Fishing Report: Olentangy River 8/22-8/23/15: Consolation Carp and Tough Fishing

Time:  10AM to 1130AM Saturday, 1130 AM-4 PM Sunday
Air Temp:  low 80s
Weather Conditions:  Sunny, intermittent clouds
Wind:  Saturday:  Fairly gusty wind out of the south, Sunday, calm
Clarity:  Approx 2 ft
Approx CFS: 47
Rig(s):  Orvis Helios 905-4 mid flex 5 wt, Hardy Demon 5000, Sci anglers Master Textured GPX WFF, Orvis Clearwater 704-4 mid flex 4 wt, Orvis Battenkill III, Rio Grand 4wt
Leader:  25-15-1x Fluoro.  Approx 9.5 feet
Flies Used:  Barry's Carp Bitter (Tan and olive), Whit's near buff crayfish, Articulated Complex Twist Cray (personal design), Galloup's Barely Legal grey over white
Hot Flies:  Barry's Carp Bitters in Olive delivered on both days, and took a big carp on the 4 wt

The Olentangy seems to be getting sluggish for some reason.  I know the Corps of Engineers has not released new water into the system in quite some time, and we have not had significant rain, so perhaps that has something to do with it.

I went out Saturday for a quick hit, and to check water conditions.  Grabbed one fly box, some tools, my net and rod and headed out.

I was there to fish quick, so I waded fast and began working my normal bass spots, covering a lot of water quickly.  This spot is typically a guaranteed place to nail one of the 3 most common bass in this stretch, but I came up empty

I found a run with a lot of feeding fish, carp and suckers, but they ignored my fly on every cast

Hitting a flat, I saw a few carp tailing away near the shore, so I laid a few shots on them.

They were good shots, allowing me to drag the fly into their mud puffs.  Never connected.  The sun had not yet exposed some of the better lies, and I would see long shadows dart in and out of the shady areas, but did not have enough sight time to lay a good shot, so I sat on the bank, and waited for the sun.

Once I had enough light, I saw a great carp at the head of the pool, looking nice and happy, I made the cast...and it was not good, behind the fish, there was no way he would see it.  As it landed, I realized just how badly I fucked that cast up.

Immediately behind the lead fish that I saw, was a stack of ten fish right behind a rock lip that I DIDN'T see.  My fly landed dead center in this pile, and they scattered like I had just thrown a grenade at them.

I just dropped the rod, flipped my hat off in disgust, and cursed extensively pacing around on a gravel bar.  I had effectively blown the entire flat with one cast.  I thought my day was pretty much over at this point.  

I decided to hit one more spot, which is about the size of a dinner table, but I have thus far pulled seven different species out of.  I needed to redeem myself, and if I was going to do it, this was the spot.  The secret honey hole discovered by my wife had to come through.

I shortened up to just five feet of line out of the tip, and began my routine of pitching the fly into the falls, letting the undertow pull it to the bottom, then slowly crawling the fly down stream, still replaying the epic fail I had just committed in my head (protip:  don't do this, it makes you fish like shit)

After who knows how many casts and a lot of frustration, I felt a tap, and scissor set as hard as the little 4 wt would let me.  The line immediately began frantically ripping up stream to the falls, and a wide broadside flash let me know I had connected with a really nice carp.  The rod doubled over all the way through the handle and the reel started screaming.  There is probably no better sound on the planet than the sound of a click pawl reel's drag buzzing like a circular saw.  I worked him out of a rock pile, and he found the current.  I chased him down stream, palming the reel the whole way trying to keep him from emptying the spool, which I admit, had an embarrassing short amount of backing on, because, you know, who the hell takes a 4 wt dry fly rig for PA out carp fishing.  Oh thats right, I do.

Laying hard on him with some side pressure but letting him run around and tire, after a lengthy and precarious battle (mostly for me, not him) he finally turned on his side and showed me his spirit was broken.  I choked up on the rod, and went for the net, which he was none too please with and took off.  I awkwardly pinned the line agains the mid section of the rod and let him play out his final lunge for the current.  Luckily, it was a weak one and I didn't end up with a shattered rod in my hands (pro tip #2, don't try to land a fish by grabbing able the handle.  You know those youtube vids you see of rods getting snapped?  9 times out of 10, they are doing exactly what I had just done).

