Katy and I were supposed to be hiking at Mt. Ranier for a few days this week. The friends with whom we were going to hike with couldn't go. The sliding glass door on the Carp Lodge, I mean the summer home, slides with a good deal of difficulty. It looks like we will be making a warranty claim. The builder is bringing the factory rep to the home on Friday.
Let's see here--no trip to Mt. Ranier, builder and factory rep coming the Carp Lodge on Friday morning... What should I do. Instead of coming over on Thursday night for the meeting Friday morning, I decided to come over on Tuesday afternoon. I figured as long as I had to come over I might as well fish.
Arriving in central WA after lunch on Tuesday I dropped off some things at the Carp Lodge and did a fair amount of driving up the river. I went farther up the river than I have ever gone looking for likely spots and of course looking for fish. I did a good amount of driving and a LOT of walking.
I didn't see a single tailing fish all afternoon. I saw three slow cruisers and and several fast cruisers. No grazers, no shoppers, no sunbathers, and no tailing fish. My fly stayed stayed pretty dry. Needless to say I didn't catch a single fish on Tuesday. I saw a very promising piece of water that I would likely go back to but there were no Carp. What can I say, I got blanked yesterday.
I did so much walking that my hip was a little sore this morning so I decided to go back to stillwater. I had my Zodiac with me so away I went.
It was a good choice. My hip feels better and unlike yesterday I saw lots of tailing fish today. They weren't too excited about the Carrot so I switched to the Chocolate Cherry. They were excited about that.
By the end of the afternoon I had 12 fish. I was heading back to my truck, moving slowly, and still looking for "just one more fish". I saw a couple fish cruising slowly near the reeds so I got ready to make a cast. One of the fish spooked and bolted. The other changed directions. Waiting for the direction changer to settle down I cast the line out at about a 60 degree angle to my left and just let it sit. I casually looked over to about the point where the fly was and saw a Carp turn his head. I thought to myself that Carp just moved like Carp do when they take a fly. Then I thought, that's about where my fly probably is. Then I wondered if he just took my fly. To find out I set the hook. Good grief, that darn Carp had taken my fly.
There are times when I make a cast to a Carp and it moves off. Another Carp will come into range near where the fly is so I will let the fly sit or strip it towards the newcomer. At least that is conscious. I didn't even see that last fish of the day come into view until he was picking up the fly. Since I was almost unconscious I'm not sure I should count that fish. I hooked 12 fish consciously and one unconsciously. I guess that makes a baker's dozen. I don't know, do you count a fish you didn't even cast to?
This one took the Cherry farther down his throat than they usually do.
The Carp spanked me on Tuesday and I spanked them on Wednesday.
This is a picture of the last Carp going back in the water. I was just a split second late.
I will be meeting the builder and the factory rep on Friday morning and then heading home to meet with clients.
I guess as long as I'm here I will fish tomorrow.
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