Lookin' back - at some Carpin'

[dc410]

I have spent the last two seasons with a brand new addiction. Carp fishing with a flyrod. I am lucky enough to live very close to where me and my friends spent a lot of time as a kids catching catfish and carp on worm gobs at the local creek while also trying to get all those wooden rafts that we built to actually float. (A little Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn action) Some of these same waters have now become my local beats for Carpin' with the flyrod.

I have learned a lot over the past few years talking to other flyfisherman with carp fishing experience, reading everything I can get my hands on, surfing the web and most of all actually getting out there and pursuing this very wary quarry. I have learned so much and still have so much more to learn. It has really become an obsession. I have discovered and tied many new carp patterns over the past couple of years and have expanded my carp box significantly with many new patterns that have produced very well for me.

It is really hard to explain the adrenaline rush when you place that perfect cast directly in front of a muddin' carp and the end of your fly line twitches the littlest bit. You strip set and are immediately onto the reel with a 12 lb. carp that literally has your reel "screaming". I gave the old 8 weight a pretty good work out this summer. Stealth is of the utmost importance as you literally crawl through the cow patties and burn hazel in sweltering early morning summer heat. I just love it! For anybody who lives close to a good carp stream and hasn't yet made the plunge to try to hook up with one yet on a flyrod, I highly recommend it. It is an unbelievable challenge and will definitely make you a better all around flyfisherman. Here are some highlights of the 2014 Carpin' season. Can't wait for next year!

 

[jwb123]

Nice post and nice fish! I may need to give these wary critters more of an honest effort next season. So many fish, so little time.

 

[sarce]

Awesome. I tried casting a buggy streamer at some monster carp I found in a local lake down here. Several were cruising around the weedbeds and three or four had to have been 36"+...some of the biggest I've ever seen. I managed to land the fly on the back of one and must have snagged it because the water just exploded and that giant carp took off a hundred feet down the lake thrashing everywhere. My line snapped the second it first flinched. Gotta hook one for real one of these days.

 

[Fishidiot]

Great stuff. More and more folks are targeting carp with the long rod and dc410 has really nailed the game (DeltaDog too). Some good patterns here as well. I don't often target carp, but will hook up from time to time. It's a blast.

 

[dc410]

sarce,

Keep after 'em. One of the most challenging parts of catching carp is presenting your fly into the "zone". It needs to be close enough so the fish can easily see it but not to close to spook it. I usually try to present it about 12-18" in front of the fish. This is all obviously dependent on water clarity as well. If you brush one with your leader or actually hit the fish with the fly it is generally "game over". I also foul hooked one this year. I thought he took it but actually just swam over my leader. I use 1X tippet a lot so I don't usually lose many flies or fish for that matter. When the fly popped out of this fish I brought it in and had 2 scales on the point of the hook, each one about the size of a dime. A 36" carp on a fly rod would be awesome!

 

[BrookieChaser]

That looks like a good season.

Carp were on my list this year, I just don't live that close to carp water. So I traveled, unsuccessfully, to find them this summer when I shouldn't harass trout. I caught a lot of bass.

 

[icyguides]

While catching carp opportunistically while fishing for bass the past 2 seasons I got past the "trash fish" label and realized it is a lot fun, so this year i finally decided to target them a little more. I added some carp specific patterns to my fly box and made a few trips with carp in mind (bass are ok too) .

I only brought 2 to hand, broke 1 off and learned a lot. They seem like they are everywhere until you really start seriously looking for good spots to target them with a fly rod. They are also easier to catch when you don't really care about catching them.

The good news is that you can find them in and around good bass water and will take a lot of the same flies. I usually try to use the same approach as dc10. Find a feeding fish, softly drop a little buggy fly a foot in front of it's face and chances are it will eat. I know a lot of guys do the "drag and drop", but all my success has come from just putting it right in front of them.

I still think they're stinky, a little ugly sometimes and i find their lips disgusting to touch but i'm willing to put up with all that because they're such a blast to fish for. You can't beat sight fishing for 10lb plus fish in SEPA.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

John you gotta take me out and show me around some of these spots in Northern Lanc. I really struggled with carp this year.

 

[foxtrapper1972]

I'm trying to expand my flyfishing horizon and carp are on my list of things to try. Carp are really cool fish. I spent my childhood fishing for them with worms, doughballs, bread and mulberries. I probably learned a lot fishing for carp and suckers. In more recent years I've caught a few carp accidentally on Clouser Crayfish.
I like your carp flies.

