2022 Carpin’ thread

[Oregon_OwlII]

I've taken most of my carp on green weenies with a little lead about a foot in front of the fly. Many times the carp will wander over to the 'plop' in the water if it is say 6 feet in front of them. Drop on their nose and they likely skeedaddle. I did take a couple carp on the surface. Perkiomen near the mouth of the reservoir on a spent caddis, and on trios on the Tully. Where does a 15 pound carp go when you hook 'em on a fly rod? Anywhere he wants to.

They're like hooking a tractor trailer. Can be great fun mid day when the trout fishing is at its poorest.

 

[dc410]

I had a real long list of things on my to-do list for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. The first one on the list was to go carpin’. I didn’t leave as early as I usually do due to it still raining from a previous evening of several thunderstorms moving through the area. The last system moved through at about 6 AM so I promptly left for one of my local carpin’ spots. It was a very strange morning as it almost appeared that the sun was going to rise in the west, being very dark in the east and bright in the western sky.

When I arrived at my spot I found a lot of vegetative debris floating on top in the lower corner of the pond as a result of last evening’s storms. I immediately noticed two carp working just under the vegetation and actually “clooping” on top. I snuck into position and presented my fly just to the left of the feeding carp. The carp turned toward the fly and sucked it right in! After a decent battle I brought my first “clooper” of the year to the net. I caught another carp a bit later that was in a more conventional feeding mode. Both fish were taken on Montana’s Hybrid Carp Fly. I’m pretty sure the first fish was convinced that my fly was something that it dislodged as it was bumping around in the floating vegetation.

My biggest failure of the morning was on a fish that I spotted feeding within two feet of the pond bank. I got into perfect position without spooking the feeding carp. I swung my fly out and presented it just in front but a little off to the side of the fish. The carp turned toward the fly and I vividly saw the orange mouth open … and then shut. I softly strip set and had nothing but air. Obviously whatever the carp just ate wasn’t my fly! The amazing thing is the fish didn’t blow out of there, so I presented the fly again to the carp and it politely said “I don’t think so”. The chances of a carp taking the same fly that just rocketed away from it are not very good.

Fun morning of carpin’. Get out there and take some shots. Tight lines and screamin’ reels!

 

[dc410]

I was on the stream 15 minutes before sunrise this morning. My main objective was to check on the mulberries on some of my favorite berry holes. The berries seem to be a little bit behind this year but they are starting to get pink - so you still have some time to scout out some prospective “berry holes”.

It was a tough morning of carpin’ as I spooked almost every fish I took a shot at and saw a lot of cruising fish but not many feeders. I managed to avoid the skunk by eventually bringing one carp to the net. I think June is the best carpin’ month and it’s just around the corner!

 

[Mary K]

I've caught a few carp on flies over the years, but they have been targets of opportunity rather than something I intentionally pursue. Every single one I've hooked was already feeding. And not only mudding. I got one on a streamer in the Perkiomen that was chasing minnows in a riffle. I thought it was a Smallmouth. And I hooked several in the Tulephocken that were surface feeding in a back eddy on Trico spinners. They are very interesting fish, to say the least.

 

[dc410]

I've caught a few carp on flies over the years, but they have been targets of opportunity rather than something I intentionally pursue. Every single one I've hooked was already feeding. And not only mudding. I got one on a streamer in the Perkiomen that was chasing minnows in a riffle. I thought it was a Smallmouth. And I hooked several in the Tulephocken that were surface feeding in a back eddy on Trico spinners. They are very interesting fish, to say the least.

Welcome to PAFF and the 2022 Carpin’ thread. Most of the carp that I have caught on streamers over the years have also been incidental catches while fishing for Smallies, but they do occasionally aggressively eat minnows.

The whole carp on a Trico spinner thing just totally intrigues me. I’ve seen them feed consistently on spinners in back eddy areas but have yet to actually catch one on a Trico. Have you ever actually brought one to hand that was hooked on a Trico on the Tully? I’m trying to figure out the size of the fly, tippet strength as well as a hook that will actually hold a carp. I’m sure it can be done. Carpin’ is an absolute blast!

