Reservoir Carp

I owe my first flyrod carp of the year to my buddy Jay.  I was starting to think I wouldn't get one this year!  Its been a weird year locally...carp have been nearly absent from their usual shoreline feeding areas.

Jay was out at a local reservoir looking for White Bass yesterday.  Nothing going on, so he switched to his fly rod and tried for carp.  He made 5 casts with his fly rod, and caught 3 nice carp within 45 minutes!! Epic battles on his 5 wt!  He said he never had to wait long for a strike!  He also caught one the previous day.  His were decent sized fish....he estimated up to the 28"-30" range.

I made it out during lunch today. I managed to get one (and a bluegill), but not nearly as big as Jay's.

We were both just floating an unweighted white woolly bugger (fly) under an indicator! When they hit, they just...swim off.  Not super-fast, but the takes weren't subtle.  Pretty fun!

I had two carp try to eat my indicator, and watched another one eat something that was floating on the surface.  If I'd had more time, I would have switched to topwater, and probably would have been able to catch one that way!

Carp & Bass, 6-25-2014

Flyfished a local city pond yesterday evening.  Caught some bluegills and a nice 24.5" Carp before switching to a popper for the dusk Bass bite.

Saylorville Lake, 8-4-2013

I love it when my expectations are exceeded.

I didn't have high hopes of catching much of anything...IF anything.  But, I headed out to see what was what at the lake.  I ended up fishing from  about 6:15pm-9pm.

I had a spinning rod and a fly rod with me.  First stop, I did a lot of casting.  I finally had one hit, which turned out to be a really nice 15" White Bass:

Apparently he was all alone, because I didn't get anymore.

So, I started slowly walking up the shoreline hoping to spot some carp in the shallows.  I saw one.  I got my fly rod ready, I made one cast.  Well, I put the fly in the water about 3 times before I was satisfied and actually started a retrieve.  I couldn't see my fly, but saw the carp turn and nose down about where I suspected the fly was.  My line tightened, I set the hook and FISH ON!  I tell you, times like that make you feel like a HERO.  After all the times when the fish ignore my offerings...or I just never spot the fish before they spot me.  It isn't easy...but sometimes it FEELS like it is!  :) 

Anyway, I landed the carp after a nice strong battle.

I didn't see anymore carp after that, except a few that took off away from shore before I ever spotted them.

I switched back to spinning gear and continued fishing for whatever would hit.  I was joined by my buddy and his wife.  I ended up catching 4 Largemouth Bass up to @ 16", and one surprise Bluegill.  We saw fish crashing schools of shad near the shoreline, within easy casting distance.  Only a couple fish were caught by casting to them, though.
The ending was a nice sunset.