Carping

[melvinthefisherman]

I know of quite a few areas where I can consistently find some carp. I hear a lot of guys chase them on the fly. What flies do you use and how exactly do you catch those ugly fish on the fly?

 

[mic]

I caught one on a moto minnow once,while fishing for bass out of my canoe.it was a lot of fun as he started to tow me around in the canoe.i will deffinetly try to hook some more this summer.i don't know what flys to use but I am shore you'll get help with that on here.good luck

 

[poopdeck]

Being new to the fly rod I can't tell you what catches them but I could tell you what doesn't. Sunnies, large mouth, small mouth, crappie, rock bass, and one dumb trout have all fallen victim to my fly rod. Carp on the other hand seem to laugh at me. I have spent hours looking at dozens of carp who would not give my fly a moment of consideration. I'm going to try a mulberry fly this year. As a youth I use to catch them on real mulberries all the time when the tree in my backyard was producing. I found a mulberry pattern on the web that I think will be the ticket. I'm guessing that a mulberry fly carries the same lofty status as the GW.

 

[poopdeck]

Being new to the fly rod I can't tell you what catches them but I could tell you what doesn't. Sunnies, large mouth, small mouth, crappie, rock bass, and one dumb trout have all fallen victim to my fly rod. Carp on the other hand seem to laugh at me. I have spent hours looking at dozens of carp who would not give my fly a moment of consideration. I'm going to try a mulberry fly this year. As a youth I use to catch them on real mulberries all the time when the tree in my backyard was producing. I found a mulberry pattern on the web that I think will be the ticket. I'm guessing that a mulberry fly carries the same lofty status as the GW.

 

[dc410]

melvin,

I have been flyfishing for over 30 years but I also consider myself a rookie in the sport of flyfishing for carp. I did invest a fair amount of time with it last summer for my first season of carping ..... I had a blast. I have spent a lot of time tying carp flies, reading about carp, and picking the brains of some of the more experienced carp fishermen right here on PAFF (and we have some good ones). Carp are very spooky fish. They have a very large lateral line and are able to detect vibrations from in the water and on the bank. So first off, a stealthy approach is a must. Drab colored clothing, don't cast any shadows on the water and very slow movement are all importatnt factors to consider. Also, the ability to present the fly to a feeding carp with pinpoint accuracy (roughly a foot in front of the fish) with a minimum of false casting will increase hook ups. I have found myself, slowing down, being patient and spending a lot of time just observing carp to figure out what they are doing. You want to be targeting feeding carp (one good indicator is the muddy clould of water created by a carp as it roots in the silt to dislodge nymphs and crayfish, etc.) Casting to a carp that is not actually feeding will probably be unproductive.

As far as flies go, I have attached a photo of some of the flies that I tied up this winter for this seasons carp box. They are all basically tied the same... bead chain or dumbell eyes, hook point up, natural and synthetic materials, a bit of flash is ok, and rust or olive colors seem to work well. A simple old wooly bugger can be a great carp fly. Sight fishing for carp is a lot of fun and can definitiely make you an all around better flyfisherman. When you set the hook on that first 12 pounder and the reel starts singin' and the adrenaline starts pumping. You will be hooked! Good luck.

 

[dc410]

poopdeck wrote:
I'm going to try a mulberry fly this year. As a youth I use to catch them on real mulberries all the time when the tree in my backyard was producing. I found a mulberry pattern on the web that I think will be the ticket.

poopdeck,

I'm thinking the key to an effective mulberry fly would be how it sounds and reacts when presented. You obviously want to target carp that are actively feeding on berries underneath a fruiting mulberry tree. As kids we used to catch some doing this using real berries and we tried to come up with some real innovative ways to keep the dang berry on the hook ..... None of them worked very well. However, the mulberry pattern should "plop" when presented and sink very slowly in the water column, if not actually staying somewhat suspended. I don't think you want it to either sink like a rock or float real high because the natural berries don't do that. If you can get into position to cast under those limbs without spooking the carp, you may be in business. Good luck.

 

[poopdeck]

We would tie the stem on some times but most times we used a sack. I'm gonna tie up something that looks like dc's pictures in case the Mulberry doesn't work.

 

[marcq]

I think the key is finding actively feeding fish. they are not to picky. id say a standard wooly bugger would work.