Clay34
-
Posts
358 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Articles
VIDEO'S & other MEDIA
Forums
Store
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by Clay34
-
-
Love that shot in the net with the monster shoulders. She's beautiful.
Rick
-
So what do you think you deer hair fly represented to that fish? You should have asked him before you released him. I've done very well in years past when the fish were clooping, but this year havn't taken a single fish on the top. When they are eating the "no see-ums" my guess is that there are feeding on tiny emergers. To actually match that food source, I find that I can't keep a larger carp on a size 18 to 22 hook. The hook just doesn't grab enough flesh for the amount of power the fish generate. I usually try to switch it up and fish something larger and hope that the carp, true to his nature, will become an opportunistic fish and take my offering.
Nice going on the fish. Also smart to call it a day and clean things up instead of trying to continue to fish and really grind that muck into the reel, line and backing.
Rick
-
Lee, I wasn't in the open trying to cast for very long. One of the ponds that I fish often is set down in elevation on a couple of sides versus the surrounding ground. There I could make a few casts. When I was out walking around the edge of another spot, I was throwing a singled handed single spey at about 25'. I would throw these at a 45 degree angle and some didn't even hit the water, they came all of the way back to shore. In between the big gusts with a double haul I still shoot line OK but the wind is probably under 20 and I was still out of direct wind.
Here's a picture of today's trophy for all to admire.
Like McTage, I didn't fish this stuff hour after hour. I was out in that less than an hour total. Sometimes just best to cut your losses and figure out there will be another day.
-
Yesterday I am wishing that I should be fishing when "SNAP", I said that I am going out no matter how much life keeps getting in the way of my fishing. I grab out the gear and head out. I noticed the wind was blowing pretty good, but a simple double haul and I shoot through the wind just fine with my 7 wt. First stop, I can't keep my hat on my head and I see NO fish up on the top or anyone mudding. Move to another spot. Next spot which is always has a couple of targets to at least cast too and nothing there either. Third spot finally land a monster, a 4" largemouth bass.
I go home a little frustrated and then I am listening to the news which says that we are currently having 40 to 45 mph winds and a storm moving in. While I didn't catch my intended target, actually had not a single target to cast to even, I did get out. Yes the wind was cranking but I found a couple of spots that were low with a wind break and it could have been worse. Just have to make the best of things and it still was wonderful throwin' line.
Rick
-
I went out this morning at about 7:00. Multiple carp were feeding on the surface on bugs. I casted out to them, perfectly. About 3 came towards it, only 2 continued to come to it. 1 went towards, only inches. I thought this was it. He seemed to try to figure out what it was, and went under it. Same thing happened about 3 other times. I was using a fly that had the same color, not the shape or size. Does this really matter to carp?
I think this is the reason many think that carp cannot be caught on artifical flies. You have just experienced that the small brain size still allows them to survive in their environment.
Try a different pattern. I find that I can usually and I usually do throw many patterns at them until one clicks. You will get to a point where you will be "busted" and no matter what you throw at them they won't bite because they know you are there.
I've had great days dry fly fishing for them then I have had many days just like you describe. My last trip out a group of commons was feeding in a slow moving current break. There were 75 fish there on the break. I couldn't actually see what they were feeding on, but carp are opportunistic so if they are feeding, many times they will take something else that looks good if it comes by. I cast and cast and probably tried 10 different patterns. One particularly large buff joined their group and was welcomed without any issues. He was right in the group feeding like one of the group. Some of the carp went to 15 pounds but this one particular buff's head looked like my friend's lab's head. He was huge and while I wanted to hook him, heavy current was close and my 7 weight was probably not up to the task and I really wished that I brought the 9 looking at this guy.
I fished that group until it went down in numbers to about 15 fish. I had pushed most of the fish away and the ones that were left were very aware of my presence and the only way to hook one of those guys was with dynamite at that point. Frustration was the note of the day as I left.
Don't quit though, because next time might be the day that they really do well for you. One quick sugestion. If you can't see them eat anything specific move to emerger type patterns and give that a shot instead of just dry fly patterns for surface fish. While they will take a dry, many times they are feeding in the film and not really on the very top.
Good luck.
Rick
-
Found a nice article about carp fishing today that I thought that I would share: http://bloodknot.net/magazine/Main.php?MagID=3&MagNo=18 Check out page 19
-
Congrats on another grand day on the water Lee. I especially enjoyed the enlightened question about takes and detecting the take. I find this is the area that many trout, bass, panfisherman have the most trouble with. I fish much clearer water and like you find a strike indicator to be no advantage in my sight fishing. I see so many fish just inhale the fly and sit there. If I don't set the hook NOW, they spit it. Many people that are not watching the fish would never know that they even had a bite.
