ISSUE 2 by CarpPro Magazine

FLY ◎ BAIT ◎ INNOVATE

RICHARD SOMERVILLE TREVOR “McTAGE” AUSTIN ORR

BIG GUN ALERT!! 2) $./01 -) . .

WILL RICE ’( $ % & FLORIAN LAUFER % # $ # #

%$’( $#%& ! " ##

+, , )*$

). , , + $ )*

) 2 1 0 / . $ .

&introducing

SCOTT HAGANS CHRIS CARDEN

RIG CLINIC with Josh and Tomas

Midway II Blalock Capers! when Paylakers go Wild Water

Pineyside Reborn !!

Budget Carpin’

Mulberry Bush The GREAT Fly Swap

Cover: Scott Koon, shows the rewards of hard work as he scoops the big carp at the WCC Blalock event last summer

Editorial

Team

TONY Cartlidge - Lead Editor Tony Cartlidge is a writer, editor, journalist, blogger and marketing specialist who started fishing as a kid in the city parks of Liverpool, England. He caught his first carp at age 12 and has been hooked since. Having lived in the US for almost two decades, Tony moved to Texas in 2008 and now targets smallmouth buffalo just as much as carp

DAN Frasier - Editor Raised in South Dakota, Dan was introduced to fly fishing on a family trip to Breckenridge Co. Coming home to South Dakota, he knew he wanted to fly fish but the only obvious species was carp. Dan taught himself to fly fish on those carp over the course of a decade. In the process he began to blog about his exploits and became friends with some of the most influential fly fishermen for carp in the game. Dan found the CarpPro.net forum and quickly became integrated as part of the team. When CarpPro began looking for an editor specifically geared for the Fly Fishing niche, Dan was brought in to fill that role.

DAVID Smith - Layout & Design After founding USCARPPROmagazine David soon realized that fly fishermen were targeting carp. He made every effort to connect with this branch of the sport through regular articles, even making the long trek to MI from his home in California to meet David McCool and wade the freezing cold flats of an early spring Traverse City. A bait angler for over 30 years he understands the rise of the sport and the passion carp anglers develop for their quarry. CARPPRO™ and it’s contents are copyright to USCARPPRO llc 2013 all rights reserved. No material may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. We’ll accept unsolicited manuscripts and photographs but accept no responsibility for their safe return. The views and opinions expressed in these pages are those of the authors and not necessarily USCARPPRO llc or it’s affiliates and employees. Enjoy.

Editorial ♥ CARPPRO ✍ 2013

TACTICS & TACKLE MEDIA

NEWS

EASY ACCESS STYLE

REVIEW

BUY!

COMING TOGETHER

Commentary from Tony Cartlidge

When we talk about the North American carp fishing scene we don’t automatically think of one style anymore. Some may picture rod pods and Euro styles and others might visualize fly fisherman stalking wary carp in urban streams and skinny water. For many, many more that are part of the longest-standing and most populous branch of the sport, it is impossible to imagine carp fishing without paylakes, packbaits and half a century of family traditions. That’s why we have returned to our “mix-mag” format this month. Don’t worry, the Fly Special was no one-off and we’ll be alternating between mixmags and specials along the way. It’s a nice problem to have--a carp scene that is almost too big for one magazine format. You may also notice that we have not separated the magazine into sections. This is a deliberate choice. There is a lot of crossover and support across the aisles as fly, paylake and wildwater carpers come together to coalesce into a scene.

