hookedonthefly
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well done as usual DC410!!
2017 Carpin' thread
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dc410
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I hit one of my local carp spots early this morning that I hadn't fished for several weeks. Its a pond and this morning there were a lot of feeding carp but they were all out in fairly deep water. I was focusing on the bubbles and silt clouds and trying to gently lay my fly right in the area of the bubbles. This can be a challenging way to fly fish for carp, not being able to tell exactly where their head is and obviously not being able to actually see the take. This morning I laid my fly in the areas of the bubbles, let it sink naturally and keyed on my fly line/leader connection. This doesn't always work that well for me and often I spook the fish by inadvertently lining them. This morning, however, it was working like a charm as I managed to bring three of them to the net in about 1/2 hour of fishing. Two of them being Mirror Carp. So far its been a good year on the Mirror Carp.
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BrookieChaser
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Nice job, DC.
I was out scouting for carp tonight. I didn't find any.
I was out scouting for carp tonight. I didn't find any.
dc410
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Thanks, guys.
BC - keep at it, you'll find some. Scouting is a very important part of carpin'.
I think the carp in this pond are just getting into spawning mode. I had another carp chasing one I had hooked right to the net. The chaser actually bounced off my net as I scooped the hooked fish. Almost had 'em both!
BC - keep at it, you'll find some. Scouting is a very important part of carpin'.
I think the carp in this pond are just getting into spawning mode. I had another carp chasing one I had hooked right to the net. The chaser actually bounced off my net as I scooped the hooked fish. Almost had 'em both!
dc410
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I took a walk this morning on one of my favorite carp stretches for the first time this season. The water was very off color and I didn't hook up with any this morning but I was mainly checking the status of the local berry crop. The Mulberry trees are hanging full of berries and some of them are just starting to turn a bit pink. It won't be long now!
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dc410
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I was fishing for Smallmouth this past week on the local warmwater creek when I spotted a decent carp just cruising around. I couldn't resist taking a shot at the fish. Sometimes in carpin' you spot carp that there is no way that you can even have a chance at them. Other times you are offered an opportunity at a fish but have no way of knowing how to handle the situation if you indeed hook it.
I decided to take a shot at the fish without worrying about the second part of the issue. The 10 lb. carp immediately turned and took the fly. The battle was on!
I was standing on the top of about a 6-7' steep, muddy bank on a flat covered with burn hazel. I had to get into the water to ever have a chance at landing the fish. I did the "human otter slide" down the bank and landed in the soft, silty substrate along the edge of the creek, sinking to within inches of the top of my hip boots. I found a better area of gravelly bottom out a bit into the stream and fought the fish from there. I could not take the fish either up or downstream due to deeper water and very soft, silty undercuts. The battle was a fairly long one but I finally managed to bring the fish to hand which was a challenge in and of itself without a net.
I love the challenge of landing one like this when the decision is made to cast to it while being very unprepared. Sometimes it works outs - many times it doesn't. Good luck with your carpin'! Nothing ventured - nothing gained.
I decided to take a shot at the fish without worrying about the second part of the issue. The 10 lb. carp immediately turned and took the fly. The battle was on!
I was standing on the top of about a 6-7' steep, muddy bank on a flat covered with burn hazel. I had to get into the water to ever have a chance at landing the fish. I did the "human otter slide" down the bank and landed in the soft, silty substrate along the edge of the creek, sinking to within inches of the top of my hip boots. I found a better area of gravelly bottom out a bit into the stream and fought the fish from there. I could not take the fish either up or downstream due to deeper water and very soft, silty undercuts. The battle was a fairly long one but I finally managed to bring the fish to hand which was a challenge in and of itself without a net.
I love the challenge of landing one like this when the decision is made to cast to it while being very unprepared. Sometimes it works outs - many times it doesn't. Good luck with your carpin'! Nothing ventured - nothing gained.
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dc410
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Yep, you got it Fred! It's that time of year. The window of opportunity is short. You either get out there and get a piece of the action .... or you don't.
dc410
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The berry hatch is on! I went out early this morning, mainly for a scouting trip to see what the status of the ripening berries were on my favorite berry carp beat. I had about an hour so I figured I'd string up the rod and take it along just in case. I located four mulberry trees that were hanging heavy with berries over the water. The carp were staged up and cruising right under and downstream of several of these trees and were already all over the falling berries.
There were about a dozen carp of various sizes cruising around my berry "honey hole". The water was very off color from the rain the previous evening so I just took at shot at whatever was willing to play and laid one of my old tattered berry flies from last year in the vicinity of feeding carp. One carp came up and nudged the fly but didn't take it. I've learned to be patient with carp feeding on top on berries. Its almost like everything is in slow motion. Finally another fish surfaced under my fly and I saw the take and the fly disappeared. A quick strip set and it was Game On! It wasn't a huge fish - only about 5 lbs. but it put up a great fight and totally demolished my old berry fly during the battle. Nothing that a razor blade and a little vise time can't take care of. Taking them on top is so much fun!
It is a bumper crop of berries this year and there are a lot of them in different stages of development. I'm thinking it should last maybe through the weekend unless we get a lot of wind over the next few days. Gotta jump on them quick, it'll be over before you know it. Good luck!