I got him on a rock flat and slid half of him in the net, because that is all that would fit.  What a battle, one I'm sure will occupy a prime spot on my "things to talk about when bullshitting with buddies about fly fishing" list.

Luckily I had brought the tripod today, and was able to snap some shots with potentially the most fun fish of the year.

4 wts and Click Pawls are not recommended carp gear...but its fun as hell

Happily covered in carp slime, and shaking from adrenaline, I hung it up for the day, blasted this photo out to some friends and headed home.

Sunday, I decided we should start later to have more sun.  I thought we were going to do really well, but it was tough all day.  Hardly any aggressive bass, and laid up carp completely ignoring flies, or keyed in on something VERY specific.  I actually dapped a fly to a fish and he never even budged.  It was so rough I couldn't even spook a fish.  They just didn't give two shits that I was there at all.

My brother in law finally managed to catch his first river fish on the fly, and I nailed a few smallmouth, but had to work my ass off for them.

I got to test out my Articulated Complex Twist Cray, a fly I designed last winter, and had actually forgotten about.  I was very happy with the results.  It swims great, looks super buggy in the water, and dives for the bottom just like the real ones.  A smallie came out of the rocks and crushed it as it dove over a ledge.

He wasn't huge, but was one of only 4 fish on the day between three people., so i will take it.

Here's to hoping something changes and heats the bite back up on the O soon, I've gotten negative reports from others recently as well, but fall is coming, and it should be killer.

Fishing Report: 8/9/15, Double Dipping

Time:  930 AM to 12 PM, 1230 PM to 3 PM
Air Temp:  low 80s
Weather Conditions:  Sunny morning, cloudy afternoon
Wind:  Calm morning, slight west wind afternoon
Clarity:  Approx 2 ft
Approx CFS: 47
Rig(s):  Orvis Helios 905-4 mid flex 5 wt, Hardy Demon 5000, Sci anglers Master Textured GPX WFF
Leader:  25-15-1x Fluoro.  Approx 9.5 feet
Flies Used:  Barry's Carp Bitter (Tan and olive), Ehlers' Grim Reaper (copper)
Hot Flies:  The Carp Bitter got me two nice carp and a pile of sallies, but the Reaper got me potentially the largest Smallmouth I've ever caught

I got up early this morning, not really being able to sleep.  I was going to pick up some friends around 9 am to hit the Olentangy, and after sticking a really nice smallie and seeing tons of carp yesterday, I was restless.

I beat my alarm out of bed, and that never happens, and definitely does not happen when work is on the other side of the alarm.

I went to the kitchen and whipped up an energy drink, grabbed my 5 wt reel, some flouro, a pair of clippers and headed outside to check the weather and tie on some fresh tippet.

Then I realized, it's only 7 am.   Fuck.  So I putzed around on Instagram a bit, checked Weather Underground, verified that the Corps of Engineers hadn't done a dump from the Delaware Reservoir, and just tried to kill time.  Finally the wait got to be too much, and I hopped in the Jeep to go get the guys.

On my way out, in an attempt to kill more time, I took a drive by the river.  Still looked great, a bit off color, but the flow was right on the money, and the sun was starting to hit the west bank.

Pulling into Mike's drive, I texted him, told him I was early, and to get his shit together.  Luckily, he was up and ready to roll.  We ran down to the basement to sort through his fly inventory really quick, he asking me whats working.  "Dude, you only need two flies"...so he grabbed two boxes, and showed me some funky spun deer hair topwater thing that apparently is good on salmon.  I saw no reason why a bass wouldn't eat it, so he stuck it in a pocket.  We finally loaded up, picked up George, and rolled out

Dats a lotta shit.  Amazing the stuff that piles up for a day trip

I checked the clock.  8:45.  In what I can only describe as a minor miracle, I got two dudes notorious for being late for everything out of their houses on time.

The ride over consisted of the usual banter;  what leaders, what flies, what have you been catching (they don't follow me on Instagram).  I gave them the basics;  long leaders, crayfish, and pretty much anything that swims in that river.  I gave them a basic rundown of carp techniques since neither had really fished them before.  I went on a salt trip with them, so they seemed to pick up on the concepts pretty quickly.

Turning down the access road, I saw another truck in my typical put in.  I scanned the water for the angler, but he or she was nowhere in sight.  Good, I thought.  Probably headed south like most people do.

