For Strength, Nothing Like a River Fish

This seventeen pound river carp fought
much harder that a number of twenty
pound pond fish that I landed last week.

I was reminded again today just how strong river fish can be.  Up until today, most of my fish have come from ponds at the start of this year, but today I hit the Blackstone River up in MA.  I landed two seventeen pound mirrors and boy, did they fight. They made those alarms scream on the take and they were ripping drag at will as they tore down the river currents.  Last week I had a good number of 20 lbers. from a pond in RI, and I can tell you these river fish that I caught today could easily beat the much larger pond fish in a tug of war.  Not even close.
River fish tend to be tougher and stronger than pond fish.  It makes sense.  These fish are constantly fighting strong currents just to survive.  Pond fish tend to be lazy as they live out their existence in still waters. I've landed good size carp from the big New England  rivers like the Merrimack and the CT River, and fish in those places are really hard fighters, but I can also tell you that Blackstone River carp are right up there with those hard fighters.
The most memorable battle I ever had with a carp in RI was that CAG record mirror (31 lbs., 8 oz.) that I caught in the Blackstone River a couple of years back.  It fought much better than that 36 lb. record common that I caught in a pond. This weekend that Blackstone River in RI will open up with the commencement of trout fishing. With water levels dropping, there will be opportunities to get out and do battle with some of the hardest fighting fish you will find anywhere.