A good day down at the creek

by BKCooper
(Ft Worth Tx)

It was a fun day down on my local creek. Every year after the spring rains, and subsequent floods push trees and other trash around, the creek is always different, at least on the upper part of the creek. There is about a mile worth of creek that I can access. A half a mile above the road and a half mile below. I walked up this time. The creek is full of different kinds of panfish. Some longear, bluegill and greenies. There are some large mouth bass, carp and the occasional gar too.

I usually take my tenkara rod when I go. Its not a big creek and I don't have to wade far to reach the other side in any given spot. I hit the usual places as I went and some likely looking new spots. I was wading along casting near a downed tree not catching anything and wondering why when I noticed a carp was in front of me. My first thought was how did I not spook him and my next was could I catch him? The thought crossed my mind that this might not be the best idea. My tippet was 2lb fluorocarbon and I thought "he'll just bust me off", but I couldn't just pass up the opportunity to hook a nice big carp! So since I had the 2lb tippet on I figured if worse came to worse he'll break the tippet before he breaks my rod, so I went for it. I cast out in front of him and lifted the tip till the fly was laying in his path and let it settle on bottom all the while watching him cruise closer. As he gra\zed along and got closer I twitched my fly just enough for him to see it. He noticed it and went over and sucked it up as best I could tell. So I struck and he bolted! Fish on! he made a couple of runs that I managed to turn. I figured I better get on shore so I could handle him better if I actually got him to hand. I had assumed that as he ran my tippet would break but it didn't! I kept turning him up and down stream all the while listening to the tippet sing and trying not to put to much pressure on my rod as he bulldogged up and down the creek.

After a few minutes he was getting tired or bored of all this, an I figured he was about as tired as I was gonna make him so I guided him close enough to begin hand lining him in so I could release him. I grabbed the line and started to pull him up just as he shook his head and busted me off.

I couldn't complain. The whole battle lasted a lot longer than I had expected and was exciting to boot. All I lost was the fly and my rod was still intact. Now I know better than to do what I did and part of the excitement was the shock of keeping that carp on as long as I did, but I doubt I'd do it again. Can't say it wasn't fun though.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.