Last evening I received a most wonderful carp scouting report from a fellow that many of you have come to know - Charlie Wright. You must understand how I was sleepless last night after reading Charlie's accounting of how yesterday you were out and about in fair numbers gingerly grazing in the shallows.
Sleepless due to a constant visualization of how I would come to you today in hopes of meeting just one of your kind. Just one and one only.
I'm sure your kind was in rejoice with the rain of the day before yesterday - rain that clouded the creek and gave you cause to feel protected. Protection you were certain of because the cloudiness would prevent me or Charlie from seeing you.
However, as I stayed sleepless last night I planned for that. The plan called to search for you at the fringes of the creek while staying high on the bank. At the high platform I would stand and select a kinsman of yours in the shallow fringes - a grazing carp out from the edge just ten feet or so.
Now if you would have known I was coming today, most likely you could have told me what offering I would bring to you. Yes, you're right it would have been, and was, the Creek Critter.
As I tossed and turned last night I tried to decide what would be the best time to come to you today. Around mid-afternoon seemed a perfect time with the sun being in a good position. However, nature today decided to throw a wrench into my plans around noon when the sun disappeared behind large patches of rain clouds.
Yet, at the creek this afternoon I could still see your wonderful forms in the stew. At one point was a lone wolf of your kind. Tail was visible, but head was not. The Critter went out with a short roll and then it was all gut feeling on my part. Gut came through.
Your lot should take pride in the fact that your kinsman of today was a fine fighter, especially considering the cold temperature of your home.
This fine lad is the first carp of this new year for this angler and therefore I branded him with the name Alpha.
While I have your attention there are some things I would like to share with you. Of course you must understand at this point I'm reading the tea leaves, but there is a high probability these things will take place.
Charlie has been scouting new carp water. He has found a large stream, a river actually, and there is a place where a smaller creek joins the river. I won't tell you the name of this creek, but will share with you it has a most sweet name.
Charlie reports that observations show there are a fair number of your kind that live at this place. Sadly I must tell you that Charlie found remains of a good number of your breed due to the drought of the past year.
In interviewing some of the old salts that fish this confluence, Charlie has also learned that your kind are of good size and quantity.
So, if Charlie and I pursue this water then we will not be sneaking up on you as much as in the past. I am sure this might be music to your ears, or Weberian apparatus, but don't start the party just yet.
Secondly, I plan on spending a good amount of time this year searching and exploring the big water five or six miles downstream from you looking for the next state record of your kind. The current state record, by rod and line, is just a tad over forty pounds. From what I've seen, the big water may just be able to produce one of you this size or better.
Smile not my friends. You must know by now that you are our favored sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters and forsake you we simply cannot.
We will be seeing you soon.
Until then, graze, rest, and enjoy.
Sincerely,
Prairie Ocean Fly Fisher
1 comment:
Good luck with the quest and that's a cool January fish, no pun intended. Good grief, unusual blizzards and snow and below freezing here for weeks, glad you haven't got that, now at least.
Gregg
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