carp taking flies

[The Flying Tench]

About a week ago I went down to a local gravel pit. Even though it was quite cold there were loads of carp on the surface. The thing that struck me as odd was that they were mostly in groups of around 6 fish, and only a couple of rod lengths out. A guy I was with reckoned they were gorging on flies - well I suppose that would explain why they were in groups, as flies sometimes are in little swarms.

 

Have others seen this phenomenon, or got any knowledge of it? I've never heard of people fly fishing for carp - have others?

[wayne baker]

About a week ago I went down to a local gravel pit. Even though it was quite cold there were loads of carp on the surface. The thing that struck me as odd was that they were mostly in groups of around 6 fish, and only a couple of rod lengths out. A guy I was with reckoned they were gorging on flies - well I suppose that would explain why they were in groups, as flies sometimes are in little swarms.

 

Have others seen this phenomenon, or got any knowledge of it? I've never heard of people fly fishing for carp - have others?

 

 

I think most fish take advantage of flies on the water. I have seen flies being taken by carp before off the top. I have heard of people fly fishing for carp, There was an episode of fishing on the edge, with henry gilby where he was catching them. If i remember rightly one of the flies was a imitation dog biscuit. But they did catch some on conventional flies as well.

I see no reason why you couldn't try it, As long as the flies looked real enough. And the fish were actively feeding on the top. I would imagine a daddy long legs pattern could be quite effective.

[Tony U]

At a guess i would think they were on Hawthorn Flies bibio marci a terrestial fly which hatches out at this time of year and big falls of them often get blown on to lakes etc resulting of fish, not only Carp and Trout gorging on them.

Incidently John, the fly is reputed to start hatching on St Mark's day, which as you know is 25th April, and hence its latin name.

 

Tony

Edited May 5, 2009 by Tony U

[Neil G]

I've been fly fishing for Carp a lot recently and I can strongly reccomend it as it's the most fun I've had fishing so far this year.

 

Basically I've been using a 10wt rod with dog biscuits either hair rigged or glued on or Enterprise imitation dog biscuits which are good as they're weighted so the hook stays on the top out of the fishes sight.

 

All you've got to do it find a water with a good head of carp and get them feeding on the top with confidence by chucking in some freebies....all you have to do then is be very stealthy and get your fly on their noses or as close as possible to it.

 

Watching a feeding fish close in on your fly is great, even better when they slurp it down!

 

TBH you could get away with a lighter rod (7/8wt) if the fish don't go too big but playing fish on a fly rod is always going to be good fun....no gears etc and it's a beautifully simple method that requires little in the way of kit/baggage

[Vagabond]

Done that - a good method is a nymph (Greenie, Pheasant Tail, Peach Doll) fished in the surface scum in the downwind corner - five-weight outfit. None of this dog-biscuit nonsense

 

A once-in-a-lifetime experience was a cast that coincided with a carp coming up and opening its mouth just as the fly arrived. Straight in ! Unfortunately no witnesses, or I could have applied one of Dick Walker's maxims "If ever you fluke something, never let on to the onlookers you were surprised"

[Dales]

Carp do take flies and I have managed to tempt a few small ones using various dry flies.

 

The purist fluff chuckers may not approve with the method I use. A float controller to give me casting weight and what ever rod I happen to have with me.

 

But its easy to carry a few dry flies in a tackle box, just in case you see fish feeding on flies then to carry a complete extra fly rod set up.

 

But it must be something special to catch one on a fly rod.

[Fishwad]

Hey fellas

Did it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, fly rod and fly! It was a black thing with a green tail (chenille body I think) best was about 9lb and the smallest about 6lb. It was magical to see carp coming in and take it.

Went out last week to another pit and tried everything, even the black fly, took one common about 7lb and lost another. The ral beauty of this is that if they stop cruising near you, just move on. They will ultimately find you. The course fishing gear has now taken a back seat for the time being.

[Dick Dastardly]

Small (size 14) black or red Suspender buzzers are very good for cartching carp on.

 

Im with Dave as well on the issue of using mixers (be they real/artificial or even deer hair) on a fly rod and calling it fly fishing! Why would you want to do this? If you want to catch carp on flies then use flies! Not being a snob or purist but just cant understand it!