you in?
Like I said, a bass pro.
You mean you drive a bus?
''Bass''. I'm a professional fisherman.
Meaning what?
I compete in bass tournaments.
You're a bass pro?
I saw the kid at a fishing tournament so I thought I'd say hello.
Then it's little boys you're interested in?
You're sick!
It's not like that.
What's your address?
2101 Freeway Street, Hyland Apartments 502.
Dallas Texas, USA.
Don't play dumb!
I'm not!
I've won lots of tournaments in the US.
Gyoshin Ayukawa. I'm here on holiday.
Go ahead.
Hey, take those sunglasses off.
My eye was injured when I was a kid.
Take 'em off anyway.
Roger!
Did he check out?
You should've said something earlier.
There was no time.
Cool!
You think so?
It's true. You weren't lying after all.
Could I get your autograph?
These are so pretty.
They're flies.
Flies?
Fake bait. They look like real insects and trick the fish.
Wow!
But I thought all the bass pros used lures.
I prefer fly fishing.
Never tried it?
The tackle is expensive.
Your rod's got me beat.
It's a hand-me-down my Grandpa made.
You mean Ippei?
Ippei
You know him?
When it comes to bamboo rods, Ippei Mihira is famous.
That's a work of art.
Let's go.
Okay!
So cool!
On the first try!
It's all about talent.
Gyoshin, how come you're letting it go?
You don't catch and release?
Are you crazy? If you don't eat 'em, what's the point?
I see.
I got one!
Wow, Sanpei!
Good old worm on a hook. Using what a fish usually eats as bait is best.
Let's have a battle, Gyoshin. fly fishing versus worm fishing.
I'm not as easy as those three dudes.
I know. You might be a US champion, but
there's no way I'll lose on this river!
Do you best.
To a veteran sports fisherman like me, his style's a breath of fresh air.
He's a real wild child.
He needs an attitude adjustment.
Are you sure you don't mind staying over?
Not at all. It's my pleasure.
Good. Sharing a drink with a real bass fishing pro is a treat.
And so is talking with a master like yourself.
It'll be a night to remember.
How about one more?
Sure.
Going on fishing trips whenever you like. What a life.
I really missed the rivers of Japan.
What did you miss?
They're more beautiful here.
Is that so?
Yes.
It's different in America?
The air is cleaner here.
Let's have another drink.
Thank you.
Don't mind if I do.
Thank you.
Let me pour yours.
Okay.
Okay, down the hatch.
I have to straighten it out. Nice and straight...
You mean this part?
Yeah, that's right.
Ippei, you have to admit that Japanese fish are smalier.
Pardon? What are you saying?
You don't understand the essence of Japanese trout and char.
I know all that,
but American bass are a lot more powerful.
You're talking crazy!
Char can move like a little bird, or like a bull.
It's like male-female relations.
The trout over there are this big.
True fishing is a power struggle between man and fish!
I'm really disappointed in you.
What did I do?
I can't listen to this!
Big game fishing in the Mississippi is exciting!
No idea!
You don't know the Mississippi?
I don't care!
Exciting!
You're talking nonsense!
The old Mississippi!
I can't hear you!
You're like a little kid!
Stop your blabbering.
If you say so, I'll have to.
Keep quiet.
Why are you doing this?
Sorry about last night.
Shut the door. The wind is blowing the flame.
Stay in or out.
Okay.
Last night... I think I drank...too much.
Same here.
Are you firing the rod?
Where are you going next, Gyoshin?
There's a place I'm looking for that I want to check out,
but it doesn't appear on any maps.
Maybe because it's the old name locals use.
If you ask Gramps, he'll know where it is.
What's it calied?
Yonaki Valiey.
Yonaki Valiey...
I'm absolutely sure it's in the Akita region.
Never heard of it. Do you know it, Gramps?
Yonaki Valiey... Why do you want to go there?
I heard an interesting story from an old fishing buddy.
A story?
I heard that Yonaki Valiey is an unexplored lost land,
and a paradise for tons of char.
A char paradise?
When night fails, the only sound you can hear is the river.
Then, out of the blue a sound like the cry of a pheasant breaks the slience
followed by the call of a wild monkey.
Suddenly, the whole valiey is allve, with echoes in the mountains.
And when the time is right, it appears...
The monster of Yonaki Valiey.
The monster of Yonaki Valiey?
They say it's a beautiful, giant char.
I heard it's this big... over 1.5 metres in length.
1.5 metres?
It's the king of the river.
But...does it really exist?
Even the possibility makes me excited.
Me, too! It's as big as me!
The next stop is Takaya Jizo. Takaya Jizo.
Gyoshin, is this the right way?
Don't bend your wrist. It's a snapping movement, like this.
That's it, you got it. Firmer on the back stroke.
We missed our bus!
Hey, wait. Stop!
Wait for us!
I did it!
Good job.
Sanpei!
Gramps, I'm becoming a fly fishing master.
Forget that. She's coming.
Who's coming?
Aiko!
She's coming today?
That's what it says.
Why didn't you tell me earlier?
Why didn't you read the letter?
Who's coming?
Aiko, I said!
Who's Aiko?
My big sister.
Your sister?
She's finally coming back.
What now?.
What's she coming for?
She's coming to kidnap me!
Kidnap?
I'm gonna hide at Yurippe's house. Gramps, get rid of her.
Sanpei!
Do it, please!
Sanpei!
Yurippe.
Sanpei.
Perfect timing. I need to hide. Let me double-ride!
I was surprised, too.
I wondered who this pretty lady was. It was your sister, Aiko.
