September 3 & 4, 2020
I doubt you read the article published earlier this summer in themeateater.com by Christopher Bancroft, “Advice from Pro Anglers: How to Out-fish Your Friends”. It’s a good one and I recommend you click on the link and enjoy it. The well written piece highlighted myself, TV Fishing Host Carter Andrews, pro bass tournament Angler Luke Dunkin and a few other anglers that more often than not, succeed no matter how challenging fishing conditions are – any fish, any time, any place.
But even the pros get their butts kicked from time to time. Today was that day for me. It didn’t matter that my fly fishing for carp this summer has been THE best in all my years. Forget the fact that I’ve haven’t been skunked walking the carp flats of Blackfoot Reservoir since April. Who cares that most of the carp I’ve landed have been over 15lbs with many pushing 25lbs. Yea man, it’s been so easy I might have gotten a little cocky. But today was that simple reminder that I’m not invincible in fishing.
The Blackfoot day started as they all do when camping – with a fresh French pressed cup of coffee. The view is outstanding from my Yeti chair. All the time my head is on a swivel with my eyes scanning for the slight indication a carp is in casting range. I was with friends Tim Brune and Ben Smith.
After my last sip I popped a yogurt and mixed it with a high energy Kate’s Bar. Then off I went. My Winston 6-weight Air in hand ready to stick a few nice mirror carp.
About the same time, Tim and Ben grabbed their gear and wandered off in other directions. We don’t spend much time together once the fishing starts. Flats fishing for carp is intense and requires immense concentration. Carping with a fly rod is super challenging and this is why I love it so much.
Over two hours and I walked a mile. I strained my eyes searching for carp and saw none. NONE. Not a one. I’d caught up to Ben so I checked in with him.
“Dang Currier. I wish I saw you coming. I just released a beauty and wanted a picture”, shouted Ben.
“Have you been seeing them?”, I asked.
Ben had been seeing a lot of carp and now he’d landed one. Weird I thought – referring to myself not seeing any. But there was no panic. I returned to my car for some water and a snack. I was 100% sure that I’d head right out and find them for myself and likely catch three before lunch.
But that wouldn’t be the case at all. I went 90 minutes the opposite direction then ran into Tim. I didn’t see a fish the entire way. Tim was fighting one.
“The carp are everywhere today but not eating very well. This is only the second one”, Tim shouted.
I was baffled at Tim’s statement as I watched him hoist his carp to shore. Both Ben and Tim weren’t only seeing carp when I couldn’t find a one, but they were catching them too.
Though fishing today was far from a competition amongst pals, no doubt you want to catch the most. We’re all lying if we say it doesn’t matter. But fishers lie all the time. The end result at 3:30 PM when Tim and Ben headed home, was Ben and Tim both caught three beautiful mirror carp, I caught zero.
For the first time in a long time, nevertheless the Meat Eater article, today I got my butt handed to me not only by the fish, but also by my friends. I’m absolutely puzzled as I sit here and write. I fished hard. In my mind I have a few excuses but to me excuses have always been unacceptable. I should have found a way to catch at least one mirror. Perhaps even four!
After the guys left I stayed another hour. At that point it became a personal quest to at least shake off my skunk. But it simply wasn’t meant to be. I had a phenomenal opportunity. I finally found a dandy of a carp mulling around and tailing in a foot of water six feet off the bank. I made what I thought were several good casts but the carp never paid any attention to my crayfish Clouser. Then the worst thing that can happen did. The carp swam into my leader and my fly slid up and foul hooked the carp in the dorsal. Off to the races he went. Chasing behind was a full fly line and a heap of backing.
It was a good five minutes before I lucked out and my fly ripped loose of the carp’s dorsal fin. The fish was no doubt a 20lber and if my fly didn’t break loose I’d been fighting him for 30 minutes. Despite getting my fly back quick, the carps panic and wild bucking run tore up the flats for good. I walked another 30 minutes, and just like my day started, I couldn’t find a carp to save my life.
Regardless of today’s punishment, I’ll sleep tonight. Yesterday I managed to land three huge mirrors. Tim landed one and it was Ben who blanked. So that’s fishing folks. You win some and you lose some. We all just need to keep the losing to a minimum. And when it happens be humble, pick up the pieces and learn from it. Better for the beating to occur today rather than the Jackson Hole One Fly, the Carp Classic next May or the during my next World Fly Fishing Champs!
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