The cure for the summertime blues

College brahs on the Clark Fork in Missoula.  I wonder where those beer cans will end up?

An asshole flotilla overtaking an anchored drift boat on the Missouri River

Are you experiencing the summertime blues?  Are you sick of the idiot, drunken, litter and flip-flops everywhere "splash and giggle" crowd?  Do you hate waking up at the ass-crack of dawn on your only days off?  Are you sick of drought, low flows, stressed trout, and Hoot Owl restrictions?  I know I am.  Well, I have the cure for you!

Beautiful scales of the common carp 

CARP!!  You've been hearing about fly fishing for carp and saying to yourself, "that sounds fun." Well...

• Fish in the heat of the day with no tubers.  
• Experience super techy fly fishing that requires some supreme boat and casting skills.
• Get blown away by the carp's strength and fighting power.  They'll snap your 6wt in half!
• Keep a few and help control an exotic, invasive species. 

I cannot stress how much fun catching carp on a fly rod is!  There are carp all over Montana and the American West.  Hotspots include the lakes/reservoirs in the Helena area, the upper Missouri River, and Clark Canyon Reservoir near Dillon.

You can help out your local ecosystem by keeping a few.  The myth that they are a trash fish is a result of Eastcoasters' experience with observing them in super polluted waters.  They are very edible and were one of the first stocked species in America for just that purpose.

Are you a Dry Fly Only asshole purist?  Well, carp eat dries on the upper MO.

Did I mention they get huge?  Here's a modest sized carp and a dog's butt.

I should have brought a bigger cooler!

These guys are headed for the kettle and some Hungarian Carp Soup!