Blackfoot. Again.

A few thousand miles away, somewhere in southeast Idaho's high country, they began gathering. Fish bums. And not your ordinary fish bums. Messed up fish bums. The kind that will endure shitty weather and raging hangovers in the pursuit of...ok, that all sounds pretty standard, really. What else could it be, if not the Fin Chasers Carp Classic 7? The bums started showing up two days before the tournament and were well entrenched by the time I rolled in with Andrew D. and Kit P. the night before the thing officially kicked off.


There's gold at the end of that rainbow...

The tournament commenced as usual, with a furious dust cloud departing camp as soon as the morning meeting concluded. In keeping with tradition, the weather on friday was pretty lousy. Overcast, scattered showers, and heavy wind. With no prospect of finding fish on the horizon, some folks found sleeping on the back of their team's boat more productive...

Despite conditions being pretty nasty, the party got going friday night and eventually the wind died down, the rain stopped, and the fires burned bright until early the next morning. Upon daybreak, we were greeted by two glorious things, Gary the lifesaver cooking breakfast as he always does during the event, and a dead calm, bluebird day.


The fishing that followed on that saturday can only be described as legendary. The weigh in at the end of the day resulted in the largest tally ever recorded in the history of the tournament. Of course, my team contributed approximately nothing to that tally. We did, however, set a new team best of hooking a half dozen fish during the course of the day. Maybe next year we'll actually land something...

Blackfoot Carp Classic 7, May 20-21 2011

Ok folks, May 20-21 2011. Goldfish wrangling. Golden bones. Carpalooza. Freshwater permit (ok, maybe that's a stretch). whatever you want to call it, the seventh annual Blackfoot Carp Classic will be happening at Blackfoot Reservoir, just outside of Soda Springs, ID. This is a FUN event that brings folks from all over the place to support a good cause. Every year, the proceeds go to a different member of the fly fishing community who can really use a hand. This year they'll be going to Lyle "Ooley" Piram, longtime competitor and team captain of the Ooley Buggers, to help with some pretty serious medical expenses. If you don't know Ooley, he's a great guy who's given a lot of himself over the years. So come on out and show some support, have a ton of fun, and rub shoulders with the best and the worst in this crazy game we call Carpin.

For those of you who haven't been there in years past, here's a few things to keep in mind:
Blackfoot is huge and there are lots of places to fish. There are a ton of 2-track roads surrounding the lake that provide access from the main roads. While there are plenty of areas that are accessible to low-clearance 2wd vehicles, 4wd and a little clearance will open up a lot more options.

The closest reliable town/civilization/supplies is Soda Springs. Do not plan on being able to get gas/food/beer/firewood at any of the other little towns that show up on the map closer to Blackfoot. There are a few places around, but nothing reliable. Bring whatever you'd need to camp for a few days. There's plenty of space for RV's/campers but no hookups. Keep in mind that you may end up doing a fair bit of driving over the course of the tournament and plan accordingly.


Cell service is spotty and an Idaho fishing license is required to enter. While you can purchase a license over the phone, don't plan on doing it when you get there. Get it beforehand and save yourself the trouble of playing the "stand on top of a camper with one foot in the air to get service" game. Idaho F&G: 800-554-8685.

Weather. It's spring, it's high elevation, and it's unpredictable. Be prepared for anything from 80 degrees and sunny to 25 degrees and blowing snow. While we all hope for great weather, being unprepared can ruin the weekend faster than breaking all your rods at once. Which brings me to...

These fish are big. During the previous few years the average fish weighed in went 10-20 pounds with plenty above that. Most folks are using 7-9 wt. rods. If you don't have anything that heavy, you can get away with lighter rods as long as you're ready for a long fight (lots of backing helps). Whatever you bring, it's very advisable to bring a backup just in case. These fish aren't the most violent fighters in the world, but they can pull really really hard.


Getting your fish to weigh-in. Carp are tough. Damn tough. "Live wells" here usually consist of nothing more than a big cooler with a little water in it. While your fish don't have to be alive to count, a live fish weighs more than a dead one. For those of you concerned about the mortality rate, most of the fish kept in a cooler are successfully released after being weighed in. Like I said, damn tough. Also, carp are invasive and incredibly prolific. In past years Idaho F&G has encouraged killing them. The choice is yours.

If you can, get out and get some practice. While not doing well come tournament time will have no impact on anything at any point in your life, it's a lot more fun if you're catching fish. If you've never been to Blackfoot, maybe get there a day early and check it out. The carp here are big, spooky, can be tough to spot, and tend to be picky about what they eat. That being said, there are absurd numbers of them. If you mess up a shot at one, chances are there'll be another one (or 20) close by.

Bring cash. This is a fundraiser, remember? You'll kick yourself if you don't get in on some raffle action. Trust me on this one. Rods, lines, gear, float trips, there will be something that makes you go "damn, I shoulda bought a raffle ticket or 20"

This is a fun event. The tournament runs Friday-Saturday and most people stick around until Sunday. Why? While all the teams tend to go their separate ways during the day, the party starts at weigh-in each night. Immediately after, the grills get going, campfires kick off (bring your own wood), and it's generally a camp-wide social gathering of good people trading fish stories. A lot of folks here are somehow involved in the fly fishing industry and it's a great place to meet some new people and maybe learn a little something.


Need more info? For official rules, registration info, or anything else official, get in touch with Todd or Brooks (their info is on the poster, click on it to make it larger). For unofficial info, tips, or general "what the hell is this all about" questions, feel free to leave a comment here or drop me an email, fishindog.net@gmail.com

I hope to see you there, now get out and go fish!

The Gorge - Whaaaaaaat?