 

[wgmiller]

Man John, you're really getting me thinking about the warmwater game! I've caught a few carp over the years and every time I hook into one it's like a car accident. They are a legitimate workout, even with an 8WT. The biggest one I've hooked was back in summer of 2020 on the Conestoga south of Lancaster. Just an insane experience! I hooked this guy, oddly enough, while fishing for smallies with an olive wooly bugger.

 

[dc410]

That’s a really nice carp, Geo. What a tank!

I remember catching my biggest carp on the fly also in the Conestoga River. It was many years ago down in the area of Safe Harbor park. I was fishing in late March with a black Clouser Minnow hitting the bankside eddies for prespawn Smallies and all I saw was a faint silt cloud and just barely made out the tip of its tail. I switched over to one of my carp nymphs and it ate it. I had no idea how big that fish was when I took the shot at it. As it turned out, I landed the fish without a net and it took me well into my backing. It was one of the few times I remember being concerned about losing my entire fly line. The fish measured a bit over 35” in length. The ‘Stoga definitely has some hogs in it for sure. Good luck with your carpin’ this summer!

 

[dc410]

I squeezed in about a half hour of carpin’ this morning at one of my quick local “go-to” spots before pulling out for work. Managed to bring two carp to the net in 30 minutes - doesn’t usually happen like that for me. I wish I could have stayed longer.

The first one was a really scrappy 2 footer that quickly took me way into my backing. First time I’ve seen the backing this year! I heard it’s good to stretch your fly line out every so often. Well, I stretched the whole dang thing out this morning on that fish. The second fish was a real heavy 28” carp but didn’t put up near the battle as the smaller one.

I’ll be back out after them tomorrow before sunrise. I have a stretch that I was planning on fishing tomorrow that I haven’t fished at all yet this year but I think I need to check my berry holes first thing with the warm weather we had this week some may be ripening enough to drop. If you snooze you lose on the “berry hatch”! Good luck PAFF carpers, get out there and stick some.

 

[dc410]

It’s primetime berry season! Get out there and check out your berry honey holes. Time is slipping away on me over the past couple of weeks and I’m kind of concerned that I may miss the whole dang “berry hatch”. Maybe I can sneak out early tomorrow AM to check a few of my spots. Good luck, I hope somebody busts some on top on the mulberries! It doesn’t get much more fun than that.

 

[Peyton]

I was tormented all day by these massive koi and carp, lost a monster of a grass carp that was at least in the 50 pound class and 4-5 feet, and one koi carp thing around ten pounds.

 

[dc410]

I finally got out at daybreak this morning to hit my berry “honey hole” for a quick outing before work. The berries are definitely past their peak but there are still some berries hanging on trees, but not many. I found one carp cruising around under the big mulberry tree and took a quick shot at it in the early morning light and the carp immediately turned toward the “plop” and decisively took my deer hair berry fly. After a fairly quick battle I brought the fish to net. It’s mouth was stained purple from gorging on mulberries for the past couple of weeks. It may be the only one I actually get to catch this season on the berry hatch because it is waning quickly, but it was worth giving it a shot this morning. Catching carp on top on berry flies is just a whole lot of fun!

 

[dc410]

I was tormented all day by these massive koi and carp, lost a monster of a grass carp that was at least in the 50 pound class and 4-5 feet, and one koi carp thing around ten pounds. View attachment 1641226047 View attachment 1641226048

Very cool, Peyton! What fly did the grass carp take?

We need to get you beefed up on the equipment end to be able to actually land that beast. It can be done on fly gear! I would love to see you close the deal on one of those monsters! Keep the communication lines open, I’ll try to help you wherever I can.

