Carp on the fly

[skeet3t 0]

Anyone going for carp this summer with the skinny stick? I have a spot about 7 miles from home. This is the backwater formed by a feeder creek when the Hiwassee River is at summer pool. I have seen them cruising but look forward to getting them they feed. What do you carpers use for flies? Any help and advice is appreciated.

[dafunk5446 0]

I really think we need to make a pinned topic for this subject. Every single year there is a few posts asking what flies, what rod, what reel....

 

I am not trying to harp on you Skeet, it would just help everyone if this was done.

 

As for flies....just about anything will work.

 

Topwater- Mulberries , CDC cottonwood seeds (if either are in your area).

 

subsurface- depends where they are feeding, but almost any fly works. Carp will take nymphs, leeches, baitfish, crawdads...you name it. If they are tailing use flies that are weighted to ride hook point up...which is 90% of the flies you will use. As always check the database for patterns.

[Big J 0]

There is a user named bullship on this forum who fishes for them quite regularly. Send him a PM and I'm sure he'll help.

[MowestFlyfisher 0]

There is a user named bullship on this forum who fishes for them quite regularly. Send him a PM and I'm sure he'll help.

 

Him and Steve P fishes for them all the time too.

[captain austin 0]

My top producing carp patterns have been Mixed Media, and Andersons Hammer head. Both of these have caught a lot of my clients fish.

Good luck,

Captain Austin

grabyourflycharters.com

[bullship 0]

I personally would argue against the any fly will work philosophy.....That hasn't worked for me, although I'm not a great fisherman or a carp professional by any means. If you've found them then you've done part of the hard work. My advice is to research, practice, troll and pole, (but most importantly) avoid grass carp unless you really love punishment. Smallish and heavy orange flies work best for me. Unfortunately it took me two years to figure all of that out. Everybody has a different tactic. I like to pole the flats, but find more fish more consistently trolling shoreline. Sunny days, water temps 70-90, light to no chop, be quiet, practice accurate casting, look for pock marks and mud puffs, go catch trout when you get skunked too many times in a row, etc, etc..... Good luck!

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Go to the Search FTF box and type in Carp Flies also can do the same with the Fly Database and you will find a lot of good information from people that have already posted above and many others that may not see your post.

 

Oh, what Bullship said, especially about the orange. Not sure about the calm/chop thing though Bullship. I haven't paid that much attention. However, in the Keys, the guys that catch Permit consistently don't go unless the wind is blowing a minimum 10 - 15 preferring it to be 15 or above. They say the chop allows you to make a less noticeable presentation. Don't know if I can do that, certainly not with carp but maybe a light chop would help camouflage the presentation.

 

Kirk

[bullship 0]

Don't know a thing about permit but I've fished for carp in 20 mph winds and it mostly sucks. Mud makes good camo.

 

[tidewaterfly 0]

I've caught a fair number of carp on flies intentionally, and plenty while fishing for other species. I'm also no expert, but I somewhat agree with what dafunk5446 said, but only because I've never found them to be finicky about patterns, and they do eat a variety of things. However, I've had more success with some colors over others, and primarily with large buggy nymph patterns more so than anything else, and sometimes crayfish patterns, or at least crayfish colored patterns. And by large nymphs, I mean size 4 or 6, and they don't have to look like any particular type of insect. The majority of the ones's I've used successfully look more like a large "Casual Dress" nymph than anything else. I've used small nymphs for panfish, (size 12, 10) and have caught a few small carp on them, but most of the ones I've caught have been on larger flies, even some on 1/0 size crayfish flies. I'm assuming that they can inhale & spit a small fly so fast that it's very difficult to detect whether they've taken it or not, and a larger fly has more resistance so when they eat it, it's easier to see the leader or line move. (That's my story & you know the rest of the line! )

 

I use chartreuse, & white a lot when bass fishing, but have never had any success with them on carp, so I have to agree with Bullship, not all flies are productive. Although I did catch one that was under some downed tree's many years ago in the winter on a chartreuse curltail grub & safety pin spinner while fishing for Crappies, but that may have been an exception, or just a very hungry Carp!

 

I use a lot of olive colored flies, and they have worked very well for me, rusty or reddish browns and sometimes black have worked too. These are all colors I use a lot for bass, and have hooked plenty of carp while bass fishing. I have not used orange, but will try it based on other posts here on this site.

