I was shooting for Carp again. They have been surprisingly frustrating to catch.

Today was hot as heck—temperatures were in the upper 80s, with sustained winds of 20–35 mph. Still, I felt good about the day. In the morning, I cooked a nice meal of chicken paprikash and Brussels sprouts with bacon and onions. Then, in the afternoon, I met with my advisor from the Office of Staff Services to discuss and plan my retirement this October. With both of those tasks accomplished, I felt I had earned a little time to escape and do some fishing.

My first stop was Silver Lake, where Silver Creek enters the lake on the east side. Several people had reported catching carp there, so I thought it was worth a try. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a single bite. After about 30 minutes of sweltering heat and relentless wind, I decided to move on.

I headed downstream to the tailwaters below the Silver Lake dam. Once again, I targeted Carp using the same simple setup: 6-pound line, a light split shot, a size 8 hook, and a small piece of worm. Below the dam were a series of riffles, a run, and a deeper pool that looked promising.

Almost immediately, I started catching fish. The first was an average-sized Black Bullhead—not a new species for me, but always fun to catch. The next fish, however, was much more exciting. It turned out to be a Golden Redhorse, a species I had never caught before. It was a decent-sized fish and put up a respectable fight before coming to hand.

The action continued for the remaining hour that I was there. I caught six more Black Bullheads and a Bluegill, but despite all the activity, I still failed to land a Carp.

That’s okay, though. I’m sure I’ll catch one eventually, and the Golden Redhorse made the trip worthwhile. Adding a new species to my list is always exciting.