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Carp - Stealth is the key indeed!

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Dble Haul 
#1 ·
Tried another carp pond where I could fish from shore and wait for "fresh fish" to move into range on a regular basis. This allowed me to get several casts at a fish without spooking it. The only problem is that the bottom is very muddy and has quite a bit of vegetation, so it's very difficult to see my fly, especially when the fish stir up the silt. Still, in two trips I've managed to land two carp (one on the 5/6 wt -- zzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ :eyecrazy: ), plus I had a few missed hits and had one break off right after the hookset. It's definitely MUCH easier to make the presentation if you can stay "hidden" and wait for the fish to move into range.

The brown bugger still rules, although I actually did hook and land one carp on an orange berry fly (orange yarn dubbed onto a #12 short shank hook and then trimmed to a round shape). The fly was inside the fish's mouth but it still seemed more like "snatching" than fishing. So far, it hasn't appeared to me that they deliberately eat the berry flies. It's more like playing a game of chance. You have to put the fly in the fish's path and then wait to see if the fish vacuums that particular piece of real estate and happens to inhale the fly. When you see the fish flare its lips while its over the fly, you set the hook and hope for the best! Because you have to see the fish take the fly, it's very difficult to use this technique in muddy or weedy water.

I went back to the woolly bugger because the fish actually try to eat that fly. If you can place the fly in the stirred-up mud near the fish's head without spooking the fish, and then move the fly a couple of inches, the fish will sometimes grab it. The "hungry" ones will even follow the fly and then inhale it as you watch (with your breath held, your heart pounding and your adrenaline flowing :whoa: !). It still helps if you can see the fly and the "take", but you can also watch the carp's movements to know when to set the hook. If the carp wiggles a little bit and quickly turns its head towards the fly (you may even see the line move) set the hook and get ready to clear the line! It may take a few casts because they don't always seem to see the fly or they change direction or go past the fly. If the fish doesn't take the fly, you sometimes need to wait for the fish to move a little before trying to recast so that you don't spook the fish by dragging the line or leader right past it.

Q
 
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