Airport Run

Time was of the essence. I made my way down the Pennsylvania turnpike on my way to pick up a friend at the Philadelphia airport. I left an hour early, to give myself a chance at a carp, at a newer spot we discovered last summer. It is a creek, and has a good population of smaller carp feeding between large boulders. The best spot required a hike downstream that you can only access by descending a waterfall/dam and hopping your way downstream to the slower water. You could go through the woods but it is a field of poison ivy. Looking down at my shorts, it was the only way to go.

Having only an hour, I realized I would only have about 10-15 minutes of fishing time. I had to make the most of it. I chose a heavier damsel woolly bugger. In the off colored water I strained for any sign of a ghost. Standing perfectly still, a few swam in my general direction but spooked as they came closer. I spotted a decent fish about 10 yards out, meandering a few feet below the surface. I casted well ahead of him and let the damsel sink into the zone before starting a crawling retrieve. The fish turned and took it on the strip. It was on.

By the time I hiked back out to the car, it was time to go. I worked my way back to the turnpike and south. After the turnpike, I immediately hit traffic and ended up being an hour late. The difference being the carp. It was worth it.