2022 Carpin’ thread

Back during the first summer of the pandemic - 2020 - I decided I wanted to catch a carp from the Susquehanna River. I knew it'd be easier to target them in smaller streams, but living along the river and fishing it a lot got me obsessed with trying to land one. I spent countless hours finding where they were, stalking them, casting and spooking them, and even hooked into a few only to have them tear me off. I even wrote a poem and an essay about NOT catching them.

Well, yesterday I finally landed my first carp from the Susquehanna River. On a sparkling minnow type fly of all things. Of course I land my first carp on the wrong fly (will probably turn into some sort of essay). I came up on a really deep eddy and there were two feeding and I didn't have time to switch flies so I casted to the right of the carp and it turned how it was finally supposed to turn and immediately inhaled the fly and I set the hook and we went back and forth for a while and I finally landed him. Beautifully ugly. Woohoo!! So stoked. Can't wait to go back out....
AC7A2526-21DD-4C99-B6D8-7DC0EF7940DE_1_201_a.jpeg0871D441-13E6-423C-A667-B4C7FBED879A_1_201_a.jpeg1F110312-3307-454F-B29C-524064337CC3_1_201_a.jpeg
 
Congrats, raftman!! That’s a nice carp. Glad you sealed the deal on the big river. Thanks for sharing with us.
 
I haven’t fished for carp in about 6 weeks but I always like to still give the carp a chance in late summer/early fall during the month of September. Stuck this golden beauty this afternoon and it totally attacked the fly. With bow season just around the corner, the Carpin’ gear will soon be put away for another season but it was another fun year.
B3348489-07E2-4392-8071-AD42C246AEFE.jpeg
 
thanks. i caught that in early spring. what a great fight they put up.
Indeed, I’ve spent the last 10 years Carpin’ and have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Carp on the fly are a blast. Tight lines and screaming reels!!
 
Top