Vote! Fish of the Year.

Updated: 2009 Fish of the Year: BVI Tarpon

Help us settle a year end holiday dispute at This River is Wild. Which fish over the past year was the greatest? We each put in two entries for fish of the year and hopefully our small readership will help end the bickering between us (there really is none). So what makes the fish of the year? Is it the size of the fish, story and experience, or beauty? Here are the entries with an accompanying link to the post. Vote on the top right of the blog. Happy holidays!

Option 1: Adam's First Canal Carp

Weeks of toiling in the mosquito infested canal of Walnutport culminated in this massive golden bone. Story & more images here: Flawless Victory

Monster Golden Ghost of the Walnutport Canal.

Option 2: Savage River Brown Trout

A successful first trip to the Savage River in Western Maryland produced some gorgeous wild brown trout in a scenic setting. This was the prettiest. Story and images here: Savage

Beautiful Savage River Brown.

Option 3: Anegada Bonefish

As a birthday present for my brother, Stacy took Matt out to Anegada where wading the flats, he landed his first ever bonefish. Story and pictures here: Chasing Tail in Anegada.

Bro's First Bonefish.

Option 4: British Virgin Islands Tarpon.

Out with a friend, Matt tied into a 80 pound tarpon that schooled him in the surf while evading a curious shark. Story and images here: Megalops Atlanticus

The first Tarpon: Deliverance

Epic Tarpon Battle From the Rocks.

Option 5: Salmon River Brown

As the rain began to fall, Adam tested out a tri-cluster egg sucking leech. The brown exploded off the bottom as the fly hit the water. Story and images here: Salmon River Revenge

More epic brown trout: Shooting Stars

Salmon River Brown on the Tri-Cluster Leech.

Option 6: Lago X Carp

My best day ever Carp fishing culminated in this brute that was slowly stalked and picked off some weed beds. A blistering run and my fly line disappeared into the middle of the lake. Story and images here: CARP!

Goliath Lago-X Carp.

Although these fish may not be the largest fish we caught all year, they certainly were some of the more memorable. As the new year approaches, new water and challenges await us that are sure to produce more memories and even more epic moments.

Finding Time...

Between Mark teaching and me still in school we have little time in which to spend on the water together. We decided one Saturday morning to converge on Lake X to do some carpin. We arrived at sunrise to find a population of spooky (conditioned) carp that bolted at the sight of your fly. This scenario is a welcome one to me because it is indeed my fault that they are so spooky.

Mark and I fished our way around the lake with no luck. Then I spotted a lone cruiser 40 feet out, gave him a decent lead and watched him come over and suck it in. During the fight the fish must have dislodged the fly and got re-hooked in one of his attempts to bury itself deep within the weeds, because when I finally landed him the fly was right outside his mouth. I guess technically it wasn’t a legit catch but I didn’t care, I watched him eat fly and getting one to do that on this day was a feat in itself.

Carp Will Make One Do Weird Things...

Not too long after landing my fish, Mark had hooked up in “carp cove”. Carp cove is where about half of the carp population usually resides, making fishing for these fish quite difficult. I hadn’t seen Mark so happy in a long time. There is something about fishing for carp that is unlike any other…it’s the feeling you get after being refused 30 times in a row and then finally hooking up, and in that instance where the fish boils and takes off…well, it’s the best feeling in the world. PERIOD…

Tongue Out...Quite Pleased.

Finding Time...

Between Mark teaching and me still in school we have little time in which to spend on the water together. We decided one Saturday morning to converge on Lake X to do some carpin. We arrived at sunrise to find a population of spooky (conditioned) carp that bolted at the sight of your fly. This scenario is a welcome one to me because it is indeed my fault that they are so spooky.

Mark and I fished our way around the lake with no luck. Then I spotted a lone cruiser 40 feet out, gave him a decent lead and watched him come over and suck it in. During the fight the fish must have dislodged the fly and got re-hooked in one of his attempts to bury itself deep within the weeds, because when I finally landed him the fly was right outside his mouth. I guess technically it wasn’t a legit catch but I didn’t care, I watched him eat fly and getting one to do that on this day was a feat in itself.

Carp Will Make One Do Weird Things...

Not too long after landing my fish, Mark had hooked up in “carp cove”. Carp cove is where about half of the carp population usually resides, making fishing for these fish quite difficult. I hadn’t seen Mark so happy in a long time. There is something about fishing for carp that is unlike any other…it’s the feeling you get after being refused 30 times in a row and then finally hooking up, and in that instance where the fish boils and takes off…well, it’s the best feeling in the world. PERIOD…

Tongue Out...Quite Pleased.

Golden Ghosts.

This River Is Wild has been doing a lot of carping this summer and carping isn't exactly easy. We were lucky  enough to catch a lot of bones and when we could, we tried to document with our digital cameras. I put together the following short that brings a lot of our posts alive in video with a kick ass song to boot. I hope all those carp addicts out there enjoy it. Let me know what you think. We have come a long way since the original golden bones video that you might have seen floating around the internet. This blows it out of the water. 

Golden Ghosts.

