The Visitor That Never Left

This will be brief.

We had a visitor arrive at our home late one Sunday about five weeks ago.  We've always been pleased with our back yard, and we've had many compliments from friends and neighbors, but the most recent arrival passed judgement in a different way.

Carpe Diem (revisited from 7-4-2011)

Independence Day 2011 found me visiting my parents before a brief fishing excursion.  The weather had been better than the previous several days; Less wind; Less humidity; Slightly lower temperature.  Leaving the family, I found the weather conditions had changed dramatically.  The temp had dropped from triple digits to 81 degrees.  NICE, but not without complications...the Oklahoma wind had ratcheted up from 5-10 mph to 25+ with gusts to 35 (all data complimentary of the Oklahoma Mesonet).  Not good numbers for the long rod.  Nevertheless...

Carpe Diem!
I had planned this outing over a period of several days.  Recon had been performed with regard to quarry and the body of water where the stalking was to take place.  I was not to be denied.  Turbidity was a concern.

6-8 inch visibility had me thinking about a fly that would hopefully suit conditions.  Thinking bright, weighted, on an upturned hook, I came up with the best that my limited collection of materials would allow.  My version of the "Sucker Punch".

Materials I used:  # 6 hook, 6 strands rubber skirt material, bead chain eyes, dark and burnt orange dubbing and red squirrel tail.

Carpe Cyprinus carpio!!!

So, did it work?  The wind was howling, the fish were there, and I was willing.  Two out of three ain't bad.  Fortunately, with the dingy water and wave action the carp didn't spook easily, even with errant casts.  Regardless, they were mostly uncooperative.  Several were feeding in the shallows and occasionally there were up to 3 cloopers having their way with something only they could see.  At one time I counted 14 either rooting or clooping away.  Much of the time I could have attempted presenting a fly to fish that were 30-40 feet away, but I managed to wait till others would come to within 20 feet.  I must have casted to 10 or more individuals multiple times with no success.  Having one phantom hook-up over about an hour I was close to going home skunked when one willing 20 incher appeared to react to the fly.  Believing I had seen the line twitch, a strip-set was rewarded with a bent rod.  It was several moments before the carp really seemed to realize he had something tugging at his face, at which time he bulled his way pretty much wherever he wanted.  Finally after a pleasurable fight he began to tire.

Even now he wasn't ready to give in.

After a few more runs, carp and fisherman are equally spent.

Sending him on his way, I packed away my things, enjoyed the sunset for a moment,

and headed for home.

Cyprinus carpio, until we meet again.

River Etiquette

We made it to the river for our first trouting outing of the season this past Thursday, and the river was covered up due to the holidays. Fishing was tough...the catch and keep crowd appear to have been highly active and brutally effective during this mild stretch of winter weather...not bitching mind you, after all that is why the good Lord made 'em and why our underappreciated OK Wildlife Department stocked 'em, but that's my excuse for us catching only 3 fish that afternoon. As Collin Raye puts it...that's my story and I'm stickin to it!!!

Now, on to behavior that is near and dear to my heart. River Etiquette.

We've all done unto others and had others do unto us, unintentually as well as intentually, just for giggles as well as with malice, but it seems to me, as an educator, maybe it's time to add Social Graces 101 to our public school curriculmn!! At least that way our youth will grow up knowing WHEN they've committed a "breach of etiquette" and they'll understand WHY someone served them a knuckle sandwich!...now, the REST of the story...

We (Alan, Felix and me) parked at the west parking lot off SH 7 and hoofed it to the first area where the road bends next to the river. Suprised to find it unoccupied, we entered the water and Felix, new rod in hand, said he hadn't caught anything with it yet. I told him we'd christen it at this spot...fortunately I was right. He caught his first, and I'm sorry to say, last trout with that rod...it broke about 2 hours later. If he had only known this little tidbit of intel shortly after his first catch, this story could have turned out significantly different.

Each of us, Felix and me with lines on the water, and Alan, on the bank playing shutterbug, were doing our thing when a couple of kayakers came banging along headed upstream from the south. They had to portage the small falls behind us and I found out later that us cousins were thinking the same thing...there was plenty of room behind us and SURELY they would not go over our lines, but instead portage behind us. Never assume...a maxim that has come home to roost too many times, and will again. You can't tell from the pic, but Felix's rod and line made a lovely pointed arch for one of them to continue their journey.

As I said, if Felix had only known at this moment how his rod would meet it's demise...

When the rod broke later that day, I mentioned to Alan that Felix maintained his composure quite well...better than me...he never uttered a word and I was suprized. To paraphrase "A Christmas Story", I would have woven a tapestry of obscinity that would still be hanging in space over Blue River. Alan's reply? He was suprised how well Felix maintained his composure, and I'll stay with the "Christmas Story" theme here, during what would have surely become known as the Red Kayak Affair!!

Yodellers like Red Kayak may never understand river etiquette, but maybe Social Graces 101 could help keep some kids from eating a knuckle sandwich, or at least understand why their jaw is wired and they're dining on Gerber products for the forseeable future.