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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Lessons from the Carp Lodge: Episode #2--Can you catch every tailing Carp you see?

Episode #2 of Lessons from the Carp Lodge has been posted on YouTube. This episode has a list of all the Carp behaviors I have observed through the years. That is followed by a list of all the presentation techniques I have used to get these wily buggers to take my fly. Episode #2 shows some careless casting and it shows some good casting. If you look carefully I think you will see a Carp fart on my fly as he swims by it with complete disgust.

I had the Carp behavior list and the presentation techniques list prepared a few years ago for a series of print articles I was writing. It is interesting to me that I added two presentation techniques to my list for this video. As JM pointed out in his comment in the previous blog post, we keep learning, and that's a good thing. When I drafted the print articles I had only tried one kind of swinging of the fly. In 2010 I tried a familiar but completely different swinging technique and got fish. I also added indicator fishing to my techniques list. I point out in the narration that I have not actually caught a Carp using an indicator but that as a result of the exchanges on my blog, and input from Greg and McTage, I will be trying it in 2012.

My wife has been good about supporting me in this endeavor. She patiently answers my questions when I ask her thoughts on what makes more sense or how I might present something. She does not fish at all by the way. She must still love me because she still puts up with my nonsense after 34 years.

She asked me who I thought the "typical viewers" of my videos are. I had to say I really didn't know. She asked if they were people who already were good at fishing for Carp, people who had some experience, or people who hoped to try it for the first time. Again, I had to answer I really don't know. She asked what if a beginner doesn't know what a tailing fish is. She said that if she had not heard me talk about it she would not know. She said that in the videos she has trouble seeing the fish in the water. I told her so do I, even when I'm standing right there making the casts I have trouble seeing the fish sometimes. That is a good part of why there are titles and arrows showing the fish and the fly in the water.

It is hard to know where a good line is between the time spent narrating and presenting information, versus showing fish taking the fly along with playing them. It is difficult to know what a viewer already knows or who a "typical viewer" is. I am in hopes that this series will be useful for both beginners and experienced Carp fly fishermen. I am in hopes that even someone who is extremely good at it will at least find things a bit entertaining during the winter months.

I set out to make this series helpful; not just a bunch of clips of me playing fish. That said, there is a good deal of narration and explanation in this episode. Okay, I imagine there are a couple takes in there too.

Enjoy.

17 comments:

  1. I am one of those "extremely good" carp fishermen. I am extremely good at scaring carp, lobbing casts all around them but not actually hitting them, and getting them to not eat my fly. Thanks for posting these, I hope it will make me go from "extremely good" to actually catching one.

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    1. Great 2nd installment of Lessons from the Carp Lodge! Very informative for a novice carp fly angler. My first carp ever ( http://ichthyomania.blogspot.com/2011/07/on-mission-for-carp.html ) was caught on a carp carrot, so thanks for all your advice. I will probably have to watch the video a second time to fully digest all of the information in it.

      One question: Could you explain the clooping and bubbling behaviors and how they are different from rooting / tailing?

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    2. Good luck Stealth. You can do it.

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    3. Brian, nice job catching that Carp. The Carrot is a deceptively simple fly. Most Carp flies don't need to be complicated to be effective.

      I have started writing a thorough answer to your question about Carp behaviors. It may be too long for a comment in which case I will turn it into a blog post. I will try to finish it by tomorrow.

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks John. Still thinking about getting better video this summer...

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  3. Pretty sweet Jim. Gonna have to think about false casting away from them more. Love the categories and lists!

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    1. Thanks Trevor.

      I have seen Carp move away because of a false cast; that's why I started the off line technique. I've seen them bolt just from the shadow of a bird passing over them. Even when they don't flee as a result of something I'm doing I think certain things put them "on alert" or make them nervous. I recognize that a fish being "on alert" is a subjective perception on my part but I still think it is true. I also think that a fish that is "on alert" will bolt more quickly or with less provocation.

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  4. Like the kids say: "way good".

    In my opinion, what you said about a carp "on alert"
    is spot on.

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    1. Thanks a lot JM.

      What kinds of things have you seen or done that you feel puts a Carp "on alert"?

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  5. Wow Stuff!

    Your wife is very astute, I know you listen to her. I think your videos are presented in as fine a fashion as your fishing and will apply to all carp fishers, beginners to experts. I too drag my fly, but often let the wind do it for me, however reacting to the strike of course is problematic. A very aware carp made so by a poor cast of mine bolted 3' in a milli-second when a howitzer in a small town boomed after a field goal during a local high school football game, don't let anyone tell you they can't hear atmospheric sounds. Yes, I had him wary, but that was too much. I think bubbles are in the green group, but that's my limited experience talking. Very well done, a nice coffee blend of information and action.

    Gregg

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    1. Gregg, thanks a lot, again from the heart.

      Yes, Katy is very astute. I know she is and she still surprises me. It makes me laugh at myself.

      I have seen clearly how Carp respond to sound outside of the water and they most definitely do. Speaking of howitzers, I wrote a magazine article titled "A Tale of Three Farts". It is an account of three blasts and how they affected the Carp. The intro was slightly (barely) exaggerated but the rest was all true. I will look for it and make a blog post.

      Bubblers in the green group?! YES! I'm so anxious to try indicator fishing for Carp this coming season. I would love to create Episode #2, the epilogue, or "Episode Whatever" and say that I have been catching bubblers and now feel that they are prime targets. Now look what you have done Gregg, I am going to tie egg patterns and day dream about fat Carp burying the indicator.

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  6. Mr.P.,

    Any epilogue of course would be just that, what you have learned since and incorporated to your ammunition of tactics. If I have any part in that I'm humbled, that is, if it works for you. (I think it will!)

    Gregg

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  7. Mr. P.,

    Really enjoying your videos and careful instruction. I ventured into carp on the fly after a bonefishing trip got me hooked on site fishing in shallow water. Turns out I had been overlooking some great flats fishing in the rivers, right here in southcentral Pennsylvania. I'm hooked, and thanks to your informative blog, I hope to bring more carp to hand next season.

    Scott in PA

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  8. Gregg, I think it will and I'm looking forward to it.

    Scott, thanks for the compliments; I appreciate them. I suspect that the more you Carp fish the more you will want to do it. If you are as enamored of "the take" as I am I would say you may have found fishing heaven in your back yard. I'm anxious to hear how you do.

    P

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  9. i don't know how many times i've watched this video, and i keep referring back to it. i can't seem to catch any public pond carp, because i can't interpret their behavior. they just never seem to pursue a fly and getting the fly too close spooks them. have you seen carp with their backs out of the water just wiggling about, but not moving? is that sunbathing?

    http://exexangler.blogspot.com/2012/08/carp-vs-carp.html

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  10. Hi Ex-Ex. Thanks for visiting my blog. I just saw your comment. I am composing an answer to your questions. It will take me a few days.

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