ISSUE 8

FLY BAIT INNOVATE

Buff Rigs ) %$’( $#%& # # " !

* $+

)/012 . . $. ) ,,

$+ * ) ’( $ % & % # $ # !"#

. ) ,,

) 2 1 0 / . $ .

Getting Technical

John Montana

Introducing

Kyle Jensen #GotoRigs

BaldWINSville

Dynamite @ iCAST Leave it to Beaver?

!

Editorial

Team

TONY Cartlidge - Feature Editor Tony Cartlidge is a writer, editor, journalist, blogger and marketing specialist who started fishing as a kid in the city parks of Liverpool, England. He caught his first carp at age 12 and has been hooked since. Having lived in the US for almost two decades, Tony moved to Texas in 2008 and now targets smallmouth buffalo just as much as carp

DAN Frasier - Editor Raised in South Dakota, Dan was introduced to fly fishing on a family trip to Breckenridge Co. Coming home to South Dakota, he knew he wanted to fly fish but the only obvious species was carp. Dan taught himself to fly fish on those carp over the course of a decade. In the process he began to blog about his exploits and became friends with some of the most influential fly fishermen for carp in the game. Dan found the CarpPro.net forum and quickly became integrated as part of the team. When CarpPro began looking for an editor specifically geared for the Fly Fishing niche, Dan was brought in to fill that role.

DAVID Smith - Layout & Design After founding USCARPPROmagazine David soon realized that fly fishermen were targeting carp. He made every effort to connect with this branch of the sport through regular articles, even making the long trek to MI from his home in California to meet David McCool and wade the freezing cold flats of an early spring Traverse City. A bait angler for over 30 years he understands the rise of the sport and the passion carp anglers develop for their quarry.

A HOME TACTICS & TACKLE MEDIA

NEWS

EASY ACCESS STYLE

REVIEW

BUY! Picture courtesy of Austin Anderson

Contents !

8 | Editorial - Tony Cartlidge!

14 | Carp on Top - Kyle Jensen!

!

20 | Getting Riggy‌ - Austin Anderson!

!

32 | Tough Conditions - John Montana!

!

42 | Wild Carp Classic - Team CarpPro!

56 | Float Fishing - Zoltan Marton

!

64 | Hooked! - Adam Clewer!

ISSUE 8

! ! ! !

72 | This Wide, Wide Heaven - Dan Frasier 86 | Off on the Right Foot - Joshua Snow!

96 | Trashcan Tandoori - Tony Cartlidge & Brian McGill!

104 | Come Hell or High Water - Dan Frasier!

!

114 | The Rocky Road‌.- Zoltan Marton

! ! !

Cover: Joshua Snow with a stunning NY carp, see his article for more

Editorial

Tony Cartlidge

Last year at iCast, Tackle Trade World came to see us to get the story about CarpPro’s distribution deal with Dynamite Baits/Rapala. We talked about the creeping awareness of the American carp fishing market into the consciousness of the European bait and tackle brands. Since then, TTW has run several stories about the US scene, and I'm sure we'll talked some more when we meet them again at iCast this month. More news of that later but one subject that TTW has reported on several times over the last few years is a global issue that has specific pertinence to the American market. That's the issue of cross border carp bait trade, labeling, and legislation.

There is no doubt that Europe is perceived as the center of the carp fishing universe and all the most successful bait brands have production bases there. The European Union, which acts as an economic trade cooperative, comprises 28 countries.

There are another 22 European countries that are not members of the

Comment ♥︎ CARPPRO ✍ 2014

EU. All 50 countries have their own rules and regulations regarding import and export of goods and product labeling. Needless to say, the production, labeling and shipping of fishing bait is a regulatory nightmare and no one can keep up with the ever-

production is safe from mad cow disease, hoof and mouth disease, and avian flu. All bait shipments are also checked by a licensed UK government vet prior to shipment. When the processes change, as they often do, the rigmarole then has to be repeated

“…that's if we weren't lynched by destitute American farmers first whose herds would be destroyed.” shifting legislative landscape.

Unfortunately, it's a nightmare that also applies to the legal import of bait to the USA.

in part or in full.

Even minor changes in regulations or certification processes can cause a delay.

Over the last 2 years, CarpPro has gone through the process to acquire the necessary USDA/FDA licenses to import boilies and baits from Dynamite Baits. The process is long and winding and required that Dynamite had its production facility, and all its ingredients suppliers, checked by a UK government vet to ensure

While it may be a pain in the arse to go through, the effort is worth it to us.

Firstly, we don't have to worry about someone inspecting our shipment and finding something illegal in there, resulting in a cargo being sent back or seized and destroyed. Secondly, we do not want to play Russian Roulette with our business by risking six-figure

fines for illegal imports. Finally, we would likely be sentenced to lengthy jail terms should we ever make the mistake of importing anything affected by mad cow, hoof and mouth, or avian flu…that's if we weren't lynched by destitute American farmers first whose herds would be destroyed.

In short, we play by the government rules no matter how complex they may be. We get asked why we don't import Mainline, or Nash, or Solar boilies and the fact is that the last time we checked none of these businesses have had their premises and suppliers inspected for the proper US licenses to be issued to American importers. It's expensive and time consuming and their business is profitable enough in Europe without taking a chance on America. Sure, we could take a chance and sneak the baits in under our existing licenses but all it would take would be one call to customs and we'd be in trouble.

And there's no doubt that call would come. Success breeds imitators and detractors so we must be doing something right. Nevertheless, we plan to continue to disappoint those that want us to fail. Karl Haymer keeps reminding me of the Gandhi quote:

“First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you, and then you win.”

Well, we haven't won yet, but after being ignored and then laughed at, now some people want to fight us so we must be on the way. All I'll say is that you should consider the source and the motives next time you read someone spouting nonsense on Facebook.

Another indicator of success is the inability to keep up with the growing demand. It's as frustrating to us as it

Comment ♥︎ CARPPRO ✍ 2014

Comment ♥︎ CARPPRO ✍ 2014

is to you and we're working hard to overcome it. It's also a positive sign that the growth in the US carp market, and CarpPro's success, will continue to accelerate for the foreseeable future. Our brands will be available in more stores soon and we'll keep you updated (check out MTMTackle.com, our latest stockist).

Dynamite Baits is another success story that you'll be hearing more about soon. The new product launch at iCast in Orlando promises to be big news that will have a much wider audience than the American carp world. They have recommitted themselves to CarpPro and the US market in a big way.

Finally, a note about something that has nothing to do with flavors at all.

Perhaps one of the most startling product launches we've experienced so far is the range of carp flies from CATCH flyfishing. The demand has been phenomenal and we sold out of some patterns in a matter of days.

CarpPro prostaffer John Montana's Hybrid Worm patterns have flown out the door, closely followed by Trevor Tanner's McTage's Trouser Worms and McLuvins. We've shipped dozens of Carp Bitters, egg patterns and nymphs, Mr P's Black Bettys, and dragons and egg/worm patterns.

Most of these flies are tied on supersrong Gaper hooks as well and we're waiting for a new order of them.

We're back-ordered on a few items now and the existing stocks are dwindling fast. Clearly there is a clamor for carp flies that took everyone by surprise and we're already working to get ahead of demand for the rest of the summer and fall seasons. Bear with us please.

Finally, enjoy the issue. We delayed it a little in order to reflect some of the changes happening in the background, but we think we've captured a great mix that reflects the shifting and evolving landscape of the US carp scene.

DONT MISS ANOTHER PROTIP IT’S FREE!!

Introducing

Kyle Jensen

CARP on TOP

Comment

Throughout life there are moments that define who you are and where you will end up. Some of those moments are so life altering and mind blowing that you will never be the same person because of it.

Okay, so this wasn't one of those moments, but it was pretty damn awesome.

Life has been kicking my butt as of late. With finals and a large workload, the only fly fishing I've experienced in the last few weeks has been vicariously through Instagram and other social media.

