Conversations With Carp - Crowded Conversation

The opportunities for carp by fly outings have been few lately primarily because of other activities that are looming.  Hopefully, after this weekend some decent time on the water will come about. 

My last outing resulted in much of the same as the previous two outings with other fish butting in the attempted conversations with carp.  Although I vilify the perch at times I'm pursuing carp, the truth is I love the panfish.  Why wouldn't I love them?  Panfish have brought me countless hours of enjoyment over a lifetime. 

It seems Charlie, while on an outing yesterday, experienced the same things I have lately.  He tells me there was nothing, nothing at all, as far as fish activity, going on when he first arrived but shortly after noon a wide variety of fish gathered where Charlie was fishing.  There was carp, redhorse suckers, blue suckers, drum, catfish and most assuredly the perch and bass. 

Of course Charlie wanted the carp, but just like what's been happening on my outings, his fly was intercepted.  Charlie ended up catching three catfish and two drum.  He probably caught some panfish too, but didn't bother to mention it. 

We've already resigned ourselves to the fact we have far fewer carp to chase this year compared to the last two seasons.  There are carp though but their presence is scattered and spotty.  With other fish species being ravenous right now, our situation capturing carp is compounded. 

The only thing to do with hungry fish is simply catch them... and that's what we've been doing.  Here are some pictures from my last outing and Charlie's trip yesterday.

Saturday catfish taken by red San Juan worm ball.

Sunday catfish taken on a Ugly Dame.

Charlie's first catfish of the day.

Another channel catfish from Charlie.

Capturing other species while hoping for carp by fly is certainly not an indigenous condition that Charlie or me own.  Yesterday, I received a message from Gregg Martin in Idaho.  Gregg spent eleven hours on the water and was quite successful in capturing carp.  However, other species that came Gregg's way included the crappie, bass, and yes... the catfish.  Again, when fish are hungry we catch them... whether we want to or not.

Gregg had an excellent outing recently.