June is TAKC "Take a Kid Carping" month for the Carp Anglers Group.
To honor of this event, I had the privilege to take Casey, Brittany and their 4 yr old son, Brayden, out carp fishing for their first time. Casey had written to me earlier in the year to ask if I could take his son our fishing so he could see a carp up close and personal !
I chose Chatfield Reservoir, CO, as the destination. This venue had provided some great days fishing last year. If there was anyone to get a carp on the the bank for the young lad, this would be it.
So, how did we do ?
Casey banked his first carp, and the biggest of the session, a fine 13 lb 8 oz common. I landed 3 more commons, all low doubles. Though we did not manage to catch a carp "as big as Brayden", we sure tried for the young lad. His enthusiasm was quite infectious.
Casey went on to take Brayden out again carp fishing over the following days and week and they had some real fine captures.
I had the opportunity to meet and fish with a wonderful family.
Brayden was able to get up close and personal with some big fish. He did appear quite pleased with our captures!
So to all of you, get out there, and "Take a Kid Carping"
Heck, just take a kid fishing, it's worth it, to see the beaming smile upon their face!
Here was the video of that session, hope you enjoy !
You just never know who you may bump into on the bank side.
I headed up to Chatfield Reservoir on Wednesday, 5/27/14, the first long distance run for my new (1999 4-runner), the "carp mobile". I was planning to meet up with a young lad from the Carp Anglers Group. He was interested in learning about carping with "bait" rather than "on the fly". Alas, due to a last minute schedule change for him, he wasn't able to make it. I almost cancelled the trip.
However, for the CarpQuest, and the lure of Chatfield, I just had to head up there.
As it turned out I was not to fish alone this day. Whilst walking Raven, my carp-dog pup, down the bank I met up with old familiar face from FXR, Jacob. He was already there, on the shoreline, both rods out and had been fishing since the morning without much success.
Fishing is always better with a friend. So after a bit of a chat, some introductions to my "psycho" puppy, I setup just down the shore from him - making sure we both had enough room so as not to get tangled if we got fish-on.
We didn't have to wait long before the carp action was ON. I banked a couple of commons, 10'12 and 14'6,
Jacob followed up with a pair for himself, both around the 10 lb mark. Jacob had another real nice ~12 lb'er mid-afternoon.
The next few hours we both had our fair share of miss-adventures with fish-on, fish-off, a couple in particular right before they were at the net - sometimes carping is not so easy!
Just before 5 pm, as I was about to pack up for the long drive home, I had a nice run and landed my 3rd of the session, an 8 lb common - before that was even in the net, my 2nd rod had real a screamer and the best fish of the day, a real chunky 18 lb common, was banked.
All told, we landed 7 carp, lost maybe 4 or 5 between us.
It was a great afternoon, doubly so, as I got the opportunity to fish with an old friend I hadn't seen since an early session last year. We shared the highs and the lows of fishing together that day. I also finally managed to get some carp on film again for CarpQuest.
It would have been easy for me just to cancel my trip when I found out my intended partner for the day wouldn't be able to make it. I am so glad I did not and chose to make the drive up to Chatfield yesterday. It was an unexpected meeting with an old friend and a chance for us to fish together again.
So get out there, rods in hand, you just will never know you may meet up with.
Here is the video I took of the session.
Don't forget to subscribe to my youtube channel, www.youtube.com/johnfinneycarping to keep up with all the latest episodes as they are published.
CarpQuest is all about having fun and, most of all, fishing with friends.
On a chilly early morning I took a trip to Pikeview Reservoir, Colorado Springs, to fish with James. Arriving just before dawn I got setup, drank that first morning cup of java and waited to see what the light of day would bring.
Since the start of the season we had yet to put a carp upon the bank together. The sweet corn had not gotten the quick action of the past year and it was time to change something. So, rather than fish my usual sweet corn and panko/oats pack bait, I decided to go with something different, some NGT tiger nuts.
James arrived an hour or so later. We both had other commitments later in the morning so this was really going to be a very quick session. Fortunately I had seen a few carp jumping and rolling out on the water earlier. I was initially fishing both to the left and right of the spot. It was a coin flip, should James fish to the left, or the right? Both had showing fish. I volunteered the right side and James setup quickly and got his baits cast out.
The session was brought to life when James had a great fast run and soon after banked a fine 18 lb 12 oz grass carp. He was a very "Happy" man to say the least. Well done James !
