Dear Carp - The Rain Dance Carp

Dear Carp,

The promised rain begin shortly after daybreak this morning.  It was an event I have been excitingly waiting for.  However, the rain came in a fashion that certainly was not a princely sum, but rather paltry - a mere pittance. 

It was disappointing to say the least, and I found further disappointment being held captive at the mercantile store having to work my seventh day straight. 

It's funny how my mind works sometime.  I found myself devising a way to excuse myself from the workplace in order to come visit you and at the same time a way to make the rain pour.  I reasoned that if I would come in hopes of a conversation with one of your lot, then the sky would certainly open and the rain would pour.

So, around mid-morning I informed my fellow co-workers that I would be taking a long break and once I returned there would be a grand tale of a chin-chin with a fine carp who would make a rain dance.

At the threshold of your doorstep at Honey Hole, it was easy to see that conditions were terribly bad in any hope of striking a conversation this morning.  The sky was completely overcast, there was a steady drizzle, and a constant and strong chop on the water.  The glare from the partially lit sky is the worst kind of glare and it made seeing your kind hard for a man who doesn't see well to begin with.

I did spot several of your community and presented them with my offering in the form of a Creek Critter.  This morning it was the same as the other day.  The gift would fall just inches away and in front and to the side of these citizens, but they could not find the fly once they reached it. 

With the strong chop on the water, I decided to leave this pasture and look for a wind-break at another.  At the pasture we call Lower Well Springs, I found such a wind-break. 

Here, the first two citizens acted like the earlier ones and come to the fly, but swam over it.  So, I changed my offering to the mutated Creek Critter, which is a cross between the Creek Critter and Curiosity. 

I looked for a community member to show it to and it wasn't long until I found such a subject.  This gentleman had no problem seeing my gift and rushed to claim his prize.  I kept our conversation short knowing I had to get back to the mercantile store, and sometimes to-the-point talks are quite alright. 

This dandy and fine young man took me through a real mess of organic build-up and it was quite a messy affair.

 

Upon releasing this fellow I expected the rain to begin pouring... but it did not.  Sometimes, I think I let my mind trick me and my optimism is too grand.  I was sure this fellow was the rain dance carp. 

 

My tour of duty at the mercantile store is now done, and as I am finishing this letter to you the thunder is rolling and the rain is beginning to build.  The thunder builds, the rain builds.  Let the celebration begin.

 

Thank you rain dance carp.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Prairie Ocean Fly Fisher 

Dear Carp - February 7th, 2013

Dear Carp,

There hasn't been much chance to visit with you this week.  The weather is in a most unsettled pattern and I am sure this has much effect on your kind.  You should know that it effects the angler also. As I am writing you now, the sky is troubled and we are receiving a most wonderful rain event. 

Early this morning, at the mercantile store, I stepped out the back door about the time the fog-bank was lifting and looked toward the sea lane that is your home.  I couldn't keep from wondering if you were grazing under the cover of the fog or if the water was still too cold.  I know that I am still a month or so too early to have any hopes of meeting your kind in fair numbers. 

I did meet one of your community members on the first day of this week.  He was a splendid citizen - a young chap with a gallant amount of fight.  I'll never forget how attracted he was to the Creek Critter and how he dove and intercepted the offering mid-column.  For me, it was an absolutely beautiful thing to watch and I am a lucky man to see such things take place.

 

For sure the weather is not allowing the sea lanes to warm enough so your kind and I can have many conversations.  However, my impetuous self will not allow my body or soul to rest.  I find myself thinking about you during the day, sometimes dreaming about you at night, pouring over the journals of our encounters and chin-chins of seasons past.

 

Speaking of seasons past, I was reading through journal entries of last year and could not keep from noticing that there were two gifts you favored more than others.  Your favorite gift of last year was the Creek Critter, and following closely was the gift I call the Curiosity. 

 

It may interest you to know that I was reading my journal during tilts of the pilsner brown.  The more I read, and the more the pilsner brown was held high... the more my mind opened.  It wasn't along until the thought of taking your two favorite gifts of last year and marrying the two together came about.  And so, I went to the vise. 

 

At the vise I took the red stinger tail that belongs to the Curiosity and employed in on the basic Creek Critter pattern.  As a result, a gift I will call the Curious Creek Critter was born.

 

 

Now you might wonder where the credit is due for the creation of this gift.  Was it the success of the two gifts of last year?  Was it the effect of the pilsner brown?  Or, was it simply something that came from the darkest recesses of the id of an ordinary man? 

 

If I were a betting man, I would say it was the effect of the pilsner brown. 

 

Soon I will bring this new gift to you and hope you like it.  If you don't, then I will go back to my prairie home and tilt a few more pilsner browns in search of a new creativity.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Prairie Ocean Fly Fisher    



I Just Couldn't Stand It

Dear Trout,

I'm sorry guys, but I just couldn't stand it any longer.  It's not my fault I tell you.  It's Charlie's fault.  You see since trout season opened at Blue River, Charlie has never stopped scouting for the carp of Rock Creek.  And, I should point out, he has tormented and teased me with his reports, and some quite recent, of great carp activity in a month that they are usually wintered up. 

