FishnDave
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Posts posted by FishnDave
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very cool. seems like you have a lot of line still on the ground though, are you not taking them to the reel? a fish that big should be played off the reel, at least for your fingers sake
Scott, somebody else mentioned the same thing on another site. You're right! I don't have much comfort, experience, or confidence in fighting the fish on the reel. I have much more confidence and feel stripping the line in. That will probably come back to haunt me..but I was so excited with this fish, I was doing everything the way I felt best about it. I was very conscious of where the line was on the ground...kept checking to make sure it didn't get caught on the rocks, since the grassie kept making good runs. It worked. But I know you are right. I probably need to get used to working the fish with the reel. I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit I don't catch enough big fish to really get a chance to practice it, though!
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I contacted our local Fisheries Biologist, and he located some grass carp length-to-weight equations....this fish works out to around 25 lbs.
Also, in the few weeks since then, Jenni and I have hooked several more, but have been unable to land any. Most end up breaking the line.
I had one hooked good, though, and let Jenni fight it. She did really well for 10 minutes. Then the grass carp decided to surf into the shallow rocks along shore, where it must have rubbed the line on the rocks...and the line broke again. Bummer...but she still had a lot of fun fighting it.
I might've been able to net the fish, if the net we used had a longer handle?
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Not sure if this is gonna work...will try to post one of the videos. I guess try clicking on the image below?:
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[And then the return to the water to rescusitate, and release:
Followed by the fist-bumps, high-fives, and handshakes for the excellent teamwork!
Although a fish of this size is probably better suited to a 6, 7, or 8wt rod, this was caught on a St. Croix 5wt rod. The fly was one I had tied, which also makes this even more special. Its a boa yarn leech pattern, originated by Iowa's very own Rick Zieger.
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But finally....the battle was WON! It was a 2-person job to haul it up to the grass.
I knew I'd be releasing this fish, so I quickly removed the hook.
Measure it.... 36.5"!!! Didn't have a scale with me, bummer.
Then of course the "official pictures":
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Jenni became designated netter:
There were tricky moments:
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I felt a need to re-position to a spot I thought might give me a better chance of landing the fish. After I got there, a neighbor offered us the use of his net.
Look at the size of this boil!
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Sorry it took me so long to get this posted here. Some of you may have seen me post it on FAOL. But, I still wanted to share it here too. I caught this fish on July 31, 2009.
I'm still giddy! I finally did it! Caught a Grass Carp on my fly rod!
Now, here's the story:
Jenni, my new fly-fishing protege, had hooked into a big SOMETHING about 5 minutes before this...it fought for a minute or two...she even got the fish right in front of us, but we never did get a look at it before it broke the line. I tied on a new fly and gave it a couple tosses at some visible fish.
I didn't see the take, but my line started moving away from me, so I set the hook. YES!!
Fortuitously, Jenni's mom Julie was there with us, and started snapping pictures and videos!
Here's an early look at the beast:
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Great picture, John!
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Tried the local reservoir for about 20minutes during lunch today. Conditions at this particular spot were NOT what I was expecting, unfortunately. Could have been worse though...because...HOORAY!!! Finally got my first fly-rod carp of 2009! Could not see the fish when it took the fly, but it held on long enough for me to detect the hit.
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Well done!
Buffalo and carp were chasing the YOY shad in the river when I went fishing on Sunday. Hoped they'd take a #10 drifted nymph (with and without beadchain eyes), but had no takers that I'm aware of. Could only see the fish when they smashed the surface, then they were once again invisible.
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You're "bad days" sound awfully similar to what would be my "trip of a lifetime".
There sure does seem to be a strong resemblance between the two fish. Kind of a messed-up mouth, and a scale break on the side in the same area. Although harder to see in the first picture, it looks like they both have some of the reddish "spots" in the same area of the lower side/belly region. Also has the same whitish marks on the margin of the gill plate.
So....Yeah, I'd say you really DID catch that fish twice! It still counts as 2 catches though. ;o)
Did it happen to hit the same fly both times?