This was the first carp banked together for the "carp crew" of the season. James had to depart again soon afterwards and by 9am I also had to head for home. It really was a lightning quick session, only a few hours. Though I had not put one in the net for myself I was so happy to see James holding up his prized capture. All in all, a successful outing to Pikeview !
from my fishexplorer,com article; Recently I was talking to colleague of mine who is an avid hunter. The topic of conversation drifted, as it usually does, to the merits of catch and release fishing. This is often a great debate. On one side is the desire of the “trophy” hunter to preserve his glorious catch forever. On the other, the conscientious angler, who advocates for preserving the ever diminishing trophy fish resources the future. As you can imagine, it was not a dull conversation! One topic we did at least agree upon was that over the past few decades the fish taxidermy industry has changed significantly. Fiberglass technology now means there is no longer a need for a trophy fish capture to be kept to create a lifelike replica at a later date. A reproduction can be created from but a photograph or detailed description. Ironically this was a topic I had been researching having recently stumbled across some very lifelike photographs of fish replicas online and reading a few other forum posts. There does appear to be some common problems that occur with the traditional “skin mount” fish reproductions, especially with regard to their longevity over time. Some of these issues are reported as shrinkage of the skin, discoloration of the paint, brittle fins that snap or fall off, lifting and peeling of scales, nefarious odor and finally in the worst cases, degradation of the product to where it appears more akin to a decaying “zombie” than your once remembered prized trophy fish! A fiberglass reproduction in theory should be far more durable, able to withstand hot, cold, humid and dry climates and should never shrink or deteriorate. The paintwork should not fade and be easy to maintain and clean. The cost of the final reproduction appears to be comparable with the traditional taxidermy “skin mount”. Fiberglass replicas are made from a cast taken from a base mold. This is then finished and painted. There are mass market molds, and fully finished replicas available, for a multitude of given species and sizes, both saltwater and freshwater. However these mass market replica’s will not be your actual trophy individual fish, they are but a representation of the species, size and sometimes sex. For the angler who desires that true to life reproduction of their own capture then custom replicas can be made. A taxidermist creates a mold specifically to resemble your actual fish, down to the texture of skin, scales, fins and final pose. This is a very time consuming and difficult task and only a skilled taxidermist will be able to provide the quality of work required. To produce the custom replica you will be asked to provide a photograph of the fish and a description. The more accurate the photo the better the reproduction, take pictures of the fish in three sections, from tail to mid-section, full mid-section and mid-section to head. Custom molds and finishing obviously cost far more than an off-the-shelf product. The labor, artistic skill and time required is considerable but the final result will be a replica that truly resembles your capture and will be worthy of that “trophy” mount. In general, to form the replica, the custom mold is first thoroughly cleaned, then brushed with wax, to prevent any sticking. Gelcoat and fiberglass are applied to each section. A thick bead of fiberglass resin putty is pasted around the perimeter of each mold cavity. The mold is closed and clamped together. Once the putty has set the mold is opened to reveal the unfinished blank. The mouth section is cut open and expanding foam poured inside. Once dried the foam provides the base upon which to later sculpt and form fishes mouth. Excess casting material is removed, seam lines sanded and the blank is sculpted to give the fish that perfect shape and lines. Glass eyes, fins and teeth are attached. The unfinished replica is given a coat of primer then a white base coat. It is then given the final paint job. It takes a true artist to apply the intricate details that pick up the colors, deep detail and highlights that make the finished replica appear so lifelike. Once pained the replica is given a protective polyurethane coat and the final work is ready to be displayed. Each finished replica is a real work of art. There can be huge variances in the look of the final product. A high quality piece could appear more lifelike than a skin mount, whereas a lower quality product would look no better than a painted piece of plastic! The single most important part of the process is the final painting and the skill of the artist. Though I would not personally want a replica of “CarpZilla” hanging in my family room I do highly respect and appreciate the true artistry into producing these amazing reproductions. Replicas are one alternative for the trophy hunter to view their prized capture, mounted and displayed on a shelf in their home and still promote sustainable catch and release fishing. Replicas may not be for everyone but they should at least be considered when you are holding that trophy capture in your hands and imagining it upon the shelf at home. If you are interested in having a replica made for your trophy capture it would be worth investing the time in researching the taxidermist and artist first. Custom replicas are not cheap so ask to see some examples of their finished products, especially of the species you want reproducing. For the more financially frugal inclined, there is always another option. A camera, an enlarged photograph, a nice wooden frame. Also sits nicely upon the mantle! I have included a couple of examples of carp replicas to demonstrate just what is possible. I would like to thank Replica's Inc. (www.fishreplicasinc.com), based here in Colorado, for their permission to include the photographs of some of their replicas and for their support of catch and release fishing.
