2022 Carpin’ thread

[dc410]

I’m starting 10th season of chasing carp with the fly rod. The past number of years I’ve started an annual PAFF Carpin’ thread in the Warmwater and Salt Water forum. Some years the thread was very active right into early Fall where other years there was not much interest by other forum members. It’s kind of been hit or miss - kind of like Carpin’ is.

My intention is too have some real good communication on tactics, techniques and tips for flyfishing for carp. This thread is a place to share stories, successes and failures with other PAFF Carpers or “wanna be” Carpers. Maybe you want to share that hot new carp fly that you invented that’s absolutely killing it in your neck of the woods ( or not). I have always enjoyed sharing my Carpin’ experiences with other interested folks.

I kicked off my 2022 Carpin’ season this morning at daybreak by sticking a real nice carp that measured just over 30”. I had no means to weigh it but it was a real “chunky” one. It was the only carp I managed to bring to the net this morning. I was impatient on the hook set on another fish and stung it but didn’t close the deal on it. All the other shots I took at various carp I successfully spooked every single one of them as I certainly am a bit rusty. It was a short Carpin’ session as it was a very frosty morning at 35 degrees and in all actuality - was pretty dang cold.

So for everybody out there that loves Carpin’ with a flyrod, or are just getting into it, or have the desire to learn more about it and want to start chasing carp this year with your flyrod - this thread is for you. A warning to all - it is kind of addicting. The adrenaline rush that sets in when you set the hook into a big carp never gets old. Nothing ventured - nothing gained. Tight lines and screamin’ reels!

 

[JeffK]

Nice fish. I retired to a place that where carp are closer than trout and have had trouble hooking them with a fly. Will follow this thread to help me out. Thanks for posting.

 

[Fishnmusicn]

Interesting. I fish a local creek for smallmouth bass that is loaded with carp. I hooked and landed one last year, and one the year before while using a spinning outfit. Both took the lure in the mouth and the one from 2020 was over 20 pounds. I bought some carp flies last year and didn't get around to trying them out, but this year will be a go. I'll be following this thread as well. As you can see I've been lurking a long time gathering info, but not doing much fly fishing. Look forward to get back into it.

 

[BrookieChaser]

Every year, for the past 5 years, I say "I'm going to focus on carp this summer". Then I go a handful of times and don't find any, get frustrated, and give up.

 

[dc410]

JeffK and Fishnmusicn,

It’s great to have some new interest in the Carpin’ thread. Sounds like both of you already have located some local waters with decent carp populations. That’s a great start!

The carp are really starting to get active this time of year by moving into shallower water and feeding. It’s important to be able to locate feeding (mudding) carp that are in areas where you can get a shot at them without spooking them. Stealth is very critical in the Carpin’ game. Look for mud clouds, bubbles and surface disturbances made by carp that are actively feeding by rooting up all kind of aquatic life to eat. Head down in the mud and tail up is what you want to see, sometimes you will even see a tail break the surface. These fish are the most vulnerable and definitely the highest probability of fish to get to take your fly. If you can get your fly in “the zone” - approximately 12” in front of an actively feeding carp without it knowing you are there chances are very good it will eat your fly. That’s when the fun begins! Good luck! Be sure to report back with how things are going and share some of your experiences with us.

BC,

Hang in there. Carpin’ does have an element of frustration for sure. Sounds like you still haven’t located any real good Carpin’ spots that are close to you. I’m sure there are some there. Keep scouting out different waters until you find some new ones. After you locate a few of these areas and manage to stick a few your confidence will start to grow. Stick with it this season. Good luck!

 

[Fishnmusicn]

Great information, I do have the book Carp on the Fly which is a great reference. I see some real monster size fish on a regular basis especially when the warmer weather breaks on the creek. Otherwise what you mentioned I see in a local lake, the splashing in shallow water, looks like spawning behavior so I don't know if these fish will take a fly. I'll be trying for sure this year.

 

[poopdeck]

Every year, for the past 5 years, I say "I'm going to focus on carp this summer". Then I go a handful of times and don't find any, get frustrated, and give up.

Pretty much my story except I find them but they only laugh at me. I‘ve yet to see any rooting around in the mud. I’ve been successful fishing them with spinning gear and corn when they are simply sitting still in big groups facing up stream Seemingly waiting for something to come down. My questions are, do you cast to all carp you see or just the ones nose down in the mud? have You caught them on a fly when they are sitting still in big groups facing up stream?

 

[BrookieChaser]

DC, I did locate two areas on two different streams about 20 miles apart. The closest area to me the carp were so spooky you couldn't get a cast in.
The second area I located a mudding carp. He chased the fly, but wouldn't eat or I missed the eat.
I've caught carp before, but had to travel to Ohio to find them.

Poopdeck, I only cast to mudding fish. But my advice is not worth much.

 

[dc410]

Poopdeck,

I don’t cast to all carp that I see. However, I will take some low percentage shots if I’m not seeing many fish on a particular outing. If I’m fishing an area where I’m seeing a fair amount of mudding carp I will play the percentages and only take shots at the feeding fish.

I have occasionally caught carp over the years that were suspended in the water column and looking upstream, but I tend to target single fish because my experience in presenting toward a group of carp is that the “spook factor” is kind of off the charts with a larger number of fish being in close proximity to one another. Trying to present to carp that are chasing each other or flopping and splashing around in spawning mode is a complete waste of time. I have never had a fish that’s in spawning mode eat a fly.