A year ago I wrote about the spark that was needed to ignite the sport and develop it into something bigger. I suggested that we would start to see the development of a broader carp “scene” in perhaps 12 to 18 months. I was wrong. It’s been much faster than that. Back then we anticipated the inaugural Lake Fork Carp and

D L SO Buffalo tourney with some trepidation. We wondered if the tourney would be a success and whether Lake Fork’s leviathans would come to play. We needn’t have worried. Lake (and world) records fell, some of them twice, personal bests were logged, huge fish were landed, and the “Texas 44” entered into legend

faster than you could say Buffalo Bob! It certainly captured the imagination and the 2013 tourney was a sellout months ago. As this issue hits the virtual shelves, a field of anglers twice as large as last year, coming from Hungary, Italy, England, Canada, and all over the US, will be casting their lines in the hope of landing one of Fork’s legendary carp or buffalo. But if Fork was a huge success, no

! ! T!

U O

one could have imagined the sonic boom as fly fishing for carp took off. A few weeks ago, Tackle Trade World asked CarpPro about the carp scene in America. Joining the conversation was Tom Rosenbauer of Orvis, who spoke about the massive growth in interest in fly fishing for carp. It’s no idle talk either. In the CarpPro Fly Special, Trevor Tanner spoke to the fly

Editorial ♥ CARPPRO ✍ 2013

industry about carp. And you know what? Orvis gets it. Trouts gets it. Umpqua gets it. RIO gets it. CATCH Fly Fishing gets it. And more than 32,000 readers in 48+ countries around the world get it. Look at our forum. Look at our Facebook pages. Look at how quickly the Carp_Pro Instagram following is growing. Listen to the CarpPro flyfishing podcasts. Now tell me carp aren’t mainstream.

much, much more from that branch of the sport very soon and the Carolina Cup this year will be bigger and better! We saw a couple of television episodes devoted to catch and release carp and buffalo fishing last year, most notably the WFN Reel Fishy Jobs episode that Mark Melnyk filmed at Lake Fork with Richard Somerville. We also came agonizingly close to getting a

❝If a carp wins this I will never vote again....❞

Said of this years “Slab of the Year” winner by a disgruntled www.Moldchum.com reader. MoldyChum you ROCK!!!

North American carp angling is not just capturing the imagination of wildwater and carp on the fly anglers. The inaugural Carolina Cup drew some of the best paylake anglers to Lake Blalock and the whole event was a massive success. The refurbishment at Pineyside paylake, where CarpPro is very visible, has generated a lot of buzz. We are going to be seeing

regular carp fishing program on national television. I’ll go out on a limb here and predict we’ll see one within 2 years. But is carp fishing really becoming a scene? A carp scene we can all buy into? John Montana won the Moldy Chum slab of the year with a 30lb

Editorial ♥ CARPPRO ✍ 2013

carp on the fly. Some of the comments were ugly, some of the meltdowns hilarious, but most of the messages were supportive of John’s phenomenal achievement. While it was fun to see a carp crash the purists’ party, we can’t underestimate the importance of bringing carp into the mainstream, no matter which branch of our sport does it, which is why John drew a lot of votes from bait anglers. And who would have thought that an iconic Euro-carp brand would turn paylaking inside out? (Apart from CarpPro, of course!) Keith Cisney has people pounding on his door for flavors from Rod Hutchinson Baits. They’re the hottest item in the bait shacks followed closely by Euro-style Gaper carp hooks. Gapers, meanwhile, have become the hook of choice for many of the leading fly guys. This crossover spills back into the Euro-carper world too, as we see anglers using packbaits with hair rigs, ultra-buoyant flies used for zig rigs, and a continued hybridization of a truly American style of wildwater bait fishing. Rumor has it we’ll even see some paylake boys competing in wildwater events with Abu Carp Masters and 12’ Europoles!

And then there’s the people that are all kinds of wrong! People like me (and I know I’m not alone) that spent the majority of last summer wading Texas creeks with a 7wt fly rod in his hand, dabbling with packbaits in spring and autumn, and then, when winter comes round, returning to full-on eurocarper mode...but chasing buffs not carp! Now I’m not one to preach peace and love and harmony through carp fishing, and we’ll continue to see the usual divisions in the carp scene as some groups battle to stay relevant while others redefine the sport, but that’s okay. It’s human nature to resist the inevitable and focus on the things that make us different. What really matters are the things that unite us, that the “carp scene” is well and truly established, and that we continue to come together to promote the carp as the remarkable, accessible, challenging sport fish it truly is.

