Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Sometimes you have to tap them on the shoulder

I froze. The carp had materialized out of nowhere, one rod length in front me with its face buried in a clump of grass. I watched as it oared backwards and settled to the bottom. Its mouth and gills kept moving, like a cow chewing its cud. I was too close to cast, so I slowly pulled in the fly line, leaving about two feet of Tippett hanging out of the guides. Then I reached forward and tapped her on the shoulder. Moo,Moo.



I had been standing still for so long I was sure I was sinking. The shoreline seemed to be getting higher. I was surrounded by spawning carp. Groups of three and four at a time splashed around me, only spooking when they bumped into my legs. I waited...looking for a single. A pair dashed by on my left, a threesome cavorted on my right. Then, directly in front of me...a single tail. A hungry carp. Good thing I brought some hemostats.



I studied the three dark shapes up against the shoreline. The middle fish was noticeably bigger than the other two, but a cast to the big one would risk lining his two buddies. I studied the angle, weighed my options. I could surely catch one of the other two fish...slightly ahead of the middle guy. Or I could blow all three aiming for the big fish. I would only get one cast at at the middle fish, and maybe two or three at the other two. Stared and thought. In the end, I only needed one cast. 20 lbs.



Three out of about 15. The rest are fading into bits and pieces. A tail here, a pounce there. So much to see on the water.

11 comments:

Bigerrfish said...

Wow you are really in to those things! I have yet to hook up with a carp... Ive tried, truth of the matter is I dont spend enough time working at it but when they come out to play I do try.

e.m.b. said...

"like a cow chewing its cud" -- perfect description...that carp is as fat as a steer in July. Nice!

Brian J. said...

daaang. I've yet to encounter a carp of this magnitude-- what a fatty.

Ty said...

Man, you've been killing them lately. Super fish.

testflycarpin said...

This is not helping John! I already have Columbia fever really really bad and posts like this are going to keep me sleepless until I finally get there in June.

John Montana said...

Two solid outings. Roughly 33 fish in two trips is pretty sweet. Was hoping to find more big ones but the water is too cloudy to be picky with your targets. Foots take what you can see right now.

I will put you on some big fish Mctage. Have faith man!

Mark said...

great stuff.

i need to move to oregon.

testflycarpin said...

Oh I have faith, patience is what I currently lack. You are going to have to be carefull or Mark, I and dozens of other stinky carpers will be moving in next door. There goes the neighborhood!

e.m.b. said...

John - "Roughly 33 fish in two trips" .... holy dang! You're my new hero...

Wendy Berrell said...

Gettin me going here. Great outing.

John Montana said...

Visual memories Wendy...you know the drill. can't wait to store up a few more.

Erin, i don't mean to sound like a numbers guy, but it has been a LONG cold spring so i kept good track the first trip. i didn't keep track Teusday, so the 15 fish is a guess, but it feels right. the fish moved in with a vengeance. most of you faced with the same volume of targets would probably catch more!