Carp. What??...yes carp

[Steeltrap]

I have a buddy who has a private pond full of catfish and carp. I thought it may be fun to just fly fish for carp. These are BIG carp! Up to maybe 20-lbs.

I have a 7.5' 7wt rod which I think should be adequate. Can I use my "regular" fly line that I have?

Of course, the leader and tippet's will increase to handle the possible big ones. Barbless hooks will be used. Along with some big ugly fly's that I've tied up.

Adequate equipment? Thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[pete41]

use to catch them on the missouri in the evenings with marabou muddlers- summertime - bummed me out because they fought so much better then the trout i was after..

 

[RLeep2]

They might not be as easy to catch as you might think. They can be persnickety and even leader shy on occasion. If the pond has some trees around it, inchworm time is a good time to target carp by dropping inchworm (green weenie) imitations right in front of them as they cruise.

Otherwise, just be sure your reel turns both ways pretty readily and you have enough backing. If you hook a big carp, he isn't going to stop running until he decides that is what he wants to do. It's like hooking a school bus. Over the years, I've lost 2 fly lines when I gave into the temptation to cast to a carp while bass fishing.

 

[bugs4]

You need to chum up the carp with some corn chex cereal. Then get yourself some deerhair in the same color and tie up some spun deer hair corn chex imitations. Get the carp feeding on the surface with the chummed corn chex then very stealthily cast your imitation in amongst the real thing. When you get one hooked, prepare for the ride of your life.

 

[dc410]

Go for it! Carp are a blast on the fly rod. The 7 weight outfit should be adequate for handing the big boys ... if you play your cards right. Regular fly line is fine. You just need to get one of those ugly carp flies into the zone in front of a feeding fish without it realizing that you are attached to the other end of it, easier said than done in some cases. Stealth and presentation is very important unless you are fishing for carp that routinely have Cheetos fed to them by lots of folks stomping around on the bank. If this is the situation, chuck ‘em an orange mop fly and hang on!

 

[Steeltrap]

Thanks Gent's. The water in his pond is constantly murky\muddy because of the overabundance of carp and catfish. He told me you can toss a worm in and let it sink....every catfish caught is no longer than 7".

It's a small pond with way to many fish in it. He wants every fish caught to not be replaced. That's something I can do and perhaps help a little.

 

[troutbert]

If the cicadas will be in your area this year, go to the pond with some cicada patterns and see if the carp are taking them.

I've seen carp aggressively taking cicadas on the surface. It was an amazing thing to see, but I didn't have my fishing gear in the car.

I can back with my gear the next day, but it had rained and got cooler, so the cicadas were lying low and I didn't see any feeding carp.

 

[jifigz]

troutbert wrote:
If the cicadas will be in your area this year, go to the pond with some cicada patterns and see if the carp are taking them.

I've seen carp aggressively taking cicadas on the surface. It was an amazing thing to see, but I didn't have my fishing gear in the car.

I can back with my gear the next day, but it had rained and got cooler, so the cicadas were lying low and I didn't see any feeding carp.

+1

Troutbert is right.. The carp love the cicadas.

 

[JoeE]

A 7.5 7wt will handle them. My favorite night time streamer rod is a 7.5 6wt. The floating fly line depends on how deep the pond is but chumming them up definitely would be interesting and fun. Joe E

 

[Steeltrap]

Welp....I got schooled!! I tossed about a dozen fly's at 'em from big ugly streamers (like 5" long") to muddler's to Wolly buggers. Nothing!!

I then broke out the spinning rod and got one strike on a black Joe's fly.

I did chase a few tadpole's from the bank....which led me to try both a black Bugger and the black spinner.

Water is very muddy and I could see some activity via plumes of mud being stirred up.

I thought it would be an easy thing to hook a few......not so much!!

 

[jifigz]

Dude, a big ugly streamer is not carp food. In fact, I'd say that your chances of a carp trying to eat a streamer like that is almost 0%. You half to find the feeding carp (look for a carp with their nose down in the mud/sand/rocks rooting around) and be super sneaky and silently drop a prince nymph or something right in its "zone." Carp are super tricky. DC410 is the carp authority here.

I usually fish for the easy stuff, like trout and bass..

 

[JoeE]

If you are not trying to out smart them a globug soaked in hot dog juice should work ????

 

[dc410]

They can definitely be outsmarted, but not on every occasion. Over the years my most productive carp flies were bead chain eyed natural colored buggy nymphs. Earthy toned natural materials always seemed to work good for me. I never liked to put much flash in my carp flies, if I put any in it is very subtle. One fly that I designed several years back uses brown pheasant marabou, mink fur and a soft hackle crow covert feather for the collar. I feel natural tones, contrast and movement are key. Look for the silt clouds and bubbles of an actively feeding carp. Sneak up on them and place your fly within a foot or so of their nose without spooking them. If they are indeed actively rooting and feeding and your fly looks alive to them they will usually eat it. Have fun, you’ll feel a serious adrenaline rush when you stick one! Tight lines and screamin’ reels!

 

[Steeltrap]

Thanks Gents! Different fish like different fly's and presentations. At 65 I can still learn!

I'll tie up some specific carp patterns and have at it again.

But for today......I'm going to a trout stream to bolster my confidence!!