Carp-Slam V Recap - The Big Picture

As I posted Sunday my partner Clint Packo and I went out this weekend and won CarpSlamV.  I promised a full recap.  We hooked allot of fish and that was a ton of fun.  We eventually landed enough fish that it became pretty clear that we were coming out on top.  That was exhilarating.  We got to be big deals at the after-party and that was exiting and good for the old ego.

Off The Shnide?  (Picture by Darrin Ochsner)

Yes, Off The Shnide! (Picture By Darrin Ochsner)

Fly Be Free!  (Picture By Darrin Ochsner, Color Adjusted)

With a little time to digest the event I cannot really say catching fish or even winning was the most profound aspect of the event.  Catching this first fish to get off the shnide was a great feeling and winning was even better but with some luck I will catch more fish.  With a little more luck I may even win again.  Therefore I am going to skip the blow-by-blow and let some pictures do the talking.  Instead I want to talk about the big picture that really made this year’s event special. 

Team Work!  (Picture by Darrin Ochsner)

One of the best things about the day was fishing with Clint as a part of a team.  Not as a pro and an amateur but really and truly as a team.  No matter how obsessed or passionate, somebody who fishes as a hobby simply cannot have the same depth of knowledge and experience as a long time professional like Clint.  These guys have lived a significant amount of their life completely immersed in fly fishing and it shows.  Nevertheless, emotion does not always square with reality!  Clint recognized that on an emotional level I wanted to fish as equal partners and he completely and totally embraced the idea.  I am sure it helped that I really am a bit of a ringer but it still required that he swallow any ego he had coming into the event.  That does not seem to be a difficult thing for Clint to do at all.  What a great and humble guy.  I am extremely grate-full and it would have been a great experience regardless of the outcome.   

Clint's First Fish of The Day.  Whys Everybody Gotta Be Disrespecting The Sucker?

Undoubtedly the most profound aspect of the competition this year was what it is starting to mean to the fly fishing for carp community.  Everybody involved has worked hard to expand the social aspects of the Slam and as a result the event is really starting to become more than just a competition.  There were seminars.  There were pre-parties to the pre-party.  There were after-parties to the after-party.  There were carpers and photographers flown in from all across the country to participate in practice sessions and the competition.  There were countless spontaneous BS sessions for months ahead of time wherever two carpers might bump into each other.  I an sure that every fly-shop employee in the metro area is sick to death, and not just because of the stench.

Target Aquired! We Did Not Lack For Opportunity.

Finally the official after-party was so well done that there is no question that it was a perfect event to take your wife to.  My wife had as much fun as I did.  She is my best friend and having my best friend there to participate in the fun was priceless!
 

You Wanna Peice of This??? CarpSlamVI, Take It If You Can!

The revolution needs to stand up and take notice.  For now at least, the epicenter of fly fishing for carp culture is at the Slam.  Call it the Comicon or Burning-man for carpers.  Call it whatever you want but get your butt on a plane, a car, a bicycle or a pink bus.  Whatever it takes, get there.  This years amateur champion will be there, take my title if you can!