Back in the Saddle

I just couldn't take it anymore. With work getting busier by the minute (thank you produce season!) and no break in sight from the weather I simply had to make a run to the river. The deck was stacked against me though. Cold water...check. Cold air...check. Lack of direct sunlight...check. Zero visibility...check. But sometimes, you just have to ignore the odds.

 

And sometimes, you get lucky.

This was the first of six on the day, and for the record, the smallest carp I have caught in 3-4 years. Tiny little bugger at 4-5 lbs but when he dipped down for the soft hackle I think I whooped for joy before I even set the hook! Conditions were brutal, and this was the only clean take I actually saw...the rest were half intuition, half sensing motion, and half guessing. I realize that is 1.5, but carp are tough to catch.

The rest of the fish were all about 8-9 lbs and skinny...poor carp have had a lean winter. I walked several miles of river and it was a cold, barren wasteland. Not a tail or shape to be found until I stumbled onto the one section that was warm enough to bring in some fish, and found about a dozen or so spread out on a soft mud bottom. The problem...the entire area was brown and muddy. All I could see we're clouds where the carp moved around and if I stared long enough, a shadow within the cloud that could only be a carp. The little guy was in shallow enough that I could see the entire fish, but detecting the other takes was tough. My arsenal:

I fished this two fly rig, and did my best to split the flies so that one landed on either side of what I though was the carp's head. I spooked a few (big mud clouds of escape) likely by hitting their tail instead of their head, but I got a few right as well. Then it was a matter of staring at the water for a sense of motion as the carp turned to eat. All in all, pretty cool for the first time out this year. With no sun, I had no business catching those fish so I will just give a nod to the fish gods in thanks.

And I am ready for more.

 

I see you

Enjoy your reprieve...it will be spring (for real) soon enough.

 

 

Not again

Just when dreams of carping were nearing a reality...it snows on us.

I know...only a dusting (and it will be gone in minutes) but the air temps are cold enough to kill thoughts of summertime flats. Maybe I will try for winter steelhead again this weekend.

I am now officially depressed.

Wicked

In the third row for Wicked. Kids are excited!

http://mobile.wickedthemusical.com/index.php

Alaska

Just me and my dad...

When I think of that trip (which is often) I come back to the grayling again and again. Every evening, I stood in the river and caught as many grayling as I felt like catching. On dry flies. As many as I felt like catching. With my dad.

Selection Sunday

Easily one of my favorite days of the year...I love the tournament. Still, I was looking for an excuse to fill up the memory of my DVR and be up late into the night watching Bracketology...I wanted to walk the river and look for carp, but with the water cold, the air cool, and the sky full of rain and clouds I opted to stay home and enjoy some basketball. It was nice watching UNC go down!

A few years ago we stopped at a pond on the way to Spokane to watch the first round. It had been a warm start to the year, and we spotted one lone carp tailing within reach.

The cast was good, and the fish was interested. It turned to follow the fly, and it ate...but I was late on the hook set and missed what would have been a great photo.

Every year at this time I am doubly thankful for the NCAA tournament. By now I am dying for some carp action, but good basketball is a nice way to stay distracted!

The Biggest F'ing Carp You've Ever Seen

To be fair, this was a REALLY big carp. I am talking about a head the size of a basketball. We will get another shot at her this year Wendy!

 

A day at the beach

Spent the weekend at the coast. I did get an hour of two of futile casting in, fishing from the beach is just so alien and insane. I had some big rocks in front of me, a step up from the usual featureless beach but nada...no bites, bumps or heart stopping moments (that had to do with fishing anyway.)

We read, walked,hit the aquarium, played some hero quest, explored the tide pools, and in general enjoyed the view. 90 minutes from my house to this place? Not a bad deal at all.

feeding the birds was a big hit.

Invasive Species

Invariably, I end up drawn into the whole "invasive species" debate with regard to carp. Recently, I couldn't avoid this thread on Westfly.

Catch and Release Carp?

 

Overall, a much more civil discussion than I usually run into on the web. My thoughts are pretty simple. Protect native fish wherever and whenever we can. I just don't see how we can eliminate invasives on systems like the Columbia or Willamette with any effectiveness at this point, and I don't like useless killing. Also, and more to my point on the thread, carp deserve the same respect as other, more glamorous invasive species. I get tired of the call to kill all carp, but save the smallmouth? Fish that prey directly on our native species (like smallies, largemouth, and walleye) impact our fishery as much, if not significantly more than carp. Mostly, I get tired of the attitude and ignorance of many people when it comes to carp. News flash folks...these fish ain't what your daddy told you!

 

 

Irony

I turned to move upriver just in time to see a guy leap from the truck before the driver could even squeeze it into the tiny pullout already containing my jeep. He sprinted up the road to claim the head of the pool I was clearly walking towards. A second guy leapt from the truck before the engine turned off and he promptly low-holed my buddy Scott. I stood on the bank, stunned, with no where to go but back to my jeep. I climbed the bank as the driver of the truck got out and casually strung up his Spey rod.

"Any luck?" I asked with total sincerity despite having been completely cut out of the spot we had just been fishing.

"No, and some jerkoff bait fisherman just chased us out of the run we were fishing up river!" He snarled.

I looked at his truck...CA plates. Not that that mattered.

"Yeah, it happens" I said, then I broke down my rod and Scott and I went off in search of other waters.