I love catching these things, but I've struggled with it. Its difficult, they are ultra-wary. Anything that can go wrong HAS gone wrong...tangled lines, hooks pulled out, broken lines, straightened hooks, etc.
Its been 5 years since I caught my last fly rod Grass Carp! I'm very grateful for finally catching another one.
I was flyfishing a new-to-me public pond, catching mostly tiny fish....small bass, bluegills, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish....when I saw a big splash near the opposite side of the pond as a bird flew over the water. I thought maybe it could be a big bass, so I increased my pace and fished my way around the pond to that area.
It looked like someone had thrown peanuts or something on the water. Over the next 20 minutes they seemed to absorb water, so I'm assuming it was pelleted fish food, or maybe pet food (dog or cat?). I'm not sure if this was a random thing, or if someone periodically feeds fish/ducks or whatever?
Anyway, I soon saw what I thought might be a decent catfish to my right, but was probably a grass carp, swimming along under this food. I tossed out the microjig & indicator I had been using. The fish swam right over to the indicator and ate it. I didn't react, and in a few seconds it spit it back out. I then saw a grass carp to my left, and cast over by it. It also ignored the food and ate my indicator...again spitting it within a few seconds.
Ok....so I removed the microjig and indicator and put on a floating yellow foam bug. I tossed that around for awhile, while watching grass carp occasionally rising up to eat the food pellets. 3 or more Grass Carp appeared near where I had cast my fly...I was watching the fly (or so I thought), when my line quickly went tight and started taking off! The "fly" I had been watching hadn't moved....it wasn't my fly. This aggressive grass carp saved me from my own mistake and hooked itself! As quickly as I could manage, I brought the fish close to the surface to make sure it was hooked in the mouth....it was!
After numerous splashes, bulldogging, headshaking, and back-and-forths, I landed it. HOORAY!!
28" long, calculated weight of 10.5 lbs. Its the smallest one I've caught, but certainly still a fun and substantial fish. I'm very happy to have finally caught another of these interesting fish!