We all had a great time at the Bartlett family reunion last week. Pics and stories to come, but for now here is one of JJ flying his first kite. He got a kick out of the kite.

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One of the great things about carp fishing is that it just doesn't take much to turn a rough day, into a successful day. Halfway through my outing today I was convinced that the last few successful trips had eaten up all of my good karma. I just couldn't get anything going. It took me until noon to even find fish, and once I found them, I had no chance of getting them to eat anything! I blew casts by putting the fly too far away, then blew casts by hitting the fish on the head. Once I finally started placing the fly where I needed it, I couldn't stop pulling the fly away from the fish! I do have to admit that carp are pretty funny when they just lost a meal. The second you set the hook to soon the carp goes into a little mini frenzy, swimming in circles, darting from side to side. You can just about hear them yelling "I was going to eat that!" After taking the fly from a few fish, and then leaving it much too long (and seeing that cursed eat/spook moment) I began to put it together. I think it started when I went to the San Juan, but not one of the new ones I tied last night. I should have figured that new flies tied intentionally for a trip NEVER work. The second I put on an old beat up worm loaded with good mojo, things flowed much better. I ended up hooking about 10 fish, but I lost most of them to the big weedbed about 80 feet off of the flat. Most guys would think 80 feet is plenty of room to stop a fish...most guys don't fish for carp. I brought 5 to hand, on a variety of flies, but the worm was center stage (and it looks even more disheveled...might have to retire that one to my hat.) The biggest fish was about 13 lbs, smallest was 6 lbs...I'll take that spread any day, though I did hook one much bigger fish (my first lesson in the location of that weedbed.) All in all a good day, and I made it home in time to put the kids to bed. Nice.

Two more things to note. First, the water was LOADED with these freshwater clams:

If anyone out there has a pattern, let me know. I'm betting all of the crushed shells were pretty a pretty good indicator of what the carp were chowing. Also, I found this stringer full of 10 dead sturgeon (and one salmon). What a waste. One of the sturgeon was at least 5 feet long. I called it in, but I'm not sure what good that will do.

I snuck out this afternoon for a little exploring. I've been meaning to check a few flats near Portland, so rather than hit a spot I knew I'd see fish, I took a gamble. It didn't pay off today. I did find some nice looking flats, but the water is so low right now, that the shallows were high and dry. The fish were pushed out deep, and I didn't see a single fish. My expectations were low, but I would have liked to have found some fish. Still, it was fun to get out and see some new spots, and I really did feel like an urban carper today.

I got back to my carping roots today. I had an hour to fish with JJ along for the ride in the backpack. We hit our go to local pond and managed four carp. A pretty good outing, though the biggest fish was only 7 lbs. This is distinctly different carp fishing that what I have been doing the last few weeks. These small ponds don't require long casts and tons of backing, but they do up the need for stealth. I put the sneak on all 4 fish, hooking three of them with no fly line out my guides, just 5 or 6 feet of leader. My normal technique on tiny water is to sneak within a rod length of the fish dangle about 3-4 ft of leader out the top of the rod and literally set the fly next to a feeding fish. If you can get on top of them without spooking them, it is deadly. The best part about today? Every time I hooked a carp JJ would just bust out laughing. Good stuff...

What a great weekend with my parents and Elia. We stayed in their new RV and dad and I did some carp fishing, while my mom entertained Elia. My daughter was a trooper on the drive to and from the RV. She read books the entire way and she loved hanging out in the trailer. Elia really enjoyed herself this weekend, and is sleeping soundly right now!

The carp fishing was great. It was really windy both days, but that just pushed the fish to the shore. I landed over 20 fish Saturday, and another 10 or so this morning. My dad caught fish both days, but not quite in the same numbers. I spent some time farther downriver than he felt like walking, and was rewarded with some great carping situations. Big fish for the trip was 18-20 lbs...an absolute pig I landed with a san juan worm on a 40 ft cast. I got the fly close, the fish tipped up and when I lifted the rod the fight was on! I saw my backing so many times that it now has a tan line. A truly special weekend fishing with my dad and watching my daughter play with both of my parents. Here are a few pictures.

This was a double the "old fashioned" way. My dad hooked the fish on the left and while he was fighting it I spotted the fish on the right. His fish weighed about 7 lbs, mine was just under 12. I nearly had a very unique double Saturday. I hooked a great fish on a long cast with crayfish. I fought the fish in and he bottomed out my 14 lb scale (probably about 16 lbs). I removed the fly and turned to walk to shore to get a picture when I spotted another big fish just 20 feet away! I clipped the net with the big fish still hanging half out of it to my belt and started casting at the fish nearby in the shallows. My plan was to hook and beach that second fish and take a picture of a single double! Of course, I blew a cast and spooked the one still in the water, and when I reached for my net, the big boy had slipped loose. So it goes...plenty of targets in the water this weekend!

