Adieu To Boots And Good Carpin'

It looks like it's time to say so-long to the LL Bean wading boots.  They have served well, but they're quite fatigued these days.  Both have lost their felt, and although there are felt sole replacement kits... my experience with those things is they never hold well.

I bought these boots at the same time I bought those LL Bean waders so many were doubtful of.  However, those waders have had 250 or so outings and they still haven't a leak.  The boots have actually been on more outings because I wet waded most of this spring and summer.  So, they have been good warriors.

It was a good afternoon for carp on the fly.  Spent a little under two hours on the water.  Started out at the Courtyard even though Charlie had told me it was murky.  He was right!  Real murky.  Decided to get away from the Carpola Charlie today since it seems like it's the only fly I can catch a carp with anymore.  First tried the Great White Hope and the carp ran from it.  Then tried the Red San Juan Wormball and the carp fled from it also.  Then... came the olive and black Backstabber.  I think I ran into a string of luck today.  The three carp I caught were all in the shallows feeding and all went straight for the Backstabber. 

The most interesting catch was the third and last carp of this afternoon. There were two carp feeding in the shallows on the far bank. They were about a foot apart. I rolled the Backstabber to the upstream carp and he went to the fly while it was midstream with six inches left before hitting the bottom. But suddenly he hesitated and turned. Recovering immediately, another rolled Backstabber to the remaining carp and he too went to the fly midstream but this guy sucked it up and I set the hook.

Charlie fished this morning and using his San Juan Worm battled two carp.  Here's the pics he sent our way.