Conversations With Carp - To The Point Talks

With our precious little carp creek running a sediment-laden, chocolate milk color other pastures have to be entertained in pursuit of having a conversation with the carp. 

This afternoon one of the big pastures was visited.  This particular pasture is one that Charlie and me will probably just call Wilson.  It's a good size lake and deep for the most part.  However, there is a small feeder creek and there are shallow necks.

Charlie was on the water somewhere, but I couldn't locate him.  I would learn later the reason I couldn't see him because he had decided to take a little nap and was low to the bank. 

Starting at the skinny end of a neck, a trail was struck toward the wider part of this particular neck.  As I slowly and quietly walked along the water-line there came a tell-tale sign of the green lush grasses moving. 

Yesterday I read a most excellent article written by John Montana of Carp On The Fly.  In his column, John basically wrote about having and exercising patience.  When I saw the movement in the grass I remembered John's words and I stopped. 

If I had not stopped... the whole possibility would most likely been blown.  Seeing conditions today were terrible.  We had a completely overcast sky, we were fishing under a canopy of trees, and the bottom of this lake is naturally dark. 

It wasn't long until I saw the carp about three feet from my position.  The War Pony pattern had already been doused in the water, which is something I always do when I get to a creek, stream, or other carp water.  The War Pony went out with a flip cast and it looked as the carp would swim around this fly.  A little twitch was employed and the carp turned and methodically swam to eat the fly.

Almost as soon as this fish was hooked Charlie woke up.  Even though he was only seventy-five or one hundred feet away he wasn't sure it was me and hollered out.  Neither Charlie or me see so good anymore and that's a big obstacle when sight-fishing for carp. 

After releasing the fish, a reverse course was plotted to have a little visit with Charlie.  On the way, there was one more tell-tale sign in the grasses.  In front of me about ten feet out was a huge carp - maybe thirty or a couple of inches more.  The War Pony was rolled out, but fell about two feet short.  At that point, I should have just waited.  With the first carp I remembered what Montana wrote, with this second carp... I had a brain fart.  Instead of waiting, I stripped more line out and rolled the fly again, hitting the fish right on the head.  Opportunity lost.

When I got to Charlie it was easy to see the obstacle he was dealing with - hard visuals.  The ability to see in the water where Charlie was fishing was much worse than the side I had started on.  This lake has the potential of producing some good victories for Charlie and me, and someday we're going to get a break.  That break will come in the form of a sunlit day, with no or little wind, and hungry carp.  When that day comes... we will set some hooks. 

Time was short on the water today.  After work and arriving at the prairie home, Miss Carol was napping so I left her a surprise note saying her birthday gifts were by the water garden.  I wanted to get back home to see if she had found them. 

The Wilson pasture is a pretty place and even though I only stayed an hour it was a good hour with the wildflowers blooming and the natural beauty of this place.