Carp Redux 2011 - Timing For Carp

Opportunities to get on the local carp creek have been few here of late.  It seems there have been a number of distractions, besides the wind, that have kept me from the water.

Yes, the wind was still howling today, but, I had it in my mind to go anyway.  Almost blew my opportunity today by taking a siesta and not getting on the creek until 5 p.m.  During the month of April here on the prairie ocean, time of day is crucial to improving chances of capturing a carp.  At five this afternoon the sun already started to shade the creek because of the canopy of trees along both banks.  Trying to see carp in shaded water is difficult on it's own.  Then if you take off-colored water within the shade... you really have a challenge in front of you. 

I was able to find one lone carp feeding in shallow, clear, and somewhat fast water.  Showed the fellow the Curved Charlie in white and silver and he gobbled it.

I know everyone is tired of hearing me belly-ache about the wind, and I'm darn tired of hearing myself belly-ached about the wind, but... this is ridiculous!  We are going on thirty days of strong winds and I'm not dramatizing this wind we have.

Look what simple straight line winds did to the trees last Friday.  

Granted this old cottonwood had seen better days, but still it would take a pretty good gust to bring it down.  The wind didn't just pick on old trees but young ones too, like the fully leafed tree below that was broken at it's base. 

Our carp creek continues to struggle and we are currently five inches below normal in rain.  Hopefully the rain will come soon.