The Take

In many forms of fly-fishing the moment the quarry takes or eats the fly is the ultimate moment for many of us.  It doesn't matter if it is the steelhead "tug" on the spey rod, the dimple of a trout sipping your spinner floating in the film or the vacuum like mouth of the largest carp you've ever cast to sucking in your fly. 

Carpin

Summer is here and carp are on the fishing menu.  As a former hard core trout bum, I have to say I really look forward to carp fishing.  They are maddeningly difficult at times and hard to figure out.  In my neck of the woods we're always truing to find clear water spots to sight fish and with all the rain this year that has been a challenge. There is nothing better mid summer than wet wading and stalking the flats like a heron in search of old rubber lips.  I hooked a beauty the other day  by far my best carp only to break it off.  12# flouro is no match for a dirigible.  Hopefully there will be more photos to come.  Got some good video of a carping taking a dry fly but that will have to wait a bit. 

  Carp and the rod I use to chase them with.

 Soft hackles have joined my arsenal of late.

 Playing the game

 Annoying bycatch!

 Eye see you

Target in sight but not willing to play.  In carpin, accuracy even in close and a gentle landing fly are crucial for success. 

They put a good bend in the rod. 

Schools Out

When school got out our family made a delayed run to the coast.  We had to fit in our son's baseball game, then we hit the coast of NE for a week.  Nirvana was approached several times during our visit.

 

 Every night I hit the water in search of stripers and found them. The first night had the most bass around (all schoolies) but the other nights each gave up a handful of hard pulling bass.

 If I only brought my boat.  The sky was filled with terns following bait and I'm assuming predators below. 

 Such a beautiful boat, nothing that I'd ever want to own but so nice to look at.

 It's dock mate and equally stunning.

 The sights while fishing at night. 

 The rewards of fishing during dark.

 Piping Plovers

 bait inside one of the salt ponds.

 Our private beach!

Then we headed home and went directly to a party at a friends house with the best fireworks I've every seen. 4o minutes of non-stop action.

Now til next time.