Article printed in Ohio Valley Outdoors, Spring Issue,March 16, 2013
The difference between a bass fisherman and a trout
fisherman is the bass fisherman loves football, has Bass Master Fat Heads on his
bedroom wall, has a tackle box so big that he has to pay lot rent on, watches
the Outdoor Channel, drinks beer, drives a pickup truck with a gun or a bow in
the back window, owns big bass boat, and loves noisy and big busted women. They also say, “Git-R-Done” rather than “Nicely
Done”.
The trout fisherman on the other hand watches CNN, drinks
expensive wine, drives a Mazda, attends fondue parties, eats sushi, expounds
lofty phrases of praise and adulation when his fishing partner hooks up on a
fish and hardly thinks about women. The latter is possibly due to the ice cold
water running between his thighs for extended periods of time.
I consider myself a hybrid, I use a fly rod to fish for both
trout and bass plus other warm and cold water species of fish, I tie my own
creations experimenting with all types of fur and feather, I prefer to wade in
a pair of cutoffs and tennis shoes, I like JD and Coke rather than beer or
wine, I rarely attend parties, not fond of sushi, I watch the History Channel,
and I still think about women. At my age and being married, that’s about all I
can do, fish and think.
I have a moderate collection of fly rods that I have used
over the years and each time I hold one of them it brings back many pleasant
memories of the places I have been, the streams I have waded, the fish I have
caught, and the friends I have made. My wife on the other hand considers
anything over one is one to many. I try to convince her that each of those rods
is like a chapter in my life of fishing and the book is not finished. She has
threatened to write the final chapter if I buy another rod, so if you read
about my untimely demise in the daily rag you know what happened.
One rod in particular, brings back memories that would make
the “purist” fly fisherman lose his groceries in disgust. Only a scoundrel and
a charlatan would sully the works of the great Izaak Walton by angling for such
a fish. Even entertaining the thought might possibly bring shame and dishonor
to the sacred fraternity of the fur and feather. I’m talking about fishing for
carp, yes I said C-A-R-P, carp on a fly.
I’m talking about that large scaled toothless torpedoes with
whiskers and Raggedy Ann eyes that will sometimes scare the Be Jesus out of you
by swimming between your legs when your wading and creating a wake like a Great
White shark. Granted they are not a pretty fish and their feeding habits would put
a pig to shame and I have yet to find one hanging on someone’s wall. What they
lack in good looks and manners they more than make up with lighting fast and
powerful runs. Picture this, hooking onto Jerome “The Bus” Bettis with a fly
rod when he was making his run through the line.
In earlier years I have fished in Ohio,
Michigan, Pennsylvania,
and West Virginia
for trout and steel head with a fly rod, all of which were memorable and
enjoyable experiences. I now resign my self to fishing Beaver Creek and its branches
located in the Northeast section of Ohio
for Smallmouth bass and what I call the “The Poor Mans Tarpon” or the “Blue
Collar Bonefish” otherwise known as the Common Carp. I have caught Coho salmon
in the tributaries off Lake Erie and have hooked into a Chinook in Michigan
which is still going down the Muskegon River heading for Lake Michigan with my
fly line in tow, but nothing can compare to hooking up with a 10 to 15 lb.
pound carp that will make a steelhead run seem like he took a dose of Nyquil.
The common carp are originally from Europe and Asia and was
brought to the U.S.
in 1870. They are now found in most warm water lakes, streams, and rivers
through out the United
States. Most fishermen consider them a trash
fish and leave them to die on the bank when caught. In Asia,
they are considered a delicacy and when properly prepared by their method of
cooking their flesh somewhat pleasant to the taste. They feed primarily on
insect larvae, crawfish, and small fish and grow to an average weight of 10 lbs
with a few weighing in at 50-60 lbs and over 40 inches long.
Carp are not dumb and it’s not like fishing in a barrel.
They are as skittish and sensitive as any trout so approach and presentation of
your offering has to be just right. When feeding, they will either take you’re
offering or if spooked they will skedaddle out of the hole you are fishing.
Stealth wading and staying low to the water is the best way to approach them
and presenting your fly without making a splash will keep them calm and
content.
When you see their tail up they are feeding off the bottom
and their line of vision is only about 6 inches to a foot depending on the
depth and turbidity of the water. When they are horizontal and part of their
backs are showing above the water line, their line of sight good up to 3-5 feet
depending on water conditions. Remember, you’re not fishing with dough ball or
chicken gizzards so smell is not how they will find your offering.
I recommend a 9 ft. medium action fly rod, 5-7 weight and a
fly reel with a disk drag spooled with either level or weight forward casting
line and 100 yards of backing. Once they feel the bite of the hook they will
take off, screaming through the water like a wild bull coming out of a bucking
chute. Battles can range from a few minutes to more than a half an hour and in
some cases longer depending on the size of the carp. Be prepared to run up or
down stream to maintain control and to recover your fly line. A rod that is too light and a reel without a
drag will feel like a strand of limp spaghetti in your hand and you will
definitely lose control of the fish. All you can do at that point is look
around and hope no one can see the look on your face as your fish takes off for
parts unknown.
I don’t think carp are as picky as trout about what they eat
since carp uses both sight and smell; they also use their barbules or whiskers
to locate food in muddy water. A variety of well known nymph and terrestrial
patterns like Hares Ear, Clouser, Wooly Worm and Wooly Bugger will work if the
presentation is correct. I prefer to tie my own flies so I can name them Bug
Eyes, Ham& Eggs, Sloppy Joe, Pork & Beans, and The Dough Boy, these
names seem to be more fitting to carp fishing. Again, it’s all about presentation,
not so much the offering.
The biggest challenge will be locating the fish. Look for
areas of disturbed or muddy water and carp actively feeding. Once they are
located, be patient and work every fish you see by casting multiple times
making your presentation without spooking the fish. Slowly swim your fly by
stripping the line gently four to eight inches at a time. Taking your fly will
be subtle; watch your line or indicator to move erratically or stop momentarily
on the drift. A carp will turn on the fly and inhale it with a quick sucking
motion. If it not to his liking he will spit it out very quickly so be ready to
set the hook. A hook set is made by a quick upward motion of the wrist while
stripping the fly line to take up slack. Carp have a leathery and a very tough
mouth so keeping your hooks super sharp is a must to make complete penetration
and prevent pull outs.
Once you hook up with one of these super suckers on a fly
rod you will see why I call them the poor mans tarpon or the blue collar
bonefish. You will have almost as much action and excitement as if you hooked
into a Tarpon, Bone or Red fish in Florida or
a Steel Head or King Salmon in Alaska;
it’s like having a champagne taste on a beer income. The only thing missing
will be the beautiful scenery and lavish surroundings.
Hell, I can dream, can’t I?
D.R. "Doc" Roberts
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