Some Good Carpin'

Drove out to one of our local small reservoirs to walk the shore and see
if I could spot some carp feeding. I've found that the trick to taking
carp in the shallows is to find feeding fish. Too often the shallow carp
you see have f----in' on their minds instead of feeding. Trying to get
them to eat a fly just doesn't work (not that I can blame them).

I didn't spot alot of fish, but all the fish I spotted were feeding. I
started out with a damsel and got a couple follows but no takes. Next I
tried a boogery type of fly which just spooked the fish. Then I dropped
down to a hare' ear of about a size 14 and started taking fish. If I
didn't spook the fish with a bad cast every fish I cast to at least took
the fly. I missed a couple when I struck too soon after seeing them
inhale the fly - I just pulled it out from their mouth.

I fished for about a hour and a half and landed six fish and had several
more take a fly. Probably the most successful carp outing I've had in
terms of fish per hour. None were as big as the one Chas posted but on a
5 weight they were fun.

http://www.crystalglen.net/Fishing/Carpin.htm


Willi

Willi wrote:
Drove out to one of our local small reservoirs to walk the shore and see
if I could spot some carp feeding. I've found that the trick to taking
carp in the shallows is to find feeding fish. Too often the shallow carp
you see have f----in' on their minds instead of feeding. Trying to get
them to eat a fly just doesn't work (not that I can blame them).

Nice fish Willi. We have a guide known localy as Long Haired Dave that
has developed a carp fly known as Long Haired Dave's Sucker Punch fly
that has tying instructions on his web site.
Http://www.trashonthefly.com. You might tie a few and see how they work
in your area just for ****s and grins.The Sucker Punch has been working
pretty well in the Dallas area known as Carp Creek, but no one I know
will admit fishing in an area that has working girls on every street
corner.(g) It seems to travel pretty well. I tied it one morning last
year at the FFF Southeast Conclave at Callaway Gardens and I know a few
have been working for some guys down in Florida.

Big Dale

Big Dale wrote:
Willi wrote:

Drove out to one of our local small reservoirs to walk the shore and see
if I could spot some carp feeding. I've found that the trick to taking
carp in the shallows is to find feeding fish. Too often the shallow carp
you see have f----in' on their minds instead of feeding. Trying to get
them to eat a fly just doesn't work (not that I can blame them).


Nice fish Willi. We have a guide known localy as Long Haired Dave that
has developed a carp fly known as Long Haired Dave's Sucker Punch fly
that has tying instructions on his web site.
Http://www.trashonthefly.com. You might tie a few and see how they work
in your area just for ****s and grins.The Sucker Punch has been working
pretty well in the Dallas area known as Carp Creek, but no one I know
will admit fishing in an area that has working girls on every street
corner.(g) It seems to travel pretty well. I tied it one morning last
year at the FFF Southeast Conclave at Callaway Gardens and I know a few
have been working for some guys down in Florida.

Big Dale



Good looking fly. Bet it would catch some trout too. I'll have to try a
few. Never seen that Orvis tentacle - have to substitute there.

The two reservoirs I fish most often for carp are generally clear. I'm
sight fishing for fish in 6" to 2' of water. Although there are lots of
crayfish in the lakes that I'm sure the carp feed on, I find they are
generally spooked by medium to larger flies in the shallow water (at
least how I present them). Overall, I've done best with nymphs and soft
hackles from 10 to 14. I also generally do better with unweighted flies
because of the water depth I'm fishing.

Willi

Willi wrote:
Good looking fly. Bet it would catch some trout too. I'll have to try a

few. Never seen that Orvis tentacle - have to substitute there.

The two reservoirs I fish most often for carp are generally clear. I'm
sight fishing for fish in 6" to 2' of water. Although there are lots of
crayfish in the lakes that I'm sure the carp feed on, I find they are
generally spooked by medium to larger flies in the shallow water (at
least how I present them). Overall, I've done best with nymphs and soft
hackles from 10 to 14. I also generally do better with unweighted flies
because of the water depth I'm fishing.

Willi

Spanflex looks a lot like the Orvis product. I most often tie the fly
with much smaller lead, and the same number of wraps. Carp are the
spookiest fish I have ever tried to catch. Dave only casts to activily
feeding fish in ankle deep water or less. I am determined to catch more
carp this year. It is still pretty frustrating to me. I hope others
will give the carp a try as it would be good to see how they do in
places other than Texas and Colorado.

Big Dale

Nice pics Willi. That first one looks familiar, maybe you posted one of the
same area last year?

That's some fast fishing, I need to spend some more time with the small flies.
The Columbia carp don't seem to spook so easy, they are quite willing to ignore
a fly, and sometimes they seem to look at me, but they don't seem scared very
often. Maybe it's the size of the fish. I don't think I've seen one under 10
pounds, most are 12-15 pounds.

Chas
remove fly fish to e mail directly

chas wrote:
Nice pics Willi. That first one looks familiar, maybe you posted one of the
same area last year?

You either have a GREAT memory or you're very observant! The first
photo was one taken last year (or the year before). It's a pic of the
same area I fished the other day. The water level was considerably
higher in the old pic. I used it because it showed the type of water I
was fishing. When I went out the other day, the glare on the lake was
harsh. I don't have a polarizing filter, so the pix were flat and you
couldn't see into the water. I went back on Saturday and did well for
about an hour until the sun got higher and some thin clouds moved in.
The glare got so bad, that the only fish I saw were those I spooked. I
put on one of Danl's Little Brown Streamers and fished off some rocks to
try and catch some crappie for dinner. Second cast I caught a bass of
between four and five pounds! No crappie though.



That's some fast fishing, I need to spend some more time with the small flies.
The Columbia carp don't seem to spook so easy, they are quite willing to ignore
a fly, and sometimes they seem to look at me, but they don't seem scared very
often. Maybe it's the size of the fish. I don't think I've seen one under 10
pounds, most are 12-15 pounds.


Most of the carp I fish to are half that size. Just like trout, if they
know you're there, even if they don't spook, they're more difficult to
catch. I walk the shoreline looking for fishing that are feeding. If
they're not actively feeding, you might be able to get a hookup, but
your chances of hooking one are low.


We have carp in the Poudre and I find them more difficult than the carp
in the ponds. The exception is if there's a strong hatch going on. I was
out one day when there were alot of caddis on the water and there were
big snouts sticking out of the water. You could literally hear them
sucking in the bugs. Caught a number of fish on a EHC.

Willi

Nice Fish Willi! bruce h