Carp Season Slowly Coming To An End

Each year as college football season kicks off, I realize that carp by fly season is coming to an end.  As teams like Bama, the Sooners, the Ducks and Spartans take to the gridiron, I also realize that trout season is just up ahead.  There is sixty days left until opening day of trout season on Blue River here on the prairie ocean.

As far as trout go I find myself in total disarray currently.  That's easy to understand though.  The passion that those of us own for carp by fly causes trout to be the furthest thing from our minds.  However, come mid-October the carp here will begin to winter-up.  It's almost like they suddenly disappear only to return the following March or April.  So come fall, my choice is to return to the pretty colored fish of Blue River.

I can't complain.  It's been an excellent carp by fly season for me.  Although I haven't kept an exact count I know that it's been a 100 carp season for me and that leaves me a very lucky man.  This season, like most, I certainly made my share of mistakes when it comes to carp, but without slight flaw there would be no art.

Sure, there will be chances between now and October to pursue the carp, if things get better that is.  Once again, our little carp creek is beginning to struggle.   On top of that, summer seems to have come back with a vengeance.  Two weeks ago there were signs of an early fall season, but today it is 102.  Then there is the West Nile virus outbreak.  The number of cases and related deaths continue to grow in this part of the country.  With this being Labor Day weekend and people trying to squeeze that last bit of summer fun in, I figure we'll be hearing of more illness and deaths from West Nile.  The skeeters on our carp creek are quite thick.

If I were a younger man I wouldn't be quite so concerned with getting skeeter bit, but the truth is I'm in that age range that the virus can do severe damage.  As I've grown older I am more reluctant to roll the dice these days, and would like to be around a little longer to fly fish.

So, for now I will hope for the rain to come and replenish the creek and cooler weather that might send the skeeters packing. 

With the downtime from carp by fly, an exercise routine will be employed in an attempt to build the stamina in the old legs for those long hikes into the wilderness during trout season. 

Think I'll call the routine Fishercise. 

Fly Fishing For Carp - Taking What Comes

With Texas and Oklahoma in the middle of a rather severe outbreak of West Nile virus, outings have been few lately.  I hate using bug spray because sure as sun rises in the east I'll eventually touch my neck or arm and get that bug spray on my fingertips thus transferring it to the fly.  And... when that happens there goes the carp streaking the other way. 

There have been only two outings in the last week - an hour yesterday afternoon and a couple of hours this morning.  This morning looked iffy at best with dawn revealing dark and threatening clouds. With a significant chance of rain predicted for tomorrow I knew it was go today and take what comes or stay home and twiddle my thumbs.  To the water I went.

 

On the way to the creek I stopped at the convenience store for a cup of coffee.  The working girls waved me on as I stopped at the counter to pay for my "sissy" coffee as they call it.  With an Annie Oakley cup of Joe in hand I went to the upper shallows above the pasture known as Honey Hole. 

 

At the upper shallows, one of Charlie's Creek Critters was tied on and it took less than two minutes to target a surface-sipping carp.  The Creek Critter is weighted and not wanting to change to a dry pattern I took the chance of this carp following the fly down in the column.  The fly landed about eight inches in front of him and as he nose dived for the fly I went into blind mode.  A little twitch, a little pressure felt and rod tip straight up.  An early morning connection had come to bear.

 

 

 

Quickly leaving the upper shallows, Charlie's Pasture was the next stop.  Charlie is in Denver visiting grandchildren.  Before he left he gave me a tip about this pasture, sharing that the carp were congregating further downstream from the pasture itself.  About two-thirds of the way up to Charlie's Pasture, I saw what he was talking about - carp hugging the far bank.  A twenty-five foot roll cast into a trio of carp and one ate the Critter right away.

 

 

Proceeding upstream to the island at Charlie's Pasture, the next carp would come on what I call a "cheap shot".  This fish was only about twelve or fifteen feet out.  Dropping the fly from my hand into the water next to the bank I flipped the fly to the fish.  It landed two feet above the carp, further than I had intended, but the fish swam straight for it and ate it.

 

 

Traveling another thirty feet upstream I see a cruising carp.  Generally I don't cast at cruisers, but this guy looked like he was scanning the surface so the Critter went his direction.  The carp took it mid-column and that is always exciting to see take place.

 

 

Yesterday afternoon I went out for an hour.  It was mostly an unproductive trip.  Winds were high yesterday causing a good chop on the water and I would have to find shallow water to manage one carp.

 

 

After the last carp this morning, the Creek Critter was showing some wear and tear.  As I release the last fish back to his watery Hilton, the thunder was rolling my way.  Looking to the western sky where the thunder was sounding, a lightning bolt found ground.  With the storm coming and the Creek Critter looking done, it was time to go.

 

 

As I sit down to make this post, the rain begin to fall.  Praise the rain.  It's not going to be a lot of rain, but there is more promised tomorrow.