The weather has been perfect and I knew carp would be in the bays I had been scouting. I had finally survived another semester and I was free for the summer. What better way to kick it off than to chase some gold.

The first spot on my route was full of bait chuckers with a pile of dead carp beside them. (Rant Alert: I know carp are an invasive species, but I think everyone needs to embrace their beauty and their strength. The killing of countless fish won’t make a dent in the

︎CARPPRO ☮ 2014

population and it just comes off as a dirty act. I’m proud to call myself a member of the fly fishing world which has embraced carp as the next big challenge in fly fishing.) I reluctantly continued to my next spot which offered a little more promise due to an empty access area. I rigged up with a flashy streamer and set off in search of the monster mirror carp that frequent the bay.

It wasn't long until I witnessed my first sign of life below the mud. A tail slowly made its way around a small inlet; no doubt a feeding fish.

I let the line drop freely to my feet and released the fly into the air, two false casts and a small plop and the fly was in position. Three strips and a puff of mud tell me all I needed to know. I spooked him.

I made my way around the bay with little sign of fish. After an hour or so I doubled back to the inlet and to my amazement it was full of feeding carp. Unfortunately, these carp were feeding on microscopic organisms on the surface, so they moved around the inlet sucking water. I threw my streamer into the

Comment

︎CARPPRO ☮ 2014

mix and quickly watched four heads drop from the surface never to be seen again. One by one the carp spooked off until there were only a handful left, Sometimes, as far as flies go, bigger is not always better.

I’m guilty of throwing the biggest, meatiest flies I can to any species of fish but in this situation a small nymph or aquatic worm such as John Montana’s Hybrid would have been ideal.

Demoralized, I headed for the car to sulk on the drive home. 20 feet from my car I took one more sad look towards the water. To my surprise a solitary carp was prowling the shallows five feet from shore. I dropped to a knee and fumbled through my fly boxes until I hit jackpot, a big yellow Chernobyl Ant that I had tied to trick willing trout. It was a shot in the dark, a Hail Mary. It felt like the showdown from a classic western; the heroic angler against the big bad carp. (Betsy clutches a lace handkerchief to her mouth and sobs, "No, Johnny. It ain't worth it!" - Ed.) Dry fly fishing is all about matching the hatch to elicit an eat. But carp aren’t trout and they don’t eat normal things.

Comment

If you come across carp feeding at or near the surface don’t scan the water searching for mayflies or other dainty trout food. Watch the fish’s pattern and tie on something that could get a good hook set, in my case it was a Chernobyl Ant. The most important thing to remember about stalking carp is stealth. Approaching the water low and quiet allows you to present the fly in the best possible situation.

Despite the sagebrush around me, I crawled into position. Sagebrush isn’t the most comfortable thing to crawl over but in the situation it was a must because the angle of the sun would have cast my shadow over the water, spooking the carp. I skillfully laid the fly down and twitched it slightly until it was directly in the line of vision of the fish. Slowly, my hopes disappeared as the carp sunk below the surface. Less than 5 seconds later the fish reappeared, floating to the surface like an old submarine.

SLURP! Fish on! Line screamed off the reel. The carp was taking me for a ride. One last showdown with the hero and the villain. (Betsy faints. - Ed.)

︎CARPPRO ☮ 2014

What lasted mere minutes seemed like hours. My backing even made an appearance as the fish gave one last push to freedom. But it was not to be as he reluctantly surrendered to my net.

I snapped a few pictures of the beautiful fish and watched with admiration as he swam into the deep. Catching such a challenging fish on top will go down as one of the coolest accomplishments I've had in fly fishing, and it’s only the first day of summer.

GET IT HERE!

$18.95 + Shipping $22.95 plus tax + $3 shipping

Tactics ☀︎ CARPPRO

2014

Austin Anderson

Getting Riggy with Buffalo I’ve been trying to create a rig that would catch buffalo consistently for a few years now. My experimentation has taken me back to square one so many times it’s not even funny. I’ve been brought to insanity sitting and watching my indicators lift and drop consistently without the fish getting hooked. Until, finally, I think I’ve got it figured out.

Lets start out with what we know from basic biology. While buffalo feed a lot like carp do, sucking in and blowing out potential food items, buffalo differ in that their mouths are downturned toward the bottom. That means there’s no forward facing

in the past, rigs that seem to catch buffalo with any frequency are usually running rigs, incorporating reverse-style combi links that include a stiff section to turn the hook down into the fish’s mouth quickly and efficiently.

Buffy Bites

Adding these facts to information gained from close observation, we can begin to see how these different pieces fit into the puzzle.

Watching buffalo feed, you can see the difference to the way carp feed. Buffalo have big rubbery lips, covered in taste buds while carp have much more streamlined mouths. Carp can become wary when they mouth different pieces of the rig, such as running into the leadcore. Buffalo simply don’t seem to care—it’s almost amazing. I think that many of the “buffy bites” you see are line bites. If they aren’t spooking off of the line, I’ve thought maybe they simply don’t know it’s there. This would suggest the that they have no feeling in their mouth or face, or that are there are not very sensitive to touch. This would explain a lot, including the fact that every now and then a buffalo will

mouth to pick up a rig and move; it’s nearly vertical. To add to this, buffalo may graze like carp do but they eject non-food items by blowing them out of their gills instead of ejection through the mouth. This leaves the possibility that the fish can blow a long hooklink through its gills. This is not what I want to achieve. In my opinion, from a fish safety aspect, that is not acceptable to me. Anther consideration is that,

Tactics ☀︎ CARPPRO

fight like pulling a big wet trash bag up from 100 yards, only to have it wake up near the net. I think sometimes they just don’t know they are hooked.

with? If they aren’t getting spooked, they aren’t going to bolt, which explains why running rigs usually work better than bolt rigs, and why hitting the twitch is very efficient.

Taking this into consideration, if they aren’t feeling the hook and rig in their mouth (big rubbery lips again), why should they panic and trigger their inner fight or flight instinct that all living creatures are programmed

With this in mind, I put the hypothesis to the test and started experimenting with individual rigs.

I’ve always believed in a hinge section being vital in my rigs, which were mostly simple claw rigs tied

2014

Tactics ☀︎ CARPPRO

with curve shank hooks. I played around with about every rig I could find, including more advanced ideas like the 360 rig and the chod. After months of research I found myself at dead end after dead end. I remember particularly maddening sessions where I had buffalo all over me and couldn’t hook a single one.

The ones I was hooking were absolutely nailed but I was struggling with a low hook-up ratio.

Sure, if they are feeding heavily you’ll hook a lot, but I was trying the impossible feat of maybe hooking half of the ones I had in my swim, or perhaps all of them. I wanted to minimize the typical buffalo "lifty droppy" bites and turn more of them into positive runs and hooked fish, but my ideas thus far hadn’t helped this at all.

I started seriously experimenting in November after I had nailed some basic ideas down about buffalo. I continued experimenting until about January when I had a basic rig, then refined it into its final form about mid-March. So far it seems to have worked and I’ve had, hands down, my best year for buffalo ever. I’ve

2014

These flavors have set the Paylaking world alight. Don’t miss out, we simply can’t keep it in stock!!!!!!

Contact us for the latest availability Sales@carppro.net

had 18 forty-plus buffalo since January; more than I’d ever previously had in every other year combined. I attribute it mostly to being in the right place at the right time but my methods and rigs have been refined to the point where I have a lot of faith in them.

The hookbait takes some science as well.

Buffalo have large black eyes, which you can imagine are probably used for sight feeding in the deep water they live in. Visual hookbaits like bright colors work well for them. I wanted to do a little more than just this, so I thought maybe a contrast light and dark combination might do something. I remember from a few years back when Jason Johonnesson guided Shaun Harrison and they had realized that color seemed to make a difference for buffalo on Fork. I had never really paid attention to it, but it became one of my most

influential changes impacting my catch rates. It seems like the stark contrasts like black and white or black and yellow (think silhouette on the bottom, also what color are freshwater clams?) are the ones that produce the most bites for me, especially in clearer water like down in Austin.

