A Little Late Season Redemption

When you try so hard to catch those big fish and end up blowing the shot it just plain hurts. You feel yourself sink inside and rationalize to yourself that it's really ok, you really don't suck, the conditions just weren't quite right. You can't lie to yourself for very long though. Soon that feeling of "dammit I wish I had of stuck that fish!" comes flooding back in. There are many ways to blow the shot but the most painful of all to me is losing the Zen of detecting the take. I don't get nearly as upset about blowing a beautiful shot when I line the line fish or spook it with the plop of the fly as I do when I blow it from missing the take. The take is the best moment of the whole experience and detecting it with consistency in all conditions is what I strive for. It's difficult as hell to do. I've had some off days lately where I just seemed a little too early or late to get solid sticks. I wondered what had happened to my mojo.

Today was the first time I have been back on the Big C since labor Day weekend when I fished with John Montana. I had some really good shots at serioulsy bruiser big carp that day and the best I could do was prick one's lip for about 2 seconds. It was damn hard that day. But as always it is a great time fishing with John. Today I was expecting to see fewer fish with it being later in the season with lower water levels, cooler nights and slightly cooler days. Sometimes it is good to be wrong. Right out of the car there were tailing carp and and I immediately hooked a 15 pounder which ended up being the biggest of the day.

First and biggest carp of the day

That felt really good. I read the take well on an eat at about 30 feet away. Was the mojo back? It was early. The rest of day would tell. I had many more shots and got 15 to hand in 4 hours of fishing. All were between 10 and 15 pounds.

14 lbs.

12 lbs.

 



I feel good for now. A little self redemption. It was a beautiful mid September day. I am very blessed to have this precious time on the water and I savor each and every second of it.