The weather was tough this year for the Second Annual Carp Jamboree at Banks Lake. The wind blew hard, stirring up the water, but even so, folks still managed to find a few nice sized carp. More importantly: laughter, learning and prizes were enjoyed and shared among the great crew of folks who came out for the tournament. We’re already looking forward to next year! Windy Conditions When competitors arrived to Banks Lake on Friday Night, the wind was already blowing hard enough that some folks had trouble setting up their tents. Undaunted, a keg of beer was tapped and Bill Marts gave a presentation on the tactics, flies and gear required to chase carp with a fly rod. Those anglers with more experience at Banks Lake gave directions to new friends for good places to hunt tailing fish the next day. On Saturday, the wind continued to blow from the Northwest. This put whitecaps on some portions of the lake, made casting difficult and stirred up the water, impeding sight casting opportunities. Generally speaking, it sounds like most of the fish were caught in the afternoon when the wind died down a bit. Banks Lake is a good sized body of water with a strong population of carp. It has great flats where the fish cruise and feed, making themselves available to a well presented fly in the process. Some anglers were carefully wading the flats while others approached the lake in power boats or stand-up paddle boards. Whatever the method of transportation, a cautious approach was required. One angler on a stand-up paddle board reported spooking fish when he set his paddle down to pick up his rod! No one ever said carp fishing was easy… In the end, the Matt Paluch won the jamboree with seven carp landed. Craig Schuman took second place with three fish. Three other anglers competed for third place by landing a single fish each. The tie was broken by comparing the length of their carp from photos. Afterwards, a group of anglers stuck around on Saturday night to trade fishing stories and finish the pizza and that keg of beer. Thanks The tournament wouldn’t have been possible without generous sponsorship from Sage and wonderful prizes and contributions from Costa Sunglasses, Sea Eagle boats, Scientific Anglers and Hardy Fly Fishing. A big thanks to all of them for their support and participation. The Carp Jamboree is a result of the tireless work of Bill and Boyd Marts. It wouldn’t happen without their organization and inspiration. Huge thanks from all of us, Fellas. A big thanks goes out to the anglers who shared boat space with other participants, too. That is above and beyond the call of duty for a tournament of any kind, but a perfect example of the wonderful tone set by this great event. Final Words Let’s wrap up this post with a final word from the host and spiritual leader of the Carp Jamboree, Bill Marts. Bill says, when discussing the windy conditions of this year’s tournament, “To everyone who put out the effort to get there and fished that day: My big straw hat is tipped to you.” Few More Photos Carp are a challenging and powerful freshwater fish for the fly angler to target. If you’re new to this game, or are curious to learn more, swing by the shop and we’ll talk carp tactics, flies and locations. We love those spooky monsters!