First carp on the fly

The cast was good...far enough up current to give the fly time to sink, and a few inches short on a broad side shot, enough to make the fish move slightly. As spence's fly sank I could see it in my mind floating through the water column. I could see the fly hit bottom and tumble, tumble toward the waiting carp. I broke away from my daydream just as the big carp darted to the side and a white maw opened in the water...

"Set, set set!" I yelled and spence reared back on the rod and came tight to the fish. The big carp (15-18 lbs) lurched forward a foot and out of the corner of my eye I saw the rod tip jerk downward toward the water. Then the carp crouched back on it's haunches like a leopard about to pounce and the leapt forward and off the gravel bar. The reel sang and spun and spence smiled and hollered. The fish blasted for deep water and as I watched the reel move at warp speed I told spence to palm the reel to keep it from back spooking. His palm touched the reel and in an instant the big carp broke the 12 lb tippet.

The big carp kept the fly but spence was the one hooked.

A few minutes later he brought his first carp to hand...a nice 11 lber. Not bad for a guy who hadn't picked up a fly rod before today. Carp on the fly is a master's class...differential equations vs the basic math of panfish or the multiplication tables of trout. Re: not for beginners. He managed to hook three and land one, and I landed a handful but the fish didn't make it easy today. We worked for our shots, and I think I hooked more than just a few carp.