Today was a Mother Tucker

Me with a 6lb carp wearing the stupidest pair of fit over sunglasses ever.

Finally I've been able to get Tuck out for some carping.  I think we've been talking about fishing for carp for months now but have never been able to make it happen.  Since Tuck was unable to get out until 10, Chul and I met on the water at 9 and fished a small section before he could arrive.  First thing I noticed was how low the water is, I'd never seen it that low.  At the spillway lays a deep pool that usually don't fish because its usually occupied by bait fisheren; I told Chul "I bet there's bass in there."  He began blind casting his Prince Harry Aggravator into this section.  I, on the other hand, moved past and started casting to feeding carp; I was using a rubber legged chartreuse ice hare's ear.  With the morning sky overcast,  I think the choice of fly was probably a poor one.  None of the several carp wanted want I was offering.  Chul on the other hand was slaying baby trout sized bass everytime I turned my head.  I think he may have gotten half a dozen before Tuck arrived and we met him in the parking lot.  I switched flies to legless Prince Harry Aggravator.

The fly bent from fighting the carp.

Once Tuck rigged up we headed back and I spotted some fish for Tuck.  None wanted what he was offering even though some casts were perfect.  In time I managed a nice carp and set the hook only to have the fly line sling-shot back at me and hit my chest.  The entire leader had broken off at the loop.  I hadn't changed that flouro in a while and had used it on several outing.  It was bound to happen.  I'm too lazy to change it out, my rods are pre-rigged and are holstered in the Rover in a Rod holder for quick and easy access whenever I hit the water.   I tied another aggrevator in a smaller size and began to fish again.  After spotting several fish I managed to hook up on a 6 pounder that fought like an animal.  Tuck and Chul were to my left and since I was fishing my Abel PT5 reel, that has no outgoing click, they unfortunately they could not hear the glorious sound of a zinging reel from all the running the carp was doing.  Damn you Steve Abel!  We continued downstream and began fishing back, I switched to a olive Clouser swimming nymph after noticing my fly was now deformed.  I had another fish, a very good one on and had it run at least 10 yards until the fly popped out of its mouth and flew back over my head and into the tules behind me.  Chul managed a few more miniature bass and lost a carp or two before lunch from his leader breaking at the knot.  We headed to one of my favorite Mexican joints for burritos and so Chul could collect on his free beer.  After a great lunch and laughing our asses off from stories about  Tuck's blistered poison oak infested dong, we decided to head back.

Tuck wet wading even after I warned him -WTF are you thinking?

By the time we finish lunch, the wind was blowing quite hard.  The chop on the water was making it difficult to see any fish.  Even if you could spot them, it would only be briefly and you needed to be quick on the cast.  I missed two during this period.  Chul lost another carp from his tippet failing.  I told him take that leader off and gave him my spool of flouro and told him to fish straight flouro.  Tuck get home skunked which seems to be the case whenever I bring someone here.  With Tuck leaving for British Columbia soon, I told him if he could find a morning to fish this early he'd most  likely be able to get his first carp on the fly.