 

[dc410]

The_Sasquatch wrote:
John you gotta take me out and show me around some of these spots in Northern Lanc. I really struggled with carp this year.

Andy, we have got to get out and fish together sometime. Period. Carp or no carp. I have never flyfished the Cocalico Creek. I know you fish it, there have got to be some carp honey holes on that creek.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I'm sure there are, but I haven't seen any. Lots of SMB though.

We do need to fish.

 

[jifigz]

I'm excited for when my area of the state gets its next explosion of cicadas. I remember the last time we had an outbreak was many years ago and I was on Lake Raystown fishing and the carp were just gobbling those cicadas up. I imagine that it would be great fun to hook up with them throwing foam cicadas or chernobyl ants or something and, from the looks of how those carp were dining on them that day, it would be easy to fool them into biting.

I still haven't caught a carp on the fly rod....in the spring I will give it some serious effort with my 6 weight.

 

[dc410]

Jifigz,

I was hoping to get into some carp on cicadas during our last heavy emergence a few seasons back. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any cicadas in the areas of the carp streams that I fished. The whole cicada thing is definitely a "right place at the right time" event IMO. However, I have witnessed many carp feeding regularly on top. I have not yet been able to figure out what they are feeding on. Whatever it is, it is very small. Up to this point they have totally refused anything I have thrown at them topwater. I will eventually catch one on top, maybe this upcoming season!

 

[lv2nymph]

John, congrats on nailin all them rubber lips ( is it ok to call them that? You know politically correct...) looks like you had their number, way to go.

 

[jifigz]

dc410 wrote:
Jifigz,

I was hoping to get into some carp on cicadas during our last heavy emergence a few seasons back. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any cicadas in the areas of the carp streams that I fished. The whole cicada thing is definitely a "right place at the right time" event IMO. However, I have witnessed many carp feeding regularly on top. I have not yet been able to figure out what they are feeding on. Whatever it is, it is very small. Up to this point they have totally refused anything I have thrown at them topwater. I will eventually catch one on top, maybe this upcoming season!

I also regularly see them feeding on the surface in the Juniata in the warm water period. I know where roughly 100 carp gather each spring to spawn and I'm thinking I should be able to pick them up there before they start spawning. I know where they retreat to for the summer months then as well. It can be hard to approach them in a river the size of the Juniata while wading without spooking them, however.

 

[dc410]

[/quote]
It can be hard to approach them in a river the size of the Juniata while wading without spooking them, however.[/quote]

Yeah, I could see that being extremely challenging to get close enough to cast to them on a river the size of the Juniata. I only ever caught one while I was actively wading. I was fishing for Smallmouth Bass at the time and a big old carp cruised right past me two times. The second time he came past I was ready and executed a short roll cast dropping a size 4 chartruese/white Clouser minnow right in front of the carp and it immediately swam forward and sucked it in. GAME ON! That was a very unconventional carp hook up for me, but you take 'me when you get 'em. That fish was a fairly challenging one to land in a bit swifter water than I normally carp fish in and without a net. Lots of fun!

 

[jkilroy]

Do you use barbless hooks? I've always wanted to try this it's just the looks only a mon could love. How much weight do you add to the flies? i caught some growing up and man when you get one one it's like a run-away freight train. I have carp waters 5 min from the house.

 

[dc410]

jkilroy,

I don't use barbless hooks for my carp flies. My favorite hook for tying my carp flies is a Daiichi 1530 size 6 (2X heavy wet fly hook). Most of my carp flies are tied with either dumbell eyes (usually size small) or medium size bead chain eyes - both of these tied Clouser style to ride hook point up. I'm sure you probably have some decent carp waters in your neck of the woods. Persistence will get you hooked up with 'em. Stealth and accurate casting with a good presentation are probably the most important factors. When you set the hook and connect with one on a fly outfit you are going to get an incredible adrenaline rush. It's a flat out blast! Good luck.

 

[codym21]

I only use barbless hooks for my carp flies,Carp have soft mouths and barbs just make it worse. Fish barbless. Most times i use bead chain eyes which make less of a plop in the water but if the carp arent that spooky you can get away with dumbell eyes.

 

[jkilroy]

Yeah, I would think barbs is the way to go, a barbed hook would damage their mouth on removal. I would also think bead chain may even be too heavy if the water is skinny and calm. I casted to them and any distirbance, their gone.