Worm Dunker Cup Holder.

Every year on my local waters, I head out not knowing what to expect. This is due to the annual opening day extravaganza of trout season and the subsequent pillage that takes place. Since my local streams lack a quality wild brown trout population, the streams are stocked full of hatchery fish and this in turn attracts the harvesters. Every year I hope that they throw back the natives they catch so the resource may remain for many years to come. Each year the results can vary. With such a small population of wild browns, the largest fish are far and few between. This year, the natives are rather abundant and Adam and I have caught some of the largest wild browns we have ever caught out of these waters.

Remnants. The Worm Dunker Cup Holder.

A Survivor...

Released To Grow & Live Another Day.

Small Pretty Native.

Landing A Trout Amongst The Trees.

Another Little Beauty.

Battling A Surprise.

About As Big As They Get.

What It's All About.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears with a side of Mosquitos

After getting a taste of new and highly productive carp water I had the urge to pursue once again the largest and smartest carp I’ve ever thrown a fly at. Needless to say they lived up to their reputation once again. These fish are really one of a kind, you can get them to look at your fly all day but never a take…I don’t even know how I managed to catch that Koi out of there, the Koi are even smarter. The Koi don’t even look at your fly half the time, at least the carp cruise up to it and swim around it like a shark staring it down only to refuse it at the last second. Even though I only caught one of these fish in the past there is something that keeps bringing me back…

9 of the Smartest Carp...EVER...

Virtually No Backcast Room

Looking for Cruisers...

Savage Rise.

Series Of Video Stills

Location: Savage River, Maryland

June 2009

Typical Savage Pocket Water About To Erupt.

Taking A Peek.

He Made A Quick Decision.

And Is About To Realize His Mistake.

It's Go Time.

The Battle Is On.

"O" Face.

Coming To Hand...

Typical Savage Brown... Wild & Beautiful.

CARP!

The crew has stumbled upon a new destination for carp. We have been looking for such a place for over a year now, and lets just say that we are pumped to finally have a new place to catch some golden bones. Up to this point we have been getting our carp fix from a puddle in the earth that we like to call the acid pond. The acid pond is relatively easy but does not have many large carp. Our other, relatively new, stomping ground has been the local canal. Unfortunately, the canal resides on the other end of the difficulty scale. However, the canal contains carp approaching 40 inches. What we have found resides somewhere in between the two and has some pretty impressive specimens. Check it.

Sick Pattern.

Notch Nose.

Adam Getting A Taste Of Bones.

And Some More...

On The Damsel.

When You See This Face...Set The Hook.

Matt Taking Aim.

Fresh Off the Flats.

Perfect Weather...Overcast.

Slam Hoss.

Another Slammer...

My New Personal Best.

One Happy Dude.

Can't Wait To Go Back...

"Real" Golden Bones

One morning I decided to brave the mosquito infested Walnutport Canal in search of the smartest carp on the planet. I arrived at canal to see a shoal of tailing carp (an oddity). I began to sight fish to some of the biggest fish I've ever seen, after a few refusals and a few spooked carp I see a huge tail flopping on the surface to my far left. I promptly unloaded my stripping basket and lead the fish about 5 feet. My heart went crazy when I seen him turn and come in for a closer inspection, at this point I realize that this isn't no carp either, its the biggest koi I've ever seen...a split second later "go time commenced". As I fought this koi I utter phrases that are unspeakable...mind you I'm the only person there yelling and talking to a goldfish...yeah well..the video footage I took is priceless. I finally landed the fluorescent mini-sub and snapped a few pics.

"Slayer"

Once back in Pennsylvania we decided to fish the Little J but due to many days of rain we had to change plans. We opted to fish the 400yds of spruce creek thats open to the public...thanks beav...haha. After a week of fishing larger rivers we packed away our 5wts and busted out our 2, 3, and 4wts and hit the stream. The past two times I've fished spruce were needless to say not pleasant the second time I never even rigged up my rod, haha, but all that aside I decided to go in with an open mind.

Lets just say I pulled off something I will never experience again...I fished this one spot and the first fish I landed was a 15 inch native brown. I fished this spot for awhile after that and landed 20+ native browns without moving my feet once.

First of 20+ Browns