With a Little Help From my Carps

I'll take a morale boost any day. I know when a carp is a gimme. I know when it doesn't really require much technical skill. Sometimes recognizing these fish is a skill. But truth is in 40 years I won't be talking about the carp that ate and came to hand with no headache, no complex presentation, no hiccups during the fight....

After last week, I'll take whatever help the carp are willing to give me. So, when one presented itself in an almost too easy position I took the shot with pleasure. Simple drag and drop, immediate take, easy hook set, run of the mill fight, beautiful healthy carp on the bank.

What's the best practice though, for someone who legitimately needs it? The hardest fish in the lake. The one under than overhanging bush. The one in clear water, eyes practically above the surface. The one that has been caught before. I was very proud of my ability to deconstruct a feeding carp's behavior for some a long time, even ones that I couldn't directly see. How did I lose that skill? I didn't see as many feeding carp for a year and a half. The only way to get all that back is hard, frustrating, time consuming effort.

Is it worth it? Hell yes.