Carpin’ 2020

[dc410]

Ok, all you PAFF carpin’ folks or anyone with an interest in pursuing carp on the fly. I’m starting up the new carpin’ thread albeit I’m at least a month late. I have been struggling immensely to even locate fish this year but over the past two weeks they have started to show themselves on some of my local carp beats. I finally managed to bring my first carp of the year to the net yesterday morning about a half hour after daybreak. Most of the carp I saw yesterday were in active spawning mode chasing each other all over the creek. These fish are impossible to catch on a fly so I concentrated on locating some active feeders. I found a few, managed to entice one to eat, had a few looks and classic refusals and spooked one badly by bouncing my fly right off its head. (my casting is a bit rusty) Anyway, the battle was great with the 6 pounder and it was also the first fish landed with a brand new 8 wt rod that I just purchased earlier this year.

So here is how I intend for the carpin’ thread to work. Participation is definitely the key. I’m hoping for folks to share tips, techniques, effective carp patterns, successes, failures and photos (if you can figure out how to make that work) If we all freely share our questions, answers and experiences we can all learn a lot. Don’t feel obligated to tell where you are fishing at (I really never divulge that on my carp spots). So I’m looking forward to some carpin’ conversations. The one thing I know for sure is that you’ll never put one in the net if you don’t get out there locate some fish and start taking shots at catchable or feeding fish. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Good luck. Tight lines and screamin’ reels.

 

[acesedgley]

they be jumpin at Hopewell Lake (French Creek State Park) but I imagine that behavior is spawn related and they would be difficult to hook.

 

[Paulson]

Any specific flies used? I've casted at them a few times but never had any takes. I'm glad in a way however, I was using lighter weights. A local pond around has carp I could target.

 

[dc410]

acesedgley wrote:
they be jumpin at Hopewell Lake (French Creek State Park) but I imagine that behavior is spawn related and they would be difficult to hook.

Hey Darby, yeah, all that thrashing around and jumping out of the water is generally due to them chasing each other around during the spawning process. Post spawn after they settle down and get back to feeding - get after ‘em!

 

[dc410]

Paulson wrote:
Any specific flies used? I've casted at them a few times but never had any takes. I'm glad in a way however, I was using lighter weights. A local pond around has carp I could target.

I tie my own flies, and I have tied up some typical bead chain eye (Clouser style) carp flies that ride hook point up. I like using natural fur and feathers in dark natural colors to imitate nymphs to present to feeding (mudding) carp. I feel the darker colored flies stand out better when you get it into the feeding zone of an actively feeding carp that is mudding up the water. One of my favorite carp flies uses pheasant marabou for the tail, mink fur dubbed body, and a crow covert feather tied in soft hackle style for the collar. My favorite carp fly hook is a Daiichi 1560, size 6, 2X heavy wet fly hook. I think the dark buggy look and movement of these natural materials is very important in a carp fly. I use flash very sparingly in my carp flies.

I’ve caught some pretty large carp on my 9’ 5wt but it definitely is not the ideal outfit particularly considering the potential weight of some of the fish you may hook up with. My “go to” outfit for carp has been a 9’ 8 wt. which I have gained a lot of confidence over the past 5 or 6 years in being able to handle and apply the necessary pressure to some heavy fish.

Good luck, get out there and start taking some shots at some feeders on that local pond. I hope you get into one!

 

[trevor]

I found some yesterday - conditions weren't great, but managed to land one, lose one, and miss a few takes. The wind/cloudy water made seeing fish and strikes hard. Can't figure out how to add a photo

 

[dc410]

trevor wrote:
I found some yesterday - conditions weren't great, but managed to land one, lose one, and miss a few takes. The wind/cloudy water made seeing fish and strikes hard. Can't figure out how to add a photo

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I have always found it to be very challenging trying to see the take when there is a bit of a chop on the water on a breezy day. Those conditions can allow you to get in pretty tight on them sometimes but it is still extremely difficult to see the carp actually eat the fly.

Good job actually hooking up with two fish under those challenging conditions.

 

[trevor]

Just noticed you're in Lancaster—I was actually fishing the Conestoga, but the fish I landed was hooked up a little, ditch-like trib running through some farmland. There were maybe a dozen or so carp feeding through a 50 yard stretch of muddy, slow water.

Most of the spots I carp fish are Lancaster - Pequea creek, the Conestoga, Mill creek. I went to Beaver Island once, and Lancaster is harder in my opinion. Lots of dirty water, lots of deep water, lots of current to contend with. Conditions are so rarely good for wading and casting to fish. Probably half of all the fish I've caught were stalked from the bank. I flip a lot of fast-sinking flies to carp behind submerged wood. Lots of break-offs when they run into the wood, lots of mud and burn hazel, but it seems like many days it's the only game in town.

Sounds like we use similar flies. Swimming nymphs have always been good for me. I also tied up a pattern maybe five years ago—basically a backstabber with brown rubber legs, two strands of midge flash, natural dubbing, and fox tail fur. The rusty brown/black/orange seems like a good match for local crayfish.

 

[Perkasiezeb]

I have been having success with color variations of McTague's trouser worm. Tie a rabbit collar as well to give it more motion

 

[dc410]

trevor wrote:
Just noticed you're in Lancaster—I was actually fishing the Conestoga, but the fish I landed was hooked up a little, ditch-like trib running through some farmland. There were maybe a dozen or so carp feeding through a 50 yard stretch of muddy, slow water.

