The Carp Crusades - Numbero Uno

For the last three warm water seasons I've caught one carp per year on my fly rod but this year with sparked enthuiasm and inspiration from Charlie Wright, I decided to get serious about carp on the fly.

Now... I can't scream to the world that I'm a fly-fisher for carp with this prize today, but I am on the way I feel to a fun-packed spring and summer.

Not all fishermen are liars and I'll tell you straight up I must have made fifty casts before getting a hook-set with this carp today. As a matter of fact I was quite frustrated at the point when this rodeo begin. The sun kept ducking behind the clouds which made it extremely difficult to see and the wind was riffling the water once again which added to my problem in trying to sight fish.

I have to say Charlie is spot on with his observation that these creatures are extremely sensitive to sound in the water. When the black Backstabber pattern I tied last night would hit the water the carp would spook. I kept trying to cast directly to the carp and getting the fly down in the column quickly but it wasn't working so I put my casts about six or eight feet upstream and let it bounce along the bottom.

I was fishing a trio of carp with the largest one being in the lead and he was the one I was trying for. However, this fellow decided he liked the fly better and before I realized it he had sucked the fly up. I never saw the actual take but did see my leader jolt and that's when I set the hook.

It was at least a good ten minute fight and each time I would try to beach the creature he would sense the shallow water and launch to the deeper water... again and again.

Think I'll tie up some more of those Backstabbers or at least my version. I'm nowhere as good as Zimmerman is with his Backstabbers but at least now I know mine will suffice in attracting carp.