I laughed at myself and the carp laughed at me too

In 2004 when I started carp fishing I had no interest in blogging or posting fish pictures online.  The years passed and that changed a good deal.  But not completely.  There are still days where I just can't be bothered even taking the camera out.  Sometimes setting up a picture of myself holding a fish just takes more time and effort than I am willing to spend; I would rather just release the fish and go catch another one.

The fish in this next picture made me smile.  I saw the take and he ran in to the backing.  After netting him we walked in to the shore together.  I took Black Betty out of his mouth and left him in the shallow water.  The camera was set up on a rock.  It appears that ten seconds wasn't enough time to press the shutter button, step back to the fish, and pick it up.  Was the fish trying to tell me something?  I tried again to get a picture and didn't do as well.  Maybe the fish was whispering to me. On the third try I depressed the shutter button, turned, and watched the fish swim away.  That fish was definitely trying to tell me something; he just wasn't going to be photographed with me holding him.  Maybe he was trying to tell me to go back to the beginning and just get a picture of him near me while he was in the water and we were still dancing.  Or maybe he was telling me to just not take the camera out at all.

He made me smile because I saw him take the fly, he made the reel sing, he brought out the backing, and he fled the scene while I was trying to get his picture.

As he swam away I laughed at myself and I'm pretty sure the carp laughed at me too.