The Sun Was Tired

During the middle of the last week of September my plans changed so I was able to do some unexpected late season Carp fishing. Maybe I should say end of the season Carp fishing, I don't know. I guess if I go again one more time in October then fishing in September was late season Carp fishing. If I don't go again (or maybe if I go and get totally blanked) then September was the end of the season. We'll see...

Two weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised by the mild weather and by the presence of some fish. I fished still water the first day. The boat is so much easier to manage when the wind is light. Thankfully it was. The sky was only slightly cloudy; the biggest challenge was that the sun was tired. This time of year the sun doesn't wake up early and start an immediate and purposeful ascent to the top of the sky like it does in July. It's like it's just worn out from all that summer work. It gets up late, goes to bed early, and can only seem to drag itself along the horizon rather than make the climb. This time of year it is as if it is 4:00 PM all day. The sun just never quite shines directly into the water. Even in the middle of the day the sunlight is still coming in at an angle so it makes spotting more difficult. Not impossible, but more difficult.

Amazingly I got a fish to the net after just 20 minutes. Five fish came to rest in the mesh. I lost two in the reeds. I took my cue from the sun. It was tired and and didn't want to be out long so neither did I. Five and half hours of fishing was enough.

They love the Carrot; they just love it. It was the only fly I fished. The only time I changed my fly was when the two fish broke me off in the reeds; I just put another Carrot on.



I spent a quiet evening at the Carp Lodge and geared up for a session on the river the next day.

Sunset at the Carp Lodge