 

Kirk, I've been told the same about Permit, but also have not had much success with Carp when the winds blowing that hard. In a slight breeze, yes, and I also feel it helps to allow you to get close enough to them to make more accurate casts. I've never had any success with cruising carp, they just do not seem interested in eating & spook too easily. Carp rooting on the bottom are much easier to get to take a fly, as long as you can get the fly in front of them without spooking them.

 

captain austin, what size & type hooks are you using with those flies?

[bullship 0]

I've used small nymphs for panfish, (size 12, 10) and have caught a few small carp on them, but most of the ones I've caught have been on larger flies, even some on 1/0 size crayfish flies. I'm assuming that they can inhale & spit a small fly so fast that it's very difficult to detect whether they've taken it or not, and a larger fly has more resistance so when they eat it, it's easier to see the leader or line move. (That's my story & you know the rest of the line! )

 

 

Very interesting......I like hearing about everybody's different experience. I have more flies to tie now. I tend to go small since i started out chasing grass carp, but I can't usually feel the take at all even with commons. I'd certainly bring more fish to the boat if i could feel even the slightest bump.

[tequilatrout 0]

Hi

 

I like to fish for carp, the fly I use most is a variation of the Clouser Swimming Nymph size 4-10, an orange bead in the wing case also works fine. I do not think they are very selective but I believe that not all the flies can do the job

 

[jhammer 0]

When I fly fish for carp I always use small clousers or weighted crayfish patterns. I may get scolded a bit for "cheating", but I tip my flies with a piece of nightcrawler for extra attraction. But, sometimes you have to think outside the box. The extra smell helps draw them in until they can see the fly. The waters I fish can be extremely murky at times.

[dafunk5446 0]

By any fly will work, I meant within reason. I wasnt meaning 13 inch pike flies

 

Just like trout, flies that represent local food will generally work best. I fish for carp a lot, while I may be blessed with stupid carp, rarely have they turned a nose at a pattern. Again I feel, like trout, it is more about presentation then pattern. Confidence in your flies, and more so in your fishing ability have more to do with it then anything. If you get it too them without spooking them you shouldnt have a problem.

 

 

We all are going to have different opinions on what will work, what wont. There is no right or wrong answer. If your hooking fish and having fun doing it thats what matters. If you wanna be particular about what size, shape, color, species your fly is imitating that fine, if you wanna tie on the first thing you grab out of your box without looking that will probably work too.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

...Kirk, I've been told the same about Permit, but also have not had much success with Carp when the winds blowing that hard. In a slight breeze, yes, and I also feel it helps to allow you to get close enough to them to make more accurate casts. I've never had any success with cruising carp, they just do not seem interested in eating & spook too easily. Carp rooting on the bottom are much easier to get to take a fly, as long as you can get the fly in front of them without spooking them.

 

There I go again, writing something but failing to explain the part that is still in my head thinking everyone has E.S.P. When I mentioned the Permit in 20mph scenario, I failed to state that I wouldn't fish for carp in those conditions - hell, I wouldn't fish for anything in those winds.

However, I think some chop, that is still fishable, has a camo effect and does not effect the fish as long as your bottom isn't so soft as Bullship mentioned that it stirs up the bottom where you can't see them. In fact, after reading Bullship's reply about the wind, I suspect his lack of success in a chop is due to his soft bottom fishing grounds being stirred up more so than the "chop".

 

Kirk

[tidewaterfly 0]

Kirk, no problem, I thought that's what you were saying! Heck, if we all had ESP, there would be no need for these great discussions!

 

However, I think some chop, that is still fishable, has a camo effect and does not effect the fish as long as your bottom isn't so soft as Bullship mentioned that it stirs up the bottom where you can't see them.

 

Agreed! If the wind is blowing that hard, I don't want to be fishing anyway! I think all of us are thinking the same here, and this likely would apply to any species that can be fished for by sight. I think what Bullship was saying, is that when the water is clear, and the fish are stirring up the bottom while feeding, the mud they stir up also blocks their vision, and camoflauges him. At least this has also been my experience, but agree that a slight bit of surface "ruffle" made by a breeze will add to that affect. Although, I have yet to catch one on a fly, I'm sure this would apply with Redfish too when they're rooting around on a mud bottom. Has this been your experience?

 

If the water is totally muddy, whether from recent rain run-off or from wind, frankly, I usually won't even give fly fishing a thought. I'll fish when it's like this, but tend to go with spinning or baitcasting tackle instead, especially if it's going to be windy.