LIFTY DROPPY

Flavors needed some adjustment as well. I had known over the years that fruity, nutty, and sweet flavors were the key to catching buffs but have recently found spicy flavors to be effective as well. During a session with Matteo Reglan of Hutchinson Baits, Italy, Hutchy Mulberry Florentine accounted for most of our fish. In fact, Mulberry Florentine, Megaspice and Fruit Frenzy are my top three buff flavors but I'll use them at at different times of the year —spice flavors late in the year, fruit flavors through spring and summer.

The hookbait of choice during that session quickly became a tigernut

Tactics ☀︎ CARPPRO

2014

that had been dyed a very dark red, almost black. The ones I have are made with a berry flavor that has a very odd scent, almost like a mint.

Coupled with a piece of plastic corn or a plastic boilie in white or yellow, the high color contrast and fruit flavor can’t beat it.

Rig wise I got rid of the hinge I had put so much faith into in the past and tried a rig with just a slow progressive angle with a blowback ring or some silicone tubing on the shank to put most of the weight from the hookbait right at the bend. I based it off of an idea I had seen before, stripping back the coating on only the hair. I used an Ace Medium Curve shank hook, as they have a sharply downturned eye that would kick the hook down at an angle if the coating was still there. I coupled that with a supple but controlled hooklink that was consistent all the way to the lead. I’m extremely picky about hooks and so far the Ace hooks are absolutely the sharpest I’ve found.

They have very long points, which flip and catch the bottom of a buffalo’s rubbery lips very easily— great for the purpose. With the

Tactics ☀︎ CARPPRO

coating still on the hooklink from the eye through to the loop, the rig is only about five to seven inches in length. I don’t vary from this often; I’ve found it to be about perfect.

I connect this using a quick clip and a swivel to a 3ft length of spliced leadcore. I don’t really use it for the purpose of rig concealment—in our wild waters it really doesn’t matter in the slightest—but I use it mostly to minimize false indications by the alarms when fish are feeding near the hookbait. It also helps to prevent scale lift that may occur because I use braided line. I use a 3oz lead most of the time because you need a good amount of weight just to ensure that the hook is properly set.

Too light of a lead may cause the hook not to penetrate the mouths of buffs in some waters where their mouths are particularly hard.

This ended up being the final rig, the one that has accounted for almost all of my fish this year. I started to ponder exactly what made the rig work. I knew I was on to something with the angle, that slow progression coupled with a super aggressive turn right near the hook was the key.

I knew the hooklink needed to be stiff enough to ensure that the angle was kept after long periods underwater, but not too stiff. I had used two different links during experimentation, and I had found that both of them (Ace Camo Core and Korda N-Trap Soft, both in 20lb) did the job quite well.

Through the session I fished packbait as well, which I believe is vital for buffalo on wild waters now.

After years of sharpening my skills fishing single particle hookbaits over huge beds of particle, I switched to pack and my catch rates went up over 100%! I haven’t found that the type makes much different, between the tournament and the Lake Austin session I caught on oats, grits, and soybean with most actually coming on very sweet flavored oats. As long as the pieces are small, buffalo relate it to their natural food sources, which in reality are very tiny.

Smallmouth Buffalo aren’t easy animals to understand and perhaps they deserve to keep that air of mystical beasts of the dee, but it’s nice to have some grasp on them at last.

2014

Tactics @︎ CARPPRO âœŞ 2014

Tough

Conditions John Montana

Any fisherman knows that the best time to go fishing is when you can. If you get a chance to run to the water, you shouldn't waste a second looking at weather reports or checking web forums to see how the fish are biting...you just go. This is the only way to really behave but it does create some problems. Chiefly, what do you do when the conditions are horrible?

Tactics @︎ CARPPRO ✪ 2014

This is doubly challenging for carp, and even more challenging for carp on the Columbia river. Our fish are not going to chase a fly so you'd better be able to see them, you'd better be able to feed them, and you'd better be able to see the take. Little things like wind, clouds, and water turbidity can combine to make carping super tough. But… you still have to go. With that in mind, here are a few rules to follow when carping in crappy conditions.

Rule #1

Quit your

bitching! So the weather sucks. So the wind is blowing. So the sun is gone and the water muddy. Yeah, these things stink but you are still standing in the water, probably wearing your waders and certainly carrying a fly rod. It can't be that bad! I for one know that I can spend far too much time bitching about the conditions, so rule number one is simply to stop, get real, and enjoy the day. Any day with fly rod in hand is a good one in my book.

Rule #2

Walk into the

wind. The truth is that 9 out of every 10 feeding carp are going to be facing upwind, so get behind em. Start downwind when possible so you can come up behind the fish. With heavy wind and no sun they are going to be tough to see but at least by coming up from behind you are less likely to spook the fish. Granted, this means you are going to be casting directly into that 30 mph problem but I would rather have a challenging cast to a feeding fish than not see any fish at all.

Rule #3

Use the

shadows. Dark spots on the water are your friend, so look for them. Find an area where the trees or mountains create shadows; find the angle and use it to increase your vision. I have several specific areas that I know I can go to when there is no sun just because the tree line lets me see the fish even without the rays. Think about these spots, and think about how you can approach them so you are using

Tactics @︎ CARPPRO ✪ 2014

the shadow. Sometimes this means wading out deeper to look in toward the shoreline, or walking on dry land and fishing the strip directly in line with a tall tree. Regardless, take advantage of anything that cuts the glare from those horrid clouds!

won't get many chances, so make sure you see every chance you can.

Rule #4

fish, the scales, and often see the mouth open and eat the fly. But in bad weather looking for carp will often leave you frustrated. The odds of seeing an entire fish appear are slim, so look instead for differences in the water. If you are seeing a slate grey expanse of turbid water, look for that little patch

Slow Down! I

often say to people, "Go as slow as you can go, then slow down." That is really the best speed for carping but when conditions deteriorate, go that slow, then slow down even more. When you can't see well, you

Rule #5

Don't look for

fish, look for differences. When the sun is high and the wind is down, carping is glorious. You can see the

that is slightly darker, or slightly lighter, or slightly different. It might be a rock, or a tire, or a broken pipe but it could be a carp. Spot the differences and study them until you know. Â

Rule #6

Plan, then

execute. This is true anytime you are carping but is vital when carping in bad weather. You walked into the wind, used a shadow to

help with glare, moved slowly and spotted a difference that turned into a tailing carp...excellent! Now, stop, think, and plan. How can you get the best angle on the fish? Where will you have the greatest visibility?

Can you find an approach that avoids crunchy gravel or slippery rocks? Think about these types of questions and plan a way to catch this fish...then execute your plan. Â

Tactics @︎ CARPPRO ✪ 2014

Rule #7

Watch the fish,

not the fly. In general this is how I approach every fish but when the weather is bad it is crucial. Make your cast, adjust your drag and drop, but when the fly is in the right spot stop trying to watch it. Shift your focus entirely to the carp.

Watch the fish and look for any tell tale signs that it has changed position. In bad weather you won't be able to see your fly anyway so use the fish to key on the take.

Rule #8

Carping in bad weather really boils down to one thing: Make the most of your opportunities. You know it is tough, you know you won't see many fish, so you need to be thoughtful and be prepared to take advantage of each fish that you do see. Follow these rules and you can turn a bad day—a day when you are cursing the sun, swearing at the clouds, slapping at the wind, continually looking for your boots— into a good one. Or maybe even a great one.

Set the hook.

Too often I see people put their flies in perfect position only to miss the take. This likely comes from ignoring rule #7 but when the weather is bad and the shots are few you cannot afford to miss opportunities. If the fly is in position and the fish does something different than it was before they got there, set the hook. It might have eaten a natural or simply stretched a fin but it might also have eaten your fly and you will not know if you don't set the hook. Carp can eject a fly faster than you would believe, so be ready.

