Yeah… carp are pretty hideous critters, but for a land-locked angler without ready accesss to the redfish or bonefish flats of the warmer climes, carp are just the remedy. That’s particularly true this time of year, with unpredictable weather in the Rockies, the beginning of runoff and, in most cases, snowed-in high-country streams that won’t be ready to fish for another month or so.
A few years ago, I stumbled on a pod of carp while chasing smallmouth bass on the Snake River downstream from American Falls Dam in eastern Idaho. I hooked my first fly-rod carp that day on a 4-weight, and realized almost immediately that I had no chance of actually landing the beast. I battled hard for about 45 minutes before the fish spit the hook.
Unfortunately, just as the carp unfastened himself from my bunny leach streamer (something I’d tied years ago for Pacific surf perch), I became forever hooked on these exotic denizens that have invaded waters all over the country. So, each spring I pull out my saltwater gear and visit a flat where carp swarm during the spring months for their annual spawn, and chase the Rocky Mountain bonefish… the Golden Torpedo … the Backwater Rocket. I can make one promise: you will see your backing when you fly fish for carp.
This year, you can join us, to0. TU is hosting a benefit fly fishing tournament at that very flat May 21-22. Your entry fee of $150 per tw0-man team will go directly to support the work TU is doing on the South Fork of the Snake River (where carp are scarce, but big browns and Yellowstone cutthroats will turn you into a dry-fly junkie).
For details on the tournament, drop me a line at chunt@tu.org, or visit the tournament’s website. You’ll have a great weekend, and you could win some great prizes, including overnight guided floats on the South Fork, a Mystic 8-weight rod, a Patagonia fly fishing vest, and more.
Hope to see you in Idaho next month.
-CH
