tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60860870102925659052024-02-07T13:28:16.589-08:00Got Backing? (Formerly Known as Mr. P.'s Blog)This is a blog about fly fishing for Carp. Well, kind of... I can’t catch Carp on the fly all year long so it’s also about fly fishing for anything that will take a fly. Mixed in are thoughts on fishing, thoughts on life, fly tying, some cool pictures, and a bit of humor here and there.Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-27044799705496616792024-01-27T13:25:00.000-08:002024-01-27T13:25:24.161-08:00A conversation with Jerry Solie<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/jX4w_DQ5RCw?si=yY4ZhVXFYRF-T6ME" width="480"></iframe><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">I first met Jerry Solie in 1979 when I joined the Evergreen Fly Fishing Club. He had already been a member for 24 years. Yes, 24 years. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">Jerry is a quality person. He was a good husband. He is a good father and a good grandfather. He is a remarkable human being. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">He ran a funeral home and he did commercial fishing.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">Since he was a kid, he has hunted and fished extensively. He has taken trips where he spent a week in the woods alone. He is a sociable and friendly person; he can also be a focused, driven, solitary, warrior. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.61px;">In this video, I talk with Jerry about the early days of the Evergreen Fly Fishing Club. We also talk about fishing and hunting through the decades. We talk about this life and the next life. Again, Jerry is a remarkable human being. </p><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-12854787222043785992018-10-26T12:12:00.000-07:002018-10-26T12:12:38.053-07:00Redfish and Black Drum in the Louisiana Marsh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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In the early part of October I went to Louisiana to fish the marsh for redfish and black drum. I had been to Louisiana in 2013. The guide, who shall go unnamed, was terrible. I went to a different part of the state this time and fished with Lucas Bissett from Low Tide Charters. He was great and I plan to return and fish with him again. </div>
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The marsh exemplifies simple beauty; a simple beauty that is calming and reassuring. The Carp Lodge is in the desert; we look out at the river and across to rolling hills. Both Katy and I enjoy the simple beauty of the river and the hills; we both find that it is calming and reassuring. While the marsh and the Carp Lodge are in very, very different environments I experienced many of the same feelings. </div>
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Everywhere we went Lucas said that the marsh was one to five feet deep. It goes and goes for miles and miles. It is so beautiful!<br />
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I like the colors in this picture of an egret. </div>
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The fishing is all sight fishing; I was casting to tailing fish or slow cruisers. Much of it is like carp fishing in that regard. Unlike carp fishing, the redfish and the drum will chase down a fly. Yikes, that's cool when they do!</div>
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While I was in Louisiana, Hurricane Michael was raging through Florida. The storm did not come to Louisiana but we were experiencing some strong wind. On days three and four the wind blew so hard it didn't let the tide go out; I didn't know that could happen. The tide stayed in, the water was murky, and the sky was cloudy. Those were tough days. <br />
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This was my favorite redfish of the trip. I got this fish taking the fly on video. Dang it I like that a lot! </div>
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This black drum was tailing in two feet of water. Lucas scaled him at 35 1/2 pounds. What a bruiser! He got slime all over me and I was happy to let him do it.<br />
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#flyfishingforredfish #flyfishingforblackdrum #sightfishing #Louisianamarsh Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-32615540488665148842018-05-06T13:09:00.001-07:002018-05-06T13:09:21.075-07:00Monkey ForksI had fished Monkey Forks a few times prior to 2010 but not with much seriousness or commitment. In 2010, I went to the creek with the idea that I would fish Monkey Forks for two days no matter how good or bad the fishing was. I wanted to learn the creek and fish it during the winter. It was good enough that I have been back many times. During the last seven years, occasionally I have gone there and gotten blanked. Some of those times I work hard to catch one fish; like I did in early January. Some of the times I get several; that's nice. Once in a while I hook a lot of fish; not only do I feel very grateful I feel kinda clever too.<br />
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Recently, Katy and I were at the Carp Lodge for several days. I had brought my 5 weight but really didn't think I would have the kind of weather that is needed to have a good day at Monkey Forks. Blue sky, some wind, and mostly clear water? Nope. Not for Monkey Forks. Those are good conditions for carp fishing. Overcast skies, wind and rain are the best conditions for catching the piggies in Monkey Fork. The first couple days at the Carp Lodge, we were able to walk along the river trail in shorts; 73 degrees on day one and then 72 degrees on day two were such a welcome relief from the 40-50 degree temperatures at home. Ahhhh...<br />
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On Thursday morning it was completely overcast, there was some wind, and it was raining. Hmmm...it looked like just what I said I wanted in order to go fishing. I dillydallied getting ready. I arrived at the creek promptly at 11:00 AM. I grumbled because there were a lot of guys there for a Thursday. (I have a hard life.) I ate my lunch and really had second thoughts about walking down to the water.<br />
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Remembering my last trip where I got one fish I approached the water with high hopes but low expectations. Well go figure, I got a 16 1/2 inch fish on the first cast. That was a nice surprise. The second cast--dang it; I was blanked. The third cast, my, my, my...it was fattie! I carry a Measure Net at Monkey Forks. According to the manufacturer, the Jr. Guide model I use weighs 2 pounds 3 ounces when it is dry. Even adjusting liberally for the tare weight of the net, that fish was about 7 pounds.<br />
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It ended up being my best day ever at Monkey Forks. And to think I actually thought about not even fishing. </div>
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Two fish in three casts--time to go back to the Carp Lodge. Naaaaa...at least a few more casts seemed like a good idea. Several hours of "just a few more casts" yielded lots and lots of hookups and a good number of fish over 22 inches.<br />
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The brightest, most colorful gill plates of the day. </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My favorite fish of the day</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, it was one of those days that will stick with me for quite a long time. It was very real and at the same time very unreal; it was quite an amazing day indeed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was exhausted when I went to bed. In that hazy space between being awake and sleeping, when you are not quite dreaming but not fully awake, I could feel fish taking the fly. It was all very special. </span><br />
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-57792087996876811292017-12-24T13:29:00.001-08:002017-12-24T13:29:11.167-08:00Carp Taking the Fly Vol. I: a VideoThis video was shot in Washington and Oregon during the spring and summer of 2017. It is of 8 carp taking the fly. Seven of the eight fish are visible. I have been taking a good deal of video the last couple years but I haven't created one for YouTube since the spring of 2015. Good grief...where did the time go? I was overdue; here it is. <br />
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<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eU7PA7eM8jY?ecver=1" width="560"></iframe>Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-35326443058977678122017-08-05T17:36:00.000-07:002017-08-05T17:36:33.738-07:00Fly Fishing in Cuba Part IIDays four and five made the trip for me. I fished exclusively for tarpon on those days and those fish are the ones that will get me back to Cuba. Lordy they were so wonderful! During the entire trip everywhere we fished was stunningly beautiful; it seemed even more beautiful on days four and five. Perhaps I was influenced by the fish, perhaps not.<br />
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The guide would pole us across the tarpon flats and call out fish. We would cast and immediately start stripping as fast as we possibly could. If you reached forward and missed grabbing the line for the next strip the tarpon immediately turned away. The gloves made feeling the line more difficult so I had to look down at the line to make sure I grabbed the line for the next hard strip. It was intense and so exciting. The line goes tight when they take the fly and the guide keeps yelling, "Keep Stripping, Keep Stripping!" When the fish took off we did a strip set with our line hand, pinned the line against the rod with our rod hand, and then strip set with our rod hand. Every single fish jumped on the hook set. It was truly incredible fishing.</div>
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Day six was the cloudiest and the most windy. At one point my guide said, "El relampagos es peligroso." I believe I got the Spanish correct, either way, he meant the lightening is dangerous. It was in the distance but moving our way. We all had to cut the last day short. I hooked 4 barracuda before we got back. They are a bad ass looking fish and made the 10th species I caught. </div>
