Small green leaves were just making their first appearance of the year when I decided to load up the kayak and make a short drive to look for pre-spawn bowfin. With cloud cover and sprinkling rain interrupted by brief bouts of bright, hot, muggy, sunshine, the conditions weren’t ideal for sight fishing, which is exactly what I intended to do. I wouldn’t see a bowfin all afternoon. Instead, I stumbled upon a fantastic carp bite. Having never fished this particular location before weed growth filled in most of the flats, I was never getting clear shots at the many large carp that were always present. This time, though, the flats were clear of vegetation but not of carp.
I got the first shot fairly shortly into the trip, but the fish did not stay pinned. The take wasn’t obvious, and my hook set was sluggish and much too- well- uncertain. When the fly and fish parted ways, it wasn’t a surprise. I made a loop of that cove, hoping to see a bowfin in the shallows, but only got shots at a few more carp. When I got back around to where I’d had the first encounter a few new fish had moved in. I was making a careful approach towards one decent fish when I happened to turn. I saw a far bigger carp tail up in shallower water. I made a bee-line towards that one. I got in position, quietly set down my paddle, and made the cast. I was still drifting towards the fish, and when it made a decisive jolt forward and ate I knew I had more slack than I could easily manage. I vastly overcompensated the hook set. The rod broke 3 feet down from the tip, but my steel had found purchase and the reel sang as the fish ran hard.I knew it was a really big one, the fight would have been a nail-biter anyway.
Having the tip of the rod broken off and all the way down at the leader made it downright terrifying. I’ve caught a lot of big fish in sub-par situations though, and I beat this one eventually. I maneuvered to the bank and managed to get the fish close. When I tailed it, got my hands under it, and lifted it out of the water, I laughed maniacally.
This was undoubtedly the largest carp I’d caught in years at an estimated 28lbs. Catching fish of that caliber isn’t at all unheard of; in some fisheries it is quite common. But no matter where, a carp that size on the fly is an exceptional trophy. I was elated, but also ready to get another shot. Unfortunately I’d have to use my 12 wt, which had been rigged for pike, but I was glad I’d brought it. Another fish did eventually give me an excellent shot. This time I didn’t mess up the presentation or the hook set and another big carp, albeit a much skinnier one, came to hand on the brown woolly bugger.
Some days certainly don’t turn out the way I’d expect and this was very much one of them. There’s a lot to be said for versatility. There are probably times... excuse me, there are definitely times where my lack of single species focus and my interest in targeting as many different fish as possible has prevented me from being as successful as I could have been. That said, it has made me adequately adept at a lot of styles of presentation and knowledgeable of many different fish species. It saves me on days like this, when the species I set out to fish for are just not around or not willing. I’d set out looking for bowfin and instead had my best carp day in years.
Until next time,
Awesome fish! Hope it wasn't the heritage!
ReplyDeleteNo, one of my TFO's.
DeleteReports of great fish on the 1wt to the 12 wt over the past few days. Fantastic variety!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely!
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