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.









Conversations With Carp - Sweating The Talks

Even though I got to the creek rather early this morning, by 7:30 it looked like I had fallen in the creek.  The humidity is so high here I was drenched in sweat. 

Starting out at the pasture we call the Honey Hole it was easy to tell the fishing would not be good here.  A brisk southern wind of the past several days has blown the debris into this stretch and it's completely scummed over.  So, off to the pasture we call the Courtyard.

At Courtyard the water was crystal.  Spotting several young carp upstream a stealthy approach is made their way.  The olive grizzled tan stinger tail is on the line and flipped out to one of the young ones.  The babe eats it right away.  Amazing how strong this young fish was.  I ended up having to jump off the high bank in order to find a place to land the fish.

The calamity I made in the water put the other carp down so it was time to move on.

From the Courtyard I travel to the creek that runs though federal park land.  Arriving at the pasture we call Charlie's Pasture I find big carp.  But, all the big boys and everyone else are suspended on the far side of the creek about thirty feet away.  I keep looking for a favorable carp - one on the graze, a tailing carp, but nary a one can be seen.

Tying on a F fly Charlie give me I cast it to a carp that looks like he is sucking mid-column.  The fish goes for the fly, but in my excitement I pull the fly away from the beeve.  Minutes later another fish goes for the F fly mid-column and again I screw up.  It's time to move on to another pasture.

With each outing I've been picking up trash I find, but have failed to document any of it for future reference.  Today it was a beer can some joker threw in the creek.  I'm in search of a grappling hook I can tie a rope on because so far I have found six tires in the creek and I want those nasty things gone.  A tire can stay intact for hundreds of years and have no place in a creek.

Leaving Charlie's pasture I head to the pastures known as the Beach and Bend.  While sitting on the back of the prairie schooner tying on a chartreuse Biter Critter, Charlie comes by.  He's taking a morning stroll on that monster motorcycle he drives.  Of course we have to talk fly fishing, water, tying more patterns and tourists.  Weekends are almost impossible for Charlie to fish because of the inn he owns and operates.  Charlie wishes me luck and off I am to the creek. 

With the Biter Critter two more carp would come to hand within twenty minutes.  The wind had picked up significantly and it was time to call it a day. 

Now, looking at this picture there will be some of you that accuse me of getting this fish drunk so I could catch it.  But, I assure you that empty liquor bottle is not mine.  I'm a clown at times, but not the kind of clown that throws crap in the creek.

As hot and good a pattern the Biter Critter is, this fly seems to have one fault - at least the ones I try to tie.  They are not durable at all.  After only two carp with this fly this morning the fly was showing a lot of wear and missing one leg. 

Wrapping the morning up I notice how dirty I am and truly carp-by-fly can be a messy affair at times.  I should give credit to my wife Miss Carol for putting up with my carp-by-fly life.  She rarely complains of the mess I carry home to our bunkhouse. 

Thank you Miss Carol.