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The accommodations on the ship were adequate. The staff was friendly and always very, very helpful. They really helped make the trip special. The guides bent over backwards to get us in to fish and to make sure we were all enjoying our day. </div>
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The guides</div>
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The deck hand, the hostess, and the captain. </div>
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A very pleasant surprise was how good the food was. We had fresh lobster as part of our dinner every evening. </div>
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I booked this trip through Fly Water. The staff there was helpful through every step of the process; I will definitely book another trip with them. Our host was Blake Merwin of Gig Harbor Fly Shop. Blake was also great and I would go on another trip with him. </div>
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Blake on the left talking with Scott, one of the other anglers. </div>
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For the gear whores out there here's a picture for you.</div>
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Overall this was a trip I thoroughly enjoyed and would do again. </div>
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-50731394513470350762017-07-21T10:57:00.000-07:002017-08-05T16:51:01.771-07:00Fly Fishing in Cuba Part IIn the summer of 1959 I was still 8 years old. I caught my first limit of trout that summer. At that time, for a person under 16, the limit was 8 fish. My dad let me wander out of his sight to fish. We were fishing a river and I didn't get two fish from the same spot. I had to move and keep casting. It actually took some hours to get all 8 fish. For me, at that point in my life, it was the trip of a lifetime! I had such a tremendous sense of accomplishment. <br />
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I remember the first time I caught and released 40 trout in one trip on the Cle Elum River. I fished four days and caught almost all of the fish on dry flies. I believe I was 20 years old. It was the trip of a lifetime. <br />
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I remember the first time I caught and released 40 trout in one day, the first time I caught and released 50 trout in one day, and the first time I caught 80 trout in one day. Those were trips of a lifetime. Twice, in the 70's I caught and released over 100 trout in a day. All of these days were on the same Western Washington river. Those days were also trips of a lifetime. They are wonderful memories to me; I will always cherish them. <br />
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I remember catching my first carp in 2004; now that was the trip of a lifetime! Seeing that fish turn to the fly and seeing him jump straight up when I set the hook changed my life. I mean my fishing life of course. Well, I guess my overall life was changed too. I never looked back. <br />
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This spring I traveled to Cuba to fish. It was a live aboard trip; we stayed on a ship for 7 days and headed out on skiffs each morning to fish. As you can see I have been incredibly blessed. I caught 8 trout in 1959 when I was just 8 years old. Those 8 fish in the summer of 1959 are hard to top, and yes, I'm serious. My trip to Cuba was very, very special. It was quite an adventure for this older guy. It was also the trip of a lifetime. I think it was even better than my first limit of trout. <br />
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We flew from Seattle to Los Angles, had a two and a half hour layover and then flew to Havana. Some of us arrived a day early to see a few sights but we were all there primarily to fish. <br />
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The second day we were up at 4:00 AM and met in the hotel lobby at 4:30. The shuttle picked us up and drove us 3 hours to the ship. We spent three more hours traveling on the ship to the anchoring point. Where we finally stopped was isolated and stunningly beautiful. We put our things in our rooms, had lunch and started gearing up. <br />
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That first afternoon of fishing was slow for all of us because we weren't seeing any fish in the flats. It was disappointing; I felt fortunate to get one bonefish.<br />
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The second day the sky was clear most of the time and we were seeing fish. I released several bonefish and felt good about that. I also caught a tarpon on day two and that was very exciting for me!<br />
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The third day for me was the multi-species day. Over the course of the trip I caught 10 species. (Including snagging the guide.) Okay fine, I'm not counting the guide in my 10 species. I caught 10 species of fish. (Plus snagging the guide) It was a great day of fishing, catching, and discovery. <br />
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A Blue Runner</div>
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A Mutton Snapper<br />
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More on days four, five, and six, along with more Cuba pictures coming soon. </div>
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-88680767861549105582017-05-21T10:10:00.000-07:002017-05-21T10:10:30.902-07:00Starting the 2017 SeasonThanks Kevin, Sam, Jessica, and Jeff for <strike>asking why I have been lazy</strike> prodding me to get back to the blog. Here you go.<br />
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Starting the 2017 season near the end of May? Well hell yes! I'm talking about the carp season of course. Normally I would have started sooner but it has been cold this year so the beginning of the season has been delayed. Oh, and one more thing, I was distracted, or completely unavailable. Unavailable........because....................... I went fishing in Cuba. What an adventure that was for this old guy! More on that in another post coming soon. <br />
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My first fish of the day, and of the season, was a fully scaled mirror; I sure liked that. It was nice to hook up just minutes after starting. I thanked the carp for taking my fly. The first fish being a mirror boded well for the day, for the season, and I think perhaps for all of my life. <a href="http://themrpblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/gerhards-questions-and-few-answers.html">Black Betty</a> tricked this wonderful fish. (I only fish the red tail version anymore.)<br />
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We don't see that many mirrors on the Columbia so my friends and I covet them. If I see more than one fish and I can tell one of them is a mirror I will cast to the mirror. Much of the time I can't tell if the fish is a mirror or a common until after they slosh or until I get them near me.<br />
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Well heck, my second fish was a mirror too. He was nice and chunky and had almost no scales on his sides. In this picture I have lifted him up with my left hand and am trying to use the camera with my right hand. For an old guy like me, that's multi-tasking and it ain't easy. <br />
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This same fish had two rows of scales down his back. He looked a linear mirror with the scale lines moved up on top. <br />
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The "hog of the day" award goes to this next fish. Lets pretend the reason you don't see the whole fish is because he was too big to fit in the picture rather than me not setting up the camera correctly. Either way he's a porker. <br />
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I saw and caught fish in spurts. I had a good number of shots and had three fish to the net within the first hour. That makes me feel way more clever than I actually am. I kept stalking and then didn't see a single fish for an hour and a half. After that I got two shots and didn't connect. I kept moving and started seeing fish again about 30 minutes later. I put several more in the net and thanked the Good Lord for a wonderful day. <br />
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#blackbetty, #carplodge, #carponthefly, #flyfishingforcarp, #mirrorcarp<br />
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-72520757293036873562016-08-28T20:29:00.000-07:002016-08-28T20:29:27.301-07:00Some Days Are Just So Good! Not All of Them, But Some of Them...All days of fly fishing for carp are good days, even the ones when I don't catch fish. Some days are heavenly; some days, not so much.<br />
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The Columbia is a monstrous, long, wide river. While there are carp all over the river there is a lot of the river that has no access or no shallow water. Even spots that I have fished many, many times don't always have carp. There could be carp in a particular spot but the water could be murky or the wind could be howling, or both. Conditions can be adverse and sometimes downright terrible. Then there are those days when the water is clear, the wind is mild but the fish are ever so bored with my flies. Oh Lordy, they can turn away from flies with indifference and disgust. Conditions can be perfect but the damn fish just don't seem to know it! That's carp fishing.<br />
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Recently I fished three consecutive days; it was a trip I had been planning and savoring for weeks. Anticipation was high. On the first day, the wind was blowing straight at the shore so it was churning up the bottom leaving the water with no visibility. It was blowing so hard that I had difficulty keeping my balance. Ninety minutes was all I could take before I decided I had had enough. Lets see...I didn't make any casts so that means I didn't catch any fish.<br />
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Conditions were grim again on the second day. I went to a different spot hoping to find clearer water. I wouldn't exactly call what I found, "clearer"; it was more like, "ever so slightly less muddy". Since I didn't make a single cast the day before I felt just getting one shot would be a victory today. I waded around as slowly as I could trying to peer through the muddy water. Finally, in some water that wasn't even up to my knees I saw a tailing fish. Well, I didn't see the whole fish in the murky water; all I could see was the top of his tail. I dropped Black Betty in front of him. I don't know who was more surprised when I set the hook--the fish or me; I think it was me. That was my one presentation for the day. After less than 3 hours I knew it was hopeless and so I headed back to the Carp Lodge.<br />
