High and Dry

currently, i'm in Dallas again so my son can spend some time with his grandparents.  on friday, the weather was great, so i went to the one place i knew exactly where some carp would be.  unfortunately, when i got there, the dam wasn't releasing any water, leaving the tailwater system high and dry.  and i mean Dry.  i walked the whole area and other than two holes, most of the riverbed was exposed.

it wasn't hard to find the carp.  they were schooled up in this one hole and nowhere else.  i estimate all together there was about 75-100 fish...buffalo, common, and suckers.

      

same hole with polarization

i fished for 4 hours and all i hooked was three buffalo carp.  it was hard.  they were not feeding and were so spooked since the water level was extremely low and not flowing.  they were motionless, most of the time not even moving their tails.  every now and again, a group of 6 or seven would break from the pack and venture out only to report back that they were locked in.  i tried picking off the fish that were on the outer edges of the group, but to no avail.  only when a group would break off was i able to interest them in the slightest.  here is my largest one, and i while i didn't measure it, i estimate it to be about 2.5 2.0 feet.

all three caught on an olive Carp Crack.  actually every carp/buffalo i've caught at this location has been on a Carp Crack.  they've refused all other types of flies that i've thrown including, but not limited to, Backstabbers, Blind Squirrels, Egg flies, Sucker Spawns, Eggi Juan Kenobis, San Juan Worms, Montana's Hybrids, McTage's Leather Trousers, Clouser Swimming Nymphs, Prince Nymphs, Midge Emergers, Midge Dries, Griffith's Gnats, Soft Hackle Hare's Ear Nymphs, Dragon/Damselfly nymphs etc.  and yes, i've tried them all in different colors and weights and even presentations!