As you know, I've had carp on the mind lately. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about that other commitment I made. But temps have been hovering in the mid 30's for weeks now, so for the time being it's still a daydream.
During the interim I've been fantasizing about the promises of another warm-water season and looking forward to reuniting with some of my long lost friends.
One thing I've noticed over the last several years of whisker hunting is that the fish tend to display very distinct personalities across the size spectrum. For ease of reference, I thought I'd classify them accordingly.
The Dirt Devil
The 2-3 pound runt. They're always looking to play and usually bringing up the rear of the feed train. You'll learn to appreciate him when he peels off from the school to run your fly down after the Shop-Vac class fish leading the pack throws you the finger.
The Hoover
As the vacuum has been a standard in American homes, it's Cyprynid equivalent is the prevailing standard in carp waters across the country. These guys start to get a little more solitary and like middle schoolers, they'll display varying degrees of self-confidence. Generally it pays to pick on the pudgy loners.
The Oreck (XL)
The notorious 8 LB-er. Good camera work can turn one of these into a real hero shot. Bad camera work will yield you the uninspiring shot below.
The Shop Vac
The work horse double-digit fish. When they're working, they'll suck up anything you throw at them, dry or wet.
When they're working.
The Dyson
The mythical 20 LB-er. A true trophy on inland waters. It is believed that a fish of this class would sport a 3" or better beard. No pictures here. When I find one, you'll know about it.
So that's that. Meantime, it's still steelhead season...
Very good, and see you out on the water!
ReplyDelete