Hunting the Mighty Carp

[Kim-n-Kota]

I have now (finally!) joined the proud (maybe?) ranks of those who have caught a carp on the fly!

I spent quite a bit of fruitless time last winter trying to Hunt the Mighty Carp. I even staked out the *perfect* place not 5 minutes drive from my office in January, a good slow spot on the Jordan just upstream from a little impoundment. With the cold weather at the time there wasn't much of anything in the way of fish to be seen. But I knew they were there and swore to myself I would be back.

Then I promptly forgot about it. Until today.

They were feeding right on the banks about every 20 feet. Yay!! It took a little bit of getting used to, but I finally managed to drop a fly 2 inches in front of one's nose without spooking it. SLURP!

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About 16 inches. I know it's probably a baby by you more experienced carp angler's standards, but I'll take it!

This guy was a little bigger and a whole lot prettier... never thought I would say that about a carp. And maybe it was just the thrill of the hunt... But, see!?...

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Both were caught on a home-tied, Flygodess-inspired Corn Ball (yellow chenelle with a long white hackle) Thanks!!
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[FishingRookie]

That's awesome!

A lot of my buddies have been trying to get me to go after carp on the fly and I finally just bought an 8wt today to chase them with.

Keep up the good work
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[flygoddess]

I have been using a 6 wt lately. The fly is light and easy to cast, but I did order the Sage Bluegill line in 230 grain from Sierra Trading Post. It is perfect.

Right on Kim. I have been carping several days this week as well. Something about their power and size keeps me coming back. I could be a Bone Fish freak I know.
The spot I check yesterday is pretty muddy, but you can see a fin here and there. I was blindly casting to unusal movement in the water and managed hooking 6 Carp and landing 4 with 3 good sized LMB as a bonus.
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[joshomaru]

Nice. It's funny- some carp fight a lot better than others. I think deeper water helps them fight, too.
Now you're going to be in pursuit of the next biggest!
Good luck!
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[TyeDyeTwins]

I got my 1st Carp on the fly just like 2 weeks ago. It sure was fun and super hard to keep it out of the reeds. They sure fight like hell and refuse the net. Better fight than most fish for sure.

Nice work KNK. Now go get some more! [cool]
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[Kim-n-Kota]

Went back to the carpin' spot again today (I now have a "Fishy Friday" lunch break tradition) and landed 6. Still nothing huge. But jeez! I am exausted!

One fish I fought for a good 10 minutes before I even saw him.. it takes an awful lot of stamina to pull those boys in, they just do not get tired nearly as quick as a trout. So it's super super delicate work getting the fly in front of the carp without spooking it, and then BAM! it becomes a matter of muscle.

Really starting to love it.
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[Kim-n-Kota]

On a side note, last Fishy Friday I met Jay Johnson formerly of AEG Media. I didn't even recogize him. He just introduced himself as Jay and said he'd made a couple documentaries. I had to Google him when I got back to the office. LOL. Really cool guy. I gave him a corn ball fly, which he kept in his beard.
Him and his buddy were looking for a place to go stand-up paddle boarding while trolling for carp. Didn't see it, but I'm sure THAT was interesting...
He did film me for a bit pulling in a couple fatties. Maybe I'll be a movie star!
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[CoyoteSpinner]

What test leader do you use when carping?

Do you happen to have a shot of that cornball fly?
I was surprised at the variety shared in last years swap.

Congrats on getting into the carp catching. They can be a lot more elusive than many folks give them credit for!

[flygoddess]

You might be asking Kim, but it came up in my message window. I use 10 lb fluoro off a furled leader I made. Cool thing, I have been using the same leader all season and that is a lot of 30+inch Carp and bass.
The cheese ball I use is actually one of Rainy's Carp Collection, but I have been making my own out of Yellow sparkle Chenille. It has a white softhackle collar



Carp can be easy. If they are rolling, it is certainly easy to snag one, but sight fishing for cruising carp is all about presentation and timing.
I can say, that 50% or more of the Carp I have caught have been blind casting. The water is muddy and no visibility, so I feel real confident about this fly. It flat out works.
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[Kim-n-Kota]

Yep, that is the fly I've been using, and I got the pattern from you

Lately I've started putting a tan dle hackle on it - since we just butchered a rooster and that's what color he was... (I've got a ton of feathers to use and these carp flies tend to take a licking). It also has been working with neon green or orange chenille, better or worse than the yellow depending on the day. As long as it's super-bright and sparkly with a little something like the hackle for movement, the carps seem to be happy. And so am I because I can see it.

This is just a really simple, quick tie and it really has been working like magic. Thanks again, btw.
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[Kim-n-Kota]

I keep a healthy stock of all-purpose 4x trout leaders on hand. They have been working fine for carpin, I haven't lost a fish or fly because of them so far! But I have yet to hook into a real monster... I'll let you know how it goes when I do. lol
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[FishingRookie]

Hate to be a thread stealer but what are some good flies for targeting carp?

I'm just getting into it and have no idea other than San Juan's and royal wulffs.
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[flygoddess]

Out of the many, many carp I have caught....this softhackle Glow Bug has been the one fly. Out at Utah Lake I catch them on a TYPEII and a bead head Prince Nymph. And I have caught them on #14 Olive Elk Hair Caddis.
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[pookiebar]

That is really funny. I use a fly exactly like that in red, chartreuse, or pink for steelhead!!

It absolutely slays them. I sink it down as a trailing nymph/egg pattern behind a streamer or large stonefly.

Who knew carp and steelhead think alike?
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