All along the bank you could spot nice tailing fish like this one.

And if you could find waves breaking over a gravel bar, the carp were stacked up feeding on the lee side. I'm still surprised I took the time to snap this picture before casting into that feeding frenzy.

A nice 12 lb fish from this morning. We hooked some big fish this weekend.

My dad with a nice carp. He took to carping with no problem...he was spotting, casting and hooking fish all week long.

This one didn't quite bottom out my scale!


My dad working a flat. The wind was a blessing and a curse. Today was a bit windier than I would have liked, but we still managed to catch some fish.

The worm was deadly all weekend.

Great weekend! I'll get some pictures of Elia and the grandparents up tomorrow. We all had a great time!

A few more pics from this weekend. I landed 2 fish friday, KB got another two but my client Chris couldn't get a solid hookup. He has some nice takes and near misses and overall, I think he enjoyed carp fishing. Chris and I will get back out together soon I hope.

Saturday was a good day for fish numbers, and we only fished until about 2-230. I landed 10 or 12, with KB and my dad both landing 4 or 5 fish each. The average size was 8 1/2 to 9 lbs and the big fish of the day was a 12 lber.


My dad had a few shots at some bigger fish, a really nice fish in the mid to high teens range, and a beautiful mirror carp that was only about 10 feet away, and had to be in the low teens. He just couldn't get a take though. We did see a few fish that might have gone 20 lbs, but they spooked before we got clean shots at them.

Great weekend of carp fishing with good friends and family!

I fished with my dad early this spring for trout on Duck Lake back in MT. His health was not good. After a walk of a few hundred feet he need to stop and catch his breath. My dad has congestive heart failure, and it was just difficult for his heart to get oxygen to the rest of his body. He didn't let it get him down and steadfastly fished most of the day, taking frequent breaks to relax and catch his breath. A few weeks later they put a pacermaker in to regulate his heart and improve his circulation. My dad claims he is now the bionic man, and feels better than he has in years. The doctors finally cleared him to do some phyiscal excercise, so he headed out here to chase some carp, telling me he had it "all figured out." I though this was particularly funny since the only carp I've ever seen him catch were all snagged in the dorsal fin!

KB joined us for the day and we hit one of our favorite flats. The fishing was good, the company better but the best part was the fact that my dad could get out and enjoy himself. He only need one rest during the day, and spotted fish and snuck up on them like a seasoned carp pro! The first fish we got a really good shot as was the perfect situation. A nice carp was tailing in 3 feet of water about 20 feet away. I pointed him out to dad who was already stripping line from his reel. The cast was true, dropping the fly about 1 ft from the feeding fish. The carp slowly lifted his head, eased forward and dropped his mouth to the bottom once again.

"He's on it!" I said just as my dad lifted the rod tight and the carp exploded out of the shallows. I took one look at my dad's face and let out a loud whoop. KB came running to take some pictures and we both watched as the fly line flew from the reel in seconds. My dad reached for the reel to slow the escaping fish, only to pull his hand back and yelling "ouch!" as the carp wrapped his knuckled hard with the handle. Dad tried another tactic and jammed his fingers into the spool, putting pressure on the rapidly dissapearing backing..."ouch!" he yelled again as the backing burnt his fingers. Eventually the carp slowed and dad fought him back to us. The fish made a second run into the backing, but with much less enthusiasm and on his return Dad was able to lift the head to the surface and I got the net on him.



We caught more fish today, with some great takes each. None of us went home without seeing our backing multiple times, and like my dad, I went home with burnt fingers (like father, like son I suppose.) I could have been skunked today and still drove home with a smile after watching my dad hook that first fish. It was simply a perfect moment, and thankfully, we have many more to come.

The San Juan Worms are lined up in my flybox like a little army, flanked on both ends by a batch of carp wooley's and a handful of peacock hacklebacks. I'm off tomorrow to fish with a client, and then meeting my dad for some time on the carp flats Saturday.

Those worms are just itching to be thrown into the fray...I can tell. Hopefully some pictures and a report will follow!

JJ and I were driving back from a short and unsuccesful carp outing when we spotted this crazy car on the freeway. I pulled up alongside and I'm pretty sure it was Darius Miles in the driver's seat. JJ sure liked this car!

I know that posts have been few and far between this summer, but we have had a lot going on that simply hasn't involved much carp fishing. I'll get one of the kids out soon. Here is the latest video of JJ, he decided now was a good time to start walking. I think we are trouble.

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