Carp battle on the fly

[Hawg]

Recently I’ve decided to try to familiarize myself more with fly fishing so I’ve made it a point to keep my fly rods with me in the truck. I have a 2wt and a 5wt.

Last week I was working in eureka and I decided to check out a spot on the Meramec before work and I caught two large mouth but while I was there I spotted some carp feeding on the surface. Couldn’t really see the fish because of the light and glare angle.

We finished the job early so I slipped back down to the bank and decided to go to upstream and climb a 15 foot tall mud bank for a better view.

I saw dozens of carp patrolling the edge in groups some feeding on the surface some on the bottom.

Some were huge. Fortunately I decided not to use my 2wt (though it was set up and ready) and I grabbed my 5wt and put a crayfish pattern on. About ten casts later agroup of five headed towards my fly and a I gave it a little strip. 
 

They all spasmed at once and instantly muddied the water as my line went tight. I jumped down the bank as the fish headed out to the middle and down stream. I have no idea how I turned him back towards me. I think I had maybe five feet of backing left before he came back up river. I had four pound tippet on the end.

My dad and brother were nearby and took some photos and brought my net from the truck.

Took me about an hour and 45 minutes heh.

[dpitt]

Congrats on landing a carp "on the fly", especially with a 5 weight!  I usually hunt carp with an 8 weight, they can tug and don't give up easy!  

[Hawg]

6 minutes ago, dpitt said:

Congrats on landing a carp "on the fly", especially with a 5 weight!  I usually hunt carp with an 8 weight, they can tug and don't give up easy!  

Thanks!  Yeah it was my first time targeting one  as well so I may well be ruined.

 

Do they usually take crawfish patterns?

[FishnDave]

You caught a big Grass Carp! Excellent!  Yes, they will take crayfish flies.

[Nick Adams]

That's a huge fish! Well done.

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, Hawg said:

Last week I was working in eureka and I decided to check out a spot on the Meramec

I've seen areas with literally hundreds of them when I'm out on the Meramec.  NICE!!!

[Hawg]

18 minutes ago, Nick Adams said:

That's a huge fish! Well done.

Thanks. There was one swimming with it that was probably twice the size. Thank goodness it didn’t bite first 😮

[Gavin]

Those will stretch you string! Good for you!

[Hawg]

43 minutes ago, FishnDave said:

You caught a big Grass Carp! Excellent!  Yes, they will take crayfish flies.

Good to know.

I went way upriver the next morning and caught three browns and two large mouth on the same rig. Didn’t even untie. I put it on the wall after that to preserve the ju-ju.

Are there other patterns that do well with carp around here? I’d love to do that again. Loved every second of it.

Phone ran out of batteries so I only got one picture.

[FishnDave]

16 minutes ago, Hawg said:

Are there other patterns that do well with carp around here? I’d love to do that again. Loved every second of it.

I flyfish for them a fair bit with a 6 wt or 8wt, 12 lb tippet.  These are super-easy to tie, and have been known to catch more than a few grass carp and common carp.