Out Smarted by the Huge Carp of Blackfoot

by | Jul 15, 2016 | Uncategorized

blog-July-15-2016-1-flyfishing-carpEverything seemed right before I left Victor to meet my friend Tom Hansen for a day trip of fly fishing for mirror carp on Blackfoot Reservoir.  The forecast had sunshine, light winds and temperatures in the 80°s, absolutely ideal carp conditions.  When we arrived at around 9 AM to rig up the massive waterbody was glassy calm.

 

blog-July-15-2016-2-blackfoot-reservoirFrom our first parking spot we could see the carp.  We were up on a bluff looking down and there were at least five of the big boys working slowly in the weeds.  Only these weren’t weeds after all, it was the grasses.  Blackfoot Reservoir was at least two feet higher than normal and places I normally drive my Exploder were underwater.  Even campsites were a foot deep!

 

Once down to lake level it was tough to see.  I opted to stay in one place while Tom eased his way along.  Sure enough a couple carp came to me but it was so calm I literally lifted my rod and they spooked.

 

blog-July-15-2016-3-flyfishing-for-carpI put on a crayfish fly given to me at the Pleasanton Fly Fishing Show from my friend Chuck Furimsky.  The thing looked great so I put it out about twenty feet and let it rest.  I crouched low and waited.  Soon enough an uneasy acting mirror carp came through and though he didn’t appear hungry, I gave Chucks fly a twitch and the carp surged for it.  I’m sad to say he hit so hard that as I struck I broke him off on 2X.  Sh*********!  That was my only fly like that.

 

blog-July-15-2016-4-flyfishing-blackfoot-resIf you fish a lot you know how the story goes from here.  When fishing is tough and you’re given an opportunity you must not screw it up.  I retied on another crayfish pattern and proceeded to fish the next six hours without another decent chance.  No doubt the high water gives the carp an excessive extra amount of space to hide in and food to eat.  Furthermore, the dead calm conditions are so unusual at Blackfoot that the mirrors were on high alert.  I’m sorry to say neither Tom nor I hooked another carp all day.

 

blog-July-15-2016-5-mirror-carpIt was a good time regardless.  Carping tunes the skills and in today’s case my saltwater flats fishing skills.  Coincidentally Tom will be on my hosted trip to the Seychelles in December.  I recon we’ll get back here a few more times this summer till we get it right!   Next in line – Grannies and my annual Lower Nunya trip!

 

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

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I started fly fishing at age 7 in the lakes and ponds of New England cutting my teeth on various sunfish, bass, crappie and stocked trout. I went to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where I graduated with a Naturalist Degree while I discovered new fishing opportunities for pike, muskellunge, walleyes and various salmonids found in Lake Superior and its tributaries.

From there I headed west to work a few years in the Yellowstone region to simply work as much as most people fish and fish as much as most people work. I did just that, only it lasted over 20 years working at the Jack Dennis Fly Shop in Jackson, WY where I departed in 2009. Now it’s time to work for "The Man", working for myself that is.

I pursue my love to paint fish, lecture on every aspect of fly fishing you can imagine and host a few trips to some of the most exotic places you can think of. My ultimate goal is to catch as many species of fish on fly possible from freshwater to saltwater, throughout the world. I presently have taken over 440 species from over 60 countries!

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