A Little Hot Weather Fun - With Some Success & Some Frustration

This carp was taken in a shallow mudflat on a 65' cast on a "Headstand" fly

Yesterday I wanted to go hit the Columbia after hearing how it has been fairing well for large sized carp from John of Carp on the Fly and Adam, fishing manager at Portland's Orvis Store, when they fished recently with Beattie Outdoor Productions. I did not land any fish bigger than I normally have gotten in the past; so it was not the day of the "trophy carp". I did see lots of fish cruising around and pulling up into shallows while making their rounds though. It was cool to watch them a lot, and obviously fish for them. I have been trying to fish different water than I have in previous years, and my success rate has gone down so far, but that comes with learning new water at times. I have see the fish holding sometimes in the hundreds and other times holding in the twos and threes. Interestingly, it seems like the smaller packs are much easier to fish to when they are in the flats than the large numbered groups, but that would not make sense ever. They seem to be wayyyyyyyy tooooooo spooky, and their apparent hormone chemical messing system can make them unapproachable. Literally!!! Seems like they chemically message each other because they can start a chain reaction like a heard of wildebeest escaping a bunch of lions secretly on the prowl. I tried to crawl to them without making such as a vibration through the ground. Some were spooking just because of some variable I was not even aware of. On the other hand when I am fishing to the ones, twos, and three, I can fish to them, and they can turn to my fly, and blatantly show interest. Weird stuff; since I have fish to carp bumping into my legs at Sauvie Island and I have hooked so many I have not been able to count. The Sauvie Island fish were ranging from spawning to feeding, and variables of the two intertwined. On the other hand I am seeing 100's of fish in some flats that are in really clear water, and they just seem like you cannot even get to them without a fish sounding the "predator" alarm. These fish are not really doing much, barely feeding at all, and definitely not spawning at all. The water is still and nothing much is happening where I am seeing the massive schools of them. The ones, two, and threes seem to be cruising around, tailing, moving about with more of a purpose.

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