hey all,

yesterday i enjoyed flyfishing for carps but i kept catching quiet small ones. No problem as i at least catch something but it got quiet ridiculous.

I started with some size #14-18 emergers and other stuff i know works. I caught 2 carps both around 25cm (~10 inch).

I then saw bigger ones feeding from the surface and changes to a dog biscuit #8 and didn't generate interest for a while but then i had a taker and what i got?

A greedy 8-9 cm carp (~3 inch) which took the big bait. This happened 2 times within 30 min.


So, any tips to target bigger carp? smaller bait for bigger fish?


Anyway it was a nice day fishing but next time i hope for some bigger one!

Hi,

I find it best baiting the water first with dog and or cat biscuits. This brings the fish up and you can normally guage the size of the fish by sitting and watching them feed.

In theory, you should then be able to single out the bigger fish and cast to them.

Of course water needs to have big fish in there in the first place. I know of quite a few commercial type fisheries that are rammed with fish no bigger than the ones you mention.

Good luck.

Mike.

Yep, get them feeding and cast to rising fish, don't be too accurate though, twice recently I have hit the carps lips with the fly when casting to them If you do that they disappear sharpish

If you chuck in enough loose feed you should feed the smaller fish off.

Thanks guys for the tips. Will give them a try.

@mikelight: i know that there are bigger ones as i saw them and caught them with bread on a spinning rod.

@mot: as i am a beginner in fly fishing there is no danger that i can be that accurate

Another tip - unlike trout carp prefer the leader fully greased so that it floats. Use a smear of Gink or other floatant and run it along the length of the leader, otherwise they will spook off the hook if they swim into a sunken leader.