Begins With "C"

The Carpola Charlie carp fly begins with "c".

Of course, our friend the carp begins with "c".

Alas, the catfish also begins with "c".

Having less than an hour to spare, I waited until almost 7 p.m. to catapult to the creek thinking the searing heat would be absent.  The problem, however, is at such an hour the sun is deep in the western sky creating almost total shade on the water.  I couldn't see squat.

Fortunately I had a beer in tow and sit down on a sandy shoal to take in the suds.  With only a couple of sips down the hatch I saw a swirl in the pool directly downstream.  With a rather desperate Hail Mary attempt, the Carpola Charlie penetrated the plunge and almost as soon as the splashdown took place, the swirl turned toward the direction of the fly.  The fly and fish collided and there was a rather noticeable jolt in the leader, followed by a quick lift of the rod.  It was easy to tell the hook-set was quite solid and at that point I would have bet my last dollar I had a dandy determined carp on. 

It was a catfish, with the Carpola Charlie planted in his upper lip.  Catfish are okay... it's just the hope was for a carp. 

I left the creek without a carp.  Catfish begins with a "c"... so does choke.