While fishing yesterday, I was wading slowly and spooked a tailing fish. I paused to grumble at myself and then continued to scan. Two fish moved out of the weeds and looked like they were shopping for a meal. The smaller of the two was about one body length behind. Neither one of them was tailing yet. As they moved closer and came into view I wondered if the trailing fish was a Salmon since he looked silver in the water. He was so different looking compared to any Carp I had ever seen. The lead fish put his nose down and the trailer followed suit. I still wondered if it might be a Salmon because it was so bright but Salmon don't put their snouts down in the mud. The front fish was easily half again as big as number two. Normally I would cast to the front fish and be darn glad that the front one was the larger one. But in this case I was wishing the big one would get out of the darn way because I wanted to catch the silver one. I just had to see what the heck this fish was.
I crouched and stayed very still. By some good fortune the larger fish turned back towards the river and just slowly ambled far enough away that I could cast to the silver one. I made two casts that I felt were good casts. The fish agreed that the second one was very good and he picked up the fly. When I set the hook he turned towards the surface and I could see that he was two colored. I got a look at his mouth and I knew he was a Carp.
He fought well. He ran out into the river and away from a nearby weed bed. This was very thoughtful of him.
I'm assuming this is a Ghost Carp.
His tail looks like it has been dipped in gold paint.