¡Viva la Carpolución!

Fly ◉ CARPPRO ✤ 2013

MULBERRY with Austin Orr

O, the mulberry-tree is of trees the queen! Bare long after the rest are green; But as time steals onwards, while none perceives Slowly she clothes herself with leaves— Hides her fruit under them, hard to ﬁnd. * * * * * But by and by, when the ﬂowers grow few And the fruits are dwindling and small to view— Out she comes in her matron grace With the purple myriads of her race; Full of plenty from root to crown, Showering plenty her feet adown. While far over head hang gorgeously Large luscious berries of sanguine dye, For the best grows highest, always highest, Upon the mulberry-tree. D. M. Mulock—The Mulberry-Tree.

t wasn’t that I didn’t want the river to be full. It’s just… when the river is low, the carp are so much easier to find. I should probably back up a little. Last year, the plains states experienced drought to one level of severity or another. Driving up to visit my folks in Kansas, the interstate crossed over a few different rivers on the way up. Each one seemed to be lower than the next. Then, as I was nearly to the house, I stopped at the two lane bridge on the edge of town. Walking out onto the narrow spans with rural confidence, I looked out over the strangled flow of the onceproud river I had fished during my high school years. It was like a favorite pet had taken ill while I was away; my heart sank, and I felt sorrow. Then, the golden lining wriggled his way up out of one of the remaining pools… the chunky river carp slurped a mulberry from where it had fallen from an overhanging tree, and I began to smile. I visited the family, and then made my way back to the water. After all, it was part of my family too. I had spent many days and nights trekking up and down this stretch

when I was younger, targeting catfish when the flows were up. Cats were hard to come across when the water was low however, and it was then my wanderings brought me into contact with the sturdy carp. They’d ignore the danger of shallow water and hot sun, crawling through water so skinny they’d leave well-defined trails in the sandy muck between pools. I taught myself to stalk these fish – a small hunk of nightcrawler on a hook, no weight, light line on a spinning outfit. It was this river and these fish that taught me lessons in dressing in neutral colors, staying low, approaching fish from downstream, and so many others. These days my weapon of choice had evolved to a fly rod, but the principles were the same. I was looking forward to showing the river what I remembered, like a student reminiscing with a favorite old teacher. No nightcrawler hunks for me now. Not that it mattered – I knew the secret. Something else the river had taught me. It had to do with those lovely nuggets of goodness produced by the mulberry trees dotting the river bank. Each plop of the dark purple fruit was likely to bring attention from a fish – every

Fly ◉ CARPPRO ✤ 2013

❝

Large luscious berries of sanguine dye

❞

Contact: Tony Cartlidge! ! Email: Tony@CarpPro.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE DOCTOR IS IN! DR NICK GIDMARK JOINS CARPPRO CarpPro Appoints Evolutionary Biologist as Scientific Advisor Jan 24, 2013 - Round Rock, TX --How does a fish smell? If your answer is, “Terrible!” then you may just need to see a doctor, and CarpPro can help you make an appointment. CarpPro is proud to announce that Dr. Nicholas Gidmark has joined the team as our very own Scientific Advisor. Nick is an evolutionary biologist and postdoctoral Research Fellow at Brown University, and will be available on the forum to answer questions about carp anatomy, the musculo-skeletal mechanics of pharyngeal food processing in carp, and a whole host of other topics including carp behaviors, how they learn, feed, and perceive both taste and smell. His research, which will be made available to CarpPro, includes scientific papers, x-ray photography and video, and promises to provide CarpPro magazine readers, forum members and podcast listeners valuable insights into how carp respond to baits and rigs, techniques for stalking fish and presenting a fly, fish care and more. “I’m delighted to be a part of CarpPro,” said Dr Gidmark. “I’ve studied carp for a long time so obviously I’ve got a soft spot for the species and I am thrilled to be able to join an organization that appreciates them as much as I do. I’m also a fly-fisher and fishing has been in my blood since I was a kid, although I’ve not caught a carp on the fly...yet. With the help of the expert anglers on CarpPro, I hope to rectify that very soon!”

