Monster Canal Carp on Thursday evening- Struggle and Defeat

[Ben Sacher]

 I biked past a group of carp beneath the mulberry tree in front of sea-catch after a brief and unproductive rock-creek-outlet-fish. What looked like spawning was actually a feeding frenzy on unripe (white) mulberry. I unpacked my rod and tied on an un-wieghted egg pattern and played keep away with the smaller carp hoping for something more exciting. By far the largest carp I have seen in the canal, came up and sipped the fly. Immediately made my 8 weight feel like an old glass rod. After about 50 minutes, I realized I had no net and was late for a "neighbor" dinner... With the help of an onlooker I attempted to pull her up and over the bank with a bearhug, lip-grip combo. She snapped my leader and came free from my grip. Should have jumped in the canal and pushed her up and over. I guessed 22-23 lb but after trying to handle that fish close up, it may have been a fair bit larger. 

Don't wait for the mulberries to turn purple and drop, they seem to be plenty appealing in their unripe "pupal" stage.