Koi oh boy!

Thunder storms were in the forecast a few days
ago. I was fishing in Babylon, New York; when
I saw a bolt of lightning far off to the north of
the lake. I counted the seconds until I heard
the sound of thunder. Based on the sound of
thunder and the fact that the clouds were moving
away from where I stood, I felt it was safe to remain
and fish for carp.



I noticed that this koi was feeding on the surface
near the very center of the lake. She was out
of casting range. Koi have a unique swim or
search pattern they follow while they forage.
It is different from the carp.



Looking north on Southard Lake.



My first carp of the day.



By the time the koi was within casting distance,
it had started to rain heavily. As it continued to pour,
I stood under a tree for some shelter from the rain.
My line started to move. I saw the koi as it accelerated
toward the center of the lake. I let her rip. There was
nothing to do at this point but to hang on and wait.

After about 10 minutes of experiencing koi anger,
I brought the fish in to shore.