Most of the spots I carp fish are Lancaster - Pequea creek, the Conestoga, Mill creek. I went to Beaver Island once, and Lancaster is harder in my opinion. Lots of dirty water, lots of deep water, lots of current to contend with. Conditions are so rarely good for wading and casting to fish. Probably half of all the fish I've caught were stalked from the bank. I flip a lot of fast-sinking flies to carp behind submerged wood. Lots of break-offs when they run into the wood, lots of mud and burn hazel, but it seems like many days it's the only game in town.

Sounds like we use similar flies. Swimming nymphs have always been good for me. I also tied up a pattern maybe five years ago—basically a backstabber with brown rubber legs, two strands of midge flash, natural dubbing, and fox tail fur. The rusty brown/black/orange seems like a good match for local crayfish.

Sounds like we’re on the same page and probably have fished some of the same waters. The only time I actually get into the water is to net a fish that I have hooked. The carp in these waterways are challenging because of the deep, silty, off colored waters and steep banks from erosion over the past years. As I said above, I fight for every one I get hooked up with, but I truly love that challenge. Coming home without bringing one to the net isn’t necessarily a total loss.

 

[trevor]

For sure dc410 - landing 1–3 per day is average, but many days I'll get none.

Managed one in the Pequea yesterday morning. While slightly high/muddy water is a nuisance, sometimes really high water can be an advantage. When levels rise, sometimes you can find aggressively feeding carp in protected/flooded areas. They're often relatively oblivious, and sometimes intentionally splashing a big, black fly down right next to them triggers a strike. That's how it was yesterday... since you can't see carp's mouth, I'll put the fly to its side and watch the carp's body language.

But if you can't find those carp, you're out of luck... which was me for the rest of the trip.

 

[dc410]

trevor wrote:
For sure dc410 - landing 1–3 per day is average, but many days I'll get none.

Managed one in the Pequea yesterday morning. While slightly high/muddy water is a nuisance, sometimes really high water can be an advantage. When levels rise, sometimes you can find aggressively feeding carp in protected/flooded areas. They're often relatively oblivious, and sometimes intentionally splashing a big, black fly down right next to them triggers a strike. That's how it was yesterday... since you can't see carp's mouth, I'll put the fly to its side and watch the carp's body language.

But if you can't find those carp, you're out of luck... which was me for the rest of the trip.

trevor,

If you are lucky enough to find carp in flooded areas like that that is a great opportunity. Any time you can target actively feeding fish in an environment that they aren’t used to the odds shift in your favor. Being able to present the fly accordingly and reading the body language of the fish is another whole skill set. Nice job on connecting on that opportunity.

 

[dc410]

The berries are on! At least in my area. My honey hole tree is loaded with berries and they are dropping. Not sure where the carp are? There was one fish at sunrise this morning cruising the upper water column and sucking in berries. I put my deer hair berry fly in front of it and it came up and appeared to take it ... but ... it’s a real “cat and mouse” game at that point and the the carp won that battle. The window of opportunity may be a bit longer this year with the amount of berries I saw on the trees this morning, as long as we don’t get a strong wind or storm system that drops them all in one shot. Get out there and find some targets that are actively feeding on the mulberries. Take your time, be patient!!! Tight lines.

 

[dc410]

Has anyone had any success carpin’ this season? I went out this morning 1/2 hour before sunrise, conditions were perfect - overcast with a light fog. I hit 2 of my proven spots this AM and saw tons of feeding carp. Tried out a couple of new patterns (maybe that was my issue) putting it right into the zone on dozens of fish without a take. Lots of looks but no takes. The water was just off color enough that I kind of had to time a possible take by the body language of the fish. I lost every battle and eventually brought home the “skunk”. Spooked a ton of fish - almost like I never did this before, another very humbling experience. However, great morning to be out carpin’ and I enjoyed every minute of it.

 

[acesedgley]

I was out on the lake in the fog...they were jumpin but didn't see any mudding.

 

[dc410]

acesedgley wrote:
I was out on the lake in the fog...they were jumpin but didn't see any mudding.

Interesting. The jumping and chasing has really tapered off on my local creeks so I’m thinking it is post spawn and the feeding (mudding) carp should be easy targets, not proving to be the case so far this season. Probably need to get back to my “go to” flies.

 

[acesedgley]

Last weekend I was on Karcher Creek Lake and they were jumping a bit also. I have been able to see them swimming a bit better there than other places, but haven't really dedicated myself to trying to hook up with one yet.
Been messing with tying Dahlberg Divers with weedguards and working in the grass beds for bass when I see the carp swimming...they are probably just swimming away from my kayak not feeding.
The multitude of turtles in these lakes and the bubbles they make sort of look like mudding carp.

 

[dc410]

Man, I’ve struggled on hooking up with carp this year in my area. I can’t believe I went the whole month of June and July without hooking with a carp on the fly rod. The carp in my area are ultra spooky this season so the zone to land a fly on a feeding fish has drastically narrowed from too far away that it won’t see it to too close that you blow up the whole shot. Early Saturday AM in the fog just after sunrise I finally got a suspended fish to turn and take my offering sticking and landing my first carp since May 26 for the 2020 season. 2020 has been a very humbling experience for me but I’ve enjoyed every minute of the challenge. Lots of good carpin’ remains in August and September. Get after ‘em. Tight lines.

 

[BrookieChaser]

I finally found a carp. Happy, feeding, chased the fly 6' at least but didn't eat. But I found one.

 

[BrookieChaser]

I found five more carp today. They were schooled up and suspended. They weren't happy at all.