A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY - THE CARP TUGGER TERRY BABICH The Tugger originated after I returned from fishing for carp at Bronkhorstspruit Dam. I was frustrated because the wind blew my flies all over the show and didn’t allow me the opportunity to present my flies to the carp that were darting through the gaps in the grass - faster than Flash Gordon!
All this was looked at with the understanding of how a carp feeds and what it likes to eat. Carp can be very colour and size specific and this design allows for changes to size and colour when tying it. It also allows for hackle, legs, etc. to be add if required. The permutations are endless.
The gaps between the grass clumps were small and the spaces didn’t allow for much time to present a fly, so I had to come up with a plan. The only knowledge I had to refer to was that of the art lure guys. They were using curly tails and jigs to catch carp. I realised that a little weight would help with control and positioning the fly in tight and windy conditions. It would also allow me to place the fly quickly and accurately.
My original favourite colours were either a white, red or yellow tail with a black body and a bead to match the purpose. I have tied this fly in more variations than I tie for a woolly bugger. Carp have definite colour preferences in different colour water. They can be very moody some days and display extremely specific colour preferences.
I was on the right track. I decided to use a strong, wide gape scud hook that I could really yank on to keep the carp from going into the weeds and reeds. The idea was to tug hard, lift the fish’s head and prevent it from swimming too far too quickly - hence the name “Tugger”. The tungsten bead adds to the weight but also acts as an attractor hot spot for the carp to hone in on. It looks like an egg and carp love egg flies. The body was tapered to imitate a leach or caddis or the like and the profile alone would be enough to entice a carp. Lastly, the marabou tail thins in the water and allows for great movement, like a curly tail would. It is a great material as it adds colour and looks like a worm or some other tasty morsel that a carp would eat.
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The dilemma when fishing for cats and carp is the carrying of two rods and I decided to put the Tugger below my catfish BBB fly. This would allow me to change target species in a heartbeat. Little did I know, the Carp Tugger would prove to be the dominant fly for catfish in deep water and early morning conditions! The BBB became more of an afternoon fly and works well when the fish were really on the fly. Some days up to 90% of my cats are caught on a size 6 or 8 Carp Tugger. The fly lends itself well to catching cats as it makes a very distinctive plopping sound on the water that the cats really like. The other advantage with it is that cats often sit on the bottom of the dam waiting for whatever made the plopping sound to sink so that they can gobble it up. It sinks quickly into the zone and right to where the catfish is lying before he gets bored and swims off.
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