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Here is a gray sky, murky water, windy day, fish:<br />
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I'm such a nice guy; how could conditions be awful again on the third day? Well they were. I walked around in muddy water and sulked. The muddy water wasn't enough though; on the third day it was completely overcast. Talk about, "NOT a chance!" Not one cast and not one damn fish! I went back to the Carp Lodge, I sulked, and I drank some beer.<br />
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In three days of fishing I made a total of one presentation; that was it. It was disappointing; I swear it was enough to make me want to take up golf or bowling or horseshoes, or even croquet; hell, I don't know, anything would be less frustrating than those three days!<br />
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Some days, not most by any means, things just come together when I'm fly fishing for carp. The water is clear, or mostly clear anyway. The sky is that wonderful, beautiful shade of nothing, but, blue! There is a light wind. I see carp feeding and cruising where I decided to fish. Oh, and one more thing, the carp take my fly. Those days are heavenly. Yes, they are heavenly!<br />
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Two weeks after those three memorably disappointing days, I decided croquet didn't really sound that interesting after all. I fished two days. No clouds, light wind, and almost clear water--well now, that's what I'm talkin' about. Oh yeah!<br />
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I didn't get the first fish I cast to but I saw a fish fairly soon and that was such an improvement from the the last trip. The second fish didn't want my fly either. The third fish made me smile; of course I smiled, he took my damn fly! And away we went...I hooked 11 and got 9 to the net. I thought back to two weeks ago; I forgave the river for being muddy, I forgave the wind for blowing too hard, and I forgave the devil clouds for covering the sun. <br />
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Eight hour days of fishing are a thing of the past for me. Five to six hours of wading and I have had enough. Nine fish to the net in 5 1/2 hours sure as hell makes me happy!<br />
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Most of the second day I was fishing Mr. P.'s Carp Carrot; the fish thought it looked yummy. <br />
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The next day conditions were great again. Golf or horseshoes? What the hell was I thinking?! I could only think about spotting fish, stalking carefully, making good presentations, and getting hookups. I must have been doing most of it at least passably well because in 5 hours I had 10 hookups and put 8 in the net. Lordy, I love carp fishing! <br />
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The fish I caught ranged from 8 to 20 pounds. One of the highlights of these two days was that I got two gorgeous mirrors which were both over 18 pounds. <br />
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-23469155952641953322016-07-18T10:16:00.001-07:002016-07-18T10:17:16.899-07:00A Decisive Turn to the FlyYikes, I haven't made a post for a year. You would think I gave up fishing. Perish the thought! I will fish until the end of my days or until my aging body will not allow me to. <br />
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I have fished a lot these past 12 months; in particular these last two and a half months. In March I even fished for tarpon in Puerto Rico. I would post a picture...but ammm.....hmmmm.....there is the little problem of not getting any of them to the boat. Just imagine the tarpon; I still do...<br />
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A good number of fat trout were nice enough to take my fly in the late winter and early spring. I sure appreciated them getting me through those short, cloudy days. <br />
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In his 1835 poem, "Locksley Hall" Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote, "...<span style="text-indent: -1em;">In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish'd dove; </span><span style="text-indent: -1em;">In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love." Yeah, yeah, yeah, great poem and all Al, but I gotta tell you, in the spring this "young" man's fancy turns to thoughts of carp fishing. Yes indeed! I'm in love all year long with my wife but in the spring and summer I'm thinking about tailing carp, good casts, well placed flies, visual takes, and screaming reels. Oh hell yes baby! </span><br />
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<span style="text-indent: -1em;">Caught on April 7, this was my first carp of the season; that's the earliest I have ever fished for them.</span><br />
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The weather was surprisingly mild; I sure appreciated some willing carp taking a size 8 Black Betty--at the beginning of April no less.</div>
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Most carp I catch in the PNW take the fly very subtly; kind of like they can hardly be bothered. There is an exception for everything and this carp sure was. He made a decisive turn for the fly. The original video is HD and is much more clear than the E Blogger optimized version. You can see a clearer version on my Instagram account--@JimPankiewicz </div>
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-57453442400907330032015-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:002015-06-13T10:02:40.574-07:00Catfish on the FlyMany years ago when I made my first cast to a tailing carp how was I to know what doors that would open in the future?<br />
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Nearing the end of a good day of carp fishing I was slowly wading back in the direction of my Carpwagon but still keeping an eye out for another shot. The silhouette of a fish came into view; I thought it was a funny looking carp but he was big so I was immediately in the hunter's mode. As I eased closer to the fish I thought damn, that carp has a big head. A bit closer and I realized that carp was a catfish. Well, I've never caught a catfish; I had no idea if one would take a fly or not. I just acted like he was a carp and put the Chocolate Cherry in front of him. Go figure; I made one cast to that <strike>ugly</strike> handsome sucker and he took the fly. What a surprise! I'm one for one; I'm battin' 1000 on catfish.<br />
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This first picture shows the fly in the right side of his mouth.<br />
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He is sloshing in this picture.<br />
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He just finished sloshing and has the leader under the other whisker. This picture gives some perspective to his length.<br />
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Handsome? Beautiful? Ugly? Exotic? What do you think? </div>
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-36998888300335674102015-06-09T21:15:00.000-07:002015-06-09T21:15:53.252-07:00Wanna be a Baller--Shot Caller...I wanna be a baller, a shot caller...you know, a carp fishin' baller...<br />
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It is such great fun to catch carp that are over 15 pounds! Posting pictures of those carp is easy; it makes me feel like a bad-ass; a baller. Well, as much of a bad-ass or a baller as a 64 year old guy can be anyway. Here is the thing about posting pictures of big carp--it gives the impression that all, or at least most, of the carp I catch are that size. It just ain't so. On a recent trip to the Columbia River the smallest fish I caught was 14 1/2 pounds; that was because I didn't cast to fish that appeared to be smaller than 15 pounds. (<a href="http://themrpblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/what-slut.html">Except for one</a>) <br />
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Something that is much too easily taken for granted is that I have to be seeing 15-20 pound fish to catch 15-20 pound fish. The Columbia is the only water I fish where I have that opportunity regularly. I fish other water for carp, and on some of that water I don't expect to get a single shot at a 15 pound fish let alone a 20. On one particular body of water I have caught fish to 17 pounds but haven't done that for a few years; it's pretty rare. I adjust my expectations knowing that there is a good chance I won't get a fish over 10 pounds. By comparison to the carp in the Columbia these fish are small; I know that and I still return several times each season. <br />
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I use the same flies but lighter leader. These 5-8 pound fish make me smile; they are immensely satisfying. They are unforgiving when I make a bad cast just like a fish two or three times their size. I have asked them out loud, "Come on, how can you be so picky?" It takes every bit as much skill to catch these fish as it does to catch their larger brothers and sisters.<br />
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Five to eight pound fish like Black Betty just like their big, fat brothers and sisters do over on the Columbia River. </div>
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I'm acknowledging how much I enjoy the days when I catch these fish; alas I think it may confirm I'm not such a baller after all. </div>
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-75676582345977233132015-05-17T14:27:00.003-07:002015-05-17T14:32:33.099-07:00What a Slut!It was familiar water for me on this day; I had been there many times. The sky was hazy, not cloudy; it made for acceptable visibility. Seeing only a couple fish the first 30-40 minutes got me wondering about my prospects for the day. Both fish were over 15 pounds so that was encouraging. The first fish that took my fly was just over 18 pounds; that was simply wonderful! She reminded me of everything that I love about carp fishing--stalking fish that are big, smart, and wary. Add to that, detecting the take visually and you have the ideal sportfish. <br />
