carping with KB

[john montana]

Those of you that know me and not my wife correctly assume that she is a saint. She puts up with my fishing mania extremely well, especially when you consider that of late my fishing mania has turned into carp fishing madness...it is a rare disease, and much worse that people think.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5309/2105/1600/Misc%20pics%20065.jpg

My lovely wife was kind enough to send me out for one more full day trip before our second child is born (July 31! Can't wait to meet my son!) KB was kind enough to join me and we headed out for a marathon day of carping action!

The water level was great, the sun was high, and the wind...NONE AT ALL! Perfect conditions, and it turned out to be a great day. I hooked tons of fish, but lost many to straightened hooks and the big weed beds that you can't keep the carp from running to unless you put enough pressure on them to straighten the hook. Still, the best part about fishing for me is the strike. As Mr. P from CAG says: "The take is the premier moment!"

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5309/2105/1600/kb%20with%20carp%20edited.2.jpg

All in all, I landed right around 10 carp (and about 30 panfish. Frankly, the panfish were a bit of a problem. I'd be stalking a nice fish and make a great cast only to have a bluegill dart from the weed bed and take swip at my fly! As revenge, KB and I hammered a pod of bluegill for 20 minutes, catching fish as fast as we could release them. Great fun!) KB had a solid day as well, but I don't know where he ended on fish landed. Some of the takes were spectacular, and the fly of the day was my crayfish pattern on a size 10 hook, tied all in green for a change. The big fish of the day was a 14 lb monster that ran well into my backing, and managed to wrap me around the same stick twice! I had to pull the slack line trick on him both times to get him off the debris, and was surprised I managed to land him with an extra 3-5 lbs of salad on the fly line. To top the day off we spent an hour or so fishing to 4 of the biggest carp I have ever seen. My honest estimate of these fish...somewhere between 25-35lbs, and KB thinks I am underestimating. They were completey uninterested in eating anything, but when you see fish that big, you cast...and cast...and cast...truly big carp.

Thanks again KB for a great day!

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5309/2105/1600/carp%20with%20fly%20edited.jpg

[wungjird]

Nice fish!! What weight fly rod do you use on these fish? It looks like a lot of fun.

[mandinga]

25-35 would be big for this neck of the woods, but certainly not out of the question...50-60lbers across the pond!

[KEB]

What a day. Lots of fish and great company. The dark darkside is pretty bright.

Here's John and his 14 pounder.

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The weeds were nasty. This is John fighting the 14 pounder.

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These are some serious fish. I think they are at least 35 pounds. Sorry the only reference are the rocks. This is shot from about 200 feet away.

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They will have to await another day.

[KEB]

Derrick,

John used a 6 wt and I used an 8 wt. Both had fighting butts which really helped. My 8 wt rod and reel, up til yesterday, had never caught a fish. Perfect baptism for both. Locally John will fish a 4 wt and I usually use a 5 or 6 wt.

Kim

[john montana]

i am pretty fond of my 6 wt as a carp rod. it is a 9 ft 9 inch st croix legend ultra, and fishes more like a 7 wt than a 6...pretty beefy rod. i pulled a few fish out of some massive weed banks with steady pressure from that rod yesterday. i dink around with my 4 wt at a local pond full of little 5 lb carp, but the 6 wt is the one i use when i'm serious!

[wungjird]

Kim & John

Thanks for letting me know. I will have to tryout my 8wt. Is a fighting butt nessesary, it doesn't have one.