I spent yesterday morning fishing the South Platte River, just south of Denver for carp. I found a good number of them, but could not get any to eat what I was offering. I have had good luck at a local lake with Barry’s Carp Flies and Clouser Swimming Nymphs, but these river carp were not interested. I also tried a BH hare’s ear, a pheasant tail, and a light green soft hackle. No interest in any of them. The carp were feeding, I just couldn’t figure out what they were going for. The smallest flies I tried were about a size 14-16, so I may not have gone small enough. I tried using a dead drift and a very slow retrieve, but could not interest them at all.
From what I have heard the south platte carp are pretty finicky. You might try a San Juan worm…I know one of my CO buddies does well on his version (the trouser worm). you can check his pattern out here:
My go to is a green soft hackle, but the carp I fish for are a little less aggressive than the south platte fish from what I have heard. Good luck man!
Thanks for the response. I almost tried a San Juan worm, but just didn’t get around to it. Next time I will try one. I will also tie up some of those trouser worms.
A pink San Juan worm made all the difference this weekend. Now all I need to do is figure out how to keep them out of the underwater snags once I hook them!
Not the South Platte, but every carp I have caught this year and past has all been on a Yellow softhackle glow bug. Seriously, this fly catches carp. I posted it up on another forum and others have tried it and caught carp…just a thought.
FlyGoddess,
Thanks for the recommendation of the softhackle glo bug. Is this tied with egg yarn or estaz? In the photo it seems to have the shine of estaz (crystal chennille). Do you weight the fly at all? I think I will tie a few of these and give them a try next weekend.
Thanks,
Ted
It is tied with crystal Estaz. Figure eight it to build it up.
I love ALLEN’S SW001 #6 for this fly but circle hooks work well too. No weight. It works both ways. Tug on it to sink it, but I use a clouser type fly about 3’ in front to get it down.
f](http://joby.com/gorillapod/original/)its easily into a pack and you can wrap it around just about anything. nice to have when you are solo and you hook a big one!
i had the gorilla pod wrapped around a tree branch for that shot. i fish solo a lot, so it comes in handy from time to time.
Awesome. Would love to know, better yet, see some big CARP! I walked to the river this morning and they are all over the place, but I have to wait at home for a delivery…ARGH!!!
I tied a couple of these up last night. Just wondering about the situation (s) you normally carp fish, FlyGoddess (and how they might be similar or different from some of the situations I encounter)…when using the Clouser 3’ up from the egg…are you fishing to specific visible fish, or sort of blind fishing in an area where you know/suspect fish to be? If blind fishing, are you watching your line to detect the strike…does the carp swim off with this fly or tend to spit it quickly?
I sort of visual. If I see grass move or swirl. I cast way in front and slowly strip ready to set hook hard with the slightest resistance. Those big rubbery lips.
But I have cast blindly and just slow strip and hook up. Sight like dry is the ultimate however.
