The Big C 2011: Invasion Of The Carp

I spent the past four days fly fishing the Columbia river for carp with John Montana.  It is difficult, if not impossible for me to give a full blow-by-blow of my visit.  There is too much.  To many visions of fish ghosting into view through waving flooded grass, brambles, tree trunks and even barbed wire fences.


Only fair to release it to it's side of the fence.  Looks awkward? You should have seen us land it.

Dreamy slow motion images of fish gently sucking in the fly amidst total chaos run non-stop through my weary head.


At times it was kind of creepy, but it was also beautiful

There were at least 20 carp in front of me.  What, can't you see them?

The most remarkable aspect of the trip was the situation we faced due to the high water in the Columbia River.  If, like me, you have never been there things looked fairly normal from the road.  A really big river looks like a really big river.   Evidently for those that know it the river defied recognition with the main river flooded to the point where scuba fishing with a spear was more realistic than fly fishing. 


The grass carp are soooooo jealous

Once you got down to the level of the river the extremity of the situation became more clear.  Any and all low-lying planes of vegetation near the river were hiding a dirty little secret.  Two dirty little secrets.  First, they were all flooded.  In many areas the flood plane ran at least a quarter mile from the river.  Second, carp had marshaled the stinking hordes and performed a massive invasion of this low lying flooded vegetation. 

John Deep Deep In The Shit - And Yes, He Hooked Up!

For now and the foresee-able future any nearby parks, grass fields, shrub-land and farm pastures are no longer the purveyance of man.  This is now carp country folks.



The carp were totally game for a picnic

Turtle grass in Oregon?  Nah, just good old park lawn

I remember as a child having dreams of how bizarre and interesting it would be to live through a flood.  I am sure that most kids have had these visions at some point.  Pictures of floating a canoe down main-street and fishing from your front porch.  The reality is no dream of course.  Floods ruin many lives and livelihoods every year.  Nevertheless, I could feel that childlike fascination creeping in many times over the trip and it truly was amazing to not only fish, but have significant success in these conditions.  Thank you so much John, I will never forget this experience!

How significant was the success?  We will get to that eventually, but if you just can't stand cliff-hangers take a jaunt over to Carp on the fly for the skinny.
    

Obligatory one-hander.  Eat your heart out WFF, I found a 6lber!