Conversations With Carp - Lunch Hour Chat

There are times at the mercantile store that things become more than I can bear, or more than I care to tolerate any longer.  Today was one of those days, so my thought was the best course of action was to take a lunch hour and see if any of the carp cared to carry on a... civilized conversation, which didn't seem to exist at the mercantile store this particular Thursday.

Today, Charlie's Biter Critter fly caught my attention and this variation of the Bonefish Biter went on the lasso.  At the creek bank I wanted to get the fly wet, so out she went to fairly shallow water above the Honey Hole pasture.  Not paying attention I begin to strip the fly in when I saw the carp on it.  But, I had already given the fly too much life and the fish turned away. 

Going downstream a position on a fallen tree was taken.  About twenty-five feet upstream there was the beautiful sight of an orange tail waving in the drink.  A tailing carp is what the carp by fly angler dreams of, what we hunt, the thing we always hold high hope of encountering. 

A problem existed however.  There wasn't any room for a back-cast.  In addition there was thick and heavy tree limbs both on my left and right.  With the fish being upstream and tree limbs extending far over the bank, a standard roll cast was out of the question.  The only way to get the fly to the fish was with a back-handed roll, so I let one go out.

When the fly landed a foot behind and to the right of the fish I figured a golden opportunity had just been lost and the fish would surely spook.  The carp did not spook, but turned and came straight to the Biter Critter, slowed, then lunged.  The rod tip went up hard and fast, the hook-point penetrated deep, and our lunch hour chat begin. 

This carp was a strong fellow, peeling line off, taking me to the backing.  While line was being taken out, I was trying to figure how to land this fish.  There wasn't much to think about really - to land this fish required getting wet and here I was still with my work clothes. on.  There was plenty of time left in my lunch hour break and this would provide time to go to the prairie home to change socks. 

Stepping down on another fallen log I was only about ankle deep in water.  The carp eventually yielded in his run and this give me some chance of gaining ground on the fish.  After a fairly lengthy fight a message was sent to the carp with a hard pull-up on the rod.   The fish answered with a riposte in the fashion of peeling all the line I'd just gained. 

Our meeting and chat would soon come to an end as I placed my right hand under the belly of the carp and removed the hook with the left.  It was a nice chat.

And as promised, since the perch require their due, here is today's Biter Critter perch.