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Because I was not seeing that many fish but also because I was seeing a high incidence of fish over 15 pounds I just randomly decided to see if I could keep myself from casting to anything less than a fish that appeared to be 15 pounds or better. There have been days, just a few really, when I have caught so many large fish that I just can't be bothered fishing for the 8-9 pounders. Please know that is nowhere near normal. This day it wasn't that I was catching so many fish; it was just that I wanted to see if I could keep myself from casting to 8-9 pound fish even if I wasn't seeing large fish. I wondered how long I would go without getting at least a shot at a large fish before I decided that this wasn't really a fun game after all. I wanted to test my discipline. <br />
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Temptation called me several times, I was "strong", I resisted the 8 pound fish. It wasn't totally easy because 8-9 pounders were most of what I was seeing. Enough large fish were taking my fly that I "held up". <br />
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Six hours of wading is typically enough for me particularly when I am on the move the whole time and that includes getting back to my truck. On the way back to my truck I had the fly in the hookkeeper since I don't typically see many fish on the return. </div>
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Near the truck a fish was moving across the shallows. She appeared to be about 8 pounds; she was clearly a linear mirror. Instantly focused, I took the fly off the hookkeeper, peeled out line, and laid out a good cast in front of that beauty. She approached, turned to her right when she saw the fly and then just calmly swam away. Spontaneously, I said out loud, "What a slut!" </div>
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Nearly 6 hours of fishing without casting to a single 8-9 pounder and as soon as I saw a mirror I caved in. What can I say? I love all carp but since mirrors are unusual here they are more appealing to me. Being unusual makes them kind of exotic. I particularly like the fully scaled ones and the linear ones. That Jezebel mirror carp made me give in to temptation; yes, at that moment I was reduced to being nothing more than a "mirror carp slut" without a thing to show for it. </div>
<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-2730137862271481342015-04-23T18:24:00.000-07:002015-04-23T18:24:02.292-07:00My River Was Calling Out to Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Katy and I walked yesterday near ponds and channels in central Washington. We were enjoying the nice day and looking for birds. In the process of looking for birds we heard splashing in shallow water; it is such a familiar sound to me. A carp was clearly feeding, others were looking for love. It's April for criminy sake; what are carp doing spawning already!? </div>
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Unseasonably warm weather has gotten me out carp fishing sooner than I ever have in 12 seasons. On Sunday of this week a mirror became my first stillwater carp of the year. Any mirror makes my face smile. This one was fully scaled with unusually bright yellow on his belly. I got to see him turn to the Chocolate Cherry; what a nice way to start the year. Other carp were kind enough to take the fly that day also. </div>
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Consecutive warm days in the spring are to carp fishing what a freshet is to coastal salmon or steelhead fishing. A freshet brings staging, migratory fish into their natal streams; warm, spring days bring carp into the shallow water. <br />
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Two warm days after the stillwater trip the call from my river was gaining volume. During the winter it whispers to me; it reminds me of fish from seasons past and tempts me with visions of captures to come. It calls me when I'm sleeping, it calls me when I'm driving, it calls me when I'm working. To the point of distraction it had been calling me for weeks; a little more loudly and a little more insistently each day. Tuesday was the day I answered my river's call. <br />
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-25526348877120518972015-04-11T10:11:00.001-07:002015-04-11T10:11:14.338-07:00Lessons From the Carp Lodge: Episode #6--Adapting to Different Conditions--Dropping the Fly<br />
Most of the carp I catch are 25-40 feet away. There are times when murky water, cloudy skies, and hard wind conspire to keep from seeing carp until I am very close to them. There are also times when carp feed on emerging damsels just under weed patches. All of these conditions require that I adapt my techniques and get very close to carp to present the fly to them. Watch this video in HD and on the full screen so you can see the fish. Enjoy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vmmvvJrpG30" width="430"></iframe>Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-25652774017748403952015-03-07T12:57:00.000-08:002015-03-07T12:57:02.958-08:00"After the Hookset"--a videoI had hoped to produce at least 3 videos this winter--possibly 4. Hmmm... I have worked on them but alas, here is the first one I have actually finished. It is not meant to be instructional; it is just meant for fun. There are 8 takes and hooksets in this video. What I am focusing on is those seconds right after the hookset. Watch it on the full screen and in HD so you can see the fish more easily. <br />
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The last fish that jumps and summersaults is one of my favorite videos I have captured these past several seasons. He actually picks up the fly before I realize it; you can see the line move. <br />
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Enjoy.<br />
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PS I do have a fair amount of my video "Dropping the Fly" finished. Lets see if I can get it finished before carp season starts. If I don't I'm a total goner; I likely won't get it done until next winter. Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-57197125253482450782015-01-23T07:08:00.000-08:002015-01-23T07:09:15.585-08:00Videos Coming Soon This past summer I had some tremendous days of carp fishing. (Some not so tremendous ones too...) A number of carp were even kind enough to let me get them on video. A couple carp came all the way out of the water on the hook set and they let me record them in the act. Dang that was cool!<br />
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I broke two rods this summer; lets see here, ammmm...that would be two rods in two days actually with both of them being just as I was netting the fish. One of those snapping rods can be seen on video. Heck if the camera is on it records that good and the bad. <br />
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Believe it or not I have some very good, long casts on video from the last two summers; the fish are clearly visible, heck a few of them were even nice enough to take the fly. God bless those nice ones.<br />
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The "Good Luck Duck" appears (audibly) in one of my videos and while he has scared fish in the past I like to think he helped me catch the fish I was casting to. He did. <br />
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When I see two tailing or shopping/prowling fish facing each other and in sight of each other I think it makes them more aggressive about taking my fly. Well I got that on video this past summer too; one of them smacked the fly. <br />
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I got some good video of fish taking the fly on the drop. One of them was hiding under a small weed patch that was floating on the surface. His head wasn't visible but his tail was sticking out behind the patch. I dropped the fly in front of the weeds and just as pretty as you please he came out and ate the fly. <br />
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I had hoped to produce at least three videos this winter. I have worked a lot the last few months marketing and selling homes and as a result so far all I have done is start some videos. I have one video project with a couple sloshers and a couple jumpers. I will call it something like, "After the Hook Set What do Carp Do?" or "Do Carp Ever Jump?" I'm still thinking about the title. This video is just for fun. I have a project I'm working on called "Long Casts and Confidence--Catching Carp at Distance". I thought this one would be helpful. I have another one on adjusting and adapting to conditions and fish behavior. I had hoped to produce something on dropping the fly. And of course since I have the "Good Luck Duck" recorded I thought I would let him make an appearance on my blog and on YouTube. <br />
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Well good grief, so far I haven't finished even one of these. I'm the closest to finishing "After the Hook Set What Do Carp Do?" and "The Good Luck Duck". I'm trying, I'm trying. Some videos will be coming soon--I hope. <br />
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-21138332305411660722014-11-14T12:25:00.000-08:002014-11-14T12:25:37.992-08:00Kim Karpdashian and Twerkin' TailDear Kim,<br />
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I don't want to hurt your feelings, BUTT, you don't do anything for me. Nothing at all. I think you're kind of gross. Kim, this is some real tail!<br />
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And plus Kim, here is some tail sort of twerking. Oh Kim, I love this kind of twerkin' tail! It just really gets me going. </div>
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-8795045957512154982014-10-30T08:26:00.000-07:002014-10-30T08:26:22.038-07:00Marysville-Pilchuck is MY School!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Made primarily of cinder blocks, the buildings at my school are
not particularly elegant looking. If
memory serves me correctly the school was built in 1970 at a cost of
$6,000,000. Pilchuck High School became
the second high school in the district. The
colors were green and gold; PHS was the home of the Chargers. With no two story buildings and covering
almost 90 acres the campus was sprawling.