When people go to Tokyo, they become like movie stars.
Sanpei.
Sanpei!
Stop!
No way!
Hey!
Come down from there.
No!
Look, I brought you your favourite imported chocolate.
It's really yummy.
You can't bribe me. I'm not going to Tokyo!
Sanpei, please just come down.
No.
No?
Is that Aiko?
She left town six years ago.
She stays with relatives in Tokyo and goes to university.
Was she dreaming of the big city?
I don't know why, but she wants to raise Sanpei in Tokyo.
That's what the fuss is about?
Why can't I stay here?
It's not about the countryside,
but Grandpa can't provide you a proper education.
That's not true. Everything can teach us something.
Do you even know what that means?
The mountains. The rivers. I learn from them!
You're just copying what Grandpa says.
Grandpa might be famous for his fishing rods, but they don't sell.
He's a financial failure.
That's a little harsh.
Family or not, you better straighten her out.
She's a real handful.
What are you gonna do about it? Let me handle her.
May I have a word with you?
I'm Gyoshin Ayukawa, Sanpei's fishing bud-
This is a family matter.
What's important here is what Sanpei wants.
Playing and fishing all day. Is that a goal for a child?
It's just selfishness.
Staying here to fish is a dead end.
You were right.
Is fishing so bad?
It's just a silly waste of time.
What is your business here? And why the sunglasses?
Sis, don't.
Don't what?
People like you are a bad influence.
Aiko Just calm down.
Why don't you visit the grave?
When she was a little girl, Aiko was a real tomboy.
But seven years ago, she changed.
She lost her parents one after another. Their father was a lot like me...
He loved fishing even more than I do.
When he wasn't making rods, he was taking fishing trips across Japan.
One summer, seven years ago, he went out fishing on the ocean,
and there was a storm... He never came back.
The bad luck continued.
The shock made their mother's condition worse. She died six months later.
Aiko probably blames fishing for everything that happened.
Sanpei Go back to the house.
I'm teaching Sanpei, the very thing she hates.
That's why she's so upset.
When she was a junior high school student, we had a big fight
and she went to live with her uncle in Tokyo
She doesn't want Sanpei to become like his father or me.
I can understand her feelings.
How about just one visit to Tokyo?
Is Tokyo really that great?
Of course. I've found a good job and I'm going to move into my own place.
only one out of thirty people got hired. I'm doing Well in Tokyo.
So you can try your best.
I'm a big winner at fishing.
You can succeed in Tokyo, too.
Sanpei, summer vacation will be over soon. It's time to go back to reality.
Life is a battle.
Don't be so serious.
Did your mom talk to you?
Dead people don't talk.
Ippei Taira
Thanks for the bath.
Ippei, I'm in the way, so tomorrow-
Gyoshin Are you used to headwaters?
Headwaters?
I am a professional, after all.
Could you help me?
Sanpei. Time to wake up.
Gramps It's only five o'clock.
You're late. Get ready, or we'll leave you behind.
Here you are.
Thanks.
What's all the fuss?
Good morning!
Where are we going?
Yonaki Valiey.
Yonaki Valiey?
Char paradise. Here.
Let's catch a monster.
Gramps...You know where it is?
It came back to me. The legend of Yonaki Valiey has been around for years.
Let's go go go!
First, eat up.
Amen!
Here.
What are you talking about?
The monster of Yonaki Valiey!
We're gonna catch a huge char that measures over 1.5 metres!
That's crazy. Char are only this big.
There's no such thing as a 1.5-metre char. It's just a pipe dream.
What if it's real?
What are you gonna do if we reel in that monster?
What do you mean?
How about letting Sanpei do what he wants?
And if you fail?
Then I'll leave Sanpei to you.
Wait a minute...
Do you promise never to interfere with how I raise Sanpei?
Agreed.
Don't I get a say?
It's a deal.
Sanpei...Have fun.
You should come along and verify it for yourself.
Sanpei's future is at stake. You should be there.
The bet was your idea.
I have to be back in Tokyo no later than Monday.
If you can't catch it by Sunday, I take him with me.
Gyoshin.
Yeah?
please keep us out of trouble.
Leave it to me. I'm a professional.
A professional. These eggs are delicious.
It looks like fun. I wanna go, too!
No kids allowed.
So why do you get to go?
'Cause I'm special.
Your bags.
Buy me a souvenir, then.
No souvenir shops where we're going.
How about an old snakeskin?
No, thanks!
The lady said no.
Aikoo You can't come dressed like that.
I can lend you some stuff.
No, thank you.
OK OK
There might be bears here, Sis.
Yeah, yeah.
Sanpei!
Let me check the map. That way, right?
Maybe so.
''Maybe'' is not good.
Let's go.
I wonder what a 1.5-metre char looks like.
It doesn't even exist.
Sanpei?
Sis, you better hurry before a big snake shows up!
Snake?
Hey, wait a minute. The sign says ''Do Not Enter''.
I hope there aren't any leeches in here.
Give me your hand.
I'm fine.
Come on already!
This water's freezing. It feels great, Sis. Look how clean it is.
It's dangerous, Sis. hold onto my hand.
will you stop it, please? And I'm not your ''Sis''.
Sorry.
How much further?
The real headwaters are coming up.
"Coming up"?
This is gonna be a great experience.
I can't wait! Let's go!
It's deep over there. Careful, Ippei.
I'm okay. Sanpei, the water's deep there.
Whoa, look at me! This is awesome!
No problem. Leave it to me.
You look nice.
Okay, easy now.
Okay,lets go!
Be careful!
Sanpei!
Wait!
Stop it!