It was an absolutely incredible time having my nieces as guest the last three weeks. The stuff we did and the fun we had will be remembered for life. But today I got officially back to my normal fishing bum life. I went fly fishing for mirror carp with the boys.
We went to Blackfoot Reservoir. It was me, Tim Brune (on the blog a lot), Chris Littauer (Destination Manager at WorldCast Anglers) and Milan Germishuizen (friend and top guide at St. Brandon’s Atoll). We left Victor at 6 am for the beautiful 2 hour drive. It was a spectacular summer day with temps predicted for the mid-80°s but also a few high clouds and forest fire smoke.
Tim and I hit the carp often but Chris and Milan are carp on the fly first timers. Chris lives here so he can fish carp when he wants but Milan comes from South Africa and he leaves in a couple weeks. Milan, like all my South African guide friends, always works hard to help me catch new fish on his waters. Today my primary goal was to make sure Milan didn’t end this day without his first carp on the fly.
After organizing gear we headed for the carp flats. Tim and Chris hit one flat while Milan and I another. I showed Milan where the carp hang out and explained how to spot the carp by finding a puff of mud. Milan knew exactly what I was talking about because of his guiding on the saltwater flats. We often find bonefish and permit the same way.
It didn’t take long before we had some fish near. I was using a crawfish concoction of a fly and spotted a fish tailing in about three feet of water. At this depth the humongous tail didn’t protrude the surface (wish it did!) but I could still see him and I dropped a cast. The fish turned and devoured my fly and ripped me deep into the backing. A few minutes later I was admiring this powerful 12lb mirror carp.
I told the guys before we started that you never catch only one fish at Blackfoot. In summer the fish are either on or not. Therefore it was time to buckle down and the very next carp I saw ate my crayfish as well. This was only a little fella by Blackfoot Reservoir standards but another challenging carp caught on fly nonetheless.
And I do mean the bite was on. As I was releasing my small mirror I heard Tim in the distance hollering with excitement. I saw the rod bent and knew he’d be awhile. I spotted another small carp and caught him. Then ventured to see how he was doing. Tim was fine and here he is with a 21lber!
Chris and Milan needed to get in the game. I reeled in and walked along with Milan, just as he did with me in St. Brandon’s Atoll in 2017 when I was hot on the trail of my first yellow permit. We found a mud and on his first cast to it he got waxed hard. Waxed – meaning the carp gulped his fly but broke him off with one head-shake.
I nipped off the fly I was raking carp on and gave it to Milan. Minutes later he hooked up again and this time was nearly spooled! As if he had a Giant Trevally on the flats in the Indian Ocean, he cranked the drag and heaved back on the carp. Soon he had his first on the beach. This baby is 12lbs and I’m proud to say I was with Milan for his first carp on the fly!
The lighting for spotting fish in the afternoon was terrible. The smoke, thin white clouds and no sun created a glare that made it nearly impossible to see carp. Being that we drove two hours to get here however, we kept trying.
And I’m glad we kept after it. We’d land three more big fish. Tim got a 16lb and I got another 12lb and a 16lb mirror carp of my own. It was a tremendous day of fly fishing for carp.
At 5 pm it was entirely impossible to see a carp. We could’ve blind fished but for us it’s the hunt and the cast to a tailing carp that gives us the thrill. We packed it up. What an amazing day of fly fishing.
If there’s any readers still snubbing the carp on the fly – scroll through todays pictures once again. Fly fishing for carp is a spectacular kind of fly fishing. So good, me and the boys will be right back here next Friday!
Great report Jeff! Your last paragraphs sum up my feelings as well. Like bones perms reds corbina etc, it’s all about the stalk, the feed, seeing the eat, and well that fight. We didn’t make it to Blackfoot this past week but maybe next year.