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Hey guys so last time I went to my local river (the San Juan river) I saw 20+ carp all site fishable roaming around in a slow moving and shallow part of the river I had not been to before. I was just passing trough to get to a trout spot when I saw them. I'm not a carp fisherman, so I know nothing about them. My question is I've looked up some carp flies and saw a few types. There are the normal ones (worm, small bug, and crayfish imitations) then there are some called "grass carp" flies that look to imitate a piece of moss. Is there a different species of carp called "grass carp" that only eat moss? And how to tell the difference between the type of carp, Or is it a grass/moss, "carp fly". Like do all carp eat the worm type flies? And if so, what is your favored carp flies?

 

Here is one that I tied up that seems to hold many of the same features some other carp flies I've seen...

post-58316-0-61745700-1493772503_thumb.jpg

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There are two common species of carp here. Grass carp and common carp. Commons often are what's living in rivers. They're usually shorter and fatter than grassies also easier to catch. Their mouths are downward as where grassies are straight out in front or upward. Commons feed on bottom more often than grassies do, often rooting in the mud and silt looking for crawfish, nymphs, and worms.

 

 

Never fly fished for comm Be but have been trying for around 6 months (unsuccessfully I might add) to hang into one of 3 or 4 grassies in my girlfriends pond.

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There are two common species of carp here. Grass carp and common carp. Commons often are what's living in rivers. They're usually shorter and fatter than grassies also easier to catch. Their mouths are downward as where grassies are straight out in front or upward. Commons feed on bottom more often than grassies do, often rooting in the mud and silt looking for crawfish, nymphs, and worms.

 

 

Never fly fished for comm Be but have been trying for around 6 months (unsuccessfully I might add) to hang into one of 3 or 4 grassies in my girlfriends pond.

Ok thanks! So I'm guessing these are common... I'll try this fly and hopefully it will work.

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Wooly buggers always catch fish. Any fish. Lol. Trout nymphs and larger sizes. San Juan worms. Experiment with what you have before you tie a million "carp" patterns like I did and now I have a bunch of flies that hardly get used even though "carp" flies catch lots of other fish. Good luck. I haven't hooked one of the slippery bastards yet.

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Wooly buggers always catch fish. Any fish. Lol. Trout nymphs and larger sizes. San Juan worms. Experiment with what you have before you tie a million "carp" patterns like I did and now I have a bunch of flies that hardly get used even though "carp" flies catch lots of other fish. Good luck. I haven't hooked one of the slippery bastards yet.

lol I hear they are tough, I'm told they are like freshwater bonefish. Thanks for the help. So what colors are best?

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dead drift a brown woolly worm by their face. Helps to put a dab of crawfish scent on the fly. We grew up doing this in the 80's long before anyone dreamed they could possibly become some sort of fad fish. Another weird example of an invasive species that allegedly rational people have come to worship in many places.

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I see pods of carp all the time on my local creek. One time I stopped and tried to catch one for 3 hours. No matter my determination I couldn't catch one with my fly rod although I've accidentally caught tons of carp over the years on spinning gear. When I see the carp on the creek now I just keep on walking. Can't help you on fly suggestions. I would say just keep on walking.

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Wabash River, Indiana ... 1970's.

The only time I caught common carp on an actual fly, was on one canoe trip. We came onto a large school of them feeding on Catalpa flowers as they fell from an over hanging tree. We caught a bunch of them on any white fly we threw in there.

 

But I used to go to the river with a bag of corn kernels from canned corn. Two or three kernels on a small hook, fly rod, since no weight was added. Cast in front of the school and BAM, fish on. They are FUN to catch, and put up as good a fight as any game fish.

They aren't called "Poor man's Bone Fish" for nothing, though. Good fighters that are spooked easily. If memory serves me correctly ... if they've seen you, it's almost impossible to get them to take anything.

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Don't do it! I caught a ton of carp on the fly last summer during the cicada hatch and its all I can think about now. HAHA! Good luck. They're very addictive.

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Don't do it! I caught a ton of carp on the fly last summer during the cicada hatch and its all I can think about now. HAHA! Good luck. They're very addictive.

any pattern info?

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Don't do it! I caught a ton of carp on the fly last summer during the cicada hatch and its all I can think about now. HAHA! Good luck. They're very addictive.

any pattern info?

My thought exactly! Haha

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Don't do it! I caught a ton of carp on the fly last summer during the cicada hatch and its all I can think about now. HAHA! Good luck. They're very addictive.

any pattern info?

 

 

All of mine were on cicadas last summer. I am with you in trying to land some on other flies this summer. I have yet to get one on anything other than cicadas.

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I think grass carp are planted in ponds to keep down water plant growth. I don't know if they occur naturally. They eat a lot of grass and get large quick.

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All of mine were on cicadas last summer. I am with you in trying to land some on other flies this summer. I have yet to get one on anything other than cicadas.

But what was the pattern? Or were they actual bugs?

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