Solar Eclipse Carp

Unfortunately, we weren't in the path of totality of the eclipse last week.  Cross-country season is in full swing, and I'm trying to keep up with my weekly mileage.  Monday after the eclipse, we went out for a long run on the canal towpath.  Long story short, in a canal I've never seen ONE fish in before, there were 7 total carp up to 10 pounds out and about feeding.  It could have been the storm beforehand or the eclipse, but man it was a cool occurrence.  Definitely coming back to catch some canal carp soon!

Skunked by the water treatments??

Bobby and I went back to the grass carp pond for what should be the last time this summer.  We were there for about 2 hours, and I had numerous shots at a couple really nice fish.  The problem is, when your fly line lands on the weed mat, the grassies spook.

I had a few really good looks, but no grass carp committed.

After 1 hour of fishing, a boat was put in the pond and began treating the pond.  We packed up and moved to my neighborhood, pretty bummed about having to go.  Next we went to my carp pond, but after an hour, inevitable the boat came again.  At this point we had to go back, because we didn't have any more ponds to fish.

Bobby and I did some video editing, and I'll be fishing on and off on the weekends until the winter.

Another Round Lost to the Grass Carp; A Surprise Fish

Bobby, Ben and I decided to go back to the grass carp pond yesterday.  We spent a solid portion of the morning fishing for bass.  Bobby stuck lots of bass up to about 2 pounds on a buzz frog.  I fished the edges for the few grass carp we saw, and somehow caught a bass.  I pulled it in and realized that I had actually just caught a smallmouth.

Charles said there were smallies in the pond, but we'd never seen one.

We walked around for awhile, and I got the perfect shot at a grass carp.  I landed my hopper 5 inches from the fish's nose, and it turned away.  I thought it was spooked, but it turned and sipped my hopper!  I wasn't expecting it at all, and tried to set with the rod, but the fish was over 40 feet away, and I had too much slack in my line.

We left for lunch, then came back to the pond.  While Bobby and I presented hoppers to the grassies, Ben caught about 6 bass on plastic worms.

We kept continually laying flies in front of the grass carp, only to have bluegill take them and spook the grass carp away.  We caught dozens of bluegill as bycatch, and they were all infuriating.

Eventually, we had to leave.  We had some really good looks, but no fish.