It is possible to have a good day with a little color in the water but you are going to have to work for it. You have to find fish tight and shallow which means you have to move and keep moving and keep moving. Combine that with this heat and it was excruciating. By noon I was wilting and for the first time in a long time I seriously considered showing some wisdom and calling it a day early. I ended up having a decent day and am glad I didn't.
I was pleased with the first fish of the day but it wasn't my favorite. It was a nice sized fish but I didn't really get to see it take the worm (guesstimate set) and for some reason this carp gave up immediately.
The second fish was more like it. A little bigger, awesome visual take and some seriously hard runs. This fish felt great because I had switched to a spot that I mentally set aside for these exact conditions 3 months ago. Successfully patterning carp like that is a thrill, it doesn't happen all the time. Nice picture too if I do say so myself. Stupid grass.
My favorite fish of the day was the last one though. This was a smaller fish, but one of those cool takes where the fish follows the fly down and nails it to the bottom while tailing furiously. Take your time on the hook-set, that fish isn't going anywhere! The best part was the fight though. I had to cast to this fish from on top of an 8' wall with clumps of trees 3 feet on either side from me. In other words I was hosed as soon as I set the hook. I had a plan though. I set the hook and immediately pointed the rod straight at the fish while carefully handing my rod around 4 or 5 trees until I got to a spot where I could get down. I wasn't even looking at the carp because I had to concentrate on passing the rod so I spent the whole time just watching my Lampson Lightspeed go for a ride. Really cool.
I get the heat, I just can't force myself to leave either and am happy if just for the sake of not quitting I stick it out. I would love those takes on my waters but it's such a rare thing. I also love those that follow a fly down to inhale, just too cool. Very pretty river fish. Still looking for my mid sized warm water Idaho river, elusive as the carp.
ReplyDeleteGregg
Gregg, it is so hard to leave. Oddly enough in rivers (or at least my river) the mid-day doldrums phenomena is at least reduced a little compared to lakes and reservoirs so it is not totally non-productive to keep at it.
DeleteNice. Good stuff McTage. I'm curious - on that second fish - what was it about that spot that made you take note of it for those conditions?
ReplyDeleteThis is a flat that the carp seem to really like allot but only when the water level gets deep enough so that they feel comfortable so I think they hit it hard when they can and they haven't been able basicly all summer. Additionally with the high water the river is lightly flooding grass edges that aren't even there in typical years and I was noticing all day that the carp were very interested in that structure and this flat has about a hundred yards of it.
DeleteNever seen heat like the last week or so. Thought you guys a little north might be spared, but evidently not. This heat makes me wish I was a little younger... but it would still be dadgum hot either way. Nice fish there McTage.
ReplyDeleteMan Barry, your Oklahoma heat makes my feel like a whiner. I went to college there, a smidge hotter than here AND 10 to 20 percent higher humidity. I am thinking that fishing straight through a 100 degree day there wouldn't even be thinkable.
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