Classroom doors all opened to the outside; at the time it was called a
“California style” school. Didn’t the
architects know it rains here? The community was much smaller then.<br />
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In the early 70’s there were 9 consecutive school levy
failures in the Marysville School District.
To cut costs Marysville High School and Pilchuck High School were merged
in to one school in 1975. That was the
year I came to the high school. Marysville
High School’s colors were red and white and the mascot was the Tomahawks. The newly combined Marysville-Pilchuck High
School adopted red and white as the colors and adopted Tomahawks as the
mascot. The Pilchuck High School campus
became the Marysville-Pilchuck High School campus. Marysville High School became the junior
high. The school day was shortened,
class sizes ballooned. They were
challenging times. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In time a group of parents, led by Don DeMarco, came forward
and took on the challenge of getting our Maintenance and Operation levy
passed for the first time in years. It
was no small task. In the face of need the
community rallied.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even with the two high schools combined into one, in the
late 70’s we could still do an all school assembly in the auditorium. I believe it seated about 825; we still
weren’t really a very big school. In a
few years we had to do two assemblies to accommodate the growing student
body. As more and more new homes were
built the student body grew; we moved assemblies to the gym. In or near the late 90’s we had well over
2,000 students. I believe we peaked
somewhere near 2,650 kids. We had become
one of the two largest high schools in the state. All the changes brought new challenges. Students, staff and the community always rose
to the occasion. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I have been a real estate broker the last 5 1/2 years. I taught from 1973-2009. I was the Marketing teacher and DECA Advisor at
Marysville-Pilchuck; I witnessed a lot of change. I taught at a AA school, a AAA school, and a
AAAA school—all that without ever changing schools. Early on I thought of MPHS as MY school. I loved my school and still do now. Was it those old cinder blocks that grew on
me? Did the warping fascia boards touch
my heart? When the roof leaked in my
classroom, did it endear me to that special place? In a way I suppose it did. More precisely it was my students who grew on
me; they touched my heart. Touched my
heart? Well, it was more like they became ingrained in my heart—they became a part of me.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Memories: </b><br />
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As a teacher I remember kids preparing for
competition, practicing presentations, running for offices, and planning large
scale projects. I particularly remember
the daily interactions in the classroom.
Sometimes it was an effort just to get everyone to sit down and stop
talking. Sometimes I felt clumsy and
awkward with a class or with something I was hoping to accomplish. Sometimes, certainly not always, things went
smoothly. Sometimes the classroom was
incredibly exhilarating. I enjoyed the
good natured bantering with my classes.
I enjoyed getting to know them as a group and as individuals. I enjoyed seeing kids gain skills and
confidence; it was so exciting to see their eyes brighten and their backs
straighten. How many jobs are there
where you get to love 150 new people every year? How many? I had that job; for 36 years I had
that job. It was such a privilege; dear
God, it was such a privilege! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I remember school and community service projects my students
and I worked on. “Think About It…”
campaigns were created to encourage kids to make good decisions in all aspects of
their lives.</div>
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Breaking Down the Walls was a week long program involving
hundreds of students and many staff members.
Parents and other community members also participated. We worked to help kids see how much they
really had in common with each other and to see past superficial
differences.<br />
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Martin Luther King programs were done to honor the great
civil rights hero and to celebrate diversity.
The Total Experience Gospel Choir sang at our assemblies. The first year we had them they performed at
24 schools. Later, Patrinell Wright, the
founder and director of the group, told us our school had one of the two best
programs they had seen. (I never
understood why we weren’t THE best.)<span id="goog_775658746"></span><br />
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Our Proud to be an American program was a response to the
9/11 attacks. While having students and staff form a 60 yard flag on the
football field was the most visible part of the day’s activities the assembly
beforehand was by far the best part. Retired
Army Major Daverso’s tearful and emotional response to the assembly was moving
for everyone. Once again students and
staff came together to straighten our backs and choose positive responses. <o:p></o:p><br />
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In conjunction with Marysville Rotary I remember building
the Marysville-Tulalip Veterans Memorial; I doubt if there is anything quite
like it on any high school campus in the country. The project took 2 ½ years. We researched every Marysville-Tulalip KIA veteran going back to World War I. The dedication ceremony, done in 2005, took
nearly two hours. In attendance were
over 200 people from the community.
Frank Gadwa, an Air Force pilot, was shot down over Germany during World War II. He was a German POW for 2 years. He attended.
Marine Corporal Jack Elkins, a Bataan Death March survivor, was in
attendance. In uniform. The Tulalip Honor Guard presented the
colors. Marysville-Pilchuck students
interviewed over 250 veterans and the families of KIA veterans. They made a tri-fold display board for each
veteran. Captain Robert Pearson was shot
down over Viet Nam in 1967. His mother
was there to help read the formal dedication of the memorial. Gary Clifton Paddock, US Navy, died on his last
day of service in Viet Nam in February of 1967.
We interviewed his mother; it was still too painful for her to
attend. Marine Lance Corporal Jack
Hammond was killed in Viet Nam in October of 1967. His mother attended the dedication. After the dedication two students walked her out to the memorial
where she gingerly touched her son’s name.
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In all of these instances kids took tremendous risks to
organize and put on large scale projects.
Students, staff, parents, and the business community came together to
make extremely worthwhile things happen.
This is how I remember my school and the community. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Darkness comes:</b> <br />
<br />
On
the morning of October 24, 2014 the unthinkable happened at my school. A freshman boy texted his friends and invited
them to have lunch with him in the cafeteria.
He walked in and shot five of them; it was vicious, premeditated
murder. The killer then turned the gun
on himself and took his own life. At
this writing two of the five victims have died.
Why did this happen? Why?! WHY?!!
Why, why, did this happen?! I am
horrified. I am confused and I am
grieving. This kind of thing happens
other places, faraway places, but not here, not at my school. My school is a good place, a safe place, a
very special place. This boy shot his
friends and his cousins; it is more than I can grasp. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The victims were shot in the head. Those young faces—smashed… Those young lives—snuffed out… So much promise and so much to look forward
to—smothered in an instant…<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have so many questions, so many questions…What was the
killer thinking? Why did he do it? The faces of some of the victims were so
obliterated that they had trouble identifying the kids. What was it like to be a parent of one of the
victims and get the call that your son or daughter may have been shot? If the two victims who are still in critical
condition survive, what kind of life will they have? What are the families of the two murdered
girls feeling now? What is the family of
the shooter feeling now? How are thousands of alumni feeling about their school and their community now? How will any of
the families ever move on? How does one
15 year old wreak so much havoc and bring darkness into the lives of so many
people? <o:p></o:p></div>
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As a parent how do you explain all of this to your middle
school or elementary school child? Kids
who were not even there will have nightmares. How do you comfort and reassure your
kids? Parents will be more worried and
more anxious for years to come. Trust is
broken now for everybody. In one way or
another everyone is marked by this for life.
