I have had several requests to post the recipe for this pattern in my blog. I had a request to also create a video showing how to tie the Carp Carrot along with the Chocolate Cherry. I don't when I will be able to do that but it is on my radar. Here are some thoughts on this pattern along with how to tie it.
Let me begin by saying please that I can tie complicated flies; I enjoy tying complicated flies. I particularly enjoy tying flies that catch fish. When a complicated fly catches fish that's great; I savor tying it. When a simple fly catches fish that's great too; I savor tying it.
I have tried a large variety of specific flies and types of patterns for Carp. Some of those flies are complicated and some are simple. Some don't work at all, some work moderately well, and some are consistent producers.
The thing about simple flies is that there is a certain degree of mistrust of them. Almost as if, "it couldn't be that good if it ain't hard to tie."
This is a blog, I'm not writing to sell subscriptions; I'm writing because I enjoy it and because a few people seem to enjoy reading it. That said, I am going to make a jump here. I have written some things that are me playing around but I am serious about this next thing. It might seem like am wandering but I'm really not.
If you are a heterosexual man and if you see a woman with big boobs, a lot of makeup, and a magazine kind of face, what would you think? In particular, what would you think if she was standing next to a small breasted woman, with no makeup, and a face? Well, what would you think? If you could stare at them without being noticed who would you stare at? Starin' ain't choosin' though now is it? If you had a choice of being able to talk to one of them who would you choose? Why? Kinda get you goin' a little to stare at them big boobs? Maybe in your life you never had that choice and by that I mean you never had the opportunity to choose the perfect woman. I mean the perfect woman with small boobs and little to no make up. Did you think I meant you never had the opportunity to choose the big boobs? HA! I definitely did not! There is plenty of opportunity to make that choice. If you get the chance to make the choice, choose the small breasted woman with no makeup. Yes, I am serious. I'm tellin' you she'll surprise you over and over and over. She's the best.
Simple flies are like small boobs; they're more erotic, they're the best. I certainly wanted to get your attention, but again, yes I am serious, about the boobs and the flies.
The Chocolate Cherry and the Carp Carrot have been for me extremely effective Carp patterns; they are both simple flies. If the Carrot and the Cherry were in a bin next to a "fly with big boobs" it is so easy to dismiss them. You know, kind of like, "There's just not enough there..." What can I say, some things take time to understand and appreciate.
The Chocolate Cherry:
Thread: Black
Hook: Tiemco 5262 sizes 8 and 10
Weight: Dumbbell eyes, sizes 1/8 and 5/32
Tail: White round rubber
Body: Medium brown chenille, size small or even fine
Hackle: Grizzly saddle hackle dyed red.
A few other things about this fly:
I originally tied the fly without the rubber tail. I almost always include the tail now.
The tail actually is two strands of the white rubber; the first one is just blocking the second one in the picture. I cut one piece, fold it over to make it even, and then tie down over the fold.
The hackle is wrapped a good number of times so the color really shows up. The fly ends up looking more red than brown. The grizzly saddle hackle has become very difficult to find in shops. Women are wearing the feathers in their hair. Good grief...
Fishing the Chocolate Cherry:
I have not had as good of luck dropping this fly as I have had dropping the Carp Carrot, a Rubber Leg Hare's Ear or the SJW. I don't have slightest idea why. I have had the best results casting and stripping this fly onto the Carp's dinner plate. I have also observed that a Carp cruising in the water column, as opposed to on the bottom, is more likely to pick this fly up than the Carrot and way more likely to pick it up than the SJW. Again, I don't have any idea why.
This fly has become one of my "go to patterns".