If all of that fails, you could just go trout fishing.

BOOM CarpPro now provides the full range of Dynamite Baits world beating products at unbeatable prices!!! www.carppro-store.com

Pop Ups in Fluro, TwoTone and Washed Out we have them all!

From $9.55

Acknowledged instant catchers like Pineapple Banana Crunch and White Chocolate!!

From $14.95

The world beating Red-Amo is only available here in the USA!!

From $14.95

Go big or go home! Make baiting campaigns a reality with the CarpTec Range $27.95 for 3kg that’s $4 a pound!!!!

Spring

Wild Carp Classic

Tactics $$ ︎CARPPRO

This year, Tamas Vegvari took up the mantle from Wild Carp Companies, and hosted the Spring Wild Carp Classic on the Seneca River in New York.

Chris and Paul Jackson won the event with 257lbs of fish, and also took away the prize for biggest mirror carp with a 31.14lb specimen. Jeff Mauney, fishing with Tony Crawford for Team Midway, carried away the prize for biggest common with a fish of 39,1lbs.

This year's event attracted just 12 teams, a reduction from previous years when it was run

by Jason Bernhardt of Wild Carp Companies. There were numerous reasons for the lower turnout, not least of which was due to a rumored boycott of the event, some teams withdrawing late, and others failing to pay the entry fee.

Some complaints were heard about the entry fee being too high but this is the harsh reality of running a tournament with no sponsor interference and at true cost. Tamas is to be commended for investing his

2014

”

I'm very glad that Tamas Vegvari volunteered to continue this event after I stepped down from running it the past three years. All of the participants and I would agree that he did a professional job and hope that he continues it for a long time. The format change to Big 10 instead of total weight was also a great impact toward making this annual event more competitive and enjoyable for all.

Jason Bernhardt

”

Tactics $$ ︎CARPPRO

”

Fishing paylake style was tough, using the short rods and with the river being up 4 feet above normal and the heavy flow. But we still got plenty of fish on the bank Keith Cisney

”

2014

Tactics $$ ︎CARPPRO

2014

time and money to take on the unpopular task of organizing a self-funding tournament.

Jason Bernhardt has generously invested a lot of money running carp fishing events over the last several years and the American carp scene has benefited a great deal from his efforts. This year he took a much earned break and fished the event, finishing in third place. He also lent his logistical support and knowledge to Tamas to ensure the event went ahead.

Despite the challenges, the event was a great success and the 12 teams shared a $15,000 payout.

Tamas is not discouraged and is already planning to host a 50-hour Fall event at the same location on October 9. Details to follow.

Tactics $$ ︎CARPPRO

”

Best place on earth to catch fish and the people I've met are the best!

- David Moon

”

2014

The 2014 Spring Wild Carp Classic - Final Results 1st Place - Chris and Paul Jackson, Peg 7 - 257lbs 2nd Place - Jason, Matt and Corey, Peg 5 - 255.3lbs 3rd Place - Jason, Joe and Paul, Peg 3 - 240.5lbs 4th Place - Keith Cisney, David Moon and Daniel Fowler Peg 9 - 236.4lbs 5th Place - Duke, Tom and Attila, Peg 8 - 231.12lbs 6th Place - Ray and Scott, Peg 10 - 231.4lbs 7th Place - Hudson and Moss, Peg 4 - 230lbs 8th Place - Berry and Don, Peg 15 - 228.3lbs 9th Place - Jason and Dan, Peg 6 - 226.8lbs 10th Place - Tony, Calvin and Jeff, Peg 11 - 226.6lbs 11th Place - Shawn, Mike and Squirrel - 224.7lbs 12th Place - Bill, Kent and Nate, Peg 12 - 200.7lbs Biggest Mirror - Chris and Paul Jackson, Peg 7 31.14lbs Biggest Common - Tony, Calvin and Jeff Peg 11 39.1lbs

Tactics $$ ︎CARPPRO

2014

The CarpPro Store is open! www.carppro-store.com

Paylake Pretied Leaders with ACE hooks Loose Hooks Pick Ups

Bait Rod Hutchinson Flavors Dynamite Baits CarpPro Flavors

Fly Carping Carp Flies from the best in the game including some from the Fly Swap!!

Gear Hats T Shirts Hoodies Limited stock!!!

Float Fishing Setup

Tactics ✔︎ ︎CARPPRO ✤ 2014

Expert advice from

Zoltan Marton

1 A very successful and universal technique for targeting all species of fish is float fishing. It's quick to set up and provides many advantages for day-session angling, including instant indication and knowing exactly where your hook bait is.

Setting up a float rig can vary in style, based on preference, but in this article we will take a look at two of the basic, most proven approaches.

One of the simplest setups is with a fixed-float attachment. (1) Using a float clip, the float will be fixed on our main line. Adjusting the depth is very easy; simply the clip up and down the main line as desired. To get the clip onto the main line, just remove the rubber tubes from either sides (or one at a time).

Thread the main line through the first rubber tube. (2)

2

3

4

Then repeat with the second rubber tube. (3) Slide one tube up the main line and into one of the sides of the clip.

(4-5) Make a loop around the grooved section on the clip and slide in the

5

Tactics ✔︎ ︎CARPPRO ✤ 2014

second rubber tube from the opposite side. Pulling the loop tight gives you a perfect lock so the float will not move or slide at all. To adjust depth, just loosen the mainline around the clip and slide it as desired.

This is because positioning the clip any higher up the line causes casting to become unmanageable.

If we need to fish much deeper than our rod length, we'll have to go to a different style: the slider clip. (7)

The only disadvantage with the fixed clip is that we cannot go deeper than the length of our rod.

The slider can be the answer for a lot of situations because of its versatility. In this case, we start

7

with the clip and then make a float stop anywhere of our choosing on the main line. The float stop can be made from pre-made stops, or we can simply use fishing line to tie our own. The depth will be adjustable by sliding the stopper. Make the stopper small enough so it will easily pass through the first eyelet on our float rod. This allows us to fish at any desired depth.

After the float clip is in place, we’ll add a swivel for our hook link (on the main line) and weights to counter the float! (9) Nothing beats the excitement of watching a float dance, pop and slide away as a bite develops. And, with a little practice, it can be a devastating tactic for summer carp.

Zoltan Marton is a multispecies angler. His store, MTMTackle.com, specializes in float and feeder tackle and is an official vendor of Dynamite and Rod Hutchinson baits and flavors.

Tactics ✔︎ ︎CARPPRO ✤ 2014

9

Follow us @

FISHING, FRICTION-FREE. The world’s first triple-textured fly line, coming March 2014. scientificanglers.com/sharkwave

Hooked!

Selecting the right hook for the right situation with Adam Clewer

The latest rods, reels that can cast astounding distances, and supershiny pods are not the most important item of tackle. Your hooks are! The humble, and in proportion to other items, inexpensive hook is ultimately what makes the difference between success and failure. However, a hook is not just a hook. Most carp-specific hooks are designed with a particular purpose in mind (other than just catching fish of course). Length of shank, gape, and even the shape

of the point are all devised with a particular application. Understand this and you will almost certainly fish better, catch more fish, and suffer less hook pulls.

What follows is a brief introduction to a few well-known hook patterns.

Whilst the hooks I use are primarily made by Fox, the designs and patterns are prevalent with most major manufacturers (ACE Razorpoints and CarpPro Gapers have these different patterns—Ed.)

Tactics

Short Shank Straight Point (SSSP) This hook is a very versatile hook and has suited a number of waters I have fished over the recent seasons. I therefore have tremendous confidence in this hook but, like anything, recognize it does not always fit every scenario. The short shank is ideally suited to either popups or neutral buoyancy, ‘snowman’ style baits. The wide gape exaggerates hooking propensities by

CARPPRO ✤ 2014

broadening the gap between the hair and the hook point. This is especially successful when fished with a popup hookbait. The straight point is excellent at pricking and grabbing a hold, sometimes when a fish is merely sampling the hookbait. Some people criticize a straight point, stating that the hook will fall out as easily as it went in. A barbed hook eradicates this concern. One downside with a straight point is its tendency to blunt on rocks and debris. Consequently this not best suited to bottom bait fishing over hard gravel or rocks.

