john montana
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Posts posted by john montana
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I am strictly sight fishing, no way would i ever hook a double. I'm usually casting at individual tailers, or small groups of slow cruisers. I used to fish double rigs all the time for trout and other fish (nymphing blind) and hooked a lot of doubles, but I don't see it happening when sight fishing. The fish are too far apart to really show both of them the fly with only 18-20 inches between flies. One thing about the Big C...the fish out here don't like to chase. they like to be fed.
as for leader size...i'm one of the few guys that think carp are "slightly" leader shy. I have tried 0x, but flat out get more takes and less spooked fish with 1x or 2x...problem with 2x and 20 lb fish is they bust you off pretty easily, so i have an uneasy alliance with 1x tippet. I lose fish in the rocks and weeds, but I am convinced I hook more than I would if i went to heavier gear.
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I fish a two fly rig about 95% of the time. In my waters, the fish are usually not very aggressive, so I fish a lead nymph or worm, with a trailer some sort of "motion" fly...like a carrot or crayfish pattern. I tie the second fly about 20 inches off the lead fly, usually from the eye of the hook. In general, I cast the "still" fly at the fish and let it sink...if the fish doesn't move to or take the lead fly, i hop the back fly into the zone and see if they'll chase it down. Works pretty well out here, but i'm really fishing each fly independently of the other. I'm not drifting etc. to see what they'll take, more like I'm casting a worm/nymph at the fish, and if i don't get a take, i switch up and fish the back fly by stripping it toward the fish.
The drawbacks...two splashes sometimes is a bad idea. I do spook fish, but i'd rather spook them by casting too close then have them not see the fly. Carp's eyesight really isn't very good.
The plus...you can catch fish in the mood to chase, or lazy feeders.
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I am the exact opposite. I can fish all day without catching a thing and go home feeling fine as long as I see fish. I just love the hunt!
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Been a long couple of weeks with high,dirty water but I finally got a chance to get after some carp today. I met my dad and we fished a couple of different flats with great success. The fish were aggressive and chased down a properly presented green fly. We caught two big fish, my biggest was 20 lbs and my dads was 22, his personal best! I should have caught two or three more big ones but was reminded that with big fish, you have no room for error with your presentation. I blew a couple of really good shots. Great day on the water with some truly memorable takes.
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I have tried huge crayfish patterns in the two to three inch range and all that happened was the fish spooked. Out here smaller flies rule.
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Nice!
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I'll have to dig through my pics. I know we've caught some with a different mouth structure. Buffs are very cool fish, i always like chasing them when i'm in MN.
Need the roughfisher to chime in here...buffs are his primary target.
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I am reasonably sure that Wendy Berrell and I have caught both species on flies. The Roughfisher has caught a ton of buffs as well, I believe both species. I'll try to post some pictures tonight for the experts to identify. We've definatlely seen the "filter feeding" buffs high in the water column, and drifted small nymphs right at them with success, as well as catching some buffs that are tailing almost exactly like carp. I've never caught a buff on a "big" pattern like a crayfish pattern, but small rubber legged hare's ears and carp wooley's worked for me.
never seen any in OR...but we catch them in the spring in MN.
here are a couple...again, i'm no expert and i think these are the same species:
wendy caught both of these. i know we have caught some with different mouth shapes, can't find the pics while i'm at work.
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I use a Maclean net, the new Zealand company that makes those weigh nets. Mine does not have a scale but folds in half which is key. I rigged up a plastic clip thing that keeps it folded up (drilled the clip to the base of the handle) and then I drilled a screw with a caribiner attached to it into the bottom (straight into the end). Set up like this I can clip the caribiner to my fanny pack clip and the net hang out of the way. When I need to land a fish I just unclip the net, flip it open and I have a long handle so I don't bust my rod. Pretty good rig.
Here is my net folded open. If you look closely you can see the caribiner and black clip on the handle.
Another shot. You can see how it just kind of folds in half.
I like the extra length this gives me and with as much walking as I do it is still very portable when folded up and clipped to my pack.
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Net 90 percent of the time. That spot was a good beaching spot and it was a big fish. With j behind the camera = beach.
A net is the way to go. Mine folds in half so I get the long handle without carrying a long handle.
Read wendy's report. Fantastic perspective.
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Just sun protection Paul. Trying to avoid the sun screen!
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Thanks for the report Paul. I won't get out for a while, need to live through others!
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One more pic that Wendy took.
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That sucks clay. I would have lost it to. Wendy and I let a bass boat with a camera crew on board have it one time when they buzzed up right in front of us and wrecked a flat we were fishing.
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Couldn't get the first post to edit but here are a bunch of pics. Great day and a half of carping.
The biggest fish of the trip was 23 lbs but the mirror stole the show. I have been wanting to catch a 20 lb mirror for a long time and it was great to see Wendy get that big fish! Great time fishing with Wendy, can't wait until we do it again!
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Much more to come in a day or so when we can get things together, but a quick day and a half of fishing with Wendy Berrell in OR turned out to be pretty fantastic despite mediocre conditions. The fish of the trip, a legit 20 lb mirror!
Our top five fish totaled out at 104 lbs...
More to come. We got some great photos...
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I have been meaning to check out some new water and finally did so today. The conditions were horrible with dark, cloudy skies and 15 mph winds but I was determined to cover the water and see if it had potential for future trips. Even with limited visibility the water looked great! I got off to a rocky start but eventually slowed down enough to spot some fish. I landed 11 total with 3 mirrors. I saw a few more fish that might have been mirror carp, including one that looked pretty big. I will definitely head back to this area when the conditions are a bit better!
The last fish was just over 21 lbs. Most of the fish were caught on a simple green hackled fly and one or two on the sanjuan worm. It was a great day but I can't help but wonder what would have happened with a little sunlight!
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The carrot is Mr. P's fly...i fish a bastardized version of it. great fly.
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That mirror was on a basic green nymph. Just peacock herl, hackle and a bead.
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nice! i hope to join your guys for that tourny some year.
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Thanks carp bloke. I have seen a couple of mirrors in the local ponds but not many. The big c and willamette have mirrors but while not really rare I would call them uncommon. I love mirrors. Neat looking fish.
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Nice. Just love that stretch of water!
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I've been unable to get the really big ones in packs to eat. If they are off on their own they take and i've caught a few pigs that were full of eggs, but when there are 3 or more fish together, I can't get a take. will keep at 'em though.
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The fish are ready to spawn for sure. Most were either spawning or resting but I found some tailors along the edges of the main group. The bummer was that there were some huge 20-35 lb females in with the spawning group. They pretty clearly were not going to eat but it was fun to watch those huge fish.
Koi on the Fly!
in Carp on the Fly
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Awesome!