Cannonball

Even after a month on the road, the invitation was too much to pass up. JD and I had some overlapping time off - a rarity, even if only for a day - and a favorite rendezvous point that nearly split our respective distance. It didn't take much to convince Victor, took a little more than that to convince my wife, but by midnight sunday we were basking in the glow of the fire, catching up on old times over cold beers. When the conversation turned to politics, about the same time the hands on my watch formed a perfect right angle, I knew it was time to call it a night. I pitched a pad in the bed of the tiny dancer and slept soundly until the sun broke through the morning haze and my pillow starting whining to be fed.

We pulled ourselves together slowly, JD working on breakfast while I fiddled with the french press. Eventually, after all the inefficient shufflings of a first day fishing camp, we loaded up the Tiny Dancer and made for the water.

The fishing was just good enough to keep us busy and the dogs entertained.

We fished into the evening and with a thunderhead moving in we were content to call it a good day and head back to camp. Somebody wasn't so willing to quit though.

The next morning I made the drive home in time for a full day of work, using those four hours behind the wheel to ponder ways to fill the time until the next road trip. The countdown to the Tennessee tour is under 2 weeks. It promises to be another potpourri of target quarry ranging from native Appalachian brookies to table scrap fed hoovers. The trip will culminate with the 3 Rivers Carp Cup, which we aim to bring back to Ohio with us. I've been toying with the idea of "live blogging" the tournament for you to follow, but we'll see what service is like in the Volunteer state first. Meanwhile I'm hoping to get out and dial in the finer points of my carp game this week, and I'll report back with the results.

Photo Contest Rules & Prizes Announced!

Helios 2 rod designer Shawn Combs showing off some CARP lid mojo (via Orvis News)

As promised, in honor of the open season on ditch pigs and the arrival of the new DW swag, we've put together a little photo contest to incentivize you to grab some new gear before your next ghost bustin' session! Here's the skinny:

1. Purchase a CARP hat (orange or yellow) and Dudewater Koozie by mailing a check for $25 to 

5267 Spencer Rd.

Lyndhurst, OH 44124

Include a note specifying which color hat and koozie you'd prefer, as well as your return shipping address.

2. I'll ship you the goods. When you receive them, go fishing. Immediately. If your wife gives you grief, just tell her those are the rules.

3. Take pictures of you and or your buddies sporting the lid and or the Koozie, and send them to Jlampros2@gmail.com

Get creative! While standard grip and grins will be accepted... they're boring. We'll be judging for the best photo, not necessarily the best fish. You can kill two birds with one stone if you manage to capture a nice whisker pig hero shot by submitting the same photo to the ORVIS contest being held over at the Carp Central page! Win that one and you might take home a custom Helios 2 rod, the ultimate carp saber.

We'll accept submissions between now and August 31st, with the winners being announced shortly thereafter. The prizes come to you courtesy of my awesome friends and colleagues at the Orvis Company. The winning photographer will receive a SWEET carp care package to include the BRAND NEW Carp taper Hydros fly line (already receiving rave reviews), a copy of Kirk Deeter's recently released Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing for Carp, a carp scale Buff and a new Orvis carp trucker hat! 1st runner up will receive a custom carp fly selection, and 2nd runner up will receive a Helios 2 trucker lid and a carp sticker variety pack. 

Questions? Drop me an email. Otherwise, get your check in the mail and start stockpiling those photos!

A Month On The Road

Due to a touch of serendipity and a well-timed vacation plan, over the last 30 days I've been fortunate enough to spend more time in a drift boat than in the office. You won't catch me complaining, but it has been tough to find time to chronicle the adventures. Now that I find myself with a chance to take a breath (and start counting down to the next journey) I thought it was about time for some story tellin'... 

In mid June I found myself back in Missoula, Montana for the second time in as many months. The Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers, along with Rock Creek, were gracious hosts. The salmonflies on The Blackfoot were as thick as I've ever seen, and the scenery of the Bitterroot valley exceeded all expectations. More so than the fishing though, the company and the belly-shaking laughs are what will stay with me from that trip.

48 hours back in CleVegas was just enough to get some partying in, as we hosted friends and family at Casa de Lampros to celebrate my one year remission milestone. A good time was had by all and a special thanks goes out to my beautiful wife for masterminding the whole event, and to all the friends and family who came out to show their support.

I didn't so much as unpack from the trout Mecca that is Montana but rather traded out size 18's for size 2's and 4-weights for 7-weights in preparation for a week in northern Michigan, chasing pretty much everything but trout. We hucked it all into the back of the Big Orange and headed north. I can't even begin to recap this trip without getting caught up in the details... it was one of the most memorable I've ever been on for any number of reasons, including the fishing. Since my return, I've spent most of my downtime trying to articulate a synopsis of the trip in full color, and my hope is that you'll be able to read the final written account on glossy paper in the near future. For now I'll leave you with a few teasers and a promise to follow up in detail at a later date...

  

With the buzz from the trip up north just beginning to fade it was time to head East for a little dose of humble pie. I played host to a group for 3 days on The West Branch of The Delaware River, where we generally got our asses handed to us by big snooty brown trout. We did manage to sore-mouth a few of those bastards though, and brought home some pretty pictures as consolation prizes, including the new header at the top of the page.

Thus begins the countdown to Tennessee, which stands at 26 days. At age 40, hopefully the Big O is up to the task again. Meanwhile, it's prime time carp season around these parts, so if you haven't gotten your Dudewater carp lid yet, it's time to get with the program! Follow the link and get your DW gear in time for your next ghost bustin' session..