There are a couple of huge goldfish in a local pond at least 20". One white the other orange. I was just currious what kind of fly I would use to catch them? Thank guys!
I’d suggest spending some time watching them and see what they like to eat. Emulate that.
Now these are wild fish, not someone’s pond pets?
RRhyne56
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I had several “large goldfish” turn up last year in a small pond I’ve fished for 3 years or so. They took a size 14 royal coachman. They were feeding on top when I saw them. Probably on some kind of caddis, I’d guess. They were 10-11" long and a heck of a lot of fun on a 3 wgt! Ran into them twice. I used the coachman 'cuz I already had one on.
We’ve also caught “regular” carp in this pond in the same size range. I just thought they were a colour phase of carp.
Donald
Gold fish I believe are not from these parts. So they were someones pets prior to there release into the wild. But there big and they look like they’d be fun to cast at. So I thought I would ask here first.
Tim
If the fly doesn’t work, you can always try them with a bow. G
Goldfish - the regular type you buy in the discount store at 3 for a buck - are closely related to carp. Their size is limited by the space they have to grow in. Normally they remain a couple of inches long because they are raised in a fish bowl. When they are released into the wild they can get quite large. When I was a student at Cornell I used to see them in the inlet to Cayuga lake. Some one must have released them years ago and there were several that were close to 20 inches long. I only ever caught one (on a worm). Up close they looke much like a common carp with a paint job. It was pretty strange to see them swim by when you were not expecting them.
When in doubt try a wooly bugger.
David
I used to raise Koi. They are actually quite intelligent fish. Depending on where they came from and how they were raised you can fish the surface down to the bottom and have a good chance a catching them. Ours were fed floating food and would come up to eat right out of your hand. If all else fails try a corn fly.
In a local forum here in NJ, a guy claimed there was a reproducing population of goldfish in a public pond near his home. He was trying to decide if they might be a threat to native species! Nothing is too weird for New Jersey.
I dunno, maybe they are.
It was quite a suprise when I did see them. At first I couldnt tell what was in the water. It looked like 2 plastic bags in the water. One white and one orange, they were about 30 feet away and I was staring at them for a good 2-3 min before I realized they were swimming around and not just floating there. I was on the bank at the time ant there was a ton of brush behind me so I couldnt cast to them, but next time I’ll be ready.
Goldfish are cyprinus carpio as are common carp. Neither are native to the area (unless the area is SE Asia). They are of different sub-species, but that doesn’t keep them from interbreeding.
A reproducing population wouldn’t be hard to establish anywhere in the lower 48. It just takes two…
Lux
That’s the biggest problem with the rise in the water garden business. You get these people that put fish in them and then when winter comes they don’t want to pay to keep it open. They catch all the fish and take them to their local pet shop trying to give them away. The pet shop has already taken in a couple million so they say no. They don’t want to kill their pets so they set them free.
Koi themselfs are hard to get to breed together. But goldfish are like underwater rabbits (if you get my drift). Alot of so called koi you see in pet shops are actually a cross between goldfish and koi.
At any rate they are all carp and capable of sustaining in our waters. Would you want the fish and game dept. to stock carp? Oh but they are so pretty what could it hurt? Yeah right
in my experience koi are pretty dumb/tame.I got them(and killed them)on a #14 stimulator.
We already have an overabundunce of "exotic"fish in our waters,we don’t need more!(South Africa by the way)