Muddy Stairway to Heaven

    A few weeks ago I was complaining about the difficulties of standing in shin-deep muck for hours on end.  You know, the stuff that has claimed many sandals or shoes never to be returned.  The longer you stay in one spot, the deeper into the abyss you fall, and the harder it is to escape.  My biggest complaint is the sore back that comes from just trying to maintain balance in that stinky mess as you wonder what just brushed against your lower legs.  I eventually broke down and walked out of Wal-Mart $18 poorer, but at least I had a solution!

I still have to trudge through the wet cement to get out to a decent spot. But once I'm camped, life is good.  With carp cruisin' towards me, tails tippin' all around, and a slight headwind, I can almost imagine myself standing on the front casting platform of a flats skiff, silently being push-poled through the mangroves by a free guide.  Then I snap out of it and set the hook on another bottom feeder!

 

The fish were definitely on the feed today.  I took fish on red SJWs, Carp Carrots, and a variety of brown wooly-bugger type flies.  It was the first time I've actually seen a carp chase a fly for 6 feet rather than 6 inches.  These post-spawn fish just don't tip the scales like they did 2 months ago.

 

  After an hour or so I decided to break camp and head for shore.  Mostly because I grew tired of watching the two feeding fish up shallow in that direction.  It turns out the ladder makes a pretty good walker to lean on while pulling your feet out of the mud.  I decided to put the stalk on these fish, thinking the ladder might also make a decent cameraman.