Official 2025 CARP (and Capr) thread
- Thread starter Evan B
- Start date
Got out on the big river today over by that place that sounds really hot. I walked MILES of flats and saw ZERO carp. I tried 2 more flats that typically have lots of fish. I have buddies that slayed them just last week. I think 2 things accounted for no fish on the flats- heavy winds and dropping water in the last couple days. I could tell from the still wet, but exposed mud the water level had come down in the last day or so. Sure enough, looks like I showed up at literally the lowest stage, according to the closest gauge. And the wind was pretty nasty right when I got there. It let up a bit, but was still tough.
I'm literally in awe of covering so much ground and not seeing a single carp. I don't think I've ever done that. Haha! What an accomplishment!
The funniest part is after I gave up on the big river and headed west to trend back towards home I stopped off at the Fio Rito lakes. Or as my buddy calls them the Frito ponds. Haha! I'd never been there so wanted to check em out.
I pull into one of the parking spots, at the main lot and as I'm shifting into park 2 carp jump only 2 truck lengths in front of me. Hey! Carp!
Of course, I can't see the bottom, can't see the carp except for when they come out of the water, but I swear I saw a couple hit adult damsels. Well, I didn't bring any dry damsels. I did have some nymphs though. So I cast and stripped damsel nymphs, put them under a bobber (brought those in case of the wind!) and even casted regular carp flies and slow stripped at all different levels. Not a thing. I was actually feeling optimistic about a damsel nymph hookup since I've had some luck with them before, but no go today.
So my finest skunk in a while.
I'm literally in awe of covering so much ground and not seeing a single carp. I don't think I've ever done that. Haha! What an accomplishment!
The funniest part is after I gave up on the big river and headed west to trend back towards home I stopped off at the Fio Rito lakes. Or as my buddy calls them the Frito ponds. Haha! I'd never been there so wanted to check em out.
I pull into one of the parking spots, at the main lot and as I'm shifting into park 2 carp jump only 2 truck lengths in front of me. Hey! Carp!
Of course, I can't see the bottom, can't see the carp except for when they come out of the water, but I swear I saw a couple hit adult damsels. Well, I didn't bring any dry damsels. I did have some nymphs though. So I cast and stripped damsel nymphs, put them under a bobber (brought those in case of the wind!) and even casted regular carp flies and slow stripped at all different levels. Not a thing. I was actually feeling optimistic about a damsel nymph hookup since I've had some luck with them before, but no go today.
So my finest skunk in a while.
I think (what, me?) that in heavy winds - with all the noise whitecaps make in shallow water, carp to move to quieter water where they don't have to work so hard and where they can hear, and avoid big tall predators wading the beach.Got out on the big river today over by that place that sounds really hot. I walked MILES of flats and saw ZERO carp. I tried 2 more flats that typically have lots of fish. I have buddies that slayed them just last week. I think 2 things accounted for no fish on the flats- heavy winds and dropping water in the last couple days. I could tell from the still wet, but exposed mud the water level had come down in the last day or so. Sure enough, looks like I showed up at literally the lowest stage, according to the closest gauge. And the wind was pretty nasty right when I got there. It let up a bit, but was still tough.
I'm literally in awe of covering so much ground and not seeing a single carp. I don't think I've ever done that. Haha! What an accomplishment!
The funniest part is after I gave up on the big river and headed west to trend back towards home I stopped off at the Fio Rito lakes. Or as my buddy calls them the Frito ponds. Haha! I'd never been there so wanted to check em out.
I pull into one of the parking spots, at the main lot and as I'm shifting into park 2 carp jump only 2 truck lengths in front of me. Hey! Carp!
Of course, I can't see the bottom, can't see the carp except for when they come out of the water, but I swear I saw a couple hit adult damsels. Well, I didn't bring any dry damsels. I did have some nymphs though. So I cast and stripped damsel nymphs, put them under a bobber (brought those in case of the wind!) and even casted regular carp flies and slow stripped at all different levels. Not a thing. I was actually feeling optimistic about a damsel nymph hookup since I've had some luck with them before, but no go today.
So my finest skunk in a while.
Yeah, I agree. I knew I was rolling the dice with the wind. And speaking of big tall predators, besides me, there's an osprey nest on the flats closest to Beverly. One of the adults nearly bombed me so I assume they must have littles in the nest. He/she was doing that chatting that I've been told is the stage right before they take more direct action. Glad I didn't get any talons in the head.
I spooked up 2 different pairs of gadwalls too. Male & female both faked being injured to try pulling me away from the nest that was somewhere in the tall grass on the islands.
I spooked up 2 different pairs of gadwalls too. Male & female both faked being injured to try pulling me away from the nest that was somewhere in the tall grass on the islands.
Continues to be a weird and relatively challenging year.
Hit the Columbia to fish steelhead this morning. Brought the carp stick along to hit a few slam dunk spots on the ride back to the launch.
Mission accomplished: steelhead bonked
Upon arriving to what I would consider one of if not the most prolific carping flat in the area, I immediately saw happy fish all river the place. Took my shots at several, and nearly every single one spooked. I mean, perfectly placed fly, they'd turn on it get a glance and bolt. All in all, these fish were on high alert as much as I've ever seen.
You can always tell when the local guide outfit has been pounding on the spots because the typically automatic fish turn extremely educated and become impossible to catch. Been tough the past few years as they run as many trips as they can book with two boats around these parts.
