Shaved Leader

Certainly having Carp take me into the weeds is no new experience. Some days its just dang difficult to keep them out. It is particularly difficult when the fish slurps up the fly within just feet of the cattails. I set the hook and some of the fish turn straight for the weeds and that's usually it. It is particularly bad when the water goes way back into the weeds. They get back in there and that's it.

On this day there was some wind. Well, that's good and bad. Its bad because if it blows too hard it makes it difficult to spot the fish. On days like this one its good because it blows the gunk to one bank or another. Well not all of the gunk but enough of it that I can fish.

A hundred yards of gunk.


How can a guy fish in this stuff?


Some open water



I was fishing from my boat. Most of the fish I caught this day were very near the cattails. Some of them turned to open water when they realized what they just ate was a fake. Some of the rascals turned the other way--straight for the weeds. I had lost three nice fish in a row that new how to turn the weeds to their advantage. I had just put on a new leader and was stalking tailers. A fish of about 10 pounds had his nose down and was working hard on getting a good lunch. I put the fly just past him, stripped it onto his " lunch plate" and just as sweet as you please he turned slightly and picked it up.

He paralled the weeds for a bit and then turned in. I said a couple bad words outloud. There was no one else there to hear so I didn't traumatize any children or virgins. The fish wasn't that far back into the weeds. He stopped so I threw some slack in the line and then moved the boat towards him. I got very near him and was able to lift the line and leader over and around the cattails. We were back in business.

The weeds that shaved the leader.



I got the fish in and was lucky to do so. The time he spent in the weeds literally shaved the edges of the leader. Many times I have seen leader with abrasions and scuffs. I just had three fish break the leader. I had never seen it shaved like this before without breaking.

Shaved leader


I paused to eat a Clif Bar for lunch and drink a pint of water. This fish took the Carrot right after lunch. When he felt the hook set I was very appreciative that he headed straight for open water. I said some nice words outloud. Like I said, there was no one else on the water, so me thanking a fish outloud several times didn't traumatize any guys with big tummies and a keg of beer in their boat.