For me it helps to think of it this way. A trout slams it's prey and delivers shock to the target so that it doesn't get away. A carp sucks whatever to the back of it's throat and crushes it with it's teeth. There is no reason to slam a target by carp. They work differently.
It's funny how we all become experiened at fishing our own type of water. I have been fishing a trout stream a lot this year (yes for carp). It's a designated trout stream that has little to no natural reproduction and the temps are higher than they should be and the O2 levels are probably lower than ideal for trout. This water can be gin clear and while fishing many days here this year I have caught 3 trout while carp fishing but the trout are rare and the carp are many. Under these conditions I hardly ever see my line move and can't remember the last fish that I "felt" take the fly. I see the fish eat and then set the hook.
It's nice to see people employ different methods to chase these very adaptable fish. It's all good. Again, congrats on a fine day on the water Lee.
-
Congrats on the new PB.
-
The recomendations for some casting instruction is a grand one. Nothing is better than qualified instruction one on one. If that doesn't work for you don't overlook youtube. There are several great fly casting instructional pieces for free there, but not as good as one on one stuff but better than struggling in the back yard and only casting 25'.
Check these videos out from a local fly shop: http://www.tightlinesflyshop.com/?cat=17
-
If you want to start fly fishing for carp on the cheap this Ross world wide product is a great way to start without a large investment. Modern equpment, rod, reel, line for less than $100. Get the 7/8 for rod weight. Good luck man,
Rick
http://www.fishwest.net/Merchant2/merchant...de=016closeouts
I think the closeout price is 1/2 price, so these are a good deal and won't last forever.
-
Not trying to say to just go in the morning...Just giving an example of one way the fish can turn on-off on some bodies of water at some times of the year in some regions of the country. And in Colorado when the mile-high sun puts the fish down in some bodies of water it really puts them down. And it isnt that way so much in Michigan - the only other region I have fished.
Agreed though, anytime carpin is good time and I avoid fishing before the sun is high anytime it makes sense
We are on the same page. I have definately seen fish shut down at certain times of the day as well. Just trying to make the point that if you can't fish when the fancy lunar charts say is the best times, go fishing when you can go because if you dont' you will loose out on some good fishing - sometimes.
-
I have used indicators for trout but not carp. I focus on sight fishing, it's what I enjoy. I bet, that my line moves on a take less than on 5% of the fish that I hook and I think that I am being generous there. In other words I don't see my line move at all on the fish that I catch. I see the fish eat the fly and set the hook. I know that the Eurpean style anglers with pop ups have line movement so we ask "why don't we as fly fishing see this?" I am no expert on pop ups and someone can feel to correct me, but as I understand it, the fish takes the bait in but spits it out and upon spitting it out, the hook gets stuck in the fishes lip.
What happens with an artifical fly is the fish sucks in the fly and while sitting there and not running it spits out the artifical. Many new fisherman won't even tell a bite occured. I think that this fact is one of the 3 major keys in trout and bass fisherman moving to carp have a hard time. They just can't tell bite from no bite. I've been fishing an all white, silver beadheaded bugger a lot this year. Is it the color that the fish love?, maybe, but the real allure of this fly for me is that I can see the fly.
I did attend a seminar on Carp fishing at the Great Waters Expo in the Chicagoland area this spring and that speaker used an indicator in moving water. While that still isn't for me, it worked for him. So if you are curious about it, go try it and tell us how you do.
-
Move on! It may have had nothing to do with you, and why fight it if odds are there is a different body of water with different charachter with carp within 5-10 minutes of anywhere. They may be skittish because they just arent that focused on food. Sometimes the mood of a lake or pond just changes for allot or reasons and it can last for part of the day or even weeks.
In Colorado in the dog-days of summer it is usually sun intensity based on time of day and weather conditions. This time of the year in CO many waters go off like a light switch at 11:00AM and there aint no use fighting it. Others keep going to 1:00PM. On another really really good but very clear lake every darn fish started feeding deep July 10th and hasnt come shallow during the day except to sunbathe since as far as I can tell.
Its best to have multiple bodies of water figured out with different charachter because if they are in a funk in your favorite pond then you can move on to the local river or big lake or deeper / shallower pond etc.
Agree with your move on statement but have to make a comment on times of day. There are better times to go fishing but the old statement about "when is the best time to go fishing? When you can." I have found to be spot on this year. I have had many days that I started fishing at 11 am and finished fishing by 3 pm and have had fantastic days. I love to sight fish and with the sun high in the sky it increases the likelyhood of me actaully seeing the fish. When I can see them I can usually get a fly in the zone. This is a bigger contributor to being successful than trying to fish at 6 am when the fish might be more active but seeing them in the skinny light is tough.