From their own website they simply state, in response to a FAQ question,
"Can
I get my actual fish mounted instead of getting a fish replica?"
While
there are people out there who will taxidermy your actual fish, we no longer
offer that service. We feel that the advantages of the fish replica outweigh
any reason to mount the actual fish. One of the major benefits of a fish
replica are that it will last forever, there is no shrinkage over time so you
don't end up with a piece of "fish jerky" on your wall. We encourage catch and release when at all possible, so the fish replica allows
a fisherman to still enjoy the trophy.
Let us all hope more anglers start to practice catch & release fishing in the future!
2013 was a an amazing year for CarpQuest. Early in the season I found my old Sony Camcorder and started the video blogs. We fished new venues, met new friends and banked some stunning carp together.
We fished at Quail Lake, Prospect Lake, Runyon Lake, Pikeview Reservoir, Willow Springs Ponds, Chatfield Reservoir, Pueblo Reservoir, Valco Ponds, Boyd Lake, Brush Hollow Reservoir and Bear Lake, UT.
Beautiful scenery and wildlife were observed, including ducks, geese, muskrat, snakes, herons and more varieties of birds I simply cannot name.
We fished in temperatures below freezing and over 100F.
We endured the baking sun, snow, and sometimes rain. Winds strong enough to blow us almost off our feet and slippery mud slopes.
Once we trekked through miles of wilderness to reach a secret spot - on the hike back from which I ended up tearing my shoulder and missed almost a month of fishing whilst waiting for it to recover! (the things we do for CarpQuest!)
We drove up mountains, down trails, and once got so lost we ended doing some insane off-roading in the family SUV - mistakenly I would add and not something i'd recommend!
We caught common carp, mirror carp, rainbow trout, a channel catfish, crayfish and untold, and sometimes unrecognizable, debris!
We had line cut off's, more hook pulls that I care to remember. We fell into the water, we dove into the water to prevent a fish escaping and even snapped the top section of one rod clean in half whilst playing a fish.
My old Sony Handycam finally died at the end of year and has now been replaced with a Canon HD camcorder. In total we went fishing 52 times, had the lines out for about 266 hours and caught exactly, 100 carp (log books are a wonderful thing!)
It was the year of "CarpZilla", my new PB common carp at 37 lb and 5 oz.
On a sunny, and surprisingly warm, Sunday morning I ventured out for my second session of the year. My first trip, a week before, had not ended so well. The plastic line-guard on one of my Daiwa reels shattering. I am still waiting on the replacement Daiwa are sending me. Here is the video I made of today's session.
This was to be a real short session. I wanted to test a few rigs and experiment with my usual packbaits to how they worked with PVA stick. I had not previously used PVA and this year I want to get them worked into my rotation to allow a wider option of baits and range in my fishing.
It had been almost a year since I last fished Quail Lake. The ice was off now for a few weeks and it would be interesting to see if the venue had changed. It was also time to take my new puppy Raven with me to see how she does at the bank and being my fishing companion. At 5 months old it would take all of her concentration and patience to sit there calmly as I fished.
Given that this would be but a few short hours on the bank I decided to travel light. I only took my old 8ft ugly stick with a shakespeare reel spooled with 12 lb Berkley Trilene Big Game, a pair of banksticks, a single bite alarm, a weigh sling, backpack full of tackle, weigh scale, folding chair and lots of water for myself and "Raven" to consume. I was set to meet up with a friend who was bringing his landing net and carp mat. It is amazing just how much stuff we drag to the bank even for such a short session!
We arrived at the lake around 10am and met up with James. There were so many people out there fishing already it was like seeing an army of ants crawling across a hill. The majority of anglers were fishing from the shore, their chairs setup, cool boxes nearby and lines flying out with baits attached. A few folk were out upon the water casting fly lines from their belly boats and inflatables. It took us a while walking but we finally reached one of our usual spots that was free from other anglers.
James fished an area just out from an inlet pipe. I fished directly out into the middle of the lake, prehaps 75 yards off the shore. The next few hours were occupied with numerous false takes and short runs; the likely culprit, trout. I experimented with using a bait glug/dip and got some practice in with making PVA sticks. I learned quickly that PVA mesh and sweet corn, right out of the can, just do not mix - the PVA stick quickly dissolving between my fingers to demonstrate the error of my ways!
Having forgotten to bring a hanger I constructed one from a broken stick. It worked surprisingly well and was adept and indicating the focus the corn based baits were getting.
Just before our session came to an end a passerby informed us that Quail Lake was so busy as it had just been sticked with a few thousand trout for the put & take crowd. One thing I know all too well is that trout really enjoy corn and will voraciously peck away at any bait that resembles it.
