Sturgeon on the Fly

So yeah...this happened yesterday.

As usual, I was on the flats chasing carp with my buddy David (pictured) and Mark (the man behind the camera). A good day quickly turned into an incredible day. As we walked along looking for tailing carp I spotted a big tail breaking the surface and a cloud of dark black (and big) fish. I frantically pointed the spectacle out to Mark and David, and then like a complete idiot, I cast at a roughly 15 lb carp. With me hooked up for the next few minutes, David and Mark stalked the fish alone.

As they got closer, they knew it was a group of four sturgeon, feeding and basically tailing on a thigh deep gravel bar. David slipped into position and cast a size 8 hybrid to the lead sturgeon. Unbelievably...the fish ate the fly.

By this time I had joined them (silently cursing the 15 lb carp I had just released) and the three of us sort of stood there stunned while the fish headed for deep water. We knew that we were not even going to think about keeping the fish, so David absolutely put the wood to this fish. Rod straining and 10 lb floro tippet creaking...he pushed his gear to the limit trying to bring the fish to the shallows. I took off my camera and got ready to wrestle with this fish if necessary. On the second trip into shallow water I got a window and managed to stick my woefully small carp net over the head of the sturgeon, and then quickly jumped onto my knees and got ahold of the tail. We got the fish under control, snapped a few pictures and smiled as she darted back out into the river.

 

What a moment...a feeding sturgeon eating a size 8 hybrid carp fly in the shallows. Unbelievable catch by my friend, and something I won't forget. Thanks David and Mark...what a day!

Posted with Blogsy

Contest time!

Head on over to my Facebook page for a chance to win some cool stuff from H&H Outfitters. You know you want this shirt and hat combo!

 

Winning is easy! Post a picture (that you took!) that shows your carp love to my Facebook page. Tag H&H Outfitters in the description and that is it. The boys over at H&H will pick a winner on Friday. They may be influenced by comments, likes, shares etc. but something tells me a good photo that shows your carp love will bring home the prize. Big thanks to H&H, lets see some pictures!

 

Posted with Blogsy

H&H Outfitters

Worth checking out...for one thing, there is this:

Good stuff from some local (to me) dudes. I like it.

 

Check em out at H&H Outfitters.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

It should be fun

 

Big thank you to my little girl for reminding me so. I have a tendency to get a little serious over fishing, and carp, and all that goes with it. I think about how, tie flies, plan, and agonize over fished missed and stalks blow, but the bottom line is that it should be fun. Today was fun.

Elia and I stomped through muddy water full of spawning carp. I carried and old fiberglass rod, but the plan was to find some shallow fish, and chase them down with the net. She managed to net four fish...laughing, smiling and getting dirty and wet in the process. It was glorious.

Thanks Elia...I love that you are always up for an adventure!

 

Posted with Blogsy

Carp Presentation

In case anyone is in the area, stop by the Orvis store at Bridgeport Village (Portland) on Saturday 4/27. I will be doing a carp presentation at 1100...lots of pictures, flies and hopefully some good conversation. Hope to see some of you there!

Beautiful Place for a Skunking

Well, for me anyway. David and Vans (two very fishy guys) each managed a Rock fish, but I went 0/2. One strike was jarring...heavy and sudden...the other a ratatatat type but in both cases I blew the strip strike. Further proof that I am a hack.

I sure enjoyed it though. The Oregon coast is one of those places that is at it best when the weather is crap. It rained on us most of the day and I loved it. We scoured the jetty, lost basically every fly that I tied and even walked a short stretch of beach with fleeting thoughts of surf perch. Sea lions swam by and checked us out, gulls dove, starfish winked at us, crabs scuttled around and in general all was well even with the lack of ling cod or rock fish cooperation. Beautiful day on the water...thanks for such great company as always Vans and David!

