CARPTORIOUS: Fly Fishing for Carp, Better Than Working

I get every other Friday off but this one is supposed to be cold in CO while Wednesday was in the 60s.  Fortunately I was able to switch it and head out for some mid-week carp on the fly.  Things started well.  Very early in the day I found a very nice sized carp tailing in light current.  It looked to be on the order of 15lbs. Easily the biggest carp I have seen tailing shallow in many months. 

I wanted to drop one of my prototype head-stand worm flies about 1 foot beyond and 2 feet above him and strip-bounce it across the bottom slowly through his field of vision.  I was about one small strip from the zone when a much smaller carp jumped out of his shadows to grab the fly.  I tell myself that when fly fishing for carp in the winter any carp is a bonus, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was a little disappointed to catch the 5lb baby instead of his mid teen bigger brother. 

After that a steady stream of surprises came out of no-where.  Trees instantly grew new limbs eager to claim my flies.  Other fishermen (the first I have seen in 4 months) appeared out of nowhere to fish what had started to feel like my own personal stretch of river.  I did hook three more (all on the worm) but a stick in the water cost me one while a nick in the line (or wind-knot?) aided another. The final fish lost - well that was just incompetence.  Oh well...better than a day at work, and so far the head-stand worm is proving to be a quality carp fly.   

On a brighter note let it be known that on this the 3rd day of the 3rd month of 2011 at least 3 of my favorite still-waters lost their lid - not that long now!