Muskrat Cove

I visited Muskrat cove this afternoon.  This part of the Bronx River is located north of Woodlawn avenue
and ends at the county line of Westchester county.

Much of the river here is between the parkway and the Metro North Railroad which makes
the river inaccessible unless you are able to run faster than a car and a train!

The river is clear but low in this section. 

Muskrat Cove is a hidden sliver of  woodland named for a population of muskrats inhabiting the forested stream banks in the area. This little known, picturesque oasis has well  tended pathways and careful plantings
thanks to local residents. Just outside of the Metro-North Woodlawn parking area, a paved path heads into the cove.  The park is accessible through an opening in the guardrail. On your right, a row of young, green ash trees commemorate the victims of September 11, 2001. The path winds under the Bronx River Parkway to reach forested stream banks and, finally, at the northern city limits, the bridge at Nereid Ave. Returning from Nereid Bridge, one can follow a path to the right, which leads over the Parkway to Bronx Blvd.  Look on the stream banks for the presence of bollards used to tie up barges that held back the river while it was straightened during the modernization of the parkway.  Local groups are continuously working to beautify the area and restore its ecological integrity by removing graffiti, cleaning the area of debris, eradicating invasive plants, and planting hundreds of native trees and shrubs to reestablish the stream banks.  At this writing, the Muskrat Cove site, nestled between the Bronx River Parkway and the Metro-North

USST et al., Whiteface L4 bounding | 9-12-12

Argyle Lake

I took my new eleven foot rod for some testing at Argyle Lake.  It is a four piece
six weight with a fighting butt.  The test would be if I could catch carp with this rod.
How would it handle a carp attack?

Argyle lake is unique.  It is a fresh water fishery that empties into Jamaica Bay.
Pictured above is an overflow pool.  Water from  the lake spills over into this area
where it mixes with water from the Bay.  In this pool are very large carp and fish
from Jamaica Bay.

Looking North at Argyle Lake.  The lake holds Large mouth bass, carp, pickerel
and trout.

This park holds the lake and 3 smaller pools of water.  Here looking west you can see
one of the pools on the left.

This pool has a Koi which I caught about 2 years ago during a thunder storm.

Just south of the the pool pictured above is a second pool.  It is smaller than the first
pool.  There are bass blue gills and carp in this pool.

Looking north east at Argyle Lake.  In the distance is the Long Island Rail Road.

Looking South at pool #1

Across the street from the park is a marina.  I have crossed this street on a sunny day
 and caught snappers.  Stripers come into this area late at night.

Please forgive the poor quality of  my photo but this is my friend's very first carp
on a fly rod.  This carp took him into the backing and then some.  Fighting a
five pound carp for the first time is something fly fishers need to experience.  Fishing for
carp with a fly rod requires PATIENCE, stealth, skill and a dash of good luck.

Way up north, The Bronx

Got on the train and set out for The Bronx.  I hadn't fished Van Cortlandt in awhile

I chummed the water and waited.  after an hour or so, I switched flies.  Within 5
minutes my line started to exit the rod tip.  Slowly I set the hook.  The carp never
slowed and the line continued to move out across the lake.  In a effort to keep
the distance between me and the fish from increasing, I followed the carp along the shore.
My backing was strung out now above my head.

This was a strong, powerful fish.  There were bull like head shakes.  The rod bent.
The line was tight.  Slowly I was able  to get the backing and most of the fly line on the
reel.  All attempts to raise the fish in the water column were futile.  I had no choice
 but to hold on and hope that the fish tired.

After a few more runs, I was able to raise the fish and saw it's head.  It was big.
The first three attempts to put him in the net were answered with three more runs.
Every time Dennis  would put the net in front of the carp it would bolt.  I was growing weary
of this but because I was standing near a deck I simply could not move back far enough
to pull the carp into the net.  Finally I was able to move him closer to the net and he went
in.  I weighed him because he had girth and length.  He look to be twenty pounds.
The scale reported him to be only 15.

Once in a blue moon

I went to Bayside Queens, a little pond that is almost a secret, called Golden Pond  The fish are almost invisible.

The water level is less than five feet here.  I fish here for the carp but there are crappie, bluegill, & bass.
On the other side of the road is Little Neck Bay where Bass & Blue fish swim.

I've seen tailing carp here but this vegetation is no place for a fly or fly line.

The trail leading to the south side of Golden Pond.  You'd better have water proof boots

Green Pea soup but you can see carp tailing in this turbid water.  I spent a few hours here with no takes.

Bowne Park, named for the mayor of New York City in the early 1800's.  This small pond has a healthy
population of bass, carp and panfish.

This day I caught one of the many up & coming carp.

William Joseph Exodus Pack

• Hypervent suspension distributes load evenly and provides excellent breathability
• Chest pods are removable to convert vest to a standalone backpack
• Each chest pod features two inside mesh zip pockets and two exterior zip pockets
• Two built-in retractors and a zip-down workstation
• Dual rod holder and multiple lash features
• Tippet Control System keeps your tippets organized and neatly tucked out of the way
• Hydration system compatible (bladder sold separately)
• Tuck-away net and boot holder
• Padded shoulder straps with adjustable sternum strap
• Adjustable waistbelt
• Docks to the William Joseph Access pack
• Internal frame with two metal stays
• Fits torsos: One size fits most
• Left chest pod: 10x5x2"
• Right chest pod: 10x6x3"
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 19x12x7"
• Capacity: 1596 cu.in.
• Weight: 3 lb. 2 oz.
• Material: Nylon with two metal stays

Fifteen hours

The plan was to meet early, at 6:30 AM, to fish for carp in one of the lakes in Central Park
I wanted to fish near the restaurant at 72nd street.  My friends wanted to fish on the west
side of the lake.  The previous evening we had been SKUNKED by a band of koi on
Staten Island.  There was a score to settle.

The reason we had to arrive so early is that this lake has a boat rental concession that opens at 10:00 AM.
The best carp fishing is before the concession opens or after 7:00PM when the rental closes.

We fished from a prehistoric rock left by the glacier's retreat as it receded north. 
Not ideal for fishing but carp fishing requires constant adjustments.

Here is my first carp of the morning.  A little guy.

Here my friend Steve holds the net with my next carp.  We stayed until the concession
opened.  Once the rowers started to bang their oars on the boats carp feeding stopped.
Two of my group of four had to meet their families so they went home.  Only Dennis and I were left.
We decided to fish at another of the fisheries in the park.  "The Pool"  holds "Club Size Bass".
My definition for  Bass that are about a year old ( twelve inches) is they are club size.
Dennis and myself  used streamer flies.  I used single hand rod spey casting to
reach bass on the far side of the pool.   We hooked several bass before the bass turned off.

We walked to The Meer at the north end of Central Park.  Surprise.  About 3 feet of water
was missing from the lake.  We guess the water had been drawn down for some repair work
that needed to be done. 

We packed up and headed for New Jersey to fish for carp there.  By the time we arrived
in Garfield, New Jersey,  Steve had driven to Garfield also.  So after eight hours we were
back together fishing for carp again.  By the time we decided to quit, it was dark.  By the time
I reached my home more than fifteen hours had passed since we met at 6:30AM 
.

 

This was my longest day of fishing; fifteen hours of thinking about nothing else but how to
catch carp.