This River Is Wild has been doing a lot of carping this summer and carping isn't exactly easy. We were lucky  enough to catch a lot of bones and when we could, we tried to document with our digital cameras. I put together the following short that brings a lot of our posts alive in video with a kick ass song to boot. I hope all those carp addicts out there enjoy it. Let me know what you think. We have come a long way since the original golden bones video that you might have seen floating around the internet. This blows it out of the water. 

Everybody Was Kung Fu Carping...

Those casts were fast as lightning, in fact it was a little bit frightening, but they fought with perfect timing...

In the battle against well-educated carp who have seen arsenals of flies, the angler must resort to a stealthy approach by land, sea, and air. Only then, can he even consider having a shot at the elusive golden ghost. Yes, some carp are relatively easy to catch (the uneducated) but I am talking about the ones that have been caught multiple times by a fly angler and who flee the scene after sensing your footsteps 50 yards away. The ones who seem to hear you whispering to your buddy through several feet of water and over the various sounds associated with and surrounding carp water. Yes, these fish are a true test of skill, and extremely difficult to coax into eating a fly. But once you do, and that fish takes off like a bat out hell straight into your backing, you will be reminded of why the difficulty level is so worth it. Simply put, carping rules.

Get Low.

Lower.

Victory.

Rip Lips.

Carp Face.

Propelling Away.

My Turn.

I Love Their Wings.

The Mini-Sub Departs.

Adam Quote: "Why would I go catch 10 inch trout when I can catch 10 lb. carp?"

Everybody Was Kung Fu Carping...

Those casts were fast as lightning, in fact it was a little bit frightening, but they fought with perfect timing...

In the battle against well-educated carp who have seen arsenals of flies, the angler must resort to a stealthy approach by land, sea, and air. Only then, can he even consider having a shot at the elusive golden ghost. Yes, some carp are relatively easy to catch (the uneducated) but I am talking about the ones that have been caught multiple times by a fly angler and who flee the scene after sensing your footsteps 50 yards away. The ones who seem to hear you whispering to your buddy through several feet of water and over the various sounds associated with and surrounding carp water. Yes, these fish are a true test of skill, and extremely difficult to coax into eating a fly. But once you do, and that fish takes off like a bat out hell straight into your backing, you will be reminded of why the difficulty level is so worth it. Simply put, carping rules.

Get Low.

Lower.

Victory.

Rip Lips.

Carp Face.

Propelling Away.

My Turn.

I Love Their Wings.

The Mini-Sub Departs.

Adam Quote: "Why would I go catch 10 inch trout when I can catch 10 lb. carp?"

Hard Times.

With the move down south to Delaware, I find myself having to adjust to an entirely different watershed. For someone used to fly fishing in Pennsylvania, this adjustment has been a little harsh. I left PA, addicted to carp and have spent the majority of my free time in DE searching for the golden ghost. My efforts have been futile. I found one waterway that is ideal to sight fish for carp on the fly. The 20 other waterways I drove to (long distances) yielded unsuitable conditions and a host of other problems...

No Trespassing

Private Property

Private Club

Private Water: Residents Only

No Fishing.

Found Everywhere I've Gone.

Usually A Good Sign For Carp.

Looking for waters, I have been using google earth, which is probably not the best way to go about finding areas open to fishing. The best spot I found, looked ideal from several thousand feet. There were parking lots, expansive lakes, small ponds, and to top it off they looked relatively shallow. When I drove over an hour to reach this destination, I was extremely excited. Arriving, I discovered that it was the headquarters for the Delaware Fish & Game. I thought I scored big time. However, I soon found out that all the water I was looking at was closed to fishing. Educational Purposes Only. I scouted out some other water before returning home dejected. 

My latest excursion had me heading north into Philadelphia. I googled places to feed ducks, hoping to find some old park pond where carp grew large off of scraps from little kids feeding ducks. My journey brought me to Roosevelt Park next to Lincoln Financial Field. Once again, from a thousand feet on google maps, the water looked pristine. When I arrived, it was anything but. I should have known because had read a review online detailing the park: 

Actual Review: Stinks. Literally, it stinks. Bleh! Dirty, ugly. Scary people. Stay away. You've been warned.

The Birds Practice Across The Street.

The Fans Use The Park Before & After Games.

When I arrived, I found another fisherman wading in what can only be described as a cesspool. He was throwing a top-water lure onto a layer of filth. As he retrieved it, the lure bounced off a variety of debri. Instead of lily pads, he dodged beer bottles; Yuengling, Coors, Heineken, Miller, etc. Not to mention, beach balls, shoes, styrofoam, diapers, and the works. I decided to rig up and scan the shoreline but I could never see passed that top layer of filth. I walked around the park before heading back home. It was well worth the hour drive. 

Pinball Fishing.

The Fans Treat The Park Well.

Park Museum, I Wonder If They Have Loop Gear?

The only carp I've caught since I started teaching was the largest I've caught in Delaware. He was only around 6-8 pounds though. I caught him after school one day. It took my mind off things for awhile and I was finally satisfied. 

Weeds Add Pounds.

Failing, Going For The Scoop.

Bringing Him In.

Satisfaction At Last.