“Bringing Nick aboard as Scientific Advisor is truly exciting for CarpPro,” said Dan Frasier, CarpPro co-owner. “Nick will be able to answer many of the questions carp anglers have about tactics, bait, behavior, and more, and hopefully provide us with the science to help us catch more fish. He is a member of the forum and available to field questions, and he will be appearing on some of our podcasts very soon.” Nick was born in Minneapolis and grew up in Minnesota, living for time at his family's lake cabin in Detroit Lakes. He did what most aspiring biologists do during childhood: he waded in swamps, caught frogs, fished, collected bugs and got bitten by mosquitoes. He majored in fisheries and conservation biology at the University of Minnesota. He then went to graduate school at Brown University where he received his Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, studying carp mouth form and function for his dissertation. Nick is broadly interested in biomechanics, muscle physiology and comparative anatomy of fishes, but has published most of his work on minnows and carp. He has published scholarly articles on carp jaw protrusion mechanics and jaw muscle physiology, and has co-authored several book chapters on minnows and related species. Please offer Dr Nick Gidmark a very warm welcome to the CarpPro team and stay tuned for more announcements as we continue to grow and serve the complete spectrum of North American catch and release carp and rough fish anglers. ### About CarpPro

Texas-based USCarpPro, LLC, started life as in 2008 with the launch by David Smith of USCarpPro magazine. The magazine successfully raised the visibility of the sport and worked to bring it into the mainstream of North American angling, provide news, reviews, event coverage, tips, tricks, rigs and technical features to the growing number of US and Canada carp anglers. Featuring some of the best carp anglers and angling writers in North America, the magazine quickly gained a loyal readership. By 2012, USCarpPro magazine had outgrown its intended purpose and USCarpPro LLC was formed by David Smith, Karl Haymer and Tony Cartlidge. The unveiling of the CarpPro brand announced the emergence of the company from online magazine to multimedia information hub, media partners, market experts, trade advisors and bait and tackle manufacturers, distributors and vendors. CarpPro quickly added Keith Cisney and Dan Frasier as equal partners to extend the team's expertise to the wildwater, paylake, and fly-fishing scenes. For more information on the magazine, tournaments, and our education and outreach programs, or to schedule an interview, please contact David Smith at David@CarpPro.net, Tony@CarpPro.net, or visit us www.carppro.net, see our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.

❝

Full of plenty from root to crown

❞

Fly ◉ CARPPRO ✤ 2013

berry that ended up in the water had a very short life expectancy. From the bottom of the food chain to the top, there was a universal buffet. Feasting with more voracity than most were the river pigs; the carp. Mulberry fly eh? Boom – challenge accepted. Standing at river side, armed with my little secret weapons, I eyeballed a pod of carp hanging in the shadow of a mulberry tree on the far bank. The dark shadow of the tree was interspersed with a delicate latticework of light; sunbeams sneaking through the waving foliage above. This shifting filigree shone with the gold of carp scales as they moved up and back in the current in a never-ending search for berries. Underneath my bare feet, the sandy bottom squished gently between my toes. The clear current was my accomplice, minimizing disturbance as I slipped closer to my target. A roll cast deposited my own faux-berry offering just ahead of the shadow; immediately, three rubber-lipped mouths emerged from the water, groping at the bobbing fly. The fish were so busy shouldering each other around that a

