The Easiest Carp In The World By Fly

Just recently I had a fellow fly fisher for carp suggest that the carp Charlie and I fly fish for must be the easiest carp in the world to catch by way of fly. 

Hmmm. 

Now, I don't know why a fellow that has never seen our creek firsthand would suggest such a thing.  If he was indeed here the first thing he might notice is the intense vegetation we have to deal with.  Both banks on this creek are littered with trees that form a canopy over the creek robbing us of that vital sunlight that is so important in seeing carp.  Also, since trees have limbs and many of these limbs are low and over-hanging along the creek that adds to the difficulty of getting a fly in position.  On our carp creek there are just a few places a back cast can be employed.  Most places, even when the carp or thirty, thirty-five, or forty feet away require a roll cast.  Oh, and then there's the Johnson grass, which during the summer months is taller than a man.  And, let me not forget the obstacles in the form of green briar and grapevine orchards that stand in our way getting to where the carp might be feeding. 

 

 

I also wonder why someone that has never watched the behavior of these carp would suggest that they are easy.  These carp are no different from carp anywhere - they are as wary, savvy, and smart as any carp anywhere.  Since this creek is an intimate and tight creek, I actually think these fish are even more alert.  At so many places there's not much distance between fly angler and carp and that often works to the angler's disadvantage. 

But, the fellow that suggested that these are the easiest carp in the world to catch with a fly is exactly right... and there's good reason. 

You see, Charlie and I have trained these carp.  Think of them as circus carp.  We've trained these carp so well they'll jump through a hoop to get to our flies.  And, that's what makes it so damn easy. 

This year, we changed our training program and taught the carp to concentrate on one fly - the Creek Critter.  Put a creek critter on the other side of that hoop I'm talking about, and watch the carp go airborne. 

With the easiest carp in the world to catch in mind, I set out this morning to catch some more of them.

With the Creek Critter tied on, I begin an easy day. My plans were to fish for a good amount of time, but on my way to one of our carp pastures I passed an event the federal park people had organized.  Today, was "pick up trash in the park day" and since this creek has been so good to me it was time to reciprocate.   Pulling into the station I explained I would wade the creek and collect trash and so the rangers gave me a trash bag and sent me on my way.  It certainly cut into the fishing time, but still I managed to catch a special kind of carp while collecting trash.  It's not often I encounter a carp on the prowl, but today I did.  Putting the Critter a little beyond the fish and then stripping, the carp was on the fly like a duck on a June bug.  Awesome.

Carp taken on a back-handed roll cast.

 

Also taken on a back-handed roll cast.

 

Yes... on a back handed roll cast.

 

They'll jump through hoops for this!

 

The divan cushion collected from the creek today took the prize for best piece of crap.

 

Gotta love those bait fishers with such keen stewardship.

 

Now, yesterday evening with only a short period of light left, Charlie goes to the creek and lands a wonderful Mirror carp.  Guess that Mirror was one of the easy one's too. 

 

Whatever.