Carp Flies???

[utyer 0]

Well I found that our local pond has some nice sized carp in it. I have never tried to catch a carp on purpose, but I have caught a few while fishing for other things.

 

Never fly rod fished for carp, so I have no real idea what will work, but these look near enough to me. I think the last one might just do double duty as a flats critter.

 

Let me know what you think and show me some of your favorites.

[Fisherboy0301 0]

I tied a giant PT and GRHE nymphs on size 4 curved shank hooks, they should work.

 

Correction, I used turkey tail, seemed better at that size than PT.

[Philly 0]

I don't specifically fish for carp. I've hooked a couple on white estaz bugs and had one inhale a CDC and Elk, didn't land any of them. If I were fishing for them specifically I would use PT, Hare's Ear nymphs and some sort of a black buggy looking nymph, a black hare's ear would be my first choice..might even look at some bonefish flies, like a Crazy Charlie. Not sure I'd go as large as a size 4, Size 8 and 10's should work.

[mikechell 0]

Fishing for Carp, so I've heard, is like fishing for Bonefish. They are very easily spooked. But if you can put a small crustacean in their way without spooling them, then you'll likely have a fish on. Good luck, as the water in MY part of Florida is too dark to sight fish for Carp.

I do believe those flies will draw strikes from anything that sees them, including feeding Carp.

[Brian Myers 0]

Tie up a few flies like you already have in rust/burnt orange/orange combinations especially that last one that's pictured. If you have any larger scud hooks (size 8) or other curved hooks look up Egan's Headstand and Joe Montana's Hybrid carp fly. Sized 8 - 12 buggy nymphs with rubber legs work too. Tie up some bone fish style flies in crayfish colors and break out some San Juan Worms, you'll have what you need. It'll just be getting your fly into their window of view without spooking them after that. Target any that are on the outside edge of the pod or are separated from the rest and head down stirring up the bottom , since they'll be actively feeding and a little less spooking.

[ditz2 0]

Hey utyer.....Good luck with the carp and let us know how it works out. ......look up "blind squirrel"....I use and orange dubbing and I tie it both blind and with bead chain eyes. Size 10,8,6....This thing will catch anything in the area. try it , you will like it.

[artimus001 0]

^^^all great tips ^^^

 

if there is one change in fly fishing that has happened that has gotten me excited, is the development in fly fishing for carp. nymphs has always been a good starting point. the 'carp father' pointed this out a decade ago. the development and adaption of hook up, headstand flies for carp has got me really excited. all the above listed materials are all my list for the next trip to the fly shop.

[TheCream 0]

Not to be too contrarian, but I would like to point out a few things that I think are somewhat common misunderstandings about carp and interject a few tips that have worked great for me.

 

1) Yes they can be spooky...but when they are heavily feeding they can be taken advantage of without much trouble. I kayak fish them mostly, and I would say the rough average distance between me and the carp I hook at the water level sitting in my kayak is 15-18 feet. It's not uncommon for me to hook carp, big carp, in shallow water, with barely any fly line at all out the rod's tip top. When their head is down, tail up, feeding actively, they are not as spooky as people make them out to be.

 

2) I think a lot of folks use flies that are too small, for multiple reasons. For one, carp eyesight is not that great in my opinion. I want flies that have a bold outline and are easily seen, yet still fall in the size range a carp will eat. In the last two seasons I have shifted from small, compact patterns to longer, (often) articulated flies pushing 3" or so in overall length. Lake Michigan carpers use HUGE streamers for them, sometimes 5" or more in length. I think from my exoerience with them that carp are gluttons. If it looks edible and they can fit it in their mouth, they will eat it. My catch rates have only gone up since the fly size went up. I'm not saying they won't eat smaller flies, but if you want them to more quickly find your pattern and tempt bigger fish you may want to bump the fly size up.

 

3) Don't think for a second that you have to have a carbon-copy imitation of a craw or dragonfly nymph to pop one of these beasts. Most of the flies I use look like nothing specific, yet they eat them with reckless abandon. Carp don't get that big by being picky eaters. Something "buggy" with rubber legs and enough weight to get it to the bottom and I'm positive they will eat it.

 

4) And speaking of weight, taylor the weight of your fly to match the water depth. If you're fishing shallow flats, don't go nuts with lead eyes and wire, usually a set of bead chain eyes is enough. If it's deeper water, then bump up the weight. I have had a lot more success with flies that drop slowly, not like rocks, but you do still need them to get down to the bottom most of the time. It's common for me to have 2-3 versions of the same fly, tied with increased weight for different water depths.