We geared up, and George informed me that he forgot his floating line, and only had an intermediate. Shit.  And I left my goodie bag full of reels and rods at home.  With some on the fly (get it) thinking, I rigged him a long mono leader to keep the fly riding higher and keep his proper line out of the rocks and hooked him up with a slow sinking fly.  I told him "You're going to get hung up, but to make it less of a pain in the ass, as soon as that fly lands, start stripping, and only about 4 strips then re cast".   He seemed good with that approach, we closed up the jeep and moved out.

George's  Gandalf the Grey wading staff from PA always comes out on the water.  George is also rocking the old school Orvis pack vest.  He was ditching the old vests before it was cool.  

I had tied up my go to, Barry's Carp Bitters in rust/tan, but had no intention of casting in the first leg of the stretch.  I pointed out prime lies to the guys, threw a couple demo casts to show retrieve styles that have been working and let them have at it.  I was more interested in carp today anyway, and I figured I'd let them fish the smallies and whiteys while I pushed ahead.

Mikey and G, working the seams

I got up to where I typically start seeing carp, but got distracted by a smallie busting bait in between a few rocks.  I fired a cast out to him, and he slammed it, and I slammed him back...too hard.  i launched the poor little guy directly at me, creating about 25 feet of slack between me and him.  He shook the fly in no time and was off to sulk somewhere in the boulder pile.  

A little disheartened at blowing the first fish of the day, I turned upstream to see a nice long dark shadow cruising in the silty backwater off the main current.

Definitely carp.  Definitely happy.  Definitely catchable.

I began my casting routine, threw two back casts, and right as my delivery stroke was airborne and shooting out of the guides, the fish suddenly accelerated up stream, and the fly landed well behind him.

Shit, I blew it.  The fly settled and I began stripping the line back in to shorten up so I wasn't ripping line off the water spooking fish left and right.  

Thats when the oddest thing happened.  I have often said that Olentangy carp behave more "predatory" than some of their brethren that live in still waters or sandy bottomed rivers.  This fish was no exception.

I am not sure if he caught a glimpse of the dirt puffs my fly was throwing up, or he felt it in his lateral line, but he turned on a dime from about tn feet upstream of my offering and started tracking my fly down with what I can only describe as bass like tenacity.  "Oh shit!"

I stopped the fly

He slowed.  I let it sit like crayfish sometimes do when they know they are in deep shit and have nowhere to run.

He approached slowly.  I saw his attitude change.  the head went down, and I twitched the fly.

Strip...a little tension...strip a LOT of tension

"He fuckin ate it"

Now, everyone always says that "the tug is the drug".  I totally get that.  Few things can beat a 20 inch brown rocketing from cover to t-bone a 6 inch articulated contraption, or a largemouth smoking a frog pattern in the grass, but the split second AFTER the tug...that is why I fish for carp.

I grabbed hard and ripped my line hand back as far as I could, slamming the fly home, feeling the line stretch as the hook point found it's mark.  As I swept the rod sideways and it doubled over, the water swelled and then a tail the size of my fist smashed the surface.  All hell broke loose.

I had to work to keep the fish out of the current, but this wasn't my 8wt, and I knew I needed to get him on the reel where I had the drag dialed up to "holy shit".  I began the delicate process of paying out line to protect the tippet as he lunged but still putting enough hurt on him with the rod to keep him from reaching the current, and trying to take up slack with the reel.  It has to be one of the most awkward things to witness in fly fishing.  A guy stumbling back and fourth over broken stumps on the bank freeing slack line from snags at his feet, alternately whooping for joy or cursing based on what the fish was doing, trying to do what you basically need three hands to do with only two.  

He darted out towards the current and managed to take up the rest of my slack line.  Yes, finally on the reel.  Now I could focus on fighting this fish with an actual plan as opposed to trying to just manage him in a panic.

River carp may not be enormous, but holy hell are they strong.  He pulled on the drag and I could feel the bend into the handle, giving me the business for a few minutes until I finally got him in net range.  A couple more last ditch half hearted lunges and it was over.

He may look skinny here, but he was round, and all muscle.  A golden torpedo

I held up the slimy golden goodness to show the guys down stream.

"Thats how you start the motherfuckin DAY!"

Pretty sure I heard a faint "oh, fuck you" from Mike as I slipped the fish back into the water at the tail of the pool and he swam off.

