LOD World Tour Continues


June 2012 shows little bits here and there.

Paddled a couple times.  Goal was to get JD on good woody debris so he could toss his spinner around.  He did that for a while but in the end he was more intrigued by simply paddling around.  Learning to hold the paddle correctly.  Etc.  He wants me to buy him a buff.  For now he can use the blaze orange.  I toted the LOD around, just in case something made its presence known.  We saw a few carp but nothing approachable.  One guy on shore did proclaim "my four year old caught a carp that was all of 50 lbs on his Buzz Lightyear rod."  FWIW.  My guess is that he doesn't carry a scale.  But in truth, a legend of a 50 lb fish, as long as it's not inappropriately applied, can live on and do some good I suppose.  Just keep the jurisdiction of the conversation under control.  Maybe it did both the kid and JD some good; some fascination.  I discarded it like I do most conveyed carp weight data.

Standing around and laying around at beaches while the kids swim and dig channels.  Build reservoirs, etc.  I urge JD to fish in these situations but he's more interested in the engineering.  So I let it be.  I cast a little bit here and there.  Put the LOD out deep and let it sink.  Put it on the edge of the ruckus caused by swimmers.  Catch little bass.  LOD diversity chapter.

Waded a eutrophic reservoir.  It'd been on my list for a long time.  Few hours came around so I approached it.  It looked rough: very green.  Visibility approx 3-4 inches.  But it had been on my list for so long...   I went ahead and figured at a minimum I'd gain valuable wading/etc. data.  And really, logging that information as part of your long-term effort is as important as catching fish.  Filling out the map in your mind that shows you where fish are present and more importantly where they are approachable...   that's your centerpiece.  The map, the information, remembering everything.  So I walked around and yes, did find it to be highly wadeable.  Visibility poor but solid bottom.  And fish were present.  They were in the quiet bays with woody debris.  If a person had time to heron-dog it, you could catch some fish.  I didn't have much time but did stop to get one.  It took about 3-4 presentations.  The first few fish simply did not see the fly, due to excessive algae.  This fish saw it and swaggered forward.  Easy tell.  Small fish.  Woohoo.  Another waterbody for LOD log.

Then on the same day, a detour to one of my old waters.  The fish were sunning.  No feeders.  It was intriguing. Had only 35 minutes to consider things.  Did a quick lap to confirm no active fish...   then started a game of numbers: putting the LOD on sunners and just waiting for the right one.  Predictably, most fish turned away.  Some slowy, some with more alarm.  But plenty of targets allowing for numbers game to continue.  Key here was getting INTO the pond.  Fishing from the bank was not allowing for effective presentation.  Just that slight change in elevation significantly reduces angle of observance for the carp.  Got in the water and got down low, moving slow.  Was able to get right on these sunning fish.  Finally found a trio and put the fly in front of the closest fish...    very deliberate snap-to-attention, swam ~2 feet and inhaled.  Small fish.  Fought over the sunfish beds seen in the pic below.  LOD on sunners.

Then heading to another big carp haunt.  I know they are present; people tell me and I've seen them.  But getting the timing right is tough.  River situation, with deep water.  Hard to see, hard to get places.  Calculated gamble, etc.  Requires canoe, so you can't just wander there.  Whiff on the carp; one seen but it was sickly looking and shook its head slowly at me as it ghosted into a deep pool.  No other carp.  Big, big quillbacks but good luck with that sight-fishing endeavor.  Got one redhorse out of the way and then did not address the hundreds of others around.  Waded in some situations to near-chest deep.  Looking and looking but knowing no way would I see a carp.  So started casting LOD and DC flies here and there in faster water and in seams.  SMB were ready to roll.  Without trying caught around a dozen.  One pretty nice one, several in the low teens and several smaller fish.  Saw one nice SMB swirl in slower water...  approached carefully and saw the fish marauding.  Put the fly out and on first cast watched it freight-train it broadside.  Nice take in bass style.  Then 20 feet down a blind cast produced Esox lucius.  S-curve in the water while fighting was cool.  If I would have been less stubborn and flipped this bit to a SMB trip, figure I could have had good numbers.  But being less stubborn doesn't always mesh well with questing after carp.  Case in point: I abandoned the SMB for one more exploratory mission.  Connnected to but away from this water.  It was a near home-run, maybe a triple.  Carp everywhere on a wadeable flat.  Visibility of one inch though.  Spooky as hell.  With more time, more sun and more heron-ness, it will work.  I know it now.  A place on the map filled in.  Question mark erased.  Further questing necessary.  LOD campaign continues.

The water in the pic below was highly productive; casting across the riffle and letting fly sink and swing through the seam on the far side.  Many smaller fish like this one.

Wet wading a bigger river.  Not a bad place to be.  In the middle of it.

Another exploratory mission: a reservoir "filled with carp."  "There are some big ones in there."  Etc.  It was doable because it's also a campground, so it can serve double duty: weekend with the boys, and my eyes on the water for recon.  Sure the carp were there...  but all things considered: travel distance, size of fish, clarity...   likely won't be back.  Another checked off the list.

And one gear note: Ross provides exceptional customer service.  The not-carp-worthy FlyStart is hereby retired, replaced by Ross with this FlyRise.  Thank you folks; it will be fished with appreciation and it will see many waters; many long runs in many waters.

I suppose something more focused is coming up.  Tying some flies and watching weather.  Thoughts drifting to clear water and dark shapes.  June has been a good piece-meal bit thus far; we'll see how a more focused effort produces.