CAPRTORIOUS: Youth

I look back when I was 15 and I remember - I was an absolute fish catching machine.  Adaptable, intuitive and infinitely creative at lightning speed.

Nowadays I still innovate but at a much more deliberate pace.  For example - I worked on a totally new and very unique leader system for 6 months this winter.  I caught over 30 fish on it without a single leader failure and didn't come close to needing a new leader in that time but still feel like it could use a little work. Sigh.  It is what it is.

This past Friday I got to re-live the flexibility of youth through observation when Zach Drazner, a 15 year old from Idaho, flew out to fish with me for a day.  He was the winner of the DTU fish with McTage auction, and just oozed energy and determination.  Within 24 hours of winning the auction he had tickets.  Within 48 hours he was on the ground in Denver eager and willing and so full of naive belief in my skills that he never appeared to have a single tiny shred of doubt that we were going to catch a ton of carp.

I sure am glad he was optimistic, because I was a little worried!  Rain, rain and more rain. Earlier in the week we received one of the longest deluges I can ever remember in July in Denver.  It rained for over 30 hours straight.  Un. Heard. Of. Everything was jacked.  The river was blown.  Most lakes were chocolate milk, over-flowing and had algae blooms because of the influx of lawn fertilizer thrown in for good measure.

Well, there is nothing more important than faith when it comes to fly fishing for carp and somewhere in his carry-on Zach brought enough faith for the both of us.  I'm not saying we caught the heck out of them but given the conditions we had a very very respectable day.

Zach's Second Ever Carp on The Fly!

Correctly using the butt-section.  Nice!

Your's truly getting in on the action

A picture perfect presentation

One fish stands out in particular because it high-lighted the full awe inspiring intuitive leap of a 15 year old's fishing mind in it's full glory. About mid-day we arrived at one of my favorite lakes to find an interesting situation. This particular lake had a massive scum-line created by the recent rains and there were several carp clooping methodically through the scum.

I call these carp scum-suckers and I have a really reliable method for catching them.  IF you can get within dapping distance and IF you can do a suspended dap of a black fly (any old black fly will do) about an inch under the scum within 6 inches of the carps eye it just works. The carp will almost always back up, drop from view, accelerate to full speed and crush your fly as hard or harder than a carp ever has. It is pretty fun, and I was pretty confident it was going to work for the simple fact that I had stopped at this lake and caught two carp with that exact method at dawn on the way to pick Zach up at the airport.

Break Of Dawn Scum-Sucking Carp on Suspended Dap

Now, when we got there later in the day, none of the cloopers was close enough to shore for the suspended dap to work.  It was like they knew my evil scheme to get Zach into some easy carp and were determined to taunt me.  Well, while my old curmudgeon brain was cursing our luck as we watched a carp happily slurping top 30 feet away, Zach's young mind was leaping ahead.  He looked and me and very very politely asked if he could try one of his "new dragons" - to which I naturally shrugged and said - "sure, whatever".  In my book the difference between a scum sucker at 10 feet and one at 30 is the difference between one of the easiest patterns I know of and the hardest.

It turned out that "new dragons" meant one of the absolutely beautiful Hopes Dragons he had just gotten in the mail from CarpPro the night before.   The first cast was a little wide but the second cast was nearly perfect - and wouldn't you know it, that Hope's Dragon floats like a cork.  For about three casts, and then it sinks slowly!  How did he know?  He just did.  With just a small 8 inch strip he was able to place the fly perfectly in the path of that carp - and wouldn't you know it, that carp made a bee-line for the fly and sucked it in like it's life depended on it.  Wouldn't you know it.  Well, to be perfectly honest - No, I wouldn't.  I would have bet 50 bucks that wasn't going to work. I LOVE being wrong because it was one of the coolest presentations and takes I have ever seen.

Hope's Dragon from the 2013 Fly Swap

Zach Hooked up On a Clooping Carp

Mouth full o Dragon

It was just fabulous - and in the end I think the student may have taught the master a new trick. Of course, this old dog showed him a trick or two of his own...

Thanks for coming out Zach!