Fly-Carpin: About McTage

For the greater part of four generations my family has specialized in terrorizing the trout in an isolated area above 10,000ft and we have gotten pretty good at it. Lets just say the tout tremble at the mere utterance of the Tanner name. Despite the family tradition, my Grand-pa would not let me near his bamboo fly rods until I was "ready". At the age of 12 he found me at a beaver pond desperately flailing away with a stolen piece of fly line knotted to the end of my spinning rod. That finally convinced him and we spent the next day on the front lawn learning how to cast.

I have never had any interest in using anything but a fly-rod since, but the methods and species I favor have evolved significantly. My first step down the road to revolution started in college at the University of Oklahoma where getting a fly fishing fix required re-thinking what fly fishing was all about. You can read more about my fly fishing background and early introduction to warm-water species in Welcome to the Revolution Part 1: Lessons in Fly Fishing Humility.

After college I moved to Michigan to work for Chrysler. While there I was extremely fortunate to find some great friends who were big into chasing the Great Lakes Salmonid runs. There is something about fishing the Great Lake runs that fosters obsession and for several years I had a bad case of the 'Nids. You can read more about it in Welcome To The Revolution Part II: A Bad Case of The 'Nids.

There is something so random and indecipherable about fly fishing the salmonid runs that after a while my interest faded. It was always impossible to determine why, or even if a salmon or steelhead had truly grabbed my offering. Over time my interest shifted to chasing various predatory warm-water species, frequently from a 17' Carolina Skiff I purchased for the cause. If it would grab I was game. Pike, Smallmouth, White Bass, Drum, Carp, Dogfish. The list goes on and on. You can read a little bit more in Welcome To The Revolution Part III: Revolt in the Land of Plenty

About 8 years ago my interest in Carp started to slowly but surely take over. I had been catching them on the fly rod for several years but the more I fished for them the more I liked them. There was something uniquely appealing about catching carp on flies I am not certain I can even fully explain it. I could spout the platitudes about their size, abundance, intelligence and the thrill of sight fishing. These are all important factors but there is something else. Something less concrete and easily identifiable. When I have the time to fully explain it I intend to write "Welcome To The Revolution Part III: The Descent Into Darkness".

At the current time I live in Lakewood CO with my wonderful wife Kim and my son Zack who is my best pal. It is a great life and great place to live. The fly-carpin is far from the best in the country but somehow I find that carp is the only species I need. Will this be another phase? In 5 years will I find that the denigrated sucker is the fish for me? Perhaps. Until then welcome to the revolution, don't mind the stench.

Fly-Carpin

Welcome To The Revolution, Don't Mind The Stench!