 

Posted with Blogsy

The Apex Athlete

Once upon a time, I was a decent basketball player. I could shoot the three, get to the rim and I played defense as only one taught by Julio Delgado can play defense. I loved the game, and went as far as my effort and will took me for my athleticism flat out wouldn't have taken me anywhere. In college and over in England I came to realize just what a difference real athletic ability meant. I remember one game in particular, ten seconds left in the half. I was out top, guarding the conference player of the year, a 6 ft 2 inch stud from Louisiana. I was a freshman...5 ft 10 and about 170 lbs soaking wet but in this situation my job was pretty simple. Stop this guy. I got right up in his face and sunk into a defensive stance. He went right and I stayed with him...he spun back left and I stayed with him. With the clock about to expire he rose up for a jumper and I exploded into the air, my left hand mere inches from his nose...I was all over this guy!

Then I landed...and he kept rising...right over the top of my hard working but un-athletic ass and he nailed a 19 ft jumper to end the half...right in my face. Thus I was introduced to the concept of an Apex Athlete.

Yes, everything relates to carp fishing, and there are clear Apex Athletes in the carp world. A 15-17 lb fish is the ultimate...they will whip your ass and make you like it. If you catch a few in a day your arms will be sore, your fingers will be smacked by the reel, and your belly will have a bruise from the fighting butt. They will take your backing for a run, not once, but often two, sometime three times and they will find the weedbeds, boulder fields or any other obstructions available to them. The Apex Athlete will rise up to end the half, and maybe even glance down to give a nod to the feeble freshman defender before zeroing back in on the rim and knocking down the shot. You might win a possession or two against these guys, but in the end, the better athletes usually win. These are the fish that give carp on the fly their reputation...all hail the Apex Athletes!

Posted with Blogsy

Upcoming items

2013 is officially the year of the carp...lots of things going on with upcoming tournaments, events, and some big news coming soon from Orvis. It is going to be a fantastic spring and summer. Two things coming up on my end worth mentioning.

First, on April 27 I will be at the Orvis store in Bridgeport Village (Portland) to talk water, technique, flies and carp. The presentation starts at 1100 and I hope to see a good turnout, these things are a lot more fun when there are tons of questions.

Second, on May 14th the Fly Fishers Club of Oregon is holding their 2013 dinner and auction. Proceeds go to the Native Fish Society, a great cause. One of the items up for auction is a day of carp fishing with me on June 1st. I don't claim to be a guide, a decent teacher, or even very good company...so with that ringing endorsement I hope you attend and bid away for the Native Fish Society! I can promise to do my best to put the winner on some nice carp.

Spring is here!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

The Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp

Pre-order your copy today! Just head on over to Carp-pro and follow the link in the upper right hand corner to get your name on one. I can't wait to see what Kirk Deeter, Orvis, and the Stonefly Press have come up with in this book. I know I am always looking for some new tricks to fool these fantastic gamefish.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Simple Math

I graduated from college with a degree in English Lit, so naturally I make my living as a freight salesman. Even so, there are some calculations that even I can figure out.

Orvis Helios 2 + box full of Hybrids + mid week vacation day = SORE ARMS

I smashed the carp today. Flat out smashed them. This really has been an unbelievable early season, with active (though small) fish all over the place. I was lucky enough to have good sun early, but I lost the light quickly and had to deal with high, white cloud cover, the absolute worst when carp fishing. It didn't matter. The fish were so active, and so shallow, that I could see them regardless of the light.

I caught literally countless fish. This was the best day in terms of numbers that I have had since my run in with General Sherman years ago...a day that I still recall fondly. Eclipsed. At one point I stood in the same spot for close to two hours. Never moved my feet. I would cast at a tailer, hook him, fight him, net him, release him...and then cast at another tailer and do it again. I stopped clipping my net to my pack and just dropped it in the water...easier and faster to just pick it up and net the next fish. The only thing missing were big fish. I spotted four or five that were over 15 lbs...hooked three of them, lost two to the same weedbeds, and broke one off with an over zealous net attempt. So it goes, I am not going to complain.

And the best part? It is APRIL...much more to come.

Posted with Blogsy