!

Stiff Rigger (SR) A very strong hook that is unequivocally best when fished with a popup hookbait. The combination of a wide gape with an outturned eye creates a very aggressive angle that is very hard for a carp to eject.

The out-turned eye, which creates a great angle for popup hookbaits, is not overly suited to bottom bait fishing.

This hook is a great choice when fishing near snags where powerful fish need to be tamed quickly. The beaked point ensures the hook rarely falls out whilst playing a fish.

Long Shank (LS) A firm favorite when fishing with bottom baits. The long shank hook amplifies the hook's hooking potential, especially if combined with a small section of shrink tube, creating a line aligna presentation. The straight point is once again excellent at grabbing hold, but not best suited over gravel or rocks. This hook is ideally suited to fishing over soft bottoms such as silt.

Tactics

CARPPRO ✤ 2014

Short Shank Beaked Point (SSBP) The wide gape combined with a beaked point makes this a true all-rounder boasting excellent properties, especially with regard to reducing hook pulls. The beaked point doesn't catch hold as well as a straight point would, but does present itself better if fishing over rocks or gravel. This hook works well with either bottom or popup hookbaits.

Short Shank Curve (SSC) The needle sharp straight point, combined with a gentle curve creates a hook that is especially good at catching cautious or evasive fish. The short shank curve is best fished with bottom baits.

Again, if fishing over hard over hard gravel straight points can be at risk of dulling.

Long Shank Curve (LSC) A very aggressive hook, excellent for advanced presentations such as 360 or blowback rigs. The long shank curve provides a real challenge for the carp to deal with. Ideally suited to either bottom or popup hookbaits, the long shank curve provides a real alternative, giving the angler a genuine edge when fishing for pressured carp.

Tactics

The last important consideration when making hook choice is with regards to size and barbed or barbless. Always match the size of the bait in proportion to the size of the hook. 15mm boilies are generally well suited to hooks ranging from sizes 8-6. Larger baits require larger hooks, smaller baits smaller hooks etc. Where possible I will always fish with a barbed hook.

My conviction is that an experienced angler will have the skills to unhook a fish without the barb causing any problems. For

CARPPRO ✤ 2014

newcomers to the sport, or if fishing with children, barbless hooks certainly have their place.

Understanding which hook to use will certainly improve your catch rates. No one likes losing fish and using the wrong hook can contribute to fish losses. The skill lies in knowing when to choose a particular hook and how to incorporate it into a winning rig.

When you get it right, you'll catch a few fish along the way.

CLICK & LISTEN

FREE FLY CARPING PODCASTS!!

This Wide Wide Heaven - Dan Frasier

The book The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, introduced the world to the idea that Heaven is simply a conglomeration of all our desires. That it is whatever we want it to be. Everyone gets their own personalized promised land. It’s an interesting concept. !

Beaver Island, Michigan, has frequently been called the flyfishing-for-carp promised land. It’s been lauded as worldclass flats flyfishing, with fish that are bigger and stronger than most. I was no stranger to the mythology of the place but I had no idea just how applicable Sebold’s imagining of Heaven is to the speck of land known as the Emerald Island of North

America. I recently spent 5 days fishing on the island with John Arnold of Headhunters flyshop, Alex Landeen of Landeen Photography, Matt Smythe, author and creator of the film A Deliberate Life and Cam Mortenson of The Fiberglass Manifesto. I believe we all found something we were looking for. !

The first thing I noticed as the little 6 seater prop plane cleared the water and began to follow the shoreline to the grass landing strip was how much more there was to the island than I had thought. Beautiful homes, inns and restaurants line the shore. There are beaches and docks and vast

Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble and grand. – Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones

Travel

︎ CARPPRO

2014

forests with inland lakes. The entire main island, all 56 square miles of it, looks like a family vacation destination. In many ways, it is. The island depends on tourism revenue during the short summer to allow the 650 year-round residents to live there permanently. Sometimes I forget that the world is bigger than flyfishing; that a real tourist destination needs things for nonanglers to do. For the five of us, fishing all day, eating well and having a cocktail or two at night was enough. For the rest of the population of the planet other things are required to make a vacation. Like Sebold’s Heaven, the island has everything for everyone. Excellent restaurants and fun bars, beaches and lakes and woods and lighthouses, small quirky museums and shops (including one that handdelivered a beaver pelt beer koozie to us) and a quiet and peaceful downtown, all conspire to make the island a place that someone with no interest in world class carp flats or trophy

Travel

smallmouth bass could enjoy for days.

Even the accommodations make the place feel almost Stepford-ish.

We stayed at the Fisherman’s House. It sleeps eight (easily), has 2 baths and is within walking distance of everything.

Judging by the rates of like rentals on the island, it would probably cost in the neighborhood of $1,000 a week to rent. Total. A week. Try getting that in the Keys. I know countless anglers that hope to some day make it to Beaver Island but can’t because a fishing trip is a lot harder to make happen than a family vacation. Take it from me:-here you can have both. !

But lets be honest. All of the non-angling wonderfulness in the world is only important to you because they allow you to get there. You’ll be thinking about flats and checking your watch repeatedly. Is it time to

︎ CARPPRO

2014

Travel

meet the guides? These family distractions are the lubrication that let the wheels turn. Pack up the family and take them on vacation to a cool spot. Oh and what do you know… there happens to be a little fishing in the area. !

Speaking of the fishing.

Beaver Island is as glorious and painful and varied as you’ve heard.

Great crystalline flats filled with hungry submarines make up every bay on the outer islands.

At one point I made one of our guides, Austin Adducci of Grab Your Fly Charters, turn on the depth finder and tell me how deep we were. At the time we were in 42 feet of water. I was counting rocks on the bottom. On days like this you feel like you are in the Florida Keys.

Glassy stretches of water as far as you can see. Clear enough that the bottom seems to rise to meet the surface as you look out to the

︎ CARPPRO

horizon; a strange optical illusion created by clear water that more than once made me believe we were about to wreck the boat. On these days you are getting the kind of fishing found almost exclusively on the Great Lakes.

Quiet long stalks to fish cruising the shallows picking up Gobies and crayfish in the rocks. These are long casts to aggressive but intelligent fish that might follow your fly fifteen feet before eating. Or refusing. Too often refusing.

This is what most people picture when they buy their plane tickets to the island. It’s their primary desire.

It’s all your desires rolled into one place

!

But Sebold’s Heaven isn’t simply made up of your primary desire. It’s all your desires rolled into one place. Your promised land is not your one favorite thing. It’s all the things you want. And that is where the promised land that is Beaver Island surprised me. It was

2014

more than just the best flats fishing in the world. !

Day two of our trip and the wind was up and the clouds looked like rain. We got out early and pounded a few flats with little success. Eventually we parked the boats and walked across an island to the windward side. With the grey skies, howling wind and spitting rain, it looked like a scene from Montauk, striper fishing the surf. And that’s just what it turned into. Fish were rolling up in the waves that were breaking 3 feet

One broken hook on a good eat was all I had to show

up our bodies. They cruised the rocks and ate the critters that the pounding surf dislodged. We stood in the rain and had three glorious hours of casting to willing fish clearly visible in the breakers before the rising waves told us it was time to hightail it to the big island for showers and booze. I honestly believe we could have caught an unlimited number of carp that day if we’d have been willing to camp on the island. I’m a hardy dude but I can tell you this much. I was not. !

The rest of the time, conditions vacillated between these two completely different styles of fishing. That is, they did until the last day. My little personal Heaven still had one more desire of mine to give me. The high sun, bluebird skies, sunning fish everywhere day. I was in Steve Martinez of Twisted Hackle flyshop’s boat and we were psyched. The wind had lain down, the clouds were gone and the water was getting warm fast. We just knew we’d be getting fish today. The excursion started off

Travel

︎ CARPPRO

2014

Travel

with an interesting experiment.