 

[dc410]

I couldn’t find any carp actively working under the berry trees early this morning. It appears that the majority of the mulberries in my area have dropped, so another berry season has come and gone. However, I did spot a decent amount of feeding carp this morning and went back after them with nymphs. I managed to bring two mirror carp to the net including my biggest mirror carp of the season - a 32” very heavy fish. Get out there and get after them!

 

[Fredrick]

Pretty good video

 

[dc410]

I took home the skunk this morning. When I got to the creek just before sunrise I saw all kinds of carp creating a lot of surface disturbance, cruising and chasing each other. It was obvious that over the past week they had shifted into spawning mode. When they’re doing this they simply don’t eat.

I did see some carp that were “clooping” in some areas of heavy aquatic vegetation. Sometimes these fish can be caught but you practically have to lob your fly into the opening mouth of the fish. I couldn’t pull it off this morning as I continued to get hung up in the weeds and just put the fish down.

I finally saw a single fish near the bank and presented my nymph right in front of it and without hesitation it sucked it in. After a solid hook set it took off on a hard first run. I applied some real heavy side pressure to keep it out of some debris that it was heading for. Just as I applied the pressure everything left loose and the carp was gone. After inspecting my tippet it was clear that my mono loop knot had failed. I’m certain it was my fault and not the knot as these knots are very strong and I rarely have them fail on me. When I tied my fly on this morning in the pre dawn darkness i remember thinking I trimmed the tag end kind of close. I pulled on it fairly hard and thought I could get away with it … I didn’t. The devil is in the details when it comes to Carpin’.

 

[dc410]

After the spawning, chasing and churning up the water on Saturday morning, this morning the carp were pretty much back to normal feeding mode but were extremely spooky. I stuck a good size mirror carp with a nymph placed right into the zone. The mirror was a real fiesty one taking me hard into my backing and effectively putting every other carp in the area on ultra high alert, but it was a great battle.

Being off work today I had time to hit another one of my Carpin’ spots that has produced well for me over the years but I had yet to fish it this year. When I got there I saw what looked like a swarm of trico spinners over the water. I’m not certain that they were tricos, but it sure looked like it. As I was checking out one of my favorite spots there was a pod of about 15-20 carp cruising just under the surface and consistently feeding on top on something too small for me to see. I often wanted to try to hook a carp on a trico on top and this morning was a great day to try it. I fish 1X tippet for carp so I added about 2’ of 4x tippet onto my 1X with a double surgeons knot and tied on a size 22 snowshoe trico spinner with a clinch knot. After a few casts and several looks a carp came up and solidly took my spinner. The fight was on! I was feeling a bit undergunned with the 4x tippet as I had never fought a carp on that light of tippet. The fight lasted about 15 seconds before the fish popped the tippet. The clinch knot in the 4x failed which didn’t surprise me at all, but it was cool to stick one on a trico. I took off the 4x and tied one of my deer hair mulberry flies onto the 1X with a non-slip mono loop knot. I managed to fool one of the rising carp to take the berry fly with a solid hook up and brought that fish to the net for the second carp of the morning. I’m still not sure how to close the deal on one with the tricos, maybe I should have tied the spinner on with a loop knot? Nothing ventured… nothing gained in the carpin’ game.

 

[Fredrick]

Nice carp I snuck up on today

 

[dc410]

Nice carp I snuck up on today View attachment 1641226709

Nice job, Fred!

I’ve kind of run low on time lately and have really struggled to hook up with any carp over the past few weeks. Anything that could possibly go wrong pretty much has for me. However, there is plenty of time left in the 2022 carpin’ season and it’s important to find a way to get through the slumps. That’s carpin’!!

 

[Peyton]

Extremely poor photo but I stuck a 35 pound koi carp, they definitely fight very hard. Going back out soon for some big grass carp and maybe another koi.

 

[dc410]

Extremely poor photo but I stuck a 35 pound koi carp, they definitely fight very hard. Going back out soon for some big grass carp and maybe another koi. View attachment 1641227018

That’s a big freakin’ goldfish there Peyton, nicely done!