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Sweet! Excellent work, Lee!
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Rick, that is exactly what I was thinking when I saw that Masheer picture. First it was "That is a COOL-looking fish!"...and then "Wow, that thing looks POWERFUL!"
It kind of looks like a carp, bonefish, and tarpon all in one fish!
Thanks for posting and sharing the picture PlaShadow...I look forward to hearing more from you.
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Great info, thanks guys!
Seems like I recall John Montana also uses a stout, short-shanked #4 hook, even for SJW patterns....but then he encounters a lot of bigger carp than I see around here.
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I've usually used a size 8 Mustad wet fly or streamer hook...2x strong, 3x long.
Another popular hook size seems to be size 10, but really size 10-size 4 seems to be the common range of hook sizes for carp flies.
Considering how hard a carp can pull, I worry (maybe unfounded), that a size 10 hook will tear out easily, unless a heavier gauge hook is used. The trade-off with heavier gauge hooks is sometimes shallower penetration of the hook, which a carp can then shake free.
I'm probably over-thinking this, and it may really be of little importance, but I'm still curious...What size/styles of hooks do you normally use for your carp flies?
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I can understand that. Unfortunately, clear waters like that are in short supply locally. I'm lucky if I can make out the outline of the fish. Most of the carp I've caught were either completely blind, or I could make out no more than the fish's outline. I haven't been able to actually see the take on more than maybe a couple of occasions. It IS exciting to see it, though! Much like the smashing attack of white bass or largemouth bass...or even bluegills....on surface flies. Its the visual thing.
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Wow, very good day of fishing, John! Or at least it would be for me!
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gas in the car
That's the one I almost ALWAYS have!
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11. Add another species to your list of fish that can be annoyingly difficult to catch at times.
12. Its fun to watch jumbo fish run away before you even knew they were there.
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Nice fish, Lee!
Your new reel looks good!
Is the gel-spun backing similar to the superlines? I think I put some of that on one of my carpin' fly reels, and nearly sliced up my hands when the fish would run. Of course, I need to learn to keep my hands away from the line and put pressure on the reel rim if needed when a fish is running....
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I obsess. I get "moody" (that's a polite way to put it) if I don't catch fish for several days in a row.
Its my thing. Its what I do. I absolutely love it. Its my hobby, my activity, my sport, my favorite leisure time. If I'm not fishing or tying flies, I'm often reading about it.
But what is the DRAW?
I think fish are awesome creatures. Each fish species is special and beautiful in the way it has adapted to its environments.
I love trying to fool the fish. I enjoy feeling its strength as it battles...even if its a little bluegill! I like to admire the colors and size of the fish, and getting a chance to touch an individual creature most folks will never see. I like watching the fish swim away when I release it.
I sometimes feel closer to my Dad when I fish, since he nurtured my obsession when I was a kid. And now I'm trying to slowly lay the groundwork of getting my son & daughter more and more interested in fishing...investing now to hopefully reap some future rewards together with them.
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Very nice! Way to go, Lee!
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I've had very good success with the red, yellow, orange, pink, and green rubber. I've also got some purple, almost clear, and blue, but haven't used them as much. I've found that bluegills especially really seem to hold onto these flies a long time...they must feel REAL to them. I was hoping carp would react the same way, but haven't had a chance to put this fly in front of carp yet.
First Grass Carp
in Carp on the Fly
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Thanks Rick!
Scott...I know you didn't mean anything bad! In fact, the thought DID occur to me while fighting it that maybe I SHOULD keep the fish on the reel...I'm just not accustomed to doing that (because I don't catch many big fish). I'd actually like to get more comfortable doing it the way you suggest. I may be directing some questions at you in that regard. Like...what do I do about my fear of not being able to reel in quickly enough to avoid slack in the line if the fish runs toward me?
To be honest, I catch a lot of bluegills and crappies on flies...and they just don't take line like carp, so its really a matter of me not being able to practice fighting fish that way with any frequency!