Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Forty


Rudder...

It was late August and I hadn't gone tidal fly fishing in 2018. Weighing on my carpin conscious was the fact that that school year was starting in a few days and I'd probably be waiting until 2019 if I didn't get out. I found myself checking the weather and found a window of opportunity that I couldn't pass up. Despite a decent wind, I embarked to a favorable eastern shore marsh to try my luck. It was slow. With the hot summer sun beating down and a flooded marsh, I had a hard time finding any activity, let alone spotting a carp. Around midday, I found myself paddling around during a high tide checking out sparse activity in the choppy water. I had a few opportunities during down periods in wind and was able to land a few small carp. However, I had my sights set on something much larger. 


Ever since I began this type of carp fishing, I knew I'd be able to land a giant. I set a goal of landing a forty pounder and also a forty inch carp. I've had several encounters with a few specimens that would fall into either of those classifications but could never seal the deal. A personal best of 34lb. was weighed a few seasons ago and I have caught several fish near forty inches. Despite this success, I am haunted by the silhouettes of some absolute beasts...

While paddling near some arrow arum, one such carp emerged from the depths to clear his gills of any excess debris. I was in a perfect position and was able to get one cast off before the large carp descended back into the deep. My fly landed about a foot in front of his nose, his mouth protruded, the gills flared, and the fly was sucked in without even moving forward an inch. I landed my first measured forty inch fish and he weighed in at a skinny 25 pounds. My slow summer day ended up producing a few opportunities that I was able to take advantage of and I look forward to the moment I weigh a forty pounder. 





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