I was still shaky, I called the boys up to the carp pool and let them fire away at it, since somehow, there were still fish laid up in there.  They got a couple looks and rejections here and there.  Mike tied on the spun deer hair turd looking fly and whipped it into the current.  A bass came up and swung at it, but Mike missed, much to his dismay.  There was a creative string of curse words that followed.

I took a dry creek bed north to get on the other bank, giving them prime casting positions, and me a crack at a nice deep pool Julie found a couple trips ago.

I set up across from them, with about 12 inches of line out of the tip just flipping my fly into the falls, letting it sink and slow stripping it as it went through the pool.

"Dude, are you sight fishing to something over there?" George asked

"Yeah, theres always a half dozen cruising these two pools."

He watched me repeat the flip, sink, strip routine about two dozen times, probably trying to figure out if I was just seeing things.

Stripping slowly, the line got tension, and I struck.  hard.  Fish on!

Nope.  Rock.  Hung up smack in the middle of the pool.  I hoped upstream to break off without scaring the shit out of everything down there, tied on an olive carp bitters and went at the flip routine again.

"I'm telling you, they are down here."

Strip...striiip....thunk.

"There he is!".  Had to have been like my fiftieth cast.

Ramming the hook home, he came straight up, jumped and I let him run downstream and take up the tiny bit of slack line at the reel.  He worked his ass off trying to get me into the fly eating black hole these fish like to rest in, but I laid on him hard and kept him out.  It is amazing how much pressure you can apply with a 5 wt and 1x.

I worked him out of the pool, and up onto a shallow and went for my net.  He saw it, and was having none of it.  I dropped the net and went at him again with the rod.  Finally, he came to hand

He got a new piercing.  Wonder if his parents will approve

Carp are pretty...sorta

Now, my brother in law was supposed to be here by now...actually an hour ago.  I texted him and told him to just head upstream until he found us, and we pushed up to Smallieville.

I let the guys have first crack at it, Mike got a few more swipes on the Deer Hair Turd (not the real name, but thats what Im calling it).  I pitched a carp bitter to the rocks and connected

Fought well above his weight class

After a few more little guys, I decided to throw a few hero casts up into the rock piles by the east bank.  

First cast, a tick.  Nothing.  I picked up and put it right back, and a THUD.  The line started darting all over the pool.  The fish came up head shaking, revealing that this was a much nicer specimen.

About as big as the new Olentangy best I stuck the day before

About this time, Mike and George had to take off, so we started heading back.  Still no sign of Joe (brother in law).

We rounded a bend, and all of a sudden, theres Joe.  

Well, looks like I'm getting two trips today.  I told joe to hang out and fish for a bit while I drove the guys home and I'd be back.  

We got up to the car, I popped the boot off my driving foot, hopped in the jeep waders and all and dropped them off.  

About 15 minutes later I was back on the water for round 2

By this time the weather had shifted.  The sun was gone, and the wind kicked up. 

Fishing a nice area, I heard a crash and splash and saw a yellow jeep come flying out of the woods

"Hey man, want to get the kayaks?"

"Nah, fuck it.  Lets just take the jeep"

These guys then proceeded t prop some lawn chairs in the current and crack open a few beers.  Not something you see every day

I had switched over to Ehlers' Grim Reaper at this point, trying to snag into something mean and hungry.  I turned back downstream, and pitched the fly onto a rock ledge, let it settle, turned to Joe and said

"I think something shut the bite down"

Strip Strip

The fly gets eaten, and I'm eating my words

I didn't have a scale, but this is a heavy fish.  Possibly a new best

Smallmouth are incredible fighters, and it is always a blast tangling with some of the meatier ones.  They just flat out don't give up, jumping, tail walking, head shaking like a tarpon, darting for every rock in the pool.  They really test your fish fighting chops, especially when wading, and make their bucket mouthed cousins seem flat out lazy when it comes to raw fighting ability.

After that, I hung it up.  Spent some time trying to get Joe on some carp, to no avail. 

A solid cap to the weekend.

As I write this, its pouring.  The O will be blown for a while, but the getting was good while it lasted.