Steve took me to a little spring creek that flows off of one of the islands into what I can’t help but think of as a sea (even though it’s Lake Michigan). We beached the boat and walked up the stream.

Two ponds in we found a pod of carp hanging by the shoreline. It was awesome. This was just like fishing back home. Small water, spooky, grouped-up fish that were lazily tailing but mostly just hanging out. I was so ready to show how good I was at this. Two hours later we left without me getting as much as a follow. The rest of the day was spent moving from one group of fish that I couldn’t interest to another. Every carp in Lake fucking Michigan was sunning itself and recovering from the cool-down we’d all just lived through. It was maddening. One

︎ CARPPRO

broken hook on a good eat was all I had to show for casting to more fish than I have ever seen in one place. !

In the end, Beaver Island gave me everything I wanted and more than I deserved. I went there for the legendary flats and it delivered in spades, but it has so much more in store. I got to bonefish for carp, striper fish for carp, redfish for carp and carp fish for carp all in a 5 day period. On top of that the island let me in on the great secret I didn’t know before I left. That being: it’s just a fun place to hang out. There are neat things to do, cool things to see and great people to meet.

Magically, this place seems like it could be all things to all people.

Promised land indeed.

Give no story. Make no claim. Where you can live at the edge of your skin for as long as you wish. This wide wide Heaven is about flathead nails and the soft down of new leaves, wide roller coaster rides and escaped marbles that fall then hang then take you somewhere you could never have imagined in your smallHeaven dreams.

- Alice Sebold, The Lovely Bones

2014

Off

on the

Right Foot

with

Joshua Snow

After nearly 7 months of one of the most brutal winters I can remember in my 27 years, spring had finally sprung! I’ve been itching like a fiend to catch some carp but haven't a clue where to start. I moved house over the fall of 2013 so all the water around is completely new to me.

But, just like all the years before, I'll start with what I know best.

I tend to utilize two rigs for 99% of my fishing and the one I usually begin my season with is the ever faithful multi-rig. It is the most effective and well hooking pop-up rig I have ever come across. As everyone knows, I am obsessed with anything megaspice flavor and 15mm fluro pop ups sprayed with Rod Hutchinson Megaspice Legend spray is my go-to bait. All my particles are also soaked and cooked in megaspice and savay cream. The carp seem to love it nearly as much as I do! Now to find a venue‌ Within an hour of me, there are several lakes ranging from 6 to 45,000 acres, and from 5 feet to over 800 feet deep. So my hands were full when it came to scouting, watching, and learning. Knowing

rivers best, I chose to start there, only a few city blocks from home. It became quickly apparent that it did not have much potential; the river seemed to be dying and the fish were stunted and diseased. The next choice was the massive 45,000 acre inland sea but my efforts were thwarted. Due to commercial business and residences, lake access was non-

Ever faithful multi rig existent. So, to get my season going, I chose to take the few hour drive to another massive lake I had fished for years with mixed results. I had a great feeling that my timing was bang on this year and the fish would be in the bay swim that I was familiar with. And they were!

Turning up well after dark I could hear them, crashing everywhere like a bunch of belly flopping

Tactics @︎ CARPPRO ✪ 2014

elephants. The moon was high and bright and it was all the light I needed to get the rods close to the spots I had always casted to, using the trees and cell phone tower lights on the far bank as markers. I wouldn’t put out any free bait until I could really see the spots in the daylight and tie a bit of marker elastic to the mainline to ensure I’d nail the spots every cast. A kayak is an incredibly useful tool for this if you can get away with using one. You can be incredibly accurate by dropping your rig right on top of the bait you are dumping in from the kayak. Then, if you can get back to the bank before getting a take, tie on some marker elastic just below the butt ring. This way even in pitch dark you can cast out away from the spots, clip up and be sure your bang on every time.

I really like to use particles when fishing, as boilies in bulk are a rare commodity over here. Its just more economical and, I think, can be just as effective. I casted the marker to 3 different spots. Each one was a large opening in the

Tactics @︎ CARPPRO ✪ 2014

A stodged up mix of tiger nuts, maize, millet, and cracked maize was the partimix of choice

otherwise very dense weed, about 10’ in diameter roughly (even though I know from not so accurate casts in the past that the fish don’t mind feeding straight in the weed).

A stodged up mix of tiger nuts, maize, millet, and cracked maize was the parti-mix of choice. It had all been soaked for 36 hours and boiled in Megaspice and Savay Cream flavor. It smelled absolutely mouth watering! The millet is a fantastic ingredient in any particle

mix as it leeches so many starches and sugars and it clouds the water up well without adding anything else to the mix.

With some low lying silk weed I wanted to fish pop-ups only and as always I began the session with a different flavor pop up on each rod.

One, with a 15mm Megaspice fluro pop-up, one with a 15mm Mulberry, and the third, a special concoction of mine consisting of a 15mm

Tactics @︎ CARPPRO ✪ 2014

Secret Agent flavored pop-up (because they’re so subtly flavored) that have been soaked in a mix of Pineapple Supreme, Savay Cream and a dash of Megaspice flavors.

Although all three rods received about the same amount of action at first, the concocted bait seemed to slowly edge the others out.

All of this led up to the captures of some beautiful fish, not all huge, but stunning none the less. Dark, wood carved commons, long, thick, and extremely powerful. In fact the largest fish of the session, an upper 30, was without a doubt the longest tussle I have ever had with any carp of any size and the frame and tail of the fish proved why. Five fish over thirty pounds would grace the banks over the course of 3 days and 3 nights, with most having come in the darkness. Belting runs that seemed instantaneous, peeling what seemed like 100 yards of line from the spool in only a second or two. What fighters the fish are in this massive lake!

As I said earlier, I mainly use two rigs, but this session only required one of them; the multi-rig in all its deadly glory. The hook holds were flawless as usual, nailed in the bottom corner of the mouth without fail, ensuring this session would be a memorable one.

Home again, a month and a half later as I write this, I'm still buzzing and reminiscing. I'm also sad that I most likely wont get back there again until next spring. I’ve been focused on the smaller lakes locally with an entirely unknown stock of fish, size and quantity wise. I could be wasting my time completely but I won’t know until I try!

...likely wont get back there again until next spring

FINALLY YOU’VE MET YOUR MATCH! MTM Tackle is your match, feeder and Float-Fishing Headquarters At MTM Tackle you’ll find the highest quality fishing tackle for a variety of classic and cutting edge angling techniques.

Whether it’s for float fishing, match fishing or feeder fishing.

MTMTackle supplies all the specialized tackle you need to land carp or any other freshwater fish MTM Tackle “Vario Match” Float The 14 gram Vario Match is designed for versatility, making it a great piece of equipment for the ultimate float-angling experience. With it’s unique, elongated design, the Vario is suitable for all conditions and situations. Added weight makes accurate casting easy, even with little or no additional weight. The detachable copper lamellas at the bottom of the float give total control to the angler - if the setup or bait turns out to be a bit heavy, simply counter the weight by removing a couple of the lamellas.

The peacock-colored, waterproof stem is compatible with a variety of weather conditions and antenna choices. Antennas are available in red and yellow, with new options available in the MTMA3 pack. Situational versatility and all season capabilities makes this float the perfect go to piece on any day!

Just $7.99

http://www.mtmtackle.com/MTM_Vario_Match_Float.asp?&catID=25

MTMTackle, Seattle, WA http://www.mtmtackle.com

n a i c r h o s o a d r n T a T

Bank Life

︎CARPPRO ♨︎ 2014

When three Englishmen get together on the banks of the Tennessee River for a few days carp fishing, miles from the nearest pizza joint and burger stand, you'd probably forgive them for loading up on instant noodles, sandwiches and teabags. When one of those guys is Brian McGill, you can expect something a bit different. In this case, trashcan tandoori.