So today, with the temperatures being in the low sixties, I hurriedly rigged up a carp rod and grabbed one fly - the Creek Critter.  On Rock Creek with the Creek Critter ready to go the carp were hiding under a cover or blanket of leaves.  However, there were openings in this weave and with just a little luck the fly could be rolled into those clear spots. 

 

It didn't take long for the Creek Critter to find a carp.  The conversation begin and it was a chore getting the carp through the weave, but he finally came to hand.

 

 

On the next cast things went south really quick.  A pesky little perch swallowed the Critter and again this was the only carp fly I brought.  It was just rod and fly on the creek today and the forceps were still in the prairie schooner.  The choice was to kill the perch and retrieve the fly or break off and let the perch do his best to survive and they often will.  So, the Critter was sacrificed and the perch went back in the drink.

 

Back at the prairie schooner I searched in what I thought was vain for a carp fly, but knew full well they were all back at the bunkhouse.  But suddenly a fly caught my eye - a fairly large (a little big for trout if you'll beg my pardon guys) olive, long hackled soft hackle pattern.  It is similar to a fly the boys in Colorado and Oregon and that part of the country use on carp with great success.  I was back in action.

 

At the creek again, the soft hackle went out and a carp sucked it right away.  Good fighting carp and good sized for this creek.  This fish took me downstream to more clear water and was much easier to land.

 

 

 

I know, I know... this is November and November is trout season, not carp season.  Never have I caught carp this late in the year and to tell you the truth these carp fellows probably need a rest from Charlie and me.  We've wore them out over the last ten months or so.

 

So, that's the story guys and I'll probably see you this coming weekend sometime.  I'll be bringing the pheasant tails, hare's ear, copper john's and such.  If you want to be pissed at me you have ever right. 

 

I just couldn't stand it any longer.

 

 

 

Barry

 





Chronicles Of A Struggling Creek - Going With The Flow

Sometimes the smallest critters pack the biggest punch.  While on the creek Thursday afternoon something bit me on the hand.  It really didn't hurt or anything like that, but itched like no tomorrow.  Friday morning I awoke to a completely swollen hand and not feeling too chipper at the same time - kind of like a night out on the town that went bad. 

I managed to drag my carcass to the mercantile store, but. by mid-morning this old body was pretty much spent, so I headed to the bunkhouse where I self-medicated - a terrible thing for a lay person to do. 

The critter bite must have been more than I thought because this morning I didn't awake until almost three hours later than I normally do, which is highly unusual.  And, being the sleepy-head I was this morning would put me on the creek much later than I like.

However, I got the most pleasant surprise once arriving to the carp water.  I reported several days ago that the creek had gained a little flow due to a one inch rain.  Somehow that flow has increased and the puzzling thing is we haven't had anymore rain... as of this morning.

Tying a black with red stinger tail Curiosity on the fly went out just a short distance.  The first carp of the morning took note and casually come up and sucked. 

The next fish would be a catfish that was every bit of four pounds and this would be the point I would pull one of my bonehead stunts.  I got the catfish up next to the bank and instead of taking one long step down into the water I decided to try and lift the fish by the tippet.  Of course the tippet gave way and the catfish took the Curiosity I had just tied last night.  Sometimes I do some really stupid stuff. 

On goes one of Charlie's Creek Critters and the search for carp continues.  A short distance down the creek there are wakes in the water so the Critter goes sailing.  The reward comes in the fashion of one of those fascinating Mirror carp. 

Leaving this carp pasture the second carp pasture explored would be Well Springs.  The sky this morning was completely overcast, which is good and bad.  Good for keeping temperatures down and this morning was absolutely beautiful with temperatures in the low 70's.  But, overcast skies can be bad in being able to see the carp. 

Again, keying on a wake the third carp of the morning would come in for the branding.  The Creek Critter has been one of the ruling flies this season.

A little further downstream, the fourth carp of this Saturday morning would be lassoed and also brought in for branding. 

Interruptions have always bothered me, and this morning there was a scheduled one.  Around mid-morning I was forced to leave the creek to meet with the appliance delivery man and claim Miss Carol's new washing machine.  After that was said and done, a second run was made at the creek.

On the second run it wasn't fifteen minutes before dark clouds begin to gather in a great congregation as far as this eye could see.  Then, the saving gifts from above begin to fall.  Hurrying back to the schooner, a cup of coffee was in order.  Walking out of the store with my coffee the rain seemed to have quit so it was back to the creek once more. 

No sooner than had I reached the creek bank, the sky really opened up and delivered a downpour.  It was only 100 yards to the schooner, but before I could get there every thread on me was totally drenched.  I loved it. 

It's my wish that this is the final post in the series "Chronicles Of A Struggling Creek".  Hopefully, after the wonderful rain today this will be finis.