07-27-2022, 02:54 PM
bpete, I have some observations I would like to share.
I started fly fishing for carp because I thought it would be easy- and any big fish on a fly rod is fun!
What an incredibly humbling experience.
I was sight fishing in a canal and had a "perfect" presentation right in the feeding lane of a carp. I watched it move out of the way of my fly and move back into position after the fly passed.
I went to the Jordan without a rod and just watched to try and learn. Here are the observations:
1- When you can't see the fish, look for their signs instead. There was a herd of maybe five or six fish, but I couldn't see them. What I COULD see was the dust plumes from their feeding off the bottom. They were sucking on the bottom for invertebrates, moving in a slow line going up current. At some point, they would turn and go back down stream and turn around and shift over. They were working the mud flat in a grid!
2- Knowing when they are feeding this way, your presentation has to be right on the bottom. Through a lot of experimentation, I determined that a strike indicator fouled my presentation more then helped. I also found the putting a small split shot about 1" above the fly worked better than a bead head or weighted fly. This allows the fly to drift barely off the bottom instead of banging on the bottom as much. But you have to get that fly down in their feeding lane when they are feeding this way. Pink and orange Glowbugs have worked best for me on the Jordan.
3- When fishing this way, it is really important to pick your fish you're presenting to. If you line a different fish, it's game over, man. One spooks and they all spook.
4- Without using your indicator, you really have to watch your line for a slight movement. In water where I could see the fish, I have seen them suck a fly in and spit it back out before I reacted.
5- If you don't already, you need to train yourself to do a line set instead of a rod set. A rod set has a tendency to pull the fly out of their mouth. I had more hookups doing an aggressive line set with the rod pointed toward the fish.
6- You really need to bring a net. Some fish are small enough to muscle to hand. When they aren't, it really sucks to try and get a hold of them for release.
7- I have found when fishing this way, a straight leader (like 0X) about 8ft works better than a tapered leader. When you hook a female close to spawn time (they are less spooky then, too) the males accost the female when she is hooked. My theory is they think she is trying to break her egg sac open. Males will roll and jump on your line between you and the hooked fish. It's a little Thunderdomish!
These are just some of the things I learned while spending time on the Jordan pursuing the mighty carp with a fly rod. I have much more respect for their intelligence, eye sight, and resiliency since I started this over 12 years ago. I by no means preach this as gospel, they are just my observations, and I hope it helps in some way!
I have attached my best carp from the Jordan on a fly.
![[Image: carp2.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/68KPJbVv/carp2.jpg)
![[Image: carp1.jpg]](https://i.postimg.cc/ft04TtVt/carp1.jpg)
I started fly fishing for carp because I thought it would be easy- and any big fish on a fly rod is fun!
What an incredibly humbling experience.
I was sight fishing in a canal and had a "perfect" presentation right in the feeding lane of a carp. I watched it move out of the way of my fly and move back into position after the fly passed.
I went to the Jordan without a rod and just watched to try and learn. Here are the observations:
1- When you can't see the fish, look for their signs instead. There was a herd of maybe five or six fish, but I couldn't see them. What I COULD see was the dust plumes from their feeding off the bottom. They were sucking on the bottom for invertebrates, moving in a slow line going up current. At some point, they would turn and go back down stream and turn around and shift over. They were working the mud flat in a grid!
2- Knowing when they are feeding this way, your presentation has to be right on the bottom. Through a lot of experimentation, I determined that a strike indicator fouled my presentation more then helped. I also found the putting a small split shot about 1" above the fly worked better than a bead head or weighted fly. This allows the fly to drift barely off the bottom instead of banging on the bottom as much. But you have to get that fly down in their feeding lane when they are feeding this way. Pink and orange Glowbugs have worked best for me on the Jordan.
3- When fishing this way, it is really important to pick your fish you're presenting to. If you line a different fish, it's game over, man. One spooks and they all spook.
4- Without using your indicator, you really have to watch your line for a slight movement. In water where I could see the fish, I have seen them suck a fly in and spit it back out before I reacted.
5- If you don't already, you need to train yourself to do a line set instead of a rod set. A rod set has a tendency to pull the fly out of their mouth. I had more hookups doing an aggressive line set with the rod pointed toward the fish.
6- You really need to bring a net. Some fish are small enough to muscle to hand. When they aren't, it really sucks to try and get a hold of them for release.
7- I have found when fishing this way, a straight leader (like 0X) about 8ft works better than a tapered leader. When you hook a female close to spawn time (they are less spooky then, too) the males accost the female when she is hooked. My theory is they think she is trying to break her egg sac open. Males will roll and jump on your line between you and the hooked fish. It's a little Thunderdomish!
These are just some of the things I learned while spending time on the Jordan pursuing the mighty carp with a fly rod. I have much more respect for their intelligence, eye sight, and resiliency since I started this over 12 years ago. I by no means preach this as gospel, they are just my observations, and I hope it helps in some way!
I have attached my best carp from the Jordan on a fly.