For life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Light:</b> <br />
<br />
How do people
move on? Where does anyone begin? How do
we start to find light again? Two of the
shooter’s victims have died, two more remain in critical condition at this
writing. Another shooting victim, Nate
Hatch, is currently in satisfactory condition.
He recently tweeted this:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/NateDeezy21" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #707070;">nate hatch @NateDeezy21</span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://twitter.com/NateDeezy21" title="Follow nate hatch on Twitter"><span style="color: #707070;">Follow</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I love you and
I forgive you jaylen rest in peace<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #707070;"><a href="https://twitter.com/NateDeezy21/status/526482249756053505">2:15 PM - 26 Oct 2014</a></span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><u><span lang="EN" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #707070; display: none; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; padding: 0in; text-transform: uppercase;">1,656</span></u></b><u><span lang="EN" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #707070; display: none; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; padding: 0in; text-transform: uppercase;"> Retweets </span></u><b><u><span lang="EN" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #707070; display: none; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; padding: 0in; text-transform: uppercase;">3,461</span></u></b><u><span lang="EN" style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #707070; display: none; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; padding: 0in; text-transform: uppercase;"> favorites</span></u></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">I asked how one 15 year old could bring so much darkness into the lives of so many people. Is it possible that a 14 year old is
showing where light begins? How does he
find it in himself to do this—to forgive the shooter? How?! How
is he doing this? Where does he find the
strength? Where does he find the
courage? How does he choose light in the
face of devastating </span><span style="text-align: center;">darkness?</span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span lang="EN">Through the
decades, time and again I saw students, staff, and the community come together;
they are already doing it now. They are
already choosing light. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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During my years at the high school I knew so many teachers and other
staff members who were hardworking, dedicated, caring people; day in and day
out they put kids first. They helped
MPHS be a good place and a safe place.
They did through the decades I was there, they still do now, and I know
they will in the future. I am completely
confident that the kids, the staff, the parents, the community, and the alumni will
reclaim the school. <br />
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Students and staff, take the cafeteria back; take it back! Show respect for the victims. Paint the walls, make a change of some sort and then walk in there together and TAKE IT BACK! Take. It. Back! Take your cafeteria back; take your whole school back! When the ribbons are gone, when the balloons have deflated and the flowers are faded it will finally be the staff and the students who make the cafeteria and the school your own again. Take it back; you can do it. Support each other, work together, trust in yourselves and each other. I know you can. It is in your hands. I know you will choose light; of this I
am sure. <br />
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Is Marysville-Pilchuck a good place, and a safe place? Do I dare say it? Yes.
Yes it is! Marysville-Pilchuck is
a good place, a safe place and such a very special place. Marysville-Pilchuck is MY school!<span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-76436131331258295172014-07-25T10:14:00.000-07:002014-07-25T10:14:22.210-07:00When Carp Fishing is Heavenly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There are days when turbid water, wind, and the devil clouds conspire to make carp fishing darn difficult. There are days when the water is clear, the wind blows lightly and the sky is blue; oh, but wait, there are almost no fish to cast to. Heck that's even worse than the bad conditions! I have to remind myself that if carp fishing was easy everyone would be doing it. </div>
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There are days when the conditions are tolerable and there are still very few fish. There are days when the conditions are tolerable but I'm still seeing a good number of targets and getting hook ups; those are great days. There are days when the conditions are good and I'm getting lots and lots of shots. When I can cast to those fish rather than reaching out and just dropping the fly in front of them, those days are heavenly.</div>
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On my last trip to the Carp Lodge I fished several days. One of my days was heavenly. It sounds like kind of a silly word to describe a session but when I got back to my carpwagon as I was getting my boots off I said to myself, "That was heavenly". It really was. I was getting so many shots and hooking up so often I just didn't want to get out of the river to take any pictures where I was holding the fish. I was fishing a two fly rig with a Chocolate Cherry on top and Black Betty as the dropper. They took both flies. There were virtually no clouds, the wind was light and the water was clear enough that I was casting a fair distance to tailing fish. </div>
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All the hook ups made me feel more clever than I actually am. Lets be objective here--I don't have a 20+ fish day when I only see 10 or 12 fish. It just isn't possible to catch more fish than I see. On this day I was blessed to be fishing in a very target rich environment with receptive fish. Indeed, it was heavenly. </div>
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-83566600198622369652014-07-12T11:15:00.001-07:002014-07-12T11:15:08.990-07:00I laughed at myself and the carp laughed at me tooIn 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. <br />
<br />
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. <br />
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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. <br />
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As he swam away I laughed at myself and I'm pretty sure the carp laughed at me too. <br />
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-87559261315037417822014-06-24T07:16:00.000-07:002014-06-24T07:16:29.884-07:00Not your typical carpAn ordinary Columbia River carp is a common, is about 28-29 inches long and weighs 8-9 pounds. Some, not many, are smaller but typically not very much smaller. Some are larger. Some are way larger. A Columbia River carp can be 29 inches and weigh more than 9 pounds because his tummy is fat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIHMl_svdj-nWoqzWiyH7uJX53M3hFAcUpkC0pOdlljQWeLUKMqFVhyphenhyphen07xc6JZK-7E3836m3NCaIoHSP2D21JymKc6arkoAtXkGPHxizgsqV98PEtpNKV3bOedAvYvmdXTmJx0qFM_Z1Q/s1600/Common+Common+(C)+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXKnv6eAnRZnTGK4g9HwXRapVXBwvWhkxrppEfrllscjQ0VSrVWbhKRERi7DuUi7-QoMUsjm_O0B5z97mEuqqlFzy0mFQ48xrxCiFzp_IPnqbUdLmEuAEbF3_nN8lCCfsIzFxCbFhjXfz/s1600/Common+with+rod+(E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDXKnv6eAnRZnTGK4g9HwXRapVXBwvWhkxrppEfrllscjQ0VSrVWbhKRERi7DuUi7-QoMUsjm_O0B5z97mEuqqlFzy0mFQ48xrxCiFzp_IPnqbUdLmEuAEbF3_nN8lCCfsIzFxCbFhjXfz/s1600/Common+with+rod+(E).jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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An ordinary Columbia common.</div>
