carp on the fly

[toppwater]

thanks for all the info guys, i will try some of those areas. i fish mcalpine a lot and have had some good days there with the big hybrids but the bite has been real slow lately. ive been seein all this info on catching tailing carp and the thought of catching a big one on a fly gets my blood pumpin. hey hipboots, when your seein these fish in the creek are they actively tailing and feeding? have u had good success on crawfish patterns or nymphs?

[Oldhipboots]

I've seen them feeding many times but I've never seen their tails sticking up. Normally, they're just schooling along the bottom and you see puffs of muddy water (when the bottom is silty). Or just laying in the water. I fish the creek because it's close and I don't recall ever seeing anyone else fishing so I have the place to myself. I'm usually fishing for the bass and sunfish but have caught a few carp over the years. The only carp I've caught on a fly was a little beaded fly, #10 or 12 with black dubbing wrapped on it. I use it more than anything because everything in the water seems to like it. I even picked up a crawdad one day. I've thrown corn out and put a piece on the fly rod just to see if I could catch one. I've done that in both Floyds Fork and Beargrass and it works but I don't know if that's really fly fishing. It is fun though.


I mentioned the area behind Jim Porters because it's a long straight stretch that holds a lot of carp and is open so casting is easy.
There are a lot more bass, pumpkin seeds etc. in Beargrass than most would imagine. But carp are more consentrated there than anyplace I know. Also, you can walk beside and above the creek for just about it's full length so you can sight cast for them. There are gravel runs and holes with mud bottoms so be careful.

[toppwater]

Thanks again hipboots, I might head that way today with some nymphs and crawfish patterns.

[walkeraviator]

I fished beargrass between Big Rock and the seneca golf course teh other day for bass, caught a bunch of small ones... is there anywhere on beargrass that you can wade and get into say 12 inch bass???

[Oldhipboots]

There are some larger ones in the holes in Cherokee Park but it's hard (for me at least) to fish there. The bottom is soft in a lot of places and the water is full of sticks/wood. About 2 lbs is the largest I've seen but sometimes there are quite a few and sometimes there are few. The stretch behind Jim Porters is about the same way but the bottom is a better and it's open so casting isn't a problem.

There's a little dam at the east end of Story Ave. behind the police impound lot. You can pick up just about anything below that dam but the area is full of poison ivy. You have to walk down an asphalt path a short way. It's deep and wide there and all under big trees. Also, if you fish that area, be careful. There are some permanent "camps" in that area and some pretty rough characters in the area sometimes. City fishing does have it's draw backs.

[walkeraviator]

no bottom seems soft after wading salt water flats...lol and am not worried about unsavory characters as i pack heat everywhere i go including fishing...

how hard is it to get to teh river from jim porters lot?

[Oldhipboots]

There's a bicycle path from behind porters all the way to River Rd. Then you can cross the old bridge and go down a dirt path to the river, about 100 yards or so.

If you drive east on River Rd. you cross Goose Creek up by Juniper Beach Rd. You need a kayak or canoe to fish it but it's got some nice fish in it. Again, you're only a short distance off the river.