Rick
-
I have to confess I use to bowfish, I am not proud of it but I didn't give a second thought about killing Carp or Gar. After reading forum's like this one and learning to Fly Fish for them I will never bowfish agian. It is way more enjoyable to catch one on a flyrod and there is alot more of a fight. Plus the fish survival rate is much better on a fly. So I have to thank you guys and guys like you for converting me.
This board is a little touchy about bowfishing topics so I won't speak directly to bowfishing, but will talk as a hunter. I hunt and kill and eat what I kill. I make no apologies for doing just that. I don't have any issues unstanding the food chain and I don't have to pay someone else to do my killing for me. What I have an issue with, are people that kill something and waste it. Just to catch carp and throw them up on the bank to let them rot is not cool with me. As a deer hunter I enjoy the meat and I don't have the option of letting them go, and I am OK with doing just that. Even if it were legal to shoot deer with a paintball gun to simulate catch and release I am not in favor of playing with my food.
Realize that fishing is a blood sport and when we catch and release a certain amount of mortality does occur. It's an interesting delima and one we must all make our own decisions on. You don't have to agree with me, but in the US it's cool that we get to make our own decisions and people can disagree with each other.
-
Carp are like women, just when you think you have them figured out they change the game.
I remember maybe two years ago that I thought I finally had this carp thing down pat. Thought that if I could see them I COULD catch them. Then I went about 4 days straight of hard fishing without getting a bite. Makes a guy humble in a hurry. Remember no matter what the theory or what happened yesterday, the fish are always right. Something might have happened in their living room that you hae no clue to. Things look the same to you, but not to the fish. If it wasn't a challenge we would tire of it in a hurry. I know that I would.
-
Those are the kinds of things that I like to make a note of in my fishing journal. Those are moments of enlightenment when the fish talk to you and you actually listened. If you listen (observe) they will tell you many things.
I have come to the same conclusions over the last 4 years. If you pressure them and can see them and they can see you, after just a short time they won't bite ANYTHING. Move to a new group of fresh fish. Come back 15 minutes later and they might have become open to suggestions again but this time their time to "won't bite" will be shorter than the first time.
Fresh fish that are unaware of your presence are prime targets. I on purpose wear drab colors, stand back from the shore line, don't false cast over the fish but rather to the side and then the final presentation to the fish. I don't like to talk to a fish buddy when in the presence of carp that I am fishing to, I don't like to move fast either. Slow steady stealthy are three wonderful words for a carp fisherman.
So yes, they can be caught, just give them a break and come back. There are diminishing returns though on how many times you can come back after a break.
When you do come back try a completely different fly. If I am using a white fly, I'll change over to a black fly. Shake it up some and give it a shot.
Congrats on listening to the fish, keep an open ear when they talk to you and put those thoughts down in a journal and you will be surprised how much they will tell you.
Rick
-
I can't help myself, I told myself two days ago that I would keep it to myself and just enjoy myself but today is the reason that I don't. A kid across the stream from me, it's a public park with this stream going through it, was watching me as I was battling a carp. I netted the fish and he ran over very enthusiastical about my catch. He looked at the fish and said: "It's a carp, that sucks!". I then went on to tell him that is exactly what I was fishing for and didn't he just watch me with great excitement as I battled the fish? You wouldn't battle a bluegill like that I told him. I could see his mind grinding gears as we talked. I then showed him the fly that I tied myself and he wanted to see me catch another. In about 15 with the kid standing at the shore line (too close for me, I would have preferred that he stand back some) but he was able to watch me place a conehead, white rabbit dubbed fly infront of a fish and he saw it eat the fly. He then watched as I landed that one. He then pipes up and mentions something about carp eating eggs. To which I told him that salmon, trout, bass, bluegill and people all eat eggs. Is one worse than the other?
It's like this group of people tell the same bad info to the next group of people and if you hear it often enough, well the earth must be flat.
I then had a nice fight with another fish and upon landing the fish there was this bald headed guy within arms reach of me watching. I was so intent on the fight that I didn't notice him until I turned around to put the fish on the ground. He was a fisherman and I showed him the fly that I was using (a brooks stonefly pattern even though we don't have those kind of stone flys in my area, no one need tell the carp they still eat that pattern.) I talked about the good fight, measured the fish at 27", removed the hook carefully and released the fish with the comments "thanks for a good fight".
The point was I think that I was able to positively spin carp fishing for at least a couple of people today in the park. No crazies today. Just curious people with open minds who kind of got it after the exposure.
Rick
-
Sorry about the quality of the stimulator picture. Have to add this one of the humpy since I couldn't upload all three to the original response.
-
I've taken a lot of fish with a fly called a girdle bug. Black and white always has done well for me. It's a black body with white rubber legs. This guy was caught last Aug 4th. I've also done well with foam spiders on the surface, yes, bluegill type flies but only at certain times of the year and that time is right now.
