Re: Looking for carp - An Embarrassing Addiction
This copied e'mail was sent by me today to a lifetime list of fishing buddies and acquaintences that I titled "An Embarrassing Addiction" that I thought fitting for this thread. Be careful......you may end up in the same sorry shape I'm in...........
Gentlemen,
I'm writing to you all to admit to a recently developed, and now firmly established character flaw. Thinking that this might not go over well or be fully understood at standard confessional, I'm looking to you in hopes that you'll provide a level of understanding and compassion for a wayward soul.
Recently frustrated by the seemingly endless days of 90 - 100 F temps, and finding no personally satisfying and fun way to fish and get pullage here on Lake Norman, I decided that I was going to stoop to a new low, and attempt to pioneer a new way to summer fish on Norman.
Now, bear with me............please?
I'd read that there is terrific sport in pursuing.......ah hem, Carp, with a fly rod. Don't pass judgment yet, please fellas?
So, having researched a little about what these things eat (generally bug larvae) and obtaining a few different little larvae looking flies, I set out with my seasoned 5 weight striper thumper fly rod to see what this thing is all about.
Over 3 weeks and at least 40 hours of stalking mud-flats, cove backs, and mucky banks I hadn't caught a fish although I had put many flies in front of, on top of, beside, behind, under, etc several dozen orange fish. Many fish were tail-up, nose-down vacuuming up the bottom of Lake Norman, with everything that could go wrong, going wrong. I was becoming miserable, finding that carp on the fly is Murphy's favorite game, and that the Lord may not be very liberal in bestowing blessings on a Carper.
Then, this past Saturday morning, there I was, yet again stalking down yet another nothing-looking mud-flat in 3 million-dollar Pointe home backyards, hat pulled low (one would think I was doing this to have better visibility, but I was really hiding my face), I spotted an orange tail up in a mud plume waving at me 4 feet deep, 40 feet away. One false cast then blip, strip, THUMP, hookset and game on! WHOA, into my backing in seconds, proceeding with throttle up on the troller as she led me toward the mouth of the cove. Out there, just a matter of staying close enough that I wouldn't get spooled, I followed her around keeping the pressure on and the rod bowed. Serious pullage! 10 - 15 minutes later, had her on her side and lifted her in the boat. 8 lbs, 7 oz. Truly, a magnificent thrill for me especially given the amount of toil involved.
http://myfishingpics.com/photopost48c/data/502/1st_Carp_3.jpg
Back out on Sunday evening, I successfully seduced another that was being just a pig in 2 feet of water after stalking her from 50 yards away. Wow, after many, many presentations, 2 good eats in probably 10 tries.
Alas, now I'm a lost cause and hopelessly addicted.
So, when you see me out there on The Slimy Deck (my 24 ft Champion Bay Boat), creeping down your shoreline with hat pulled low over my eyes, please say a little prayer for this once productive, engaged, and now ex-societal contributor who is entirely eaten up by his newly acquired addiction.
Tight lines.......
Slimy Deck