Sort of. JJ is a trooper, but putting a fly within 4 inches of a carp he can't really see is well beyond his current skills. Still, he makes a great net guy, and if I hook em, he is willing to wrangle them into submission for me.
We went big fish hunting today. This means you ignore sure bets, and work the edges, the in between, the forgotten water. You leave the flats and stumble through the cobble and climb amongst the rip rap. The climbing might just be JJ's favorite part. It worked. We stuck fish, and JJ had three fish on the line that I am positive were 20 plus, but a 20 plus in a boulder field is a bit much for any intrepid 8 year old and we lost all three. When I hooked the next beast, JJ stuck with the net and I steered the fish clear of obstructions and JJ somehow fit the 25 lb head into the net.
We hooked one more big one, 22 lbs, and this time we had some open water. JJ battled hard for several minutes, but succumbed to a smashed knuckle when the wily carp made for the far shore and the knob on the reel turned to a blur. He handed me the rod and went for the net again...it was a total team effort.
I remember days with my dad from when I was a kid. Good days...days like today with my own son. Here is to many more.
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10 comments:
Great pictures, John!
Superb Fish! Looks a great partnership.
Shaping that boy's future in the best way possible!
Great as always. The question I want to ask is whether you've considered tagging these fish on your home water. It would be interesting to see how often you catch the same fish twice (even though the Columbia isn't exactly a mountain trout creek). It would also be interesting to see how fast they are growing.
The fish are almost as big as him!
Nate, I have caught the same fish before. Once I caught a goofy lookin carp twice in one day. The fish had moved about a mile. I had taken pictures of it both times and noticed it later when I downloaded the photos. For the most part though, I don't think they are the same fish often. I see hundreds of carp in a day out here. There are just that many fish, and I cover a lot of water. It would be a fun experiment!
Interesting. I doubt you'll get any funding from a conservation group to do such an experiment on carp. Unless there's a carp/buffalo trust I'm unaware of.
Always love kid fishing picture! At least he didn't let go of the rod with an angry hooked fish as my 7 year old grandson did once. And as always, your fish and fishing amaze me.
Gregg
Such sweet shots! My son just turned 31, but I remember those early days, as well as the ones we still enjoy together.
How big a fish!Equip yourself with massive fly rod.
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