What? Chicken? From the trashcan? I know, sounds delicious right?

Bear with me. Like any selfrespecting Brit, I love a decent tandoori and the first time Brian prepared this, I was seriously dubious about eating it. The second time he made it, my mouth was watering at just the thought of it. It is the best tandoori I've ever tasted and it's the easiest thing to do.

Here's what you'll need.

One large chicken with giblets removed A 10-gallon metal trash can or a tall stock pot A medium bag of charcoal a pound of charcoal for every pound of chicken A vertical roaster (or wooden stake or, at a push, a solid metal bankstick) Aluminum foil Some

Bank Life

︎CARPPRO ♨︎ 2014

latex gloves, oven gloves, and utensils for handling the hot trashcan and chicken First, you need to marinate the chicken. There are plenty of good tandoori recipes out there and if you ask nicely Brian might even share his culinary secrets, but for those of you that don't want to mess around too much, a jar of Patak's Tandoori Marinade, available in most Indian grocery stores and some Safeway chains (in the ethnic section). Add yoghurt and follow directions to create enough marinade for your chicken.

Let it soak at least 24 hours and, at the swim, keep it in a cooler on ice until you are ready to cook it.

On the bank, lay a few sheets of aluminum on the ground and get half of your charcoal burning.

If you do not have an upright roaster, hammer a wooden stake into the ground (or a bankstick with brass thread. Note: plastic threads will melt). Create a ball of aluminum foil and mold it around the top of the stake. This is to prevent the chicken from falling down the stake.

You can also put an empty beer or soda can on the top of the stake and cover it with foil.

You will need the stake tall enough to ensure the chicken does not sit on the foil.

Place several layers of aluminum foil on the ground around the stake or under the upright roaster.

Now place your coals carefully around the foot of the trashcan (on the foil layer) and build it up a few inches. Place more hot coals on top of the trashcan, and add the remainder of your coals.

Cook the chicken for an hour for a 5-8lb bird, or 90 minutes (or until the coals burn out) for a bird over 10lbs. You will need the internal temperature to be above 170degrees for the meat to be cooked.

Before your chicken is ready, wrap some naan breads in foil and warm them on the charcoals burning on top of the trashcan.

CAREFUL lifting the trashcan.

There is a lot of heat built up in there so use oven gloves and tilt it with the bottom of the trashcan opening away from you.

Place your chicken, legs down, on the roaster or stake. It's a good idea to use latex gloves at this stage unless you want your hands dyed for the rest of the trip.

Place the trashcan over the chicken, ensuring it does not touch the top or sides.

If for some reason the chicken is not cooked yet, replace the trashcan and coals and heat it up again for at least another 30 minutes. Once you loose the heat it takes a lot to get going again.

NOTE: The grass will not survive this cookout so only do this on sand or gravel.

Bank Life

The meat will be tender, juicy and

falling off the bone. Crack a lager or open a cheeky little Merlot and you'll be savoring a taste of Blighty in no time!

Even if you're not a fan of tandoori you can still sample the delights of a trashcan cookout! There are so

︎CARPPRO ♨︎ 2014

many different ways to do this and you can use any number of dry rubs or simple olive oil and lemon pepper. Using oil will give you a crispy skin.

pring! this s

Report ❖︎ CARPPRO ✭ 2014

Come

Hell High Water or

Commentary by Dan Frasier Images Bryan Rodriguez

The most worrying aspect of planning a flyfishing tournament is the risk that the weather will conspire to cancel the event. It’s the only factor that is completely out of your control. If you are afraid that registrations will be light you

when it comes to weather there is only one entity you can plead with and last I heard God didn’t have a huge vested interest in carp flyfishing. So, you can imagine the conversation at the corner bar that myself, Jared, and Carson, of

can market more, or smarter. You can pick times, dates, and locations that help alleviate the concern that the fish won’t be available. You can even beg and plead with flyfishing companies for prize and press. But

Isthmus Flyfishing, had as the upper Midwest experienced unprecedented rains, tornados, hail and lightening storms in the weeks leading up to the event. Most

Report ❖︎ CARPPRO ✭ 2014

concluded with, “Well, lets be sure to have enough free beer on hand.”

Minneapolis, where this urban flyfishing event was held, had one of the wettest springs on record.

Flooding that I heard referred to as “generational” was occurring all

we’d have realized in the moment how trivial the risk the rain was bringing to our tournament was. Of course, we didn’t.

Wind, clouds, and cold are about the only weather factors that can make carp flyfishing futile. In

‟

..unprecedented rains, tornados, hail and lightening storms

over the metro area with streets submerged and lakes several feet higher than their natural high water level. Real people were experiencing very real flooding with real life consequences. You’d think

”

high sun, or hot days, or even one of those three factors (rather than all three) a flyfisherman can persevere and find feeding fish.

Epic storms, sadly, bring all three with them plus much more.

Report ❖︎ CARPPRO ✭ 2014

So you can imagine how excited everyone was when the deluge stopped and the weather warmed and calmed in the days preceding the event. Water would still be higher than anyone had ever seen it, but the weather wouldn’t be dangerous and the stillwater fishing that was about to happen usually isn’t hampered by flooding.

Sometimes flooded areas enhance your carp flyfishing and in this case that is exactly what

almost exclusively in the Lake Hiawatha and Lake Nokomis area.

It was close to the starting and check-in point and my god was there a bunch of water around.

Reports of catches started rolling in within an hour. Flooded parks, bike paths, lawns and golf courses were TEEMING with feeding carp, gorging on worms and terrestrial insects forced out of the ground by the high water.

Watch Carpicide the movie! happened.

The day of the even dawned bright, sunny and calm. All 23 anglers gathered at a local park for instructions, numbers, and good natured taunting and strutting.

When it was time to fish, everyone dispersed, usually in pairs or trios, to go try their hand at the urban lakes in the South Metro area.

Technically, any water within the Minneapolis Metro area was within the boundaries of the event and fair game, but the fishermen stayed

Wadeable “flats” with Kentucky bluegrass or pavement instead of mud bottoms were all around the two lakes and the small river connecting them. Onlookers were gawking at the geared up flyfishermen stalking the bike paths and catching fish that your average civilian didn’t even know were there. I even had a young man run up and ask me what I was doing.

When I told him he ran off across the street, got his fly gear and came fishing. Such a cool situation.

The massive flooding, and cooperative fish that it produced, helped to make this event fun. But they weren’t what made it a resounding success. The anglers, industry participants, and organizers are what made Carpicide 2014 work out better than we could have hoped. Participants traveled from Canada and Kansas City to compete. All in, 23 fishermen landed more than 50 fish with the heaviest at 18 pounds.

Orvis donated a custom H2 fly rod that Joey Paxman won for biggest fish. A TFO rod was given for most fish and art by two local flyfishing artists, John Piacquadio and Josh DeSmit was given for smallest and ugliest fish. Mend Provisions hosted the event and gave away an Eagle Claw glass rod for best social media presence and One Barrel Brewing Co. donated way more beer than we could drink. Although we gave it the only college try.

Report ❖︎ CARPPRO ✭ 2014

Thanks to the efforts of Isthmus Flyfishing and CarpPro in organizing and hosting this event more the $550 dollars was raised for the local TU chapter. I can assure you they were very grateful.

This was an inaugural event and will be held again next year.

We are looking forward to seeing you all there!

