The End of the Season?

Most sources agree that the carp fishing season on the Columbia River wraps up in October. Most of the spots on the main river channel have slowed down, but I have found hungry fish in the small lakes and backwaters. On mild days, with a bit of sun, or after some rain, the carp, especially the little ones with their higher metabolisms, will swim right up into the shallows and feed with their backs out of the water.

Most of these fish are small, around four or five pounds, but they put up a splashy little fight and can be challenging to land in the deep, soft mud without getting wet and dirty.

I have found that these fish don’t respond to most of the standard flies as well as they do in the spring and summer. The poor autumn light and muddy water also make it more difficult for me to see my fly, so I have been tying some little white nymphs, often with a short black tail and a bit of hackle for movement. They are much easier to see for me, and I think for the fish too, and have been a productive pattern.

The bigger fish are definitely becoming much more lethargic. I hooked a slightly bigger fish that was cruising very slowly in the shade, and it hardly struggled at all. When I landed it I noticed that it had a split barbel on one side.

Around Halloween I fished a spot that I hadn’t been to in years. Other than a new beaver dam it was much as I remembered. I passed up half a dozen tailing fish in the five pound range to see if I could find anything bigger. And I did. The fish was stirring up mud in a small hole in the weeds, and looked pretty hefty. I hooked it at close range and was thankful that it wasn’t at its warm-weather strength, as it would have certainly broken my leader in the weeds. I managed to chase it down and unhooked it quickly in the water so it could get back to bulking up for the winter.

I also landed a real trophy fish – in the running for the smallest carp I have ever caught on the fly.

The question now is whether the common knowledge is correct. Is the season truly over or will I continue to find some active fish in November?