Thought I might share a little problem and see if I can get any ideas on how to solve it.

This year I have enjoyed a lot of success targetting carp on my local fishery using deer hair dog biscuit flies. This has been a very successful method for me and I have been regularly catching more than course fishers using both surface and sub surface methods. The carp are particularly wary of real dog biscuits with a hook attached, so I think my flies have actually put me at an advantage in many cases. It has not been uncommon for fish to rise to my fly in preference to free offerings (happened too many times to be coincidence). However recently they have been coming up short and my hookup rate has dropped significantly (1 fish out of ~20 rises last night, similar the night before). Where before I was getting confident rising with the big mouth opening up and sucking in the fly most of my fish recently have come from the fish slashing at the fly to sink it and taking it sub surface. In short the fish have wised up and the results I am getting are much less consistent than before.

So I've been trying to think of possible solutions. here are my thoughts:

1) Cut some hooks off at the bend and use them to tie a trailing dog biscuit fly a la hair rig

2) Try bread flies instead

Anyone have any other ideas?

Cheers
Mot

I found a Large Klink hammer 12# or 14# works well once you get them feeding on the surface with free offerings of dog biscuits

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Allan
Only dead fish go with the flow.

I had a similar problem last season. What I did was to use a slightly heavier hook and not to pack the Deer Hair so tightly when spinning it onto the hook (I assume you make your own?). This produced a DB Fly that sank slowly after a couple of casts (I found it better to soak the fly in the lake before casting to fish).

You can fish a sinking DB on the point and a floater on a dropper (which can be used as an indicator).

Ernie

Thanks for the tips chaps, I'll give them a go and let you know how I get on.If anyone else has any pearls of wisdom throw them in the ring


Cheers
Mot

I think the fish on my local have been wising up to biscuit flies of late ( I have hammered it ! ) , and noticed a marked difference using these:



There is a knack to presenting them, make a slice in the long side, and add cryo, then drop in your hookshank. If you don't glue them on, they will twist, and you will miss bites. They sit very low in the water, so a small piece of hi viz foam or biostrike on top will help your eyes. Pre soak chum mixers, as they sit lower, just like the hookbait..


And I would not have believed it, but these are what I currently use as they top the lot. Glued on the hook the same way, fished with dog bics. You wonder what they look like from under the water, and what colour spectrum the fish see in, but they are deadly on my water:

I'd be tempted to rest them for a while. I don't think we give enough credit to how clever, wily fish. Especially carp can be.

A lake I fish got hammered on surface baits one season, believe it or not. No one caught a carp off the top for 3 years after that. Fishing pressure has eased right off now. To the extent that probably 2 others fish it, well they've just started coming up to surface baits again, which is nice.

Sean

I suspect that is what's happening. Its a very shallow lake, max 5ft, ave 4ft. So the fish are quite prepared to look up. The course fishers have been interested in my approach and impressed by my success and word has apparently got around as they are now fishing surface baits a lot. I can usually manage to hook one with a little persistence but it is noticably harder work than it was previously.

Oh well, I guess it all adds to the challenge. Hopefully I'll come up with a new winning formula

It does sound as if the carp have been hammered on the surface and would probably come back more possitively after a rest. However I would be tempted to try more natural flies - large buzzers, snails, daddy long legs or klinks, these seem to do the trick for me at home when the fish go off the boil. Having said that I have had great success using a largish black booby witha very short maribo tail.

Carl

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If you're frightened of dying and you're holding on you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels freeing you from the earth.

Are you guys fishing the more conventional flies just letting them sit/drift, or twitching them?

I fish Buzzers and Snails static but will give daddies and boobies a little twich every now and then.

Carl

__________________
If you're frightened of dying and you're holding on you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels freeing you from the earth.