There were about a dozen carp of various sizes cruising around my berry "honey hole". The water was very off color from the rain the previous evening so I just took at shot at whatever was willing to play and laid one of my old tattered berry flies from last year in the vicinity of feeding carp. One carp came up and nudged the fly but didn't take it. I've learned to be patient with carp feeding on top on berries. Its almost like everything is in slow motion. Finally another fish surfaced under my fly and I saw the take and the fly disappeared. A quick strip set and it was Game On! It wasn't a huge fish - only about 5 lbs. but it put up a great fight and totally demolished my old berry fly during the battle. Nothing that a razor blade and a little vise time can't take care of. Taking them on top is so much fun!
It is a bumper crop of berries this year and there are a lot of them in different stages of development. I'm thinking it should last maybe through the weekend unless we get a lot of wind over the next few days. Gotta jump on them quick, it'll be over before you know it. Good luck!
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The hatch is on!
Let the "suckers" run to Penns to chase drakes. We know about the real hatch. Yeah baby - here's to screaming drags. 😎
Let the "suckers" run to Penns to chase drakes. We know about the real hatch. Yeah baby - here's to screaming drags. 😎
hookedonthefly
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dc you should run a guide service for carp!
dc410
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Nah! I would and have taken other anglers out carpin' occasionally if the schedule allows. Guiding, on the other hand would seem too much like work to me. Carpin' helps to get my mind off of work.
dc410
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I had my best morning ever today chucking berries for carp. Earlier in the week I located 4-5 mulberry trees that were heavy with fruit and overhanging the creek and the carp were already staged there and feeding on the dropping berries. I started early this morning at just about sunrise and caught carp under every one of those mulberry trees.
I ended up bringing six to the net and lost at least that many fish to the heavy amount of woody debris in this stream. I would cautiously approach each tree and try to figure out how to get my offering out to the feeding carp without spooking them. Whenever I would hook a fish and all the commotion associated with the battle it pretty well shut down all of the feeding at that spot.
I had some good solid takes, some very subtle takes as well as some real classic refusals. I lost a couple of really big fish to the brushy blow downs in the stream. The carp love to hang around under and on the edges of these blow downs. Put a mulberry tree overhanging one of the blow downs - perfect carp habitat!
Overall, it was just a beautiful morning on the local warmwater creek. The Catalpa trees were in full bloom. I never really knew how beautiful Catalpa flowers were until this morning. There still appeared to be a fair amount of mulberries that were not ripened up yet. We may actually get another week out of the mulberry hatch this year. Good luck if you get a chance to cash in on it!
I ended up bringing six to the net and lost at least that many fish to the heavy amount of woody debris in this stream. I would cautiously approach each tree and try to figure out how to get my offering out to the feeding carp without spooking them. Whenever I would hook a fish and all the commotion associated with the battle it pretty well shut down all of the feeding at that spot.
I had some good solid takes, some very subtle takes as well as some real classic refusals. I lost a couple of really big fish to the brushy blow downs in the stream. The carp love to hang around under and on the edges of these blow downs. Put a mulberry tree overhanging one of the blow downs - perfect carp habitat!
Overall, it was just a beautiful morning on the local warmwater creek. The Catalpa trees were in full bloom. I never really knew how beautiful Catalpa flowers were until this morning. There still appeared to be a fair amount of mulberries that were not ripened up yet. We may actually get another week out of the mulberry hatch this year. Good luck if you get a chance to cash in on it!
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dc410
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Thanks, fritz.
I've been working on that pattern for the past three years. Everything from packed deer hair for bouancy to a heavy enough hook to hold the good fish (standard dry fly hook is not the answer) to the right amount of weight to achieve the "plop", it's all about the "plop". The final thing is it needs to ride in the film just like a natural berry (about 80% below the film and 20% above the surface). If it doesn't have the profile and ride in the surface just like a natural they just won't eat it. This morning was payday!
I've been working on that pattern for the past three years. Everything from packed deer hair for bouancy to a heavy enough hook to hold the good fish (standard dry fly hook is not the answer) to the right amount of weight to achieve the "plop", it's all about the "plop". The final thing is it needs to ride in the film just like a natural berry (about 80% below the film and 20% above the surface). If it doesn't have the profile and ride in the surface just like a natural they just won't eat it. This morning was payday!
Jlafko3
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I'm about to head to head out to target some huge grass carp in a local pond, I'm talking 40 + inch fish. What kind of leader/flies do you all think I should go with? I was thinking a 20 pound to 15 to 12 or something along those lines. And for flies I'm just looking up some online. Any info helps thanks!
dc410
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Welcome to PAFF Jlafko3. I have no experience at all with grass carp. If they are indeed 40" fish they are probably in the 30 lb plus range. Don't cut yourself short on tippet strength. I've heard that they are really strong fighters.
As far as flies go, as their name implies they are pretty much vegetarians so something green with a bit of action would be the direction I would head. If I knew where some were I'd be after them in a heartbeat. Let us know how you make out. Good luck!
As far as flies go, as their name implies they are pretty much vegetarians so something green with a bit of action would be the direction I would head. If I knew where some were I'd be after them in a heartbeat. Let us know how you make out. Good luck!
BrookieChaser
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That sounds like a great morning, DC.
I went searching for mulberries and carp today. I found some mulberry trees but none close enough to the creek. I did find some "carpy" water and some new access, so all was not lost.
I went searching for mulberries and carp today. I found some mulberry trees but none close enough to the creek. I did find some "carpy" water and some new access, so all was not lost.