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This common has more girth so he tips the scale over 10 pounds. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn_vmUt9MOShGVRN17In-K_iMzAT3iA-iS_y7Yi82_5lgQpgprkgcpeY4tOkuOFIXlE0ECKyFsBu7ahFCAltIY-4fHU5MhjN-x_78ogzMuJr579FN00QQ_KX0_HI8lu5KaoLND5XTn8Ri/s1600/IMGP2223+(E).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrn_vmUt9MOShGVRN17In-K_iMzAT3iA-iS_y7Yi82_5lgQpgprkgcpeY4tOkuOFIXlE0ECKyFsBu7ahFCAltIY-4fHU5MhjN-x_78ogzMuJr579FN00QQ_KX0_HI8lu5KaoLND5XTn8Ri/s1600/IMGP2223+(E).jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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This Columbia River carp is not ordinary. He is a mirror and he is longer than 28 inches. When I see a group of fish and I can tell one of them is a mirror I will virtually always target the mirror. There was a group of three tailing fish but I could not tell this one was a mirror. He was the largest of the three so I cast to him. He picked up Black Betty just like I wanted him to. He was an extraordinary fish; he reminded me how very fortunate I am to be a carp fisherman. Damn, I love my river! </div>
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-698469082347658702014-06-07T16:13:00.000-07:002014-06-07T16:13:07.836-07:00That Carp Looks Like My Sister!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcoxf_x70CJbKYARoDGph1dRGrbLofn4ixR31Txofcoh-c2ljBfAwr_dl9y7z26k2vYUPsctkp-gLswCqRm1VanGiCRZeMHYfw-Ik0vO6hZm8f6TQskMDHBaW_D9rfY6NW3EtxZKApKEJ/s1600/CarpLookingAtTattooDialogBubble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXcoxf_x70CJbKYARoDGph1dRGrbLofn4ixR31Txofcoh-c2ljBfAwr_dl9y7z26k2vYUPsctkp-gLswCqRm1VanGiCRZeMHYfw-Ik0vO6hZm8f6TQskMDHBaW_D9rfY6NW3EtxZKApKEJ/s1600/CarpLookingAtTattooDialogBubble.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFWOG7EfRX3JDDe0Hiaaa2dHow9JjRikxJ1wkD2_0UvmIulVn0DSBKQqhOExxrCwNJR5O9pZ26nSofW4K3CjhPdjQ_5z8eaWNuRoWGPu_iLJj3m38bfXncbHxGZXKAgPBQkGsvBT__TKP/s1600/Fat+is+beautiful!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiFWOG7EfRX3JDDe0Hiaaa2dHow9JjRikxJ1wkD2_0UvmIulVn0DSBKQqhOExxrCwNJR5O9pZ26nSofW4K3CjhPdjQ_5z8eaWNuRoWGPu_iLJj3m38bfXncbHxGZXKAgPBQkGsvBT__TKP/s1600/Fat+is+beautiful!.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Yup, I sure do. Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-23288846999012357802014-05-29T14:57:00.002-07:002014-05-29T14:57:34.259-07:00An Apex Athlete MirrorOne way of saying it would be that "<a href="http://themrpblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/kaopectate-can-only-help-so-much.html">feeling crappy</a>" had passed so to speak. Dear God, what a relief!<br />
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A cloudy morning did not bode well for a day on the river; at least not for the kind of carp fishing I much prefer. From a distance I like to stalk fish in shallow water, move into position, and cast to them. (And of course set the hook when they take the fly.) I was already in central WA so I went fishing anyway. I arrived at the river at about 10:00. Come on, I'm 63; I don't wade the river for 8 or 10 hours, 6 hours is plenty for me. As the morning unfolded I was seeing fish, but often just as I spooked them; damn the devil clouds! Wind was churning up the water; visibility was not good. <br />
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At about 1:00 the wind gods began to favor me. First they allowed me to pass wind and be confident that it was wind alone. As I said, what a relief. Next they started disassembling the clouds. Soon the the clouds looked like jig saw puzzle pieces just taken out of the box and scattered across the sky. When the sun shined through the spaces I could see my friends the carp and I could cast to them. Several 8-12 pound fish sucked Black Betty off the bottom of the river just a pretty as you please. Dang that made me happy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDEFYzyrrTyU4mLELdrHit9mrc9dF0YBj4ioMkMR4God65R23GG8fz-TkjlQtIxValEjHJcUF8zYASxLfmNj1aFEwx4xShLMm1CLA0FdVkBxrtC26TbF8DmgcWcr9SSCAo8m2MeSmPPhp/s1600/IMGP2052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDEFYzyrrTyU4mLELdrHit9mrc9dF0YBj4ioMkMR4God65R23GG8fz-TkjlQtIxValEjHJcUF8zYASxLfmNj1aFEwx4xShLMm1CLA0FdVkBxrtC26TbF8DmgcWcr9SSCAo8m2MeSmPPhp/s1600/IMGP2052.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Going away, my favorite fish of the day was this apex athlete, mirror. Just as I got ready to cast I could see the distinctive, large scales. That made me want this fish even more. I called out and thanked him when he took the fly. That was so dang nice of him. I thanked him for running into the backing and I thanked him for coming all the way back in to the net. What a magnificent fish!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oJoSOyT8WUQbfUcw6qjCTACtRRdWJ3vn1cDdglgm78HTsVXuhsSqPFjQgIN0PHyI5N4jf2epBQEnIFRrrpsVrQZBKxeOLn54_syctzcQmN4hr-cIVLVzChlAZ0zmwX8PL_L9iVcZTJ6F/s1600/Mirror.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oJoSOyT8WUQbfUcw6qjCTACtRRdWJ3vn1cDdglgm78HTsVXuhsSqPFjQgIN0PHyI5N4jf2epBQEnIFRrrpsVrQZBKxeOLn54_syctzcQmN4hr-cIVLVzChlAZ0zmwX8PL_L9iVcZTJ6F/s1600/Mirror.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love carp fishing and I am ready to go again.<br />
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-53769596122049432752014-05-25T20:42:00.000-07:002014-05-25T20:42:54.734-07:00Kaopectate Can Only Help So Much...Following the <a href="http://themrpblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-gregg-martin-rule-and-wonderful-day.html">Gregg Martin Rule</a> I decided to fish when I didn't feel good. Admittedly I hadn't thrown up for two days but the other end was still not back to normal. Heck, I hadn't been sick for 5 years! Not a cold, not a sore throat--nothing. How the heck did I get sick for several days? <br />
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Well, I can say that I did get out and try to fish, but as I said in the title, Kaopectate can only help so much and after that you just deal with it. I decided to fish from my Zodiac since I felt so "crappy". I can sit down in the boat and take breaks. Never mind that the sky and the water were both cloudy<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPi_tZxgxwwYQwCwWEBX3AL672VER7NHkNiVuFeO7BYONDFiZ2NV2ZT0SPmkxRZH9RCfy_1f2Xm0lbSjFxf1kneiv-CSkt7hiUmWY1pSXbA6D3NCDqlDW1DG2FGWkvlMkrZlf_36C8JgZ/s1600/IMGP2038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPi_tZxgxwwYQwCwWEBX3AL672VER7NHkNiVuFeO7BYONDFiZ2NV2ZT0SPmkxRZH9RCfy_1f2Xm0lbSjFxf1kneiv-CSkt7hiUmWY1pSXbA6D3NCDqlDW1DG2FGWkvlMkrZlf_36C8JgZ/s1600/IMGP2038.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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and never mind that there were so many weeds that I could hardly see fish and never mind that I was getting salad on my fly on almost every cast. Waa, waa, waa! It was just not the best conditions and I only lasted four hours on the water because I felt so "crappy". I moved around the lake for an hour and a half before I even saw a fish. He was moving so fast I didn't bother casting to him. I managed three fish all in the last one hour plus. It helped that the clouds broke a little otherwise I don't know if I would have caught a single fish. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze_tMPeNSUZsNDGEpfppGOi4VClhRaC9w0ZbuIdptP1XOFznmxY_V0Zjty6ptBAiwVN0J186S7KXq7Qwktn0qQ5wFuQ99w-6W9xT7UTNDXZCFxpdWDxLEv7Mx0dbTt8qofUrxh8jRPUjY/s1600/IMGP2037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze_tMPeNSUZsNDGEpfppGOi4VClhRaC9w0ZbuIdptP1XOFznmxY_V0Zjty6ptBAiwVN0J186S7KXq7Qwktn0qQ5wFuQ99w-6W9xT7UTNDXZCFxpdWDxLEv7Mx0dbTt8qofUrxh8jRPUjY/s1600/IMGP2037.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not every day is a stellar day in terms of numbers. I got out. I made the effort. I'm still very grateful. <br />
