My fishing adventure on Saturday....

[Allen Morgan]

Let me tell you a story.....

Saturday, I got out of work, and decided to go play with the sunnies.  Partly cloudy, winds are dead-calm to 3 mph out of the south.  Perfect fly-fishing!  For some odd reason, I grabbed my 8wt instead of my 4wt.

So, I'm walking to the pond, stringing my rod as I go.  Then, of course, I need to tie on a fly.  I decided to go with the tandem rig I've been fishing for a few weeks now, a size 12 Muddler Minnow, with a size 12 Purple and Starling soft hackle about 12" behind/below the Muddler.  As I'm tying this rig together, I hear a soft splash, and look at the pond's surface to see where the fish was.  To my amazement, I see dorsal fins and tail fins sticking out of the water!  BIG ONES, too!  And not just one, but several pairs of fins.  Obviously, the Grass Carp are feeling frisky.......

The carp were out of my casting range, so I started making throws to some of my normal lies.  I was rewarded with a couple small 'gills, and a few pull-offs.

About that time, I noticed that the Carp were moving a little closer to the western bank.  I decided to see if I could get some practice stalking and making casts to these easily-spooked fish, as I would like to maybe tangle with a Carp on a fly rod one day.

I get over to that bank, making sure to walk as softly as I can, and keep myself behind cover (easy, with all the cattails here).  Once I get there, I made a couple casts to see if any of the sunnies wanted to play.  Caught a couple small ones there as well.

Then it happened.  I noticed a slow wake crossing my area from my right-to-left.  I made a quick couple of false casts, and dropped the Muddler easily just past the Carp's path.  I started to slowly strip the fly in, and wouldn't you know it, the fish passed directly under my flies!  No hookup, but then, I wasn't expecting one.  Once the fish has passed my flies, I pulled the line off the water and made another cast, again in front of the Carp.  Once again, I scored an "intercept", but no hookup.  After that, the fish went a little lower into the water column, and I lost track of it.  I made another cast, again "in front" of where I thought the Carp might be.

As soon as the end of my fly line touched the water, there was a tremendous splash, and a huge swirl on the surface.  I had just over-lined and spooked the Carp!  Needless to say, I jumped when the splash happened, as I wasn't expecting it.

After that happened, all the Carp moved off, away from me.  I decided to try something I hadn't done before.

On the north side of the pond is a small floating platform.  It's got a roof, so I can't cast a fly rod from the platform.  I know that the weedline on that side of the pond is chock-full of fish.  There is about a 5' gap between the roof supports of the platform, and the cattails on the bank.  I noticed that if I stood on the walk-way for the platform, I could get a cast off by shooting the gap.  I decided to try my luck/skill, and see if anything was hungry.

Sure enough, I was able to shoot some line through this tight area, and make several retrieves parallel to the weedline.  I was able to catch a couple more 'gills, and three Hybrids:

You can clearly see the Muddler hanging out of the mouths of the last two fish!  Let me tell you, those fish hit the fly just like a Bass would; quick and with a big splash.  In fact, that's what I thought I had!

I also realized that to fish this particular lie, I need two things:  1)  Dead-calm winds, otherwise my line will get blown into the roof supports, of the cattails.  2)  Perfect a single-haul (I'm beginning to get it), if not a double-haul.  I can false cast almost enough to get my bugs where I want them, but I have to make 4 false casts, at least, and having my line in the air that long just increases the odds of getting hung up.

[carl hendrix]

great story Allan!!  hair bugs; to me are hard to cast.  any kind of wind can destroy my cast with them.  but fun as heck if you can get a perfect day to try!! 

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

Geeeeeeeeeez Allen great story and pics buddy , GOOD JOB ON ALL !!!!!!

[jim cosgrove]

trying to visualize this allen.can you stick the rod out in front of you?straight out.i encounter this problem often.i find a gap in the shoreline brush.i put the rod straight out in front of me and cast sideways by just waving it in front of me.not pretty but it has accounted for some nice fish.including a couple grass carp while gill fishing.i often come home beat up and bleeding from crashing thru the brush.

[Allen Morgan]

Jim, not really.  Trust me, I've tried.  The other problem, since it's all cattails, is that the fish will wrap around the cattail stalk, and cause you to loose the fish.

The BEST option, is to put my kayak in here, and fish the entire bank from deeper water.  However, that's off the table, as management has a policy of "no boats".

[jim cosgrove]

i hear ya allan.got places like that near me.you know they are there just cant get at em.