Conversations With Carp - Code Talk

There was only about thirty minutes of light left last evening, but I decided to go to the creek anyhow.  For the first fifteen minutes I didn't see a single carp.  Working my way downstream it wasn't long until I discovered a treasure box of nice size carp.

I want you to imagine a stretch of water like an oblong box.  This box is about fifteen feet wide (upstream to downstream) and twenty-five feet across (from bank to bank).  In this box I describe, there are about fifteen carp - quality carp for this creek.  Two of the carp are fairly close to me so I target one and send out the fly.  As the fly falls in the column the fish sees it and spooks. 

In less than fifteen seconds every single carp in that treasure box - that oblong box of about 300 square feet have begun to make exodus.  Even the carp that are upstream and twenty to twenty-five feet away are in fast lane mode in less than fifteen seconds.

That's not pheromones.  Pheromones simply do not act that quickly, particularly on upstream fish.  The carp have some other amazing way of communicating with one another.  What it is I do not know.  Could it be something in the Weberian apparatus.  Possibly.  Could it be a signal sent out from a lateral line?  Again, possibly. 

These fish have some way of signaling one another in a language we don't or can't understand.  I look at it as code talk.  Of course, I'm always disappointed when I spook a fish, but on the same hand I'm always amazed at how they talk to one another and send out messages.

I leave the creek as the light falls.

This morning I get to the creek fairly early with Charlie's Biter Critter tied on.  One footnote please -I've been referring the Charlie's version of the Biter Critter as Charlie's Biter Critter.  However, he tells me he prefers to call it the Creek Critter.  Therefore I make a post saying that I stand corrected, as the fly formerly known as Charlie's Biter Critter is now known as the Creek Critter.  I don't care what the name of this fly is because it catches carp like crazy.

In less than five minutes, after arriving this morning, I have the first carp of the day to hand.  Fishing the upper shallows of the pasture known as Honey Hole, the carp sucked the Creek Critter on the first cast.

From the upper shallows I travel to the lower shallows of Honey Hole.  Here I find two carp gingerly feeding in the shallow and narrow run.  The Creek Critter goes out once again and an absolutely beautiful mirror carp comes to hand.

I wanted to get a decent picture of this amazing looking fish instead of one of the pictures I usually take with the fish in the grass, or on the bank, or at the edge of the creek.  Trying to hold the mirror in one hand and snap the picture with the other the mirror flops and goes back into the drink.  No picture.  (Mental note:  Dummy, get yourself a high quality, fish-friendly net.) 

Leaving Honey Hole I travel to Charlie's Pasture.  Here I see a carp about twenty-five feet out coming toward me head-on.  The Creek Critter goes out head-on also as the carp continues to come to the fly and purses those lips.  Rod tip up, hook-set good, and the talks are on.  With this fish I have to slide down the bank and try to walk him upstream to get him to hand.  He was a dandy scraper and the battle took a good while. 

After the third carp of the morning it's time to take a coffee and hot chocolate break.  Walking off the creek it was hard to keep from noticing how life was flourishing. I saw jay's and cardinals, squirrel and deer, grasshopper were abundant as the dragonflies and other winged and legged creatures were.

After a short break I return to the Honey Hole pasture.  At the creek's edge I decide to give the Creek Critter a rest.  Placed into employment is the black body with red stinger tail Curiosity pattern.  This fly sails on a blind thirty foot roll cast and it isn't long until I feel the pressure of the fish on the fly.  At first I was convinced this fish was a catfish, but then I got a glimpse of the orange tail. 

This fourth carp was a heavy carp and the fight was memorable.  He never made long runs, but simply bore down on the line and leader. 



By now it's almost ten o'clock and the high humidity is seeping into the body so I have to call it a day.  A good day though. 

And of course, and sadly I should say, there was trash to pick up this morning.  Here's some of the artifacts of modern man reclaimed this morning.