Vacation pics

[jjsjigs]

Got this smaller one at 0800 this morning. On a JJ's White Miller Fly. Couldn't believe that they were taking flies on the top. This carp was one of the smaller ones. The Mega Huge carp were 10 feet farther than I could cast.

It took me 12 minutes to land... even with an 8 wgt fly rod. Spooled me and I ended up running down the creek to try and land it. I could barely drag him on shore. Poor lady had a nice flower garden next to the creek... she came out and "What the hell is that??" I said a carp!

She musta been hard of hearing cuz she said... "Shark?"

NO! A carp!

She said... Ok... don't step on my flowers but have FUN!

What a nice lady!



The next day... Got out at first light at 0545. Found a pod of feeding carp and watched them for 30 minutes. I figured out they had a rhythm to their feeding. I spotted a mutant "orange carp/coy hybrid" feeding off by itself. I stalked him and put the fly 4 feet in front of him... and twitched it once. He hit it like a bass! My 8 wgt was SCREAMING and I had to palm the reel...

Fight ON!!

10 minutes, and 2 spools of line later...

I caught Mr. Orange on a JJ's Fat Head Minnow Fly

For some reason the fight from this orange carp/coi brought the others of the pod to come and inspect what was going on.

It the midst of trying to catch another carp, a pesky pumpkinseed hit the Fat Head Minnow Fly:

I hooked another but broke me off. I put on a wooly bugger that my bud Anokpeas' gave me.

Another carp on! This was a fat fat beast of a coi-carp!



Hit my favorite section of Mill Creek tonight. Family went to the outlets for an hour.



I call this place "The Corner".

2nd cast and WHAM! Oh yeah!!! What a good vacation!!!

 

[CrappieHappy]

Nicely done! looks Serene!!!

 

[LedHed]

Excellent catch on the poor man’s Bonefish

 

[Hawnjigs]

That koi color is stunning!
The lacy tail/fin looks like a goldfish characteristic?

 

[Radtexan]

Great job JJ...Enjoyed the pics !

 

[StumpHunter]

Good catch, know that was a ton of fun. Congrats.

 

[quivira kid]

Sweet! I need to figure out how to catch those darn things...

 

[hhawkins]

Looks like you had a wonderful vacation....."jealous" Love the pics! Like those koi/carp cross. Guess somebody just didn't want thier goldfish anymore.

 

[jjsjigs]

Sweet! I need to figure out how to catch those darn things...

Stealth... is paramount. Never cast into a pod of feeding carp. They will skatter and send out pharamones that alert all the other fish in the area. If that happens... find another spot to fish for a half hour and then go back to them. My MO is: Single out the "loners" all by themselves who appear to be feeding. Drop the fly about 4 feet in front of a cruising lone solitary carp. They are very, very spooky. More spooky then over-pressured trout. When he turns just twitch it... usually they will come and check it out. When you feel the take... (very important here) Wait about 3 seconds... then strip/strike very lightly. Then HOLD ON! Epic fight will commence!

 

[jjsjigs]

That koi color is stunning!
The lacy tail/fin looks like a goldfish characteristic?

Yes. I believe all of my catches were of the coi/carp hybrid. I released all my catches but wondered if I should have kept them since a coi/carp would be considered an invasive species to this fishery. The normal denizens of this creek are chubs and SMB.

 

[JSC]

New .. to me ... Carp on a fly ... something else .. Great Pixes .. Like the "Corner"

JSC

 

[Hawnjigs]

"epic fight" - yes!

We have a coupla acres estuary pond in Hilo that was once full of released & gone wild koi (Japanese language has no "c") of all colors, beautiful to see. Pretty much gone now, valuable for decorative fish ponds and possibly certain Asian nationalities' dinner tables.

One day long ago before renewing my interest in jigging I chummed one with bread, then tossed out a baited hook. Man, what a battle that was on 4# spinning gear, had to jump into chest deep water to follow the runs and pull the fish out of shoreline weeds. "Poor man's bonefish" is appropriate.