A new twist on bucket biology

Here’s a new twist on bucket biology: Paulo Reservoir south of Glasgow will be drained this week due to an unauthorized introduction of carp.

At first it sounded far-fetched. After all, who in the world wants more carp? They already seem to be thriving everywhere. Why plant them in a little bass and bluegill pond in the middle of nowhere?

It’s not like the illegal introduction of lake trout in Yellowstone Lake. I can imagine a couple of anglers 20 years or so ago speculating how big lakers might grow if they released a bucket of them into Yellowstone Park’s largest body of water. There are actually anglers who love to catch lake trout.

But who loves to catch carp besides those guys on that “Bottom Feeders” television show?

Who is so enamored with cornfield bass they would move them to a little pothole on the prairie?

I thought about this for awhile and my friend Chris came to mind. He might have done it. He likes carp and likes to can them. He gives canned carp as gifts.

However, Chris also likes bluegill. He would never ruin a good bluegill hole with carp.

And that’s what happened. Bass and bream fishing in Paulo has deteriorated because carp muddied the water. Staff from Fish, Wildlife and Parks and BLM plan to drain the reservoir, improve the habitat, and then restock Paulo with rainbow trout, bass and bluegill.

Whoever illegally introduced the carp will be out of luck. At least at Paulo.

I suspect it was fly fishermen.

Carp appear to be the fish du jour for the limber rod set. They’re kind of like redneck bonefish. They’ll eat a fly and put up a good fight. Ten-pounders aren’t uncommon. Why chase 14-inch trout that quickly surrender when you can battle a heavy fish that will get into your backing? Fly fishermen pretty much release everything anyway.

I’ve heard more carp stories lately from my fly-fishing friends than tales of trout. The location of the best carp holes are closely guarded secrets, and everybody’s got their favorite carp fly -- some tied to resemble pieces of bread.

It’s not a stretch to imagine some prairie-bound angler with dreams of his own secret carp fishery sneaking a few of the beauties into Paulo, dropping a bread fly into a school of the monsters rooting in the mud, and holding on as his drag screams and his five-weight bows.

That may not be what happened at all. Fly fishermen probably had nothing to do with the illegal introduction.

I’m just sayin’...

Parker Heinlein is at

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