This Common Carp first caught my attention while he was far downstream in Doe Branch Creek. He had worked his way into the shallow water near the shore and had begun thrashing and splashing. Common Carps are very large fish. This one was approaching 2ft/0.66m in length. The amount of splashing a fish this size can do is substantial, and he was hard to miss.
After a while the fish backed away and again headed upstream. He swam for only a short distance before he beached himself and began agitating the water once more. He repeated this behavior over and over again, all the while continuing to make his way steadily upstream.
Soon he was right next to me. I took a few pictures as the carp continued in this routine as he made his way around a bend in the creek and out of sight.