Raven had done really well for the few hours fishing. She spent most of her time watching warily the nearby anglers and was especially interested in those out on the water fishing with their fly rods. She is an expert at digging holes and soon had one excavated to place sticks and her bone within. For a couple of hours her patience held out and I am actually looking forwards now to taking her with me again for a longer session. As she is so young it is very important at this phase to keeping her socialization with others paramount and introducing her to new environments.
Tight Lines,
John
CarpQuest
some of the products used in this trip included:
Korda Kaptor wide-gape hooks - size 6
Korda Funnel Web PVA System
CC-Moore Meteor Bait Dip
I still recall that day in 1978 when my Uncle Frank took me out fishing on the River Trent in England. I was 10 years old and had never fished before in my life. I was excited as we left the house and made the long drive to the river. We set up on the shoreline. My Uncle cast out the rods and told me, “this one is yours – watch it – closely – and when the tip bends around to here, strike and start reeling”. As with all 10 year olds, paying attention was not my strong suit. I sat there for what seemed like hours watching the tip of that rod bend slowly back and forth with the current. Finally the tip bent around, I yanked the rod from the simple y-rests and started reeling as if my very life depended on it. A few minutes later, net in hand, my uncle was emerging from the shallow water with my prize in his net – a chub. It was not huge, perhaps a couple of pounds in weight, but it was my fish, I had caught it, nobody else but me! That was the start of an angling obsession that often consumed my summers for many years. Carp soon became my target species. I was always searching for, but was never able to bank, that elusive 20. I did finally land an 18 lb mirror and that remains my UK Personal Best. It is now almost 30 years later. I stopped fishing around the time I left school – different interests consumed my time back in those days. I have been married for over 17 years. I emigrated 13 years ago from the UK to the US and now reside in Colorado Springs, CO. My unexpected return to the carping passion began spring 2012 on my first ever camping trip. I had planned a trip with my wife to Lake Hasty. Of course, whilst at the lake, I knew I must cast a line or two into the water. I made the obligatory pre-camping trip to the local Sportsman’s Warehouse and left armed with a veritable arsenal of entry level tackle designed for spin casting aimed at catching trout, walleye or bass. During that first camping trip, and after a few days fishing, I soon learned that I was obviously a horrific trout fisherman, the walleye must be a fish of mere legend and bass, well, that was a fish I would have to look up on the internet to actually see one. I was seriously reconsidering my new fishing exploits. Having failed to catch the local “sport fish” I decided to spend my last few days fishing the way I had learned as a youth so many years ago. The powerbait was deposited in a nearby trash can. The spinning lures returned to the tackle box. I went down to the local bait store and bought a carton of worms, rigged up a simple running rig with an egg-sinker and tossed the lines out. I positioned the rods at a 90 degree angle to the bank and fished the old school “ledger” – and waited. To my amazement I soon caught a small common carp, then another and another. As you can imagine I was very surprised to see the fish of my youth coming from a lake some 5000+ miles from home. Well, that was it - there are carp in these here waters! That old passion for carp fishing had been rekindled anew. Scouring the internet for US carp fishing information I found the Carp Anglers Group (CAG). Their forums became an incredible source of up to date modern fishing information. I quickly joined and became a member. With the help of many of the CAG members I modified my approach, my baits, my rigs. For the remainder of the year I spent my free time fishing in the local lakes in and around Colorado Springs. I even managed to land a 24 lb common. In 2013 my obsession with carp fishing continued. As soon as the ice was off the lakes my quest for carp began, this time, the journey was to "video blogged" in my Carp Quest series on youtube. I shared the bank side with some great fishermen I met through the Fish Explorer.Com. I also became the CAG State Chair for Colorado. There have certainly been highs - a 37 lb 5oz common carp from Chatfield Reservoir, the lows - blanking for 9 straight sessions at my favorite local venue, Pikeview Reservoir. I have learned that patience is key and that you must have confidence in your tackle, methods, baits and choice of location. Most of all I have learned that I enjoy sharing my tales and my experiences with others, promoting the sport of carp fishing, and assisting others in achieving their goals. Often I have found more pleasure in seeing a fellow angler catch a new PB, than landing a fish of my own. With the 2014 season about to start the fishing tackle has been cleaned off and the camera batteries charged. The Quest for Carp is again about to begin. Some here call me the "UK Madman", others CO Springs John. Me, I call myself a fisherman - perhaps a little obsessed with my passion at times! Tight Lines, and hope you see you on the bank side. John
