Every once in a while a reality check is good though. When the carp seem to want something small and subtle I usually go straight to a Hare's Ear Nymph. If I was good enough at keeping a journal I might even find that my most productive carp fly of all time is the Hare's Ear in multiple variants.
I have caught Carp on many different recipes of this infinitely flexible nymph pattern. Throw in a gold bead and you have a weighted fly with a little flash. Add a black tungsten bead and you are ready to dredge the depths. In colored water sometimes adding a flash-back can't be beat. Do you really need a little bit of that carp-specific luvin feeling? Some fine Rubber legs do the trick. Are the fish ultra-shallow and super spooky? A very simple un-weighted variant in natural colors without even gold rib could be the ticket.
I usually stick to size 10 to 14 and my most productive colors have been olive and the traditional tan.
The Hare' Ear Nymph. It turns out that nearly everybody has a couple carp flies in their box!
Mighty fine looking flies! For me often times it's the weight not the fly style that may work but I can see those hares ears should be tasty
ReplyDeleteRight on. Small nymphs like Hare's Ears and PT's are the ticket on my carp water. Only way get at those super spooky fish sometimes.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt about it...those that roll their own have a huge advantage because they can fine-tune the size, color and pattern but even more importantly the weight and bulkiness.
ReplyDeleteI am convinced that simple is better...at least on my waters. Going basic in a variety of colors this year and so far it has worked just fine. Bring some of those suckers out west...they'll come in handy.
ReplyDeleteSimple is almost always better. Un-godly complicated is occasionally fun in a twisted sick kind of way.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! we've found the same on the L.A. River during spawn. The only thing they'd take nymph with a gold bead! Also, congrats on winning the contest. Looked like you submitted some interesting patterns, McTage.
ReplyDeleteThanks LARFF (yeah, getting lazy). Sometimes it seems like the gold bead is well....gold. Others times I think it seems like it scares them. Have you had any luck with it outside of spawning season?
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