Summer is Here Though I Kinda Miss the Rain

Putting an Echo 3 6100 to the test. Photo: Brian Chou

So with the turning of the season and lack of Springtime weather that I am used to,  I found myself doing something that I missed, carp fishing. Every year I tell myself that I have to take advantage of this fishery but that addiction of swinging a fly to a steelhead always seems to get the top nod. Who can blame me or anyone who swings flies, that whole tug is the drug thing seems to fill that void or challenge lost in my ADD world. That challenge of spey casting, the flies, the process of reading water, adapting and changing with day to day river and weather conditions just adds to the process. Over the years fishing for trout and other species just never made as much sense to me. I still like doing it, but it never really filled the void. Maybe if I had the Henry's Fork or Madison in my backyard, I would change, but I don't so I can live with what I got.

The thing is that one opportunity I do have near home, or close enough to lots of  opportunities is Carp and guys like John Montana (alias) gets carp fishing like I would like to think I get steelheading. I have always admired the skill and presentation that carp fisherman have to catch these golden demons. I could not help the other day of thinking about a post John had on his blog last fall, Rain. John kinda makes fun of the whole steelheading thing though he has done a lot of it over the years. Missing a fish didn't bother him at all, but seeing one up close brought him back to why he does it when carp are no longer feeding on the flats.

So this time of year, before the carp are on the spawn I always get that itch to chase what some call trash fish, and unlike last year, this year I finally tailed one. In the process I started to really remember the good old days with good buddies, learning how to sense the take of these fish and how to make the perfect presentation. I missed a lot of fish that day, but by the end of the afternoon, it started to click again and I now find myself thinking about chasing them again.

Like John, I doubt I will do much carp fishing, like he does not do a lot of steelheading. It just isn't what fuels the fire for John, like swinging flies does for me, but I appreciate and understand why someone does. I love the fact that fishing for any species brings out different challenges and can lead to addictive behavior. 

I also found this consolation prize, a nice Pumpkinseed. I now got the urge to find some Bluegill. You got to love the fight in these little guys. I just wish there were anadramous.