Carp on the Fly

My quest for my first stream rainbow trout of the year was still alive and if I caught a brownie I wanted it to be big, so my decision of fishing location would obviously be in the Whitewater system. I elected to go down to the bottom of the main branch to some water that has held rainbows and big browns. It's a quiet place that sees very little pressure. I fished some good water without a strike and things weren't looking good. In fact, a substantial hatch of dark hendricksons were coming off but I saw no fish eating them in the dirty water.

Finally I hit a nice little rainbow as my streamer drifted under a logjam at the head of a deep pool. That was the theme of the afternoon as the storm clouds built all around me. I ended up with one more rainbow and a little brown trout broken up through the two or three hours I was out. At the final hole I fished I stumbled onto some trout that would consistently strike the fly but wouldn't hook up. After a half hour of frustration I gave up with the heavy rain and storm blowing in.

Finally my first stream rainbow troutToday's little Brown Trout

As I walked back towards the car I smelled the stench of decaying fish. I knew there was a small tributary ditch that drained a floodplain closeby and the local kids often speared the spawning carp as they ascended the shallow ditch. It turned out I had by 6weight rod and was fishing streamers so I thought I'd give it a go. Despite thunder rumbling around me and heavy rain falling, I peered into the small pool behind the concrete culvert under the road. It was full of big carp and the sound of them pushing through the culvert was loud and frequent.

It was as close to fishing for king salmon as I've come across and it was impossible not to foul them. I landed a few of the suckers and redhorse that were also in there but had pulled out of the carp I'd fouled. Finally, I watched as my bright streamer was sucked up into the mouth of a big carp. I set the hook and it set off in the only direction it could - down. They do run and fight but it's more of the dogged battle of a black salmon than the electric fight of a steelhead. Finally though I landed my "prize". A few minutes later I was hooked into another one but when a loud crack of thunder let me know a storm was right on top of me I figured two carp was enough to satisfy me.

A big, ugly carp - at least they fight well

When I got back from the north shore I did go out to see if I could hook another one but all I found was beaten down grass and a heap of dead carp littered around the creek. I did manage to hook a two foot longtom-like fish that leapt clear of the water like a crazy thing but I guess the local boys had their fun and cleared the place out.