So what does a carp fisherman do when the conditions are the absolute worst

conditions you can have for carping? Go carp fishing anyway. I have to admit, that some of the biggest fish I've caught have come when it was raining, dark, and generally miserable outside. It seems like the bigger fish feel more secure, and they head right into the shallows and feed up against the bank. Despite no sun and a steady rain, if the fish are 1 foot from shore, you are going to see them. The key is to move really slowly, and peer into the water like you are trying to decipher one of those 3D picture puzzles.

I did just that today, and I found quite a few fish. I decided to use this great crayfish pattern my buddy Justin sent me. I looks incredible in the water, and I just had to use it even though it is quite a big bigger than most of the flies I usually fish. The first 3 fish I put the fly in front of ate it without a moment's pause. The fly landed, I twitched it into position, and the fish would turn and eat. For moment, things looked pretty easy!

I landed the first fish, and it bottomed out my 14 lb weight net. The clunk of the handle hitting the 14 lb mark was not very load, so I'm guessing the fish was probably 15 lbs, though it looked really fat. I hooked 4 more fish, all good looking carp, but I lost each one when they straightened the hook out. The first carp I landed really weakened that hook, and the next 4 just bent it straight. It was the only one of Justin's flies I had with me, so I just kept bending it back and going after more fish. The best part about carp fishing is detecting the strike, and they were eating that fly so well I didn't mind losing them! I only fished for about 2 hours, and headed home to spend the rest of the day with Kelly, Elia, and JJ. This was my first big fish of the year, and despite getting soaked to the skin by the rain, it was an outstanding day of carp fishing.