fourth carp suddenly appeared and sucked the fly in without a ripple. When I came tight on that fish, it was with a surprising rush of emotion. I had caught a lot of carp on fly, mostly in Texas, but this was the first one I had caught on fly out of this particular river. The fight was a good one, but honestly inconsequential. When I held that fish in my hand, I thanked him for eating the fly, and told him that now he had a new scar to show the ladies. He swam away strongly downstream and I stood with a smile. That’s what it’s all about after all. Satisfaction in a job well done; in a plan that comes together. I went on to lose count of the carp I caught that day, and the next day and the next. I have forgotten most of their individual plans, forgotten the little nuances that makes a fish really stand out in your mind. I’ll always remember that fish though, pulled out of the glimmering school under the mulberry tree. Heck, I’ll also always remember the grass carp that jumped when I hooked it later the next day, but that’s a story for another time…

Follow Austin Orr @ www.salt396.com

Commentary ⁇ CARPPRO @ 2013

SOME

BIGFISH

[Somerville Outdoors]

CarpPro talks to our own Richard Somerville Richard Somerville is arguably the most well-known big carp angler in the US, but not’s not just big carp that has been writing the headlines lately. Richard took time out of his busy schedule as pro carp and buffalo guide to talk to us about another landmark Texas fish, this time a monster buffalo from magical Lake Fork. For destination angling and carp and buffalo guide service, find Richard at www.somebigfish.com

Following the CarpPro prostaffer’s latest session on the phenomenal Lake Fork, which culminated in the capture of a new unofficial lake record buffalo of 67lbs 8oz, an exhausted Richard Somerville answered a few questions for our Facebook fans. In part 1 of 2, we talk about the session and the milestone capture.

CarpPro: So, Richard, are you recovered yet? You were there for a while. Richard: Mostly, but my back’s still hurting and I’m covered in cuts and bruises. The swim hadn’t been fished so we had to cut it out with a machete, and carrying massive amounts of bait (350 lbs) and tackle up and down the bank...it’s tough. It’s not an easy lake, it requires effort. You have to work at it. It’s funny really. Some people only see the good stuff. They see the pictures of the big fish and the smiling faces but they don’t see the amount of hard work that goes into it. They don’t witness the

hundreds of miles driven and the days and weeks on the bank trying to figure a lake out. They don’t see the cuts and bruises and the scraped knees from climbing around on rocks, finding new places. CarpPro: Persistence and dedication pays off, right? Richard: These waters are there for everyone but you have to put in the work and the time and effort. People like young Austin (Anderson, CarpPro junior prostaffer) are out there, putting the time in, making the effort and getting the rewards. People just

Commentary ⁇ CARPPRO @ 2013

don’t see that. They fish the same waters as me sometimes, but if they don’t catch one weekend, they don’t go back. If they don’t catch in a few hours, they move on to another water. You don’t have to be an athlete to be a successful angler, but you do have to put in the time and effort. CarpPro: I know you’ve fish Lake Fork a lot over the last couple of years. How long were you there for this last session? Richard: Friday night until Monday afternoon. The plan was to be off

the lake by noon, Monday, but that didn’t happen because of the big one. CarpPro: The big one came at 11am Monday, but it had already been a great session, right? Richard: Fantastic. We had 40 fish over 20lbs on Sunday night alone, and at least two triple hook-ups, a few more double hook-ups. All carp--we didn’t catch any buffalo Sunday night. We couldn’t sit down. Every time I tried to get into the bedchair we’d get a run. If I

went to just sit down, we’d get a run. We were exhausted.

and you just know it’s absolutely massive.

CarpPro: And that was just Sunday. You caught Friday and Saturday too?

CarpPro: One of those slowmoving fish you just can’t stop?

