Carpocalypse 2012 a Roaring Success!

Written by: Leland Miyawaki, Fishing Manager of Orvis Bellevue

One of John Montana’s catches from day 2 of Carpocalypse 2012. photo courtesy John Montana

First off, let me just say that the guys from Oregon whipped our ass.

That being said, Carpocalypse 2012 was a roaring success. We had a perfect mix of seasoned carpers, intermediate carpets, and new carpunks. A special thanks have to go to our sponsors—Ninkasi Brewing Company, Idylwilde Flies, the Native Fish Society and Orvis—as well as to the judges: Rob Tibbet and Doug Best from Orvis and Mark Sherwood of the Native Fish Society. And a real special thank you to Adam McNamara, Orvis Portland fishing manager, who has been dreaming of this tournament for a long, long, long time!

A few of us knew we were in trouble when, the day before the tourney, Adam hooked three and landed one carp while we were standing ten feet away. Those fish wouldn’t have counted in Carpocalypse, though. They were too big!

Team Carpocalypse 2012 enjoyed two days of fun, despite the tough fishing. photo by Cathi Davidson

Some 23 anglers checked in at 6 a.m. Saturday morning, and picked up their official measuring devices, Carpocalypse caps, stickers, buffs, and Idylwilde flies. And just like the bass tournament guys, everyone blasted off to parts unknown. Some stayed close, while others traveled a long way to their secret spots.

Fishing was slow, to say the least. Rumor has it that only two fish were caught. John Montana showed off a photo of his smallest carp—a one-inch fry that he scooped up with his cap. In fact, for a few minutes this fish was top contender to win the prizes for Smallest, Ugliest, and Largest Carp!

John Montana’s shockingly small carp, the first fish caught in the entire tournament. photo courtesy John Montana

The Carpaccios dragged in to the park slowly with tails between their legs and long tales of woe. But the pain was soon eased by two cold kegs of Ninkasi’s finest. Two kegs for 23 anglers. You do the math!

Day two was better than day one. Most anglers fished nearby Banks Lake and kept a wary eye on each other. Fish were caught, measured, and photographed. At 4 p.m., the Carpboys gathered and the judges judged.

A face only a mother could love: David Nakamoto’s winning Ugliest Carp. photo courtesy David Nakamoto

The winners were (drum roll, please):

Smallest Carp was an 18-incher, caught by Mike Gamby, who won an 8-weight Helios Rod.
Runner Up was 20 inches, for which John Montana won an 8-weight Access Rod.

Ugliest Carp was caught by David Nakamoto, who got a Hydros IV Reel.
Runner Up was John Montana, who was awarded an Access Mid Arbor IV Reel.

Team Winner, with 120 inches of carp, was “Got Backing.” They’ll get to go on a guided Oregon coast steelhead trip for four with Castaway Guide Service.

Single Largest Carp was landed by multi-winner John Montana. The winning fish was 25 inches, small by John’s standards, for which he was awarded a bunch of Idylwilde swag.

It was an amazingly fun time, in spite of the mosquitoes that seemed to wait all night for us to show up. There were lots of laughs and just the right amount of seriousness, as it should be. After all, we were fly fishing for carp. C’mon now!

Scenic Banks Lake, in north-central Washington, offered the venue for Carpocalypse 2012 and provided most of the fish. photo courtesy Leland Miyawaki