[jcozzz 0]

thanks cream,i've seen your carp pics and carp flies and you know your stuff.i too catch them or rather hook them when fishing for shell crackers .a brown wooly hybrid with orange rabbit and hackle tip tail with a tung bead.a baby craw in my mind any way.i feel the pickup and bam i got a tarpon on a 3wt.

[the_scotsman 0]

CHeck out Flycarpin.com for a load of effective patterns.

[artimus001 0]

TheCream: due to the limited amount of materials i have on hand, i have been free styling my own patterns at this time. your post was exactly what i needed to read.

 

thescots_man: excellent site for fishing and fly tips.

 

 

now if only the river would drop back a bit.....

[tidewaterfly 0]

My limited experience with chasing carp has been what TheCream posted, with the exception of the really big flies. Successes I've had so far has been on flies in the 2-3" length range. I have occasionally caught them on sizable lures while fishing for other species, but even then the lures were around 3" in length. Anything bigger I've only spooked a lot of them. I agree with "generic" flies instead of replicas, but that's something I use anyway even for bass or trout. If it's "buggy" I like it!

 

Utyer, your flies should work, but I'm not a big fan of the synthetics for the wings. IMO, they tangle too much & sometimes interfere with the hook. I prefer soft hairs, such as fox or coyote tail, and especially since they move a lot even when the fly is sitting still. Those should all make good Redfish flies as well!

[ditz2 0]

Hey Cream.....Lots of good stuff there. I personally take a little exception with #1. None of my local creeks seem to have any carp so I only get to chase them on rare occasion. There is a small river that runs thru my home town in Indiana that has a lot of carp and some big ones too. My last trip there in warm months I made several sessions throwing at them and I did not get a hook up and some of them were obviously feeding. I fished the top of their mud trails in the riffles. It was quite windy and the wind was blowing right down the river so accurate casts were difficult. The water was clear. Most of my casts were 40 to 60' as I would guess but not all. Some were quite short. I threw everything in my over crowded box. Most of my flies are 6's and 8's with a few 10's hiding in the box. I think I may have missed 1 or 2 takes but I am not sure about that but with all the fish I threw at it became a little discouraging. I did spook a couple;. One I lined and a couple of fish in a very shallow pool spooked when I pulled the line of my old Hardy because of the noisy clicker. I changed out that reel that evening. My point is that just because the fish are actively feeding does not mean that they will eat a fly. At least in this location. I cast to some huge cruisers and some huge resting fish and they totally ignored my offering or in some cases saw the offering and veer of in a new direction. Just my skunk smell coming off......I will add some larger flies to my considerable collection. I have tied up a couple of your articulated deer hair bugs though I have used something different for the head portion and deer hair on the tail portion but I have yet had the opportunity to them rejected also.

[TheCream 0]

Hey Cream.....Lots of good stuff there. I personally take a little exception with #1. None of my local creeks seem to have any carp so I only get to chase them on rare occasion. There is a small river that runs thru my home town in Indiana that has a lot of carp and some big ones too. My last trip there in warm months I made several sessions throwing at them and I did not get a hook up and some of them were obviously feeding. I fished the top of their mud trails in the riffles. It was quite windy and the wind was blowing right down the river so accurate casts were difficult. The water was clear. Most of my casts were 40 to 60' as I would guess but not all. Some were quite short. I threw everything in my over crowded box. Most of my flies are 6's and 8's with a few 10's hiding in the box. I think I may have missed 1 or 2 takes but I am not sure about that but with all the fish I threw at it became a little discouraging. I did spook a couple;. One I lined and a couple of fish in a very shallow pool spooked when I pulled the line of my old Hardy because of the noisy clicker. I changed out that reel that evening. My point is that just because the fish are actively feeding does not mean that they will eat a fly. At least in this location. I cast to some huge cruisers and some huge resting fish and they totally ignored my offering or in some cases saw the offering and veer of in a new direction. Just my skunk smell coming off......I will add some larger flies to my considerable collection. I have tied up a couple of your articulated deer hair bugs though I have used something different for the head portion and deer hair on the tail portion but I have yet had the opportunity to them rejected also.

 

You misunderstood me. I didn't mean they are always going to eat when they are actively feeding, I was saying they aren't as spooky when they are actively feeding. On windy days with a chop on the water, when it's hard for me to spot fish from my kayak, I routinely hit them with the kayak. Run them over. My point is that when they are feeding and focused on that, their guard seems to come down and they can be much more easily approached.

[artimus001 0]

does anyone have any tips for carp fishing in rivers?