Fall Carping

A close friend of mine has taken his carp fishing interest to another level. He's into it big time right now. While I don't get to join him as often as I would like, when I do he usually brings everything but the kitchen sink and the spot has been pre-baited for days. I joined him and my uncle on two such sessions this week. One night we crushed them with nine carp coming to the net. The second night was a different story, but the three inches of rain the day before had something to do with that. We waited all night for one run-off from a 23-pound heffer. 

I've always enjoyed fishing for carp, yet never crossed the line to where things get serious in terms of top-shelf gear and bait preparation. Maybe someday, but for now sitting in with these guys once in a while is good enough for me. It's such a blast kicking back with a few drinks and shooting the shit between bite alarms going off. And when you do get a water buffalo on the line, man do they pull hard! I'm already looking forward to the next night on the bank. 

Looking Back

I was very blessed in 2015 between watching my beautiful daughter grow, landing a new job and finishing grad school. While this past year won't be remembered for the most time I've ever spent on the water, I sure as hell made the most of each trip. Below is a look back at some angling highlights from a memorable 2015.

FRESH: The balmy winter weather we've been experiencing lately makes me appreciate 2015's ice season all the more. Friends and I had a blast in the Adirondacks jigging up lake trout and enjoyed great opportunities back home as well, like rare late-ice trips to Connecticut's largest lake. Spring brought with it our cherished Opening Day camping trip, strong mayfly hatches and several quality trout to the net. I also tagged along on a fun carp excursion on the Connecticut River, a pike float on the upper Housatonic and a small stream jaunt in the mountains. In the fall, I paid a few visits to my favorite reservoir for a handful of keeper walleye and hefty smallmouth. To close the year, I floated a river I'd never been to before and hooked (and lost!) a trout that will keep me going back.

SALT: What I'll remember most about the 2015 saltwater season was the copious amounts of menhaden in Long Island Sound and its tributaries. It wasn't limited to adult bunker either; for the first time in a long time, we experienced an incredible display of peanut bunker in our local waters, which helped attract all sorts of marine life from Humpback whales to a memorable run of false albacore. Speaking of false albacore, an unforgettable memory from this past year was catching a late-October albie five minutes from my home, in a shirt and tie before work no less! I also was lucky to witness some amazing bluefish blitzes, land a few nice bass from shore, and catch my first keeper fluke in a kayak. 

 Here's to a healthy and fish-filled 2016!

Carp Camp

One of the cool things about fishing for carp is that it be as simple as using beat-up rods and canned corn or it can be as serious as using thousand-dollar set ups and homemade boilies. A few friends that sit on the latter part of that spectrum recently wrapped up a week-long camping and carping trip on private land along the Connecticut River. They may not readily admit it, but these guys are among the best carp anglers in the region. I was fortunate enough to drop in on their carp camp for a day.

The last time I fished with this crew was in the fall of 2013 and it was an absolute blast. The amount of carp knowledge that fell on my lap in that session was out of control. This time didn't disappoint either. While the windy conditions were a pain to deal with, lot of laughs were had and there was a steady pick of smallish carp up to 21-pounds throughout an incoming tide. However, just about every other day that week provided much better action and size with eight fish over 30-pounds gracing their nets.

Throughout the week they had special guests visit from all over and there was enough camera equipment on hand that it looked like a GoPro commercial. This crew takes pride in their fishing and camping and do a hell of a job documenting and sharing their passion. Here is one of their videos from the same spot last fall. I can't wait to see what they have in store for the video project this time around.