“Schmoots Clooper”
“It was a hot and windless day and the carp were clooping the schmoots”… - John Geirach (Another Day in Paradise) - - The carp were slurping food from the surface. “Schmoots Clooper - an invitational Fly Fishing Tourney for Carp” was held last July, 2023, at Banks Lake, Coulee City, WA, and was a complete success. We had 30+ anglers and great prizes from some outstanding companies. Everyone who entered received a prize. There was total agreement from the group to hold a space for them next year. It will be held in early July, 2024. Click below if you are interested in an invitation. Space is limited, invitation only.
This year’s Schmoots Clooper will be held July 12, 13 and 14 at Banks Lake, Washington, Coulee City. Base Camp is at the A La Cozy motel in Coulee City. Below is a breakdown of the days. I have reserved the whole motel for our Base Camp activities. If you wish to reserve your room there, you should do it early because there are limited rooms available for our group. Call Karen at the motel at 509.632.5703 to make reservations or ask questions about the motel. Be sure to tell her that you are with me. There also are spaces available for RVs, trailers, tents truck campers. It is just a few minutes drive from the boat launch. It is on the east side of Coulee City, on HWY 90. Easy to find.
Friday, July 12, we will get together at 6:00 pm, for registration and an on land clinic at the Motel in Coulee City, A La Cozy, to help with those who have not been there before, or are new to carp fly fishing, help with fly selections, some free snacks and free beer. It will last about an hour, followed by dinner (you provide your own or go out). There are places to eat in Coul;ee City if that is your choice. There will be a few grills around to fix your dinner. This will be followed by campfire stories, lies, fishing dreams etc.
Saturday, July 13, Tourney starts at any time (as early or late) you want to get on the water, your MUST be back by 6:00PM, for catch registration, snacks and beer and prize award for the most carp landed. Followed by dinner like the night before. Then its gather around the campfire again. Hopefully with new fish or fishing stories or whatever you want to bring up.
Sunday, July 14, Start at any time you want, but you MUST be back by 3:00 PM to register your catch even if it is zero. There are prizes for no-catch as well as catches and prize for the smallest, largest and most carp for the two days.
This is an invitational event, but if you know someone who wants to join us, just let me know and we’ll put him or her on the list if there is space available.
The cost for the tourney is $75/person plus tax ($82.50 total) plus the cost of the motel ($85/1persons/night, $100/2 persons/night, so grab a partner to share a room with you and split the cost if you wish to stay in the motel or have a single room. For tent, RV, truck campers, check price with A La Cozy when registering. Payment can be made: via Venmo (Bill Marts) or Check: Bill Marts Fly Fishing, 6526 41st Ave SW, Seattle, Wa, 98136. You can make your motel payments to the motel. The place is pet friendly.
The price includes: A map of the lake with “X’s” on it, the clinic is put on by several people who have been at this for a number of years, tasty snacks, free beer, water, the whole Motel property for our use. Truck campers, tenters and RV’ers may use the showers of friends in the rooms, the motel owner will have, on the property, a fire pit and a place to wash dishes. I will provide paper plates, garbage bags, paper napkins, compostable utensils, a few grills to cook up your meals, water, condiments. beer and prizes. I will also provide tape measures for accurate lengths of fish.
Equipment List:
Rods and reels and lines: #6, #7 or #8, with reels to hold appropriate weight floating line, with 200 yds of 20# backing.
Leaders: 9’ fluorocarbon, 0x, 1x, 2x and 3x with matching tippet material.
Strike indicators (if the wind is blowing a hurricane).
Forceps, nippers and hook sharpener.
Waterproof fly box.
Wading boots.
Wide brim hat to shade eyes.
Polarizes sunglasses and spares. MUST HAVE! You can’t see the fish without them. Wipes to clean your glasses.
Clothing to protect you from the sun (can be very hot) and clothes to protect you from a cold north wind (it can get cool).
Camera or phone to take pictures of fish (biggest, smallest). And waterproof container for your phone/camera.
Water bottle.
First Aid Kit.
Insect repellent.
Sun lotion. Chap stick.
Face protection from sun (check out my Carp Bandits available onsite for $39.00). One of the best face protections on the market) and hand protection from sun (check out the Sola Glove from Damsel Fly Fishing).
I will be happy to tie up an assortment of carp flies for you if you wish. It consists of 2 dozen flies @ $3.75 each. Be sure to order with plenty of lead time so I can have them ready for you.
Other Stuff you need to provide
Dinners to cook (grills provided). I will have compostable utensils, paper plates and napkins (we’ll burn these). There will also be a place to wash hard utensils, plates, pots and pans
Alcohol besides beer (BYO wine, hard liquor etc) and water bottle.
Head lamp.
Personal bathroom stuff. If you are truck or tent camping or RVing and need a shower, you can use a shower in the room of one of our groups shower so bring a towel.
Camp chairs.