Fishing Report: Olentangy 8/7/15, Solo Scouting/Biggest Smallie of the Year

Time:  1030 AM to 12 PM
Air Temp:  low 80s
Weather Conditions:  Sunny
Wind:  Calm
Clarity:  Approx 2 ft
Approx CFS: 47
Rig(s):  Orvis Helios 905-4 mid flex 5 wt, Hardy Demon 5000, Sci anglers Master Textured GPX WFF
Leader:  25-15-1x Fluoro.  Approx 9.5 feet
Flies Used:  Barry's Carp Bitter (Tan)
Hot Flies:  This should be pretty obvious

I know, another Olentangy report.  What can I say, it's my summer river.  I don't like harassing trout when it's super hot, and its nice having a river loaded with fish just down the road.

Anyway, went out for a little scouting trip and ended up fishing some.  Taking some friends out there tomorrow, and wanted to check water conditions in advance.

I went with a much longer leader today due to clarity, my 7 footers that have been my go too were causing very splashy presentations so I added more length, and a truer taper to soften up the delivery of the fly.

I intended to try out some new flies, but its just damn hard to put down something that is working so well, so Barry got the call again.  I'l throw some other stuff tomorrow.

I was off to a good start, netting a nice whitey within minutes of putting the fly in the water

I moved on, and began trying to feed some carp that were laid up on a flat.  Not looking hungry, but not looking unhappy so I took a shot at them.

I was focusing on a good sized carp laying right off a current seam, made a nice presentation and then the line went tight almost immediately.  The only problem was the carp never budged.

Now, when I say problem, I mean awesome, because there was the biggest smallie of the year sitting in the current, hiding in plain sight.  He slammed the fly hard and surprised the hell out of me.

 I'll take this surprise any day

Keep in mind, I'm a big fella, and so are my hands.  This is a good sized fish

I rounded out the short trip with another good smallie, and saw plenty of carp.  With the slight color in the water, I'm expecting good things tomorrow.

Fishing Report: Olentangy 8/2/15, Solo Trip

Time:  145 PM, 4 PM
Air Temp:  mid 80s
Weather Conditions:  Mostly Sunny, scattered clouds
Wind:  Windy, from the west, translated to a strong southern wind on the water
Clarity:  Aprox 3 ft
Approx CFS: 47
Rig(s):  Orvis Clearwater 704-4 Mid Flex, Orvis Battenkill III, Rio Grand 4wt WFF
Leader:  Mono combo with a 2x Fluoro tippet.  Approx 7 feet
Flies Used:  Barry's Carp Bitter (Olive and Tan)
Hot Flies:  Barry's Carp Bitter Tan, Barry's Carp Bitter Olive

The weather was perfect, and there is just no way I could resist taking another crack at The O after the killer day Julie and I had yesterday.

I invited a couple friends, but they were doing stupid stuff like sitting by a pool drinking beers.  Slackers.  

Stepping into boots still wet from the day before.  Gonna be a good day, Tater

So I ended up going solo, just tossing a small fly box full of Carp Bitters and some streamers and a spool of tippet in my waders and heading out.  It was kind of nice going minimalistic, since I tend to be the kind of guy who carries a small fly shop on his back when warm water or streamer fishing.  

Weather and water conditions were pretty much the same as the day before, maybe slightly less clarity, and definitely more wind.  Up on the road, the wind felt light, so I strung up the 4 wt.  Once I got to the water, it was a different story.  I should have grabbed the 5, just for the extra 2 feet of clearance to keep the fly further away from my noggin, but I made it work, and didn't end up with any new piercings.  

I took a couple shots at the first rock pile and was almost immediately on the board with a white bass.

Sometimes I take photos that are so shitty, its hard to believe they are real.  The iPhone is basically idiot proof for photos, and I still screw up.  Anyway, that fish shaped blur is a whitey.

The real story here though was the GIGANTIC smallmouth that I spotted.  Easily the biggest I have seen in the Olentangy.  He was out cruising in the open, and swam almost directly into my legs.  Once he realized that I was something that intended to do him harm, he made a break for the rock pile.  I let him rest a bit and chucked a few casts right into his kitchen, but could not feed him.  He was definitely on to me.  Too bad, because that fish had some serious mass.  Maybe next time.I moved on to the next spot, a carp flat I am particularly fond of...only to find no carp.  Lots of flashes though, it looked like the Suckers (that seem to be literally everywhere lately) were really keyed in on something.  I've tried a couple times drifting a carp fly through there but have never connected.  One of these days I'm going to dead drift a nymph through there and see what comes out.  Some of those fish are damn enormous, and they fight like hell.  Note to self, stop leaving the trout box in the Jeep.From here I moved to what Julie has just started calling "her spot", looking to take on some carp.  Sure enough, there were a good many in there, lazily swimming between two pools or lounging just beneath the falls.  I took a seat on a downstream rock and pitched probably 2 dozen casts into the pool.  I did get one eat, but I set late on the fish, the fly popped out, but the fish still followed it to the surface, until he saw me and took off like a bat out of hell. Having spectacularly blown that hole up, I pushed ahead to some good smallie water, and connected with a half dozen fish, basically working big rock piles in a fan pattern.  These were some aggressive fish, hammering the fly as soon as it landed or after 1-2 strips.  It's rare you find a concentration of fired up sallies on the O, and these fish did not disappoint on the 4 wt.  Here are some of the better ones:

One of the bigger ones.  This guy shot out of the rock pile like he had a rocket up his ass.  I wish I had  video of the set, possibly the most awkward hook set in fly fishing history.  

This guy had some really cool markings

I did get a good sized bass to rise twice to my fly on a swing and jig presentation, but he never made any aggressive moves to take it.  It was nice to see some bigger bass out there though, and I'm thinking about teaming streamers next time, since the small carp flies are getting their attention, I'm willing to bet a trailing EP baitfish hanging off the hook bend might get the eat on these bigger fish in clear water.

After a good bit terrorizing the local smallie population, I headed back downstream, pitching a few flies at some unhappy carp, hoping for a reaction eat (the carp on the O tend to behave more predatory than some you see in other bodies of water).

No dice.  Not even a look.  These carp have been kicking my ass lately.  Still, a great day on the water and a nice way to cap the weekend.

Fishing Report: Olentangy River 8/1/15: Epic day with The Wife

Time:  1140AM -330PM
Air Temp:  mid 80s
Weather Conditions:  Mostly Sunny, scattered clouds
Wind:  Gusty, from the north
Clarity:  Aprox 3 ft
Approx CFS: 47
Rig(s):  Orvis Helios 905-4 Mid Flex, Hardy Demon 5000, Sci Anglers Mastery Textured GPX taper, Orvis Clearwater 704-4 Mid Flex, Orvis Battenkill III, Rio Grand 4wt WFF
Leader:  Mono combo with a 2x Fluoro tippet.  Approx 7 feet
Flies Used:  Barry's Carp Fly (Olive, brown), Carp Bomb, Barry's Carp Bitter (Olive and Tan)
Hot Flies:  Barry's Carp Bitter Tan, Barry's Carp Bitter Olive

So, we had a damn good day today.  5 species caught, with a sixth hooked and broken off.  Taking into account last outing (one week ago, very short) thats 7 species in the same stretch.

We started in the normal put in spot, seeing nothing but suckers in the first leg of the stretch.  Julie laid out a nice cast with the Helios and a tan Carp Bitter into some rocks and came out with a nice white bass that she had been watching terrorize minnows swimming in the pile.  10 minutes in, and we got rid of the skunk.  This was her first river caught fly rod fish, and it was a beaut.

She looks legit.  Designer shades might be a bit suspect, but a girl's gotta look good

These are just damn pretty fish.  It took us a solid ten minutes to shake off the pump from Julie landing this guy.

We moved from there to the second leg of the stretch, which is my favorite carp flat  (well used to be. I found a new one.  We'll get to that).  

There were a couple of carp milling about, not really looking too happy.  We made some casts to them, not getting any looks.  We did notice the big suckers were going absolutely ape shit on nymphs popping out of the current seem.  We decided to rest that flat a bit and push north into new water we have not fished before.

We got above the falls, and Julie told me she saw a spot she wanted to take a crack at.  She got in great position in the shadows above the pool, laid a few casts in and came out with a nice rock bass

Eyes so red, he looks like he's been hitting the wacky tobacky

At this point, I am wearing the skunk scent pretty hard.  This does not even take into account the Bluegill she took off my carp flat.  So I am three down, and I leave her to fish the hole she picked.  Don't get me wrong, damn proud of her for sighting, and stalking a killer hole perfectly, but still...getting my ass kicked.

I pushed further north, and found what I could only describe as a smallmouth mansion.  If you could build habitat for Smallies it would be this spot.  A nice rock shelf with some oxygenated water, a big deep pool.  Needless to say, I was excited.