Here is a link to a Girdle Bug: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/
Remember carp eat trout flies too. I have taken some fish that were active on classic trout patterns like these humpy and stimulator patterns:
-
Ran into another "Killer" this weekend. I asked a fisherman if he has seen any carp on the surface and said that I fish for them specifically. I usually tell other fisherman this so they don't see me as competition. He then asked me thee question "what do you do with them?" I then proceeded to tell him that they give me a good fight so I let them go just like I release bass and trout.
Now is where a somewhat normal conversation goes WEIRD. He pulls out about a 5" blade folder and opens it slowly then grabs it with a reverse grip and slams it into the ground after which he twists the blade then proclaims that is how he deals with carp. Then He says "or I slit them open and throw them back in the water". I see this conversation is going nowhere and about right now wish I had more people around me
so I just turned away and walked. At which point he yells, "Kill the carp!"The more I run into the crazies, the more I think that one should just do their own thing and not intereact with ANYONE else while fishing.
Rick
-
That's not the first one that they have done on carp fishing with a fly rod. I use to have a full 1/2 hour show that was streamed in my favorites file, but they did a web site make over and the link was broken and I couldn't find it any longer. Like the piece, it was a good primer for some to try this great hobby.
Rick
-
All,
Have I told you I don't belong here in flyrod carping section. Well, as always, I lie a little. Once, maybe even two or three times, on the Spring River in Arkansas (fed by Mammoth Springs right across the state line) carp were plentiful. But they were only eating ONE thing. Under the old bridges that went across the river is the roosting area for lot of birds. These carp were taking bird chit as soon as it hit the water. I carefully crafted the bird chit pattern out of a styrofoam cup bottom I found on the bank, took a magic marker and put a black spot in one corner and a yellow highlighter marker in the other. Seems to me it took about a BB shot to keep the marker side down. I think I was 11 for 11 before I finely missed one (that's my story and I'm stickin to it). Ohh, and my "flyrod" was a very soft 8 or 8.5 ft Finwick steelhead rod.
Does that story count in flyrod carping? I fished it like a flyrod.
Phone
Edit: I wasn't exactly clear. The carp would not take this pattern if it landed upside down.
Phone I always enjoy your contributions and I think that you fit in nicely with the group. Now if I take one of my expensive fly rods with fancy fly line but the technique that I use could easily be done with a cane pole and a section of mono is that considered fly fishing? I'd say yes. Many of use here have dappled before with expensive equipment.
-
Good job Lee. I would love to shoot more video and upload some to YouTube. I just have to get out of the stoneage and figure out how. Torn between taking the wife out to dinner tonight or going fishing. Think that the wife might win this one tonight. Have to keep Momma happy once in a while and then I will fish this weekend some.
Rick
-
I release everything I catch in both saltwater and fresh water save maybe a dorado or cabrilla a year. So I eat 2 fish while releasing hundreds and I'm constantly asked why I don't eat/kill more fish. My normal answer is that I enjoy fooling fish so much with flies that it's all about letting them go to play the game again. I was hanging out in the tackle shop one day talking carp and a fellow said I should kill them all, they are good for nothing. I told him I enjoyed fooling them with flies and he responded with
"they are annoying". I had had enough of the guy so I said that If I killed everything that was annoying.......................................that long pause was finally picked up on by him and he left the shop in huff. LMAO
Why people can't understand that we just like the hooking them and everything else is a bonus.'
I like the way you think. The last guy that told me that they all should be killed because "they eat gamefish eggs". I said, so we should kill kill salmon, steelhead, trout, bass, bluegill, pearch and just about everything else that swims? They all eat eggs. You just can't fix stupid.
It's been a while
in Carp on the Fly
Posted
If I go back three fishing trips, I caught one little bass in blistering winds, next time out one very small white bass / mini stripper, than yesterday after fishing for over an hour I another small white bass to show for my efforts. Many of my usual spots are fishless for some reason on the local river that I fish most often. I've been to one of my best spots in years past for three times in a row and saw not a single fish. I went to another spot today where I saw fish last time but they were super spooky. Just a couple of casts put them down for the day. I think that I am sharing my favorite spot with a bow fisherman and the carp are educated. At the slightest movement they are gone. I put them down twice and after about a half hour rest a couple fish come back to the top today. I crawled on my hands and knees, made a longer cast to the group, and finally hooked up. Not the biggest fish of the year but definately a nice sense of acomplishment in the battle of witts. I know that I was fishing for heavily pressured fish and I came on on top, This Time.
I've enclosed a photo of one of the hot flies this year for me. I've tied the pattern in many colors, this is actually white (a little stained from use) with a Chamois tail. Real Chamois makes some great flies. If you haven't been throwing anything with a chamois tail try some. They also make some absolutely fantastic SJW patterns. I often mark them up with markers like Sharpies.