Caught my first two carp ever this past Friday while casting a small hopper
pattern for bluegills. The certain mid-Atlatnic impoundment where I fished
has lots of big carp, but this was a surprise, since they've always ignored
my flies (and worms and minnows when I fished here with my dad here as a
kid). Both times I figured I'd hooked a largemouth, only there was something
oddly lumbering about the fight of the fish. Both fish brought to hand
within five minutes on a 4x tippet and 2-weight rod. Carp are stupendously
ugly fish, in the eyes of this particular beholder. I actually felt grossed
out having to handle the odd rubbery jaws to get the fly out.

Cicadas were falling to the water in plentiful quantities during the hour or
two I spent fishing, and I noticed each cicada fall was signaled by the
repeated smacking takes of bluegills too small to get their mouths around
them. Eventually a bigger fish - I'd assumed bass, since in the several
cases I could see through the water, that's what they were - would attend
the dinner bell and remove the cicada.

I've always found it strange to see the pods of large carp here, but never
any juveniles.