Carp, river slugs, greasy bottom feeders are only a few names for this fish, are often overlooked, thought of as nuisances or simply ugly and We don't want to even see or smell what it's like out of water!
this perhaps is true to many of Us , but those who enjoy Fly Fishing for these "river slugs". Have a slight adoration for them and can sometimes find them quite mesmerizing...too far?! I think so.. but they are difficult to catch (speaking mainly of sight fishing).
Surprisingly enough carp do not stink that bad and are not really greasy! Now pike on the other hand reek and are greasy, pretty much need a separate net, live well, gloves, clothes just for them alone! A little exaggerated yes but my point is...I'm going to say it but carp are not that bad! What is said cannot be unsaid.
So now we are kind of liking carp. We know they are strong and do not smell or are greasy to the touch (to an extent). Some downsides....there take is slow and subtle, not the kind like a rise trout but the kind like watching a train come towards you from a few miles away, again exaggerated but it helps draw a mental picture. But if you like that than Carping is amazing and can be done pretty much everywhere! And yes they do take surface flies.
i will end the note with a few flies I like to throw at them.
Flies I like are...big yarn eggs (pink, yellow and orange). Woolly buggers and for dry flies berry imitations as well as any insect.
I hope this helps! So next time instead of walking by a river slug, try catching it!
cheers and right lines!
-frank.
Some of my favorite fishing adventures - stories involved carp. My best is 31 lbs. with many in the 20's , best fishing fights ever! A 5 lb. carp would pull a 5lb. bass around all day and not even know it was there.
Carp, too often overlooked (re-edit)
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