The word “cast” is generally not in my gameplan for presenting to mudding carp. My carp fishing is usually “spot and stalk”, very close and tight sight fishing which is usually accomplished by flipping or dappling with very little flyline actually out past the tiptop. However, when a solid hook set is achieved a whole lot of flyline will be out there in a hurry. You may even get a chance to see your knot between the flyline and the backing. I always cleanly trim that knot and treat it with UV Knot Sense to make it as streamlined as possible for when it goes ripping through the guides to hopefully avoid it getting hung up and busting a guide or possibly losing your whole flyline. Hope you get into some this season!

 

[Fishnmusicn]

I see a lot of "slow cruising" carp, solitary or in small groups. Are they worth intercepting?

 

[dc410]

I see a lot of "slow cruising" carp, solitary or in small groups. Are they worth intercepting?

I don’t think the chances are real good to hook up with the slow cruisers, but also feel at times it is certainly worth taking a shot at them. Again, I certainly would prefer targeting a single slow cruising carp over a group of them for reasons mentioned above.

I distinctly remember a number of years back fishing a local small warmwater creek in mid summer for Smallies. I was wet wading in a knee deep run when a fairly large carp cruised past me only about a rods length away. I quickly made the decision to not try for it as it slowly cruised past. A couple of minutes later the same fish came cruising back past me in the opposite direction. The second pass was too much for me to resist. I roll casted the size 4 Chartruese/White Clouser minnow across in front of the cruising carp and without hesitation the carp ate the Clouser! I vividly remember it being quite the battle with the 28-29” fish in the moving water on my 9’ 5 weight and without a net. Those are the kinds of catches that just stick with you for a long time. One thing is for sure - there are no absolutes in carp fishing. Nothing ventured - nothing gained.

 

[Fishnmusicn]

Here's a pic of the big carp I caught back in 2020. It took a Rapala X-rap in the mouth while I was fishing for smallmouth bass. I don't care what size carp I catch, I want to give the fly fishing for them a try.

 

[Fredrick]

Carpin can be stupid easy from the kayak , most of the time I just catch them from dapping my fly in front of them .

 

[dc410]

Carpin can be stupid easy from the kayak , most of the time I just catch them from dapping my fly in front of them .

Well there ya go! And Fred has caught many nice carp and lots of snakeheads out of his kayak. I’ve never owned or had the chance to fish out of a kayak so I’m resigned to stalking them from the banks. In certain cases it seems pretty easy but most often it is very challenging having to work pretty hard for that next hook up. I always try to stay out of the water because I feel it increases my chance of success when on foot but apparently the carp are not as threatened by a kayak.

 

[Fredrick]

My first of the year caught him right off my rod tip .

 

[BrookieChaser]

Most of my carp have been caught off a makeshift flats boat (jon boat with poling and casting platform).

 

[Steeltrap]

I got "schooled" last summer by grass carp in a muddy pond. My buddy has far to many grass carp in his small pond. I did the ratio and I think he was suppose to have like 15 carp for his pond size and he has well over 100.

The carp in this pond feed primarily on algae in the summer. I've watched 'em "slurp" up the algae that was drifting across the pond. This year I've tied up an imitation algae and I'll see how it goes.

Carp are not only spooky....but they are for sure not a dumb fish. When I decided it would be easier to blowfish 'em out of the pond....they took me to school. The carp would always be around the edges of the pond and I would sneak up and attempt to arrow 'em. Sometimes I hit, most times I'd miss. (It ain't as easy as it looks) However, those fish never came back near the shore after I missed 'em. Two separate days of missing they just "disappeared" for the rest of the summer!!

 

[BrookieChaser]

That's why it's so hard to fly fish for carp, 90% of them have been shot at.

 

[dc410]

I got "schooled" last summer by grass carp in a muddy pond. My buddy has far to many grass carp in his small pond. I did the ratio and I think he was suppose to have like 15 carp for his pond size and he has well over 100.

The carp in this pond feed primarily on algae in the summer. I've watched 'em "slurp" up the algae that was drifting across the pond. This year I've tied up an imitation algae and I'll see how it goes.

Carp are not only spooky....but they are for sure not a dumb fish. When I decided it would be easier to blowfish 'em out of the pond....they took me to school. The carp would always be around the edges of the pond and I would sneak up and attempt to arrow 'em. Sometimes I hit, most times I'd miss. (It ain't as easy as it looks) However, those fish never came back near the shore after I missed 'em. Two separate days of missing they just "disappeared" for the rest of the summer!!

Grass carp are known to be one of the toughest species of carp to catch. I’ve fished for them a few times over the years, but never been able to actually get a “grassie” to take a fly. IMO It’s much easier to entice a common or mirror carp to hit a fly that is tied to emulate the movement of an active critter as opposed to a piece of vegetation.

I have really struggled to get any carp to take a fly on a stretch of stream that has been bowfished recently. The carp are a lot more on edge after having fish arrows flung at them. I’m not busting on the bowfishermen, I used to be one myself. I have just found a whole lot more enjoyment out of trying to stick one with a flyrod vs with arrow, so I’m kind of careful about disclosure of good carp spots on the forum for that reason. I’ve bumped into a lot more bowfishermen over the years than fly fisherman fishing for carp. In fact, in a decade of chasing carp with the flyrod I’ve never seen another flyfisherman targeting carp in the areas that I have been fishing. Good luck, tight lines and screamin’ reels!

 

[Steeltrap]

That's why it's so hard to fly fish for carp, 90% of them have been shot at.

Welp.....I don't roam the earth looking to arrow carp. My post was intended to provide information to the unschooled that grass carp are spooked easily and seem to have a memory of an elephant.

The pond I referred to is private and very muddy. Short of the owner doing a legal toxic fish kill, he is quite happy of anyone taking the grass carp out of the pond. It's quite over populated.