Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Simply Put

I don't understand how anyone could look at a tailing carp and not get excited. I know my heart rate goes up, my body posture changes and I feel like I am taking a free throw at the end of a big game. And if it is a big tail...everything goes double time. This one had a big tail.

She was coming straight at me down the shoreline, casting from side to side, and occasionally sticking her tail completely put of the water as she dug something out of the gravel. The sediment cloud trailed behind her at least 6 or 7 feet. I hate the head on shot, but knew I wasn't going to get a better angle, so I lined it up and made the cast at about 30 feet. Normally, I blow this type of cast every time, but today the soft hackle landed about 10 inches in front and 5 inches to the side of the big fish. She darted forward, turned, and I set the hook. Nothing like a 25 lb fish blasting into your backing to get your heart rate up!

I managed quite a few fish today. They were in the gravel and in search and destroy mode, which makes for relatively easy pickings. They never tailed long in one spot, so when I spotted a tailer I would actually wait until it had leveled out to move on, rather than put the fly on a tailer in a sediment cloud. When cruising from food to food, they were aggressive and simply jumped on the soft hackle.

Two fish over twenty lbs today...and plenty of teens size apex athletes. There simpy is nothing like carp on the fly!

7 comments:

testflycarpin said...

Seek and Destroyyyyyyy..... Just heard that metallica song for the first time in a while this weekend and all I could picture was a carp on the prowl.

Brent Wilson said...

Nice work, dude.

Brian J. said...

Great fish John-- I hate the head on shot too, haven't quite got it figured out...

Jorge said...

I know this feeling... and I love it! It seems you had a good day, congratulations!

Gregg said...

I love backing disappearing as well, but my larger fish are probably more like 15 than 20 plus pounds. You have it great in season, as great as antwhere, glad for you!

Gregg

Gregg said...

I love backing disappearing as well, but my larger fish are probably more like 15 than 20 plus pounds. You have it great in season, as great as antwhere, glad for you!

Gregg

David McKenzie said...

Beautiful fish!