SELF-TAKE CAMERA KIT OVER

Basia Deep Spool Basia Shallow Spool SS3000/TS5000 Shallow Spool Speed Caps - Fits any Daiwa reel Black handles to fit any Daiwa reel with a wooden handle

Fits any camera on the market Only

£42.99

including tripod

£34.99 DEALS ON TWO OR MORE RODS

12ft 23/4lb 12ft 31/4lb 12ft 31/2lb 31/4 50mm 31/2 50mm

£124.99 £124.99 £129.99 £134.99 £139.99

12ft 12ft 12ft 12ft 12ft 13ft 13ft

£159.00 £179.00 £194.00 £199.00 £194.00 £210.00 £220.00

NEW E-CLASS GOLD

23/4lb 31/4lb 50mm 31/2lb 50mm 31/2lb 50mm SU 6in 3.1/4lb 50mm 31/2lb 50mm 31/2lb 50mm SU

S-RANGE

Optional Full EVA Build or full cork build

E-S X-S X-S 50m X-Sive

£259.00 £269.00 £279.00 £299.00

12ft 3lb 12ft 3lb 50mm 12ft 31/2lb 50mm 12ft 6in 31/4lb 50mm 12ft 6in 3.5lb 50mm 13ft 31/2lb 50mm 12ft HI-S-IVE 50mm 13ft HI-S-IVE 50mm NEW 12ft HI-S-IVE ER 50mm 12ft HI-S-200 50mm 13ft HI-S-200 50mm NEW 13ft HI-S-220 50mm MARKER 50mm SPOD 50mm 13ft SPOD 13ft MARKER

£345.00 £355.00 £365.00 £375.00 £379.00 £385.00 £385.00 £410.00 £395.00 £410.00 £419.00 £439.00 £295.00 £309.00 £339.00 £329.00

HI-S RANGE

NETS

E NET 46” S-LITE NET 42” S-LITE NET 46” HI-S NET 42” HI-S NET 46”

£125.00 £159.00 £162.00 £199.00 £205.00

TIGER LINE Ultimate Fluorocarbon 12lb 16lb 200m O/P £19.90 1000m O/P £69.90 20lb Now available

1-MAN RRP £469.99

O/P £299.99 SAVE £170

2-MAN RRP £549.99

O/P £349.99

BOOKS AND DVD’S,

www.custombuiltrods.co.uk

SIZES AVAILABLE M - XXXL

Complete Kit

£32.99

HEADLITE HANGERS From

£79.99

BODIES

£119.99

2013 Puncture Proof £149.99 NEW Puncture Proof Wheels Std £39.99 MODELS £89.99 NEW Puncture Proof Wheels Fat Boy £49.99 £109.99 £139.99 £159.99 £179.99 £159.00 £99.99 £119.99 FULL RANGE ON £59.99 WEBSITE £99.99

£4.99 £11.99

COMPLETE

Net Float O/P Urban Rucksack O/P Reel Protector O/P £64.99 Tri Star 3-Rod SleeveO/P £25.99 £69.99 £84.99 £39.99 £19.99 £19.99 NEW £39.99 £6.99

ENDURA Combi Mat Weigh Sling Small Carryall Large Carryall Modular Cool Bag Buzz Bar Pouch Baiting Pouch Camera Bag Tip Protector

O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P

£9.99 £49.99 £11.99 £99.99

GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE

£10

TERRY EDMONDS ALIEN SPODS TERRY HAS BROKEN HIS SPOD CASTING RECORDS 215 YARDS PLUS

O/P

SAVE £200

CUSTOM-MADE ELSTOW BOBBINS £21.49 EACH

SIZES AVAILABLE M - XXXL

FROM

Trakker have released a limited amount of the award-winning Armo Mk3 bivvies that have been reconditioned to a very high standard. These are the 2013 model that feature the chain link system and are sold as new with a full guarantee.

Stocks are limited and will not be repeated at this price, so buy now and get a bargain.

£24.99

Including Isotope

TRAKKER F-32 SUIT

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE Free Spirit

TRAKKER RECONDITIONED BIVVIES ARMO MK3 BIVVY

NEW WEBSITE

CHUB VANTAGE SUIT

MK2 Basic MK2 Standard MK2 Deluxe MK2 Fat Boy MK4S Sleep Eazi Bedchair Dreem 3 Leg Bed Dreem 4 Leg Bed Lightweight Recliner Big Boy Chair

£59.95

£12.99

without tripod

TAMER ‘X’ WRAP

£79.95 £69.95

£11.49 MATRIX BULLDOG 2 NET

• CATCHING THE IMPOSSIBLE (DVD) • PASSION FOR ANGLING (DVD) • CATCHING HORIZONS (BOOK)

O/P

SEARCHER AND LAUNCHER COMBO’S

AERLEX EMBLEM MRS 12’ 40mm .................. £200.00................£230.00 MRS 12’ 50mm .................. £210.00................£240.00 LRS 12’ 40mm.................... £210.00................£240.00 LRS 12’ 50mm.................... £220.00................£250.00

£179.99

MINI SPOMB ONLY £9.99 NEW MIDI SPOMB ONLY £11.49 9 AVAIL IN B ABLE ORIGINAL SPOMB ONLY £12.99 OR WLHACK ITE

SPOMB RODS 12ft 40mm ............................................................. £129.99

plus Shimano Aerlex spod reel & braid .............................. £210.00 or Daiwa Emblem spod reel .............................................. £235.00

12ft 50mm ............................................................. £139.99

plus Shimano Aerlex spod reel .......................................... £220.00 or Daiwa Emblem spod reel .............................................. £245.00

13ft 40mm ............................................................. £139.99

plus Shimano Aerlex spod reel & braid .............................. £220.00 or Daiwa Emblem spod reel .............................................. £245.00

13ft 50mm ............................................................. £149.99

plus Shimano Aerlex spod reel & braid .............................. £239.00 or Daiwa Emblem spod reel .............................................. £255.00

MRM 12’ 40mm ................. £195.00................£225.00 LRM 12’ 40mm................... £205.00................£235.00 LRM 12’ 50mm................... £215.00................£245.00

TEL: 01992 462044 CALL FOR A COPY OF OUR FREE CATALOGUE

Johnson Ross.indd 1

13/12/2013 14:53

The “Rocky�

Road to Rigs with

Zoltan Marton

Zoltan Marton is a multi-species angler. His store, MTMTackle.com, specializes in float and feeder tackle and is an official vendor of Dynamite and Rod Hutchinson baits and flavors.

Tactics ✔︎ ︎CARPPRO ✤ 2014

S

ometimes the most basic rigs are overlooked when trying to solve complex angling problems. In situations with a great likelihood of constant snaps and cut-offs while fighting fish, a simple rig of coated braid hook-link might be just the answer. Here in Washington, I fish a lot of swims that have shelves and rocky structures and I find the basic "rocky" rig perfect for avoiding cutoffs.

The Strategy line from Spro offers one of the very best hook-link materials to choose from to adapt to any situation; in this case, rocks on the bottom. The Strategy Rigid hook link will be our choice because of its abrasion resistance and ease of use.

Simply pull out some braided line and strip off the coating from about 5 to 6 inches of line. (1) Make a loop for the boilie stop. (2) Select your hook in this case we’ll use a Gamakatsu Pop-Up Hook (size 2). Tie it on after you've measured the desired hair length.

(3) We will also use a small piece of heat-shrink tubing on the hook for

1

2 the purpose of fixing the position of the hook bait (pop-up boilie). By doing this we can ensure our hook always follows the bait perfectly.

(4)

3

4

After applying heat, the tube should shrink to produce the desired result. (5) We will also put a shot weight (AA) just under the hook. The position of the shot weight will depend on the desired height of the pop-up bait off the bottom. In this instance, I've chosen to elevate the hook bait a couple of inches off bottom. The weight allows the bait to hover above the free offerings and pin down the hook link. For this presentation, I've chosen a Carp Academy Imitation Pop-Up. (6) This is our finished rig before clipping onto the main line and underwater, respectively. (7&8)

5

When fishing bottom rigs in rock swims, make sure that the lead can easily dislodge or break free in case of snap-offs, and allow the hooked fish to rise quickly in the water on the bite.

Tactics ✔︎ ︎CARPPRO ✤ 2014

7

6

8

We hope you’ve enjoyed our Earth friendly magazine:) If you did, subscribe FREE at our website www.carppro.net and don’t miss the next issue!