Eager to get some fishing time in, Andrew D. and I headed down to the gorge early monday morning. We were greeted with bluebird skies, light wind, and absurdly good fishing. Oh wait, that didn't happen. It was bluebird and the wind was light up on the rim, but dropping into A Section we were slapped in the face with a blast rushing downstream. It never let up. Oh and the water was cranking at 3060 cfs, more than twice the usual winter flow. Wade fishing was tough. Really tough. Andrew managed four fish in one spot and that was it for the day. I batted a solid .000 unless you count catching myself with a barbed fly, pinning two shirts squarely onto my elbow. That was fun. I see lockjaw in my future. On the upside, I did manage to spend a bit more time behind the camera and have started compiling footage for a video project. Notice the bush in the corner at the end of the clip here, that's the wind we had to deal with.

After a rather nice evening at camp (despite the Utah near-beer), we decided to bail on the river and go find some carp. Having never actually fished for them in that reservoir, the search started slowly.

Dead ends, deep water, and hordes of bovine marauders met us at every turn but eventually we found some promising signs...

That's right, kids, when you're lost in the high desert looking for carp, pay attention to what you see. Signs of a bud light hatch tend to indicate suitable carp habitat somewhere close. Also, sightings of varmint cong tend to be elevated in these areas. Sure enough, we found it and it was prime habitat, however the water was still way too cold and the goldfish haven't moved into the shallows yet. We're getting there though, it won't be long....

Blackfoot Carp Classic 6

After leaving Wisco wednesday night and driving straight through, Andrew and I rolled into Blackfoot Reservoir about midnight thursday. We were greeted friday morning by an excited Scott Sanchez and crew, already plotting on how they were going to get the varmint cong (chislers, not carp). Heading to the center of camp, we ran into Currier, Trey, and Bennie who were already eager to wet a line. Breakfast was already underway and the rest of the teams were gathering around the staging area, ready to go. It looked to be some pretty stiff competition with a bunch of experienced anglers who know their goldfish.

It was a pretty good turnout, about a dozen teams showed up despite the horrible weather and even lousier fishing. Within about a half hour of leaving the start, the wind picked up and soon there were whitecaps across the entire reservoir. Not exactly ideal for carp fishing. I only spotted three fish throughout the day and with the temperature dropping not many teams weighed in. Ironically enough, shortly after weigh-in the wind practically stopped and I managed to get a few shots of Sanchez and Mike Whitcomb working a pod of feeding fish.



Theeeen the rain rolled in, eventually turned into snow, and made for a cold, wet evening, everyone huddled in or around campers. There was plenty of cheer to go around though, as the grills were fired up despite the weather and the bullshit and fish stories flew until late.

Saturday. Wow. Waking up to snow on the ground was not high on my list of things I wanted to do. Fortunately the hot coffee and pancakes were enough to get us going and we headed out to get beat down again. I thought friday had been bad, but this was worse. Colder, windier, and not a fish to be had. Only three came in across the board, with tales of misery from just about everyone there. Despite the weather, folks rallied for the night ahead and the fires burned bright around camp. There's always next year, and judging from this year's turnout, it'll be even bigger than before.

Blackfoot Carp Classic

It's baaaaaack! The Blackfoot Carp Classic will be May 21-22 this year at Blackfoot Reservoir, of course. As always, the tournament is a fun fundraiser for someone in the fishing industry who needs a hand. This year it's for 3 month old Laney Holman, daughter of industry rep Peter Holman, who is having some serious health issues. Teams of 3 can enter and pre-registration is required. The fee is $25 per person per day and includes a sweet Carp Classic 6 hat. There will be breakfast served both days which you can get in on for $5 per as well as raffles for some great gear.
If you're interested, drop me an email and I can send more info and the registration paperwork. See you there!

Gold Rush

What do you do when the weather at home is downright miserable? Head to Idaho and beat up on carp, of course. After getting shut down at Blackfoot (still very frozen) we headed over to the kiddie pool and found some dollar menu sized fish in the margins between the ice and shore. While they weren't big by any means, they did make for a fun afternoon.

Goldfish Flats

Spent the last two days over in Idaho with some pretty questionable characters prospecting for gold. Sanchez, Mike Whitcomb, and Larry D. came over with me on Monday to check out the goldfish flats and test out some new patterns. While the weather was pretty bad we did manage to spot a good number of fish and bring some in. I'll be fishing with Mike in the carp classic in a few weeks so a bit of practice and no small amount of hilarity was a good thing. Today I met up with Andy Ward and Maximus LaPrade and went back under more favorable conditions. Although it took a while to find some active fish it turned into the best day I've had out there. By the afternoon large pods were cruising and taking flies with more regularity than I've ever seen before. By six or so, with sore arms and a darkening sky we decided to head around a point for one last look and what we found was unbelievable. Glassy calm water with a massive pod of fish vigorously tailing in less than two feet of water. This wasn't your typical vague dark shape cruising lazily through the murk. These piggies were hungry and readily took flies. All three of us were able to cast to tailers and landed several fish in a matter of minutes before the wind picked up again and the pod moved out. Anyone who doesn't respect these things or thinks it can't possibly be fun fishing to them needs to go try it. They're abundant, strong as hell and challenging as all get out. Oh yeah, they're also a lot bigger than any trout you're ever going to catch. Just make sure you've got plenty of backing and a spare rod.

Blackfoot Carp Tournament

Got the official word a few days ago, the Blackfoot Reservoir Carp Classic will be May 15-16 this year.  The info isn't up on the web just yet, but check out www.fin-chasers.com/carp.htm for previous years' info.  Brooks Montgomery seems to be planning some sort of extravagant (I know, that word doesn't really fit in the same paragraph as "carp") shindig this year that he's hinted at calling Carp-a-palooza.  Whatever happens, it's sure to be a good time.