David Carr
A California native, and lifelong angler. I spent my summers and early adulthood on the island of Maui. Some of my earliest CA memories include plucking black bass, crappie, and catfish from golf course ponds, and trout from the city reservoir. In Hawaii I befriended the locals who taught me to Hawaiian style shore casting; "whipping and dunking" for trevally, moi, and bonefish.
My uncle ran sport-fishing boats out of San Pedro, CA. When I was big enough, he introduced me to Cali style inshore and blue water fishing for calico bass, barracuda, yellowtail/buri, and tuna. Those boats can be absolute mayhem when the bite is hot. Scrambling fishermen two rows deep along the rail, casting live bait and heavy iron jigs. Screaming drags, snapped rods, hoots and howls of Hook Up! Comining down the rail! Bent rods frantically passed over under to keep from tangling and breaking off. My first saltwater rod was a tiny, custom wrapped Sabre BH-1 with a Newel 220 reel. A gift for my 10th birthday.
My father loved boats, primarily for purposes of mischief. As a young wild man in Maine, he wrecked several, including his own. Later in life he mellowed somewhat, and took up big game sport fishing. Eventually becoming commercially licensed, and a council member of the Maui trailer boat club. Never one to be outdone, he fished hard, and had many impressive tuna, mahi, and billfish catches to his credit in local tournaments. Our freezer was never empty.
My own fishing obsession waxed and waned through the years. After settling down with my wife in 2014, there was a sudden need to replace my bachelor past-times with more wholesome endeavors. I began spending my holidays scouting the Tokyo shoreline for seabass and bream. While googling for tips online, I repeatedly came across the TFFCC website. With no intention of ever picking up a fly rod, I joined the TFFCC Facebook page.
The talk of fly-carping caught my attention, as I'd seen them schooled up under bridges, and tailing in skinny water along my daily commute. Seemingly much more accessible than the suzuki and kurodai I'd been chasing. With advice from club members, I purchased my first 8wt rig and a tying vice. Then slowly began swapping out redundant spinning equipment for more and more fly gear. Gear collecting can be an addiction indeed.
Studying Martyn Whites fly tying vids on youtube (highly recommended) got me started, and continues to influence my fly tying today. Tying has become another passion. It's meditative, creative, and rewarding. Fly fishing is now my preferred way to fish by far, and the ethics of catch & release, and fishery stewardship resonates with me. However, I'm certainly not above slinging a jig or plug when the conditions warrant it.
My personal catches in calendar year 2015 include:
(Fly)
Carp, barbel, snakehead, seabass, cornet, innumerable trees, ass (my own)
(Lure)
mahi mahi, seabass, jack crevalle, bluefin trevally, golden trevally, goatfish, stingray, cornet, maruta, mullet
Looking forward to a productive 2016 with GT, and triggerfish at the top of my 'Must Catch' List. Im free most Mon/Tues for day or evening outings in and around Tokyo, by boat or on land. Found a new carping creek? Planning a Seabass or Sagami Bay charter? Inspired to chase something more exotic like snakehead? Piraña? I'm good to go.
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