Hit the Columbia to fish steelhead this morning. Brought the carp stick along to hit a few slam dunk spots on the ride back to the launch.
Mission accomplished: steelhead bonked
Upon arriving to what I would consider one of if not the most prolific carping flat in the area, I immediately saw happy fish all river the place. Took my shots at several, and nearly every single one spooked. I mean, perfectly placed fly, they'd turn on it get a glance and bolt. All in all, these fish were on high alert as much as I've ever seen.
You can always tell when the local guide outfit has been pounding on the spots because the typically automatic fish turn extremely educated and become impossible to catch. Been tough the past few years as they run as many trips as they can book with two boats around these parts.
Last edited:
I guess it's inevitable that anything that's so much fun won't actually catch on, especially with the social media I wanna be a rock n roll star group. Bummer. I think that's what is happening with my home waters, it's just getting pounded. Pretty soon it will be two or three days of the annual Schmoots Clooper tournament boys n girls whooping it up and spooking the heck out of the carp. These fish do become more wary. And women get weary.
Steelhead on the barbie. Nice!
Yeah it's been a bummer. I know they're "just carp," but each year they've been getting hit harder and harder, mostly by a particular guide outfit. Then I scout new areas just to have them move in on those as well.
I fished it before they started these guide trips, and it's sure changed how the fish behave to say the least.
I did get a few eats today, but didn't land any. Got a few that took their initial big run and came off. So at least I got the best part of it.
Last edited:
Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Hmmm . . . maybe we need to tie-up a duck/goose crap capr pattern?
I think the pellet fly would work fine. The vendors right near there sell handfuls of pellets for a buck.
Right after the place opened, I noticed the capr clooping on trash and pond scum. I think the presence of people calls them to gather near where the fish food is sold and they’re just begging for handouts.
I also noticed an osprey hanging out.
Smoked up nice!
A thought, a question, pondering, wondering, rambling............. It seems that many of the times when I'm fishing for carp the fish go into some kind of non-bite mode. Floating without moving near the surface (we call them sunbathers), or just slowly swimming but not near bottom (these RARELY (more like never) eat what we offer), and then there's these fish that are there, not actively rooting or feeding but existing. So the question is if these fish seem to frequently be not eating, how do they get so big?
Darc and I have been pondering this and wondering about nocturnal feeding (I don't know if carp are feeding at night but why not?) and if so how actively? What are they eating that makes them ignore, or worse yet, turn away from, a fly that's worked in the past? I remember watching carp sucking river scum from small vortexes directly in front of Priest Rapids Dam's intake structure. Yummy. I know carp are ominvores so maybe they're eating some of that plant life on lake bottoms?
I watched Darc fish to quite a few carp today and saw a lot of refusals to two flies that have caught lots of fish in the past. HUH!
Carp feeding (or non-feeding) behavior is perplexing. I got a kick out @Matt B's post about the pellet fed carp and thought back to a trip my wife, daughter and I made to a resort area near Mt. Fuji. We stopped at one resort and fed carp (and some big rainbow trout) pellets. That was fun. As my mind wanders, I thought back to an irrigation ditch near the home where my wife grew up in Odawara, the ditch was loaded with koi and would actively feed on seeds I stripped from tall grasses growing along the ditch. The carp Darc and I fished to today were PICKY. Maybe we should set up a pellet feeding station (jk).
Darc and I have been pondering this and wondering about nocturnal feeding (I don't know if carp are feeding at night but why not?) and if so how actively? What are they eating that makes them ignore, or worse yet, turn away from, a fly that's worked in the past? I remember watching carp sucking river scum from small vortexes directly in front of Priest Rapids Dam's intake structure. Yummy. I know carp are ominvores so maybe they're eating some of that plant life on lake bottoms?
I watched Darc fish to quite a few carp today and saw a lot of refusals to two flies that have caught lots of fish in the past. HUH!
Carp feeding (or non-feeding) behavior is perplexing. I got a kick out @Matt B's post about the pellet fed carp and thought back to a trip my wife, daughter and I made to a resort area near Mt. Fuji. We stopped at one resort and fed carp (and some big rainbow trout) pellets. That was fun. As my mind wanders, I thought back to an irrigation ditch near the home where my wife grew up in Odawara, the ditch was loaded with koi and would actively feed on seeds I stripped from tall grasses growing along the ditch. The carp Darc and I fished to today were PICKY. Maybe we should set up a pellet feeding station (jk).
Well, hopefully I'll be able to add to this at some point after this weekend. It wouldn't take much to beat last weekend's CAPR trip in getting thoroughly ass-kicked. As in not seeing anything and all of the one's spotted were spotted spooking away from our general vicinity.
I guess even the greats struggle sometimes....
....
kidding of course...I never struggle....kidding....I do sometimes....
I guess even the greats struggle sometimes....
....kidding of course...I never struggle....kidding....I do sometimes....
We saw a lot of fish today, most of them were super spooky. It didn't help that I had a hard time poling Darc's big Lowe Roughneck with an 18-foot carbon fiber pole (and that I might have bumped the motor a few times).Well, hopefully I'll be able to add to this at some point after this weekend. It wouldn't take much to beat last weekend's CAPR trip in getting thoroughly ass-kicked. As in not seeing anything and all of the one's spotted were spotted spooking away from our general vicinity.
I guess even the greats struggle sometimes....
kidding of course...I never struggle....kidding....I do sometimes....