First carp on the fly

[dubthethorax]

Got the kids to sleep at 9:30pm and hit the east branch Perkiomen for some night time risers. I only brought a few bugs, a spool of 6x tippet, and my 4 weight.

When I got there, carp were mudding like crazy under a street light. I threw on a skip's dad crayfish imitation and got lucky. I spent two years trying to land a carp on a fly rod and I was so damn happy when I landed him.

Fought like hell.

 

[govtmule]

carp are fun for sure, nice fish... but how did 6x not snap throwing a crayfish or fighting it? Also, why use 6x at night for risers (trout)...id go 4x especially for stockies....just my opinion..

 

[dubthethorax]

I just went with what I had in my car. Wasnt thinking about getting into carp. and yeah I did really have to play him softly, which kinda sucked. He had no problem instantly swimming away though.

 

[Swattie87]

Nice catch dub. Yeah, carp are tough fish. That's good work to get that fish in on 6x...I had one of similar size break off of 5x one time...and I thought I was playing it easy. Pinched the line to get the rest of the slack onto the reel and right then he decided to make a run. Was fishing for Sunnies with dries in a lake and saw a couple of nice LM cruising so I threw on a small Bugger...not sure why the carp ate it though.

 

[MattBoyer]

Swattie87 wrote:
not sure why the carp ate it though.

My guess is that he was hungry. ;-) Congrats Dub, you are now an addict. :-D

Boyer

 

[giantsjim]

Wasn't trying for a carp when I caught my one and only on a fly rod fishing a sunken ant on the YB. Slimy fish and mucked up my net plenty. Can't remember what tippet I had on but I imagine 6x. It was like bringing in a rock and took more than a few minutes. Congrats on yours.

 

[Swattie87]

MattBoyer wrote:
My guess is that he was hungry.

More than likely. 😎

 

[dubthethorax]

MattBoyer wrote:

Swattie87 wrote:
not sure why the carp ate it though.

My guess is that he was hungry. ;-) Congrats Dub, you are now an addict. :-D

Boyer

Damn right. I'm heading out again tonight!

 

[beerbyrnes]

Damn right. I'm heading out again tonight!

Bring something other then 6x

 

[djs12354]

Congrats, Dub.

There is something special about the First Fish of any type!

What's your next species challenge?

Dave

 

[tulenkot]

Carp are incredibly tough fish. Im sure it will be fine even after a long fight. When I was a kid my friend and I brought an 8lb carp home that we caught and let it go in the trickle of a creek in my back yard. You could jump across it in most places. The carp stayed alive for many years and lived an apparent happy life in an undersized stream. They are tough enough to survive the dumb actions of kids!

 

[odizz17]

I just caught my 1st carp on a fly about a month and a half ago. 6 wt, 3lb tippet, and a white wooly bugger. By far the strongest fish I've hooked on a fly. I've been trying to catch this one I labeled "Frank the Tank" out of the "Quittie" in Lebanon Co. for the last few weeks. I caught him once last year on spinning gear and a curlytail. I just cant seem to get close enough without spooking him. One day soon I'll get him. It truly is an addiction

 

[dubthethorax]

I find it odd that I went out last night to the same exact spot. Same time of night, same exact weather conditions, and I didn't see one single carp. All I caught was a silly little rock bass.

 

[troutmagnet]

thats awesome! i only carp fish that much anymore unless im fly fishing. We got 36 so far this year and majority of them were between 15 to 18 lbs. Now to get one on the fly rod.....

 

[dubthethorax]

When you spin fish, are you using corn? I'm thinking about tying some corn flies.

 

[troutmagnet]

well maize, we fish euro styoe like they do in europe.....we got 60 now

 

[brain]

double tap....

 

[brain]

the union canel park is a stone throw from the house, and it is full of them.
there are also more than a few mulberry trees? bushes? whatever, when the berries are ripe, the ones that can , fall in the canel, with a special little plopping sound that fish key on. they will ball up under the branches that are dropping, so much so that fish will be partially lifted out of the water as they fight for position.
while i was able to create a fly that looked like the berries, they did not produce the plopping effect. a quick look was all i could even get. some truly large fish are in there, ones that could likely show you your backing.