My winter

[Fly Goddess]

Been a while since I posted here so I thought I would share my latest Addiction. Not sure where to post this, so here I start.
I am a Carpaholic. It started from the air quality here in Salt Lake and not wanting to start my car to go fish. The Jordan river is
right up the street within walking distance. While be it filthy from running through civilization with shopping carts and other trash,
Life is in there. Crappy, Trout, Catfish, Goldfish, and closer to lake inlets Walleye and even Pike in a few cases.
So, I walk the river everyday looking for spots. Starting Christmas week, I tried the first spot for a couple hours. Paid off. Carp are strong
active game fish. I have fine tuned my Carp skills and have landed hundreds over the past few years. 98% come to a fly called The Popcorn ball
By Rainy's. Top water to the Gartside Gurgler. Here are a few

[Caribe]

Great pictures. I love carp on the fly. I live on a lake that had it's share of carp. I could get them to take fly if they where "tailing" in the shallow A couple years ago some bow fisherman spent 2 weeks night hunting with generator powered bright lights. I have not seen a tailing carp since. I can catch them by "chumming" if I want but the fun of sneaking up on them and gently landing a fly next to them is gone. You are lucky to have access to great carp waters.
Caribe

[Lotech]

Hooking into a carp is like latching on to a freight train. I don't usually target them, but hooking up will absolutely make you busy.

[vicrider]

I have always said if carp would jump on the end of a line like they do right next to the boat for no reason at all, they'd be a much more hunted gamefish. They are gaining in popularity thru the preaching of folks like the In-Fisherman crew and other notable celebrity fishermen. I plan to finally give them a try on fly this year. I've caught them just for fun on doughball baits and bread balls but would like to do some fly fishing for them. Any chance you can show us a few of those flies you're using? I've got a couple of different ties done for them now but still would like to add some more to the carp box. I know in rare instances they can be taken on top but that's the exception to the rule for the most part. At least I think it is.

[ducksterman]

Good to hear from you ,Joni.

[Fly Goddess]

Funny you mention top water. There are times that you see nothing but lips poking out of the water. They are slurping down leaves and other floaters. Today I notice a couple sipping the surface, so I tied a "Dog Biscuit" fly on then a 24" dropper to the Popcorn ball. The Biscuit is very buoyant and floats like a cork. I tied one out of Yellow and one out of white (visual thing for me) Several sipped at the biscuit it was a rush as every one LOVES dry fly action...LOL


And many more on the popcorn ball



As for flies, here is the Popcorn Ball

The Hex

Crawfish

A Gurgler


And here is the Dog Biscuit
http://youtu.be/Zx1Zw15a5P4

[Fly Goddess]

Thanks Ducksterman.

[Paddy80701]

Great pics and flys, Goddess ! Do you eat the carp ? I understand they are very good smoked pickled or canned . An old man in our area used to make a trek to Lake McConaughy in Nebraska every year and bring home tubsfull of Carp which he would cut up and put in Jars and then pressure cook. He said they were just like canned Salmon or Tuna.

[Fly Goddess]

No I don't. I don't eat much freshwater fish.

[gerri]

Hey Joni, funny you brought up carp! I have spent the winter trying to educate myself about carp and especially carp on the fly. I have tied up numerous flies and gathered, sorted through my gear in preparation. Went to our lake in a nearby park to check things but the lake is still frozen solid. Only about 30 ft along the shoreline is open and gin clear. I bought Barry Reynold's DVD and he highly recommends the clouser swimming nymph, and crawfish patterns among others. The video has a tying section which you may find helpful for flies. I did an orange/rusty brown slumpbuster and am anxious to try it out. Somewhere on this website there are a couple strings with patterns that look good. Try the strings on crawfish. Thanks for the post and pictures.
Gerri