Richard: Yeah, we had plenty more fish, including buffs in the 40s, Mirko caught a new pb carp of 27lbs. his best before that was 12lbs I think. He also managed to catch a 45 and a half pound buff! CarpPro: So, what happened Monday? Richard: Well, Mirko was sleeping in, exhausted. I woke up about dawn and recast my rods--I’d reeled them in to get some rest-and immediately started getting carp, mostly in the 15-20lb bracket. I decided to try and feed them out, so I went out in the kayak and dumped another 10 gallons of bait on top of the marker. The first cast afterwards got a 40lb buff. I had to leave for a bit but while I was away Mirko landed a 42lb buff on my rods, and then we started getting more carp. Then, at 11 o’clock, I got a take and immediately knew it was a massive fish. We’d been getting ready to go out and pull in the markers! it was one of those things, when you strike into a fish

Richard: It behaved itself, actually. It swam away from the timber and snags, thankfully but was starting to swim towards my other rods, so Mirko came down and helped me reel them in. I knew it was a big fish so I played it a bit lighter than I normally would have done--I didn’t want to pull the hook. We’d lost a a few fish trying to keep them out of the snags. Gradually it came up. It wasn’t like a carp that ends up swimming back and forth around the net, and eventually comes in. I had to tighten the drag and haul it off bottom. It did not want to come up. It was a dead weight. Finally I managed to lift it and Mirko did a great job getting the net around it. CarpPro: Then what? Richard: It looked like a big fifty to me, but then I hadn’t really seen the width of it. I went to lift it but it wouldn’t come up. We had to share the weight to get it to the unhooking mat. I guessed maybe 58, 59. Mirko laughed and said it was over 60. We got the scale and used stormpoles over our shoulders to team lift it. Mirko is

Commentary ⁇ CARPPRO @ 2013

about 6 inches shorter than me so I had to crouch to be level with Mirko. The scale started sliding and the weight of the fish crashed into me and really hurt my back! Finally we got it level and Mirko

CarpPro: Incredible fish and a new unofficial lake record. Do you even put your rods back in the water again after landing a fish like that?

was saying bigger, bigger, bigger! It was 67 and a half pounds. I couldn’t read the scale so we put the fish down and did it all over again with the scale facing me. It was a mindblower!

Richard: Well, Mirko caught a few more commons but I’d totally run out of packbait in my bucket. I made some more but the buffs had moved on. We were still catching carp though. I’d made a few calls

Commentary ⁇ CARPPRO @ 2013

and sacked the fish for witnesses and pictures, and put the fish in deep water, but mostly I just sat there in disbelief. Following the CarpPro prostaffer’s latest session on the phenomenal Lake Fork, which culminated in the capture of a new unofficial lake record buffalo of 67lbs 8oz, an exhausted Richard Somerville answered a few questions for our Facebook fans. In part 2 of 2, we talk about baits, methods, and the upcoming Lake Fork Carp and Buffalo Challenge.

hookbaits are flavored by Hutchinson flavors. CarpPro: You were one of the first few anglers to use Hutchinson, right? Not just in the USA but in the world. How did that happen?

A VERY

CarpPro: Obviously you’re a huge fan of packbaits and somewhat of a recent convert, but you also use Hutchinson baits. How does that work?

BIG

Richard: I’m still experimenting with Hutchinson flavors in the packbait, but all my particles and hookbaits are flavored with Hutchinson. There’s a difference between flavors and essences as well, though. The flavors I use actually taste like strawberry, for example, rather than just smell of strawberry. That’s a very important distinction. Hutchinson flavors are much stronger than the usual packbait flavors, so I’m still experimenting with that, but my

FISH Richard: I was born in Lincolnshire, UK, and lived very close, maybe 30-40 miles, to where the original Hutchinson flavors were produced. I didn’t have a car at the time but I’d get a ride over there with friends over to the store and would get chatting. Rod would be there occasionally so we’d spoken a bit. Rod and some of the guys in the

Commentary ⁇ CARPPRO @ 2013

store would give me flavors to try. Back in the early days I was given shellfish Sense Appeal and Strawberry Sense Appeal, and did really, really well. Unfortunately you can