Afternoon, creekside.

Despite rain clouds, I ventured forth to ply the local crick before September goes all October on me.  I picked away at a few risers and without apology served a size 18 elk hair caddis when it was obvious they were on baetis.  I fished a few hours on a couple hundred yards of creek and then decided to venture downstream to see about bigger browns that may be moving up to procreate (given the cooler waters and shorter days).   This latter stretch is what is know as "marginal" water....in other words, you might catch a sucker (and I did) or you might just catch a giant trout (which I didn't).  What I expected to find were carp cruising the giant back eddy of a particular run and they didn't let me down.  I ignored the immediate desire to pitch in and try to sight fish one off the sandy bottom of the eddy.  I fished in vain for the "proper" fish and then finally dredged one 10" brown off the bottom with a bead head concoction of my own design.  With that obligation fulfilled, I cut my leader back to 3x and added an additional 24" of 4x.  I rummaged through all of my trout lint and found one gigantic and lonely size 8 chronic leech with rubber legs and a fat black marabou tail.  On the 27th or so cast a carp keyed in, tracked it down and inhaled...my how a 4wt can bend.

Brownus Troutis fooled by Elkus Hairus Caddis

Ditto

Carp, Chronic, 4x (in that order)

I doubt I'll ever call them pretty, but they are quite the fly rod quarry.

(Pictured: from top to bottom) flora, 4 weight, fauna, more flora