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Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6086087010292565905.post-47253109648830971592014-05-19T15:48:00.000-07:002014-05-19T21:59:00.779-07:00The Gregg Martin Rule and a Wonderful Day on the River Bothell, where Katy and I live, is in western Washington, a minimum of 3 hours from the water I carp fish. It's not a simple afternoon of fishing and then home for dinner. It is a commitment of at least a one night stay. Prior to building the Carp Lodge I always came for at least two nights and tried to fish a minimum of two days. <br />
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When we built the Carp Lodge Katy and I anticipated enjoying it on several levels. We enjoy coming over together. We walk on the river, we hang out, we read, we talk; it's wonderful. I fish sometimes when we are here together. I also come over alone and fish. We have had several different friends over--Katy's friends, my friends, and our friends. Our families have come over and our kids come over. It's all good; actually it's wonderful. <br />
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In the past when I came to central Washington to carp fish, and I was staying in a motel, if the weather was sketchy I would just fish anyway; what was I going to do, sit in the motel and look through my pictures all day? <br />
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At this writing I am at the Carp Lodge. It is in central WA; it overlooks the Columbia River. I can drive 20 minutes to a beautiful flat. There is plenty to do at the here--I mean besides looking through my pictures and video. There is no TV here but I don't count watching TV as doing something. If I am at the Carp Lodge and the conditions get particularly bad I don't exactly feel trapped here. It's a home. There is a toilet and shower, beds, a stove and oven, a washer and dryer, central heating and air conditioning, a refrigerator, WiFi (I bring my laptop), a patio, some fly tying tools, and a beautiful view. Oh, and there's a garage too. I pull my carpwagon in the garage and don't worry about my gear. Heck I don't even park in the garage at home. <br />
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The sky is clear 300 days a year. During carp season the weather is warm and often just plain hot. The view is beautiful. Again, it's wonderful; it is so easy to be here, even on a day when the weather is <span style="text-align: center;">bad.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Carp Lodge</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Columbia River seen from the back patio</span></td></tr>
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"It is so easy to be here..." Yes indeed, and therein can lie the problem. Because it is easy to be at the Carp Lodge it gets too easy to not go fishing just because it is cloudy or the wind is blowing (it almost always does), or the river is too high or too low. Okay, if there is lightening then I should stay off the river. But if it's just cloudy, well, then I know it will be tough to spot fish but I can still try. <br />
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Recently I woke up at the Carp Lodge with the intention of fishing that day. The sky was overcast so I immediately let that transfer to my mood and I felt overcast. I want perfect conditions! I felt the draw of being too comfortable holding me back. I knew that if I was at a motel there would be no question; I would just go fishing. On days like this I remind myself of what I call the Gregg Martin Rule: "Go fishing--no excuses!" Here is a <a href="http://themrpblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/indicator-fishing-for-carp-part-ii.html">link</a> to a post I made a few years ago that talked about Gregg. He makes the best of it no matter what! As I have said before, Gregg is an inspiration.<br />
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I held myself to the Gregg Martin rule and I'm so glad I did. I loaded up my carpwagon and headed to the river. I wish I could say why the fishing was so good. Obviously it helped that the sky mostly cleared by the time I started stalking. Truly, I had not taken 10 steps and I spotted my first fish. He saw the Black Betty but didn't think it looked appealing. I was seeing lots of fish and they weren't spawning. Some were cruising, some were sunbathing, and some were tailing. Lordy, I love the tailers and the slow cruisers. I particularly like the ones that will take my fly. I had a fish in the net in the first 20 minutes. I had lots of shots at good targets. I particularly liked that I wasn't happening on fish in cloudy water and then dropping the fly in front of them; I was making casts and shooting some line. That too me is carp fishing at it's best. <br />
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The day was very memorable just by virtue of the numbers. I lost count at about 16. I know I had 19; it was probably 20 and may have been 21. It was a special day because 6 of the fish were apex athletes (between 16-18 pounds). As I was <strike>walking back</strike> dragging my butt back to my carpwagon, I reeled in. My wrist hurt from playing fish and I had reached a point where I wouldn't cast to another 8-9 pound fish. I told myself I will only cast again if I see a fish that I'm sure is over 15. Near the truck, I did see one and cast to him. He sucked up the Black Betty and took me into the backing. It was a tremendous last fish for a wonderful day. Thanks Gregg for your positive example. <br />
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In the interest of full disclosure not all days are like this; most aren't. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3ELA6LDYsV8kpkz9blhqVGblqtnwjcL2TIJIKEoFHHCRkcBOO_wHV6gFTD09RlxYmVkd96H5SKpV4klQK3fekOl-k-HwLgsi-DdKI_rZq55yAiu8RyMHoAlUo4vTbJkHZhvlsPc_KcHs/s1600/IMGP2017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3ELA6LDYsV8kpkz9blhqVGblqtnwjcL2TIJIKEoFHHCRkcBOO_wHV6gFTD09RlxYmVkd96H5SKpV4klQK3fekOl-k-HwLgsi-DdKI_rZq55yAiu8RyMHoAlUo4vTbJkHZhvlsPc_KcHs/s1600/IMGP2017.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">An apex athlete who thought Black Betty looked good enough to eat</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAug8qymVxi7ta9-L0r4t58yPrtZmiowM1Mz6irCyUDnC6IvvQsvI2oRbfkjljDEr230ax1UdeqMe1ZeWRhM8it-UKQLu-gz42f5rmZ5ZC6RMbC8jWUuEyz8zZE9iTLwUK388U1RMm3vc/s1600/IMGP1974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAug8qymVxi7ta9-L0r4t58yPrtZmiowM1Mz6irCyUDnC6IvvQsvI2oRbfkjljDEr230ax1UdeqMe1ZeWRhM8it-UKQLu-gz42f5rmZ5ZC6RMbC8jWUuEyz8zZE9iTLwUK388U1RMm3vc/s1600/IMGP1974.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">They can't all be over 15 pounds but I pretty much like any carp who will take my fly.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This one was particularly strong and persistent about not coming in.</span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This carp was clever but not clever enough to know my fly was a fake until I set the hook. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Carp are beautiful!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiA1dA2p2bq0XfEOHKzsxMr7UbcEFPbxnBXkOGDNVqBe_oTM4gSbeuMKVjW2PMzv8JKaDN5P8Zh3iVGJW7sGsfWhH9ls7hKt0Dbt9TA_-51GVl50F-isgRfejWdvbZ3asPAPDGwPnGzQcP/s1600/IMGP1967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiA1dA2p2bq0XfEOHKzsxMr7UbcEFPbxnBXkOGDNVqBe_oTM4gSbeuMKVjW2PMzv8JKaDN5P8Zh3iVGJW7sGsfWhH9ls7hKt0Dbt9TA_-51GVl50F-isgRfejWdvbZ3asPAPDGwPnGzQcP/s1600/IMGP1967.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Simply wonderful</span></td></tr>
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<br />Mr. P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04714580767775813267noreply@blogger.com13