I picked a couple prime ambush points, and finally, got on the board with a fun little smallie on the 4 wt

Barry's Carp Bitter comes through in the clutch

After that fish, relieved to get the skunk out, I laid another cast parallel to the rock face and connected again.

This little guy gave some nice jumps 

I'm on a roll, this is a great hole, I got the right fly.  I'm dialed in.  Then This pops up on my phone

This is why you keep your phone on you while fishing

Let's be clear here, I'm overweight, I smoke, I love pizza and beer, and generally don't like green food.  I work in a fucking office all day.  Theres only a couple things I can think of that will make me run.  Being chased by a mass murderer, a tornado, godzilla, a 70% off sale on all Bell's Brewery beer...and texts like this. 

I met her down there,and she was not bullshitting, moving between a couple deep pools was a pack of pretty content fat ass carp, they didn't look happy, but they looked fishable.  

I dropped the pack and net, moved to some lower rocks, and crouched to make good stealthy presentations.  

A few casts in, basically dead drifting with slow twitches, my fly gets thumped.  I set with the little four weight and nothing happens.  Shit.  Im hung up.  I stood up and started to move to a place where I could free my fly...and then the line starts swimming.

FINALLY!  CARP!  I'm pumped up at this point, rod high, just maintaining tension as the fish booked it into the current downstream.  Once I finally turned him, I realized something.  Those aren't carp fins.  Then it hit me.  I just stuck a catfish for the first time in the 15+ years I have been throwing flies.

Just a little background.  I have been after cats for a while, but never had any luck.  Just two days ago planning today's trip, I told Julie "we got to go somewhere with lots of cats sometime.  I need to get one on the fly".

Well now was the time.  Thats when "the shakes" hit.  The point when your brain realizes something pretty fucking awesome is happening.

Of course I am standing out on a rock with no net, so I tell Julie to get the camera and get ready.  I finally tamed this bastard and got him in hand, and then SNAP, a big cloud of mud under the water, and I am left holding a fly-less 1x leader in one hand and nothing but disappointment in the other.  Shit.  The one time I actually connect on a fish I have been after, I can't even get a picture with it.

Julie tried to help out.  "I fuckin saw it, you touched it, that counts.  You got a witness".  I felt a little better, and turned my attention back to the carp in the pool.  A few casts later, I got a consolation prize

Not a carp, but this fish hit that fly like it owed him money

I told Julie about Smallieville just north, and we spooled up and headed out.

The whole way I couldn't help but mutter, "wish I had the fuckin net".  Julie just reassured me that it was still pretty damn cool, and began casting into the next hole.  A few minutes later, she came out with a nice whitey

Now she's getting cocky, rocking the Buff like a fuckin pirate and throwing up fish counts

Then we found it.  Carp city:  Population, too damn many to count.  They were literally everywhere.  I felt like how I imagined a pilot feels when outnumbered in a dog fight.  The fucking bastards were two feet in front of us.  

The only problem was that they were primarily cruising.  I managed to feed two carp, but got a bit trigger happy on the hook set and pulled it away before they had a good chomp on it.  There might not bee a worse feeling than feeling tension, seeing the tip of your line go taught on a slow strip, making the hit, and then just seeing your line in coils 10 feet in front of you.

I managed to tag a smallie, and have another one throw the hook before moving on.

Wading up to the next spot, I saw a fantastic hole.  Bugs on the surface, deep enough to lose sight of bottom, right off oxygenated water.  

I got to the bottom of the pool and positioned myself behind a rock to be more stealthy and started making casts.

 A few strips, and hooked into another Whitey.   Not content that there was only that little bastard in the hole, I kept at it.

About five minutes later, I felt a thump.  I set, even though I was pretty sure it was a rock, but I was wrong.  A catfish came rocketing out of the water...and this time, I had the fuckin net

Redemption

Death grip.  This little bastard wasn't leaving until I said so.

The fish gods had mercy on me, and I got the cat.  I fought off the shakes for a bit, and we headed back to the car.

On the way back, I told Julie "I'm going to take another crack at that pool from before".

I got into position, crouched, flipped the fly out in front of a happy carp.  Strip....striiiiip....strip.....tail goes up, head goes down...line comes tight strip set CARP ON!  He comes straight up, jumps, and SNAP.  Gone faster than you could blink.  That catfish had beat my leader to hell with his gator rolls.

The fish gods are sadistic motherfuckers.