Ones Better Than None!

A seemingly nice Carpin day started out with a few good pods. They were hanging around some deeper water were the faster water of the stream flows in. They were being finicky on this day or I was being to obvious on the bank. (I will go with to finicky! LOL)  Ended up moving down to a "good" spot that I knew of. I was greeted with extremly murky waster due to the Agricultural Fields being irrigated. This made for less than ideal conditions for Carp. As I watched the water roar out of the culvert pipe and into the stream I caught glimps of a single Carp rising through the rapids. He worked left then right, then he disappeared for a few then reappeared. I knew I could trick him into a nice looking Carp Carrot!

First Take at Some Big Water

While Carp in streams seem to be a bit slower and less active (unless it's windy) Carp in larger bodies of water seem to be very active. (In my opinion) The body of water that I am working is not really a lake or pond but a very wide section of a stream. It is nearly 200 yds wide but relatively shallow. Being around 40 to 50 yds into the water I am at knee depth, but it looks as though it gets deeper.

I started along a high bank so that I could try and spot and stock any lazy Carp. There are pretty good weed beds along the shore that the Carp seem to hang in and around, producing tailers, cruisers, cloopers and sun bathers.

 

Here if you study the water long enough you will find a sun bather. She wasn't interested in leaving this location. I snuck in on my knees and got some line out; I was about 10 yds closer than the photo shows. Now she was not really in the mood to eat also, I put the fly on her nose a half dozen times with no movement at all. If you were underwater you could probably hear her snoring! Finally the fly moved passed her left side and I guess she finally had enough, she bolted for the fly and when the time was right I pulled up and set the hook!

 



She wasn't ready to give up so easily, battling through weeds, cattails and what ever else lay beneath the surface.

 

She was now my new Personal Best! 12 lbs. I don't officially have a length yet as I still need to measure my fly rod were I marked the length. (Need to get a tape in the Orvis Sling Pack)

 

I had only hooked two on this day as these big water fish move around a lot hunting for a snack. Some will take the surface others will root through the mud, it seems to be a battle of what fly weight to use. The second Carp was 11 lbs and a real fighter, nearly taking the fly line into the backing! Much learned as the anticipation of Carp on the Fly continues.....

Honey Hole

Now over my years of fishing I have always herd guys say that they have a "Honey Hole", where the most fish and the largest hang out. I have always been sceptical as I have never seen a place such as this. Well yesterday on my outting I can honestly say I found a Honey Hole! It was amazing to see so many Carp in one place. Easily 50+ Carp, large ones and small ones, aggressive ones and mellow ones.

I started the afternoon chasing a couple of tailing Carp from the high bank, using the larger Sage Brush and Grease Wood as my cover. Using a Mr. P's Carp Carrot I can get good casting range and the Carp don't seem to notice me. I had a few misses and two false hooks. I have never false hooked so many fish in my entire life until I started Carpin.

Nice 10 lber. Bigger belly than tail.

Invading Stream

Headed out last Friday (5-10-2013) to what I call is "My Carpin Waters". Now granted I don't own the land or the water or even know who does other than the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). I have not seen anyone else fish this section of water or even seen tracks of others. I fished the south side of the stream headed upstream. I had made it to the "center" section of the stream, an area I had not been to yet. Once I had fished the area I moved across the stream in a shallow area and headed back towards my truck. I fished the stream here and there but never landed a fish on the high bank side. Thats when I noticed the tracks of other people in the area. I noted what they looked liked and had wondered if they were just surveyors or construction works from the adjacsent road project going on. I figured that they hadn't when I found the dead Carp on the bank. It looked as though they had been there about two days (judging by the smell).

I was a little discouraged since I have been fishing this area for about a month. Learning the fish, their actions, how the water flowed, what the bottom of the stream was like and where the Carp like to hang out. Now I am affraid that people are going to get in there and start killing fish left and right and distrupt the pattern of the fish. Not to mention the fish will become very sketchy.

Its an odd feeling since when I grew up we always considered Carp as a garbage or trash fish. Now that I have spent so much time and energy trying to learn them and catch them, I think I am starting to grow a little attached to the little guys. Like getting attached to the ugly dog at the pound (who does that really happen to!!??).

Victory Atlast!

It's been a two run dry spell for me. The weather can not deciede if its winter, spring or summer. Lots of wind and even thunder storms (odd for this part of Nevada).

I hit the water around my usual time (2:00pm ish) With the recent rains the stream was moving pretty fast and was alot higher than I have seen it previously. It even had a new tint of brown to it as it roared by. No Fear I took off. I start at the old bridge piers and instantly found Tailing fish. I knew I was going to land one today! I moved around to the south side of the piers. There was a board lodge between two of the piers which was creating a some what water fall effect. I could see two Carp tailing just below. I pulled out just enought line to "plop" the Hybrid right into the Diner Plate Zone. It wasn't 5 seconds later and fish on! He put up a great fight like Carp always do!

7 lb Common Carp

Saying Cheese for the Camera!

See Ya!

 

The hardest part of Carpin that I have found (mainly because I go alone, well not mainly, I go alone) is taking pictures of the fish. Holding a 5 plus pound fish with tired arms is not easy. Add wiggling fish and not wanting to drop the iPhone in the water, it is a challenge! (Note: I have dropped the iPhone in the water twice, and I only have the basic Otterbox Defender Case on it; and yes this is a plea to Otterbox to upgrade my case to the Armor Series so that I may field test it!)

 

 

Now onto more YouTube Videos and reading to hone my skills. I have only landed one fish per outing so far. I have a goal of landing two per outing. Just need to work on fly location and identifing the takes! Happy Fishing!

The Last Day Pyramid

Today I headed north to Pyramid, it was a windy drive which made me nervous. The winds can be cold and brutal this time I year.

Met some new people today and everybody in our group landed fish. It was great to see. No ten pounders this spring, I am putting my money on the fall when the season reopens!

See you in the Fall Pyramid!

Lost One, False Hooked One, Landed One

Took an early out from work today. With the usual wind blowing I figured it would be more of a nature walk than a Carpin trip. Didn't go very fare before I noticed a lot o splashing in the water. The best I could figure was the Carp were spawning??

Hybrid loaded, I fired away. Worked a couple of mudders but nothing took. Moved downstream and finally WHAM! It was a fighter but none the less I was here for a fight. He needed up under some debrie in the water and broke the line! (One Lost)

Onward! I tied on another Hybrid and it wasn't 10 min later I saw the fly line twitch, I gave the jerk. I saw the tail come out of the water first and take off like a jet. It ran in every direction striping line out, I reeled in, he stripped it back out. Then we moved up downstream with the current. Thinking I was going to win this endless battle I moved into place with the net ready. The fly poped loose headed straight for my head, after a quick trip into the bushes and back out I found the fly tangled in the bushes. (One False Hooked)

Back to the bank I was on I had cruising fish up and down the stream. Finally a few stopped and began mudding. He fly hit the sand bank and slid into the water right past the nose of the Carp. He bolted for the Hybrid, as soon as he turned I jerked the rod setting the hook right into his upper lip. He was a real fighter, not willing to see the sands of the shore. Twenty minutes later he was beached with nowhere to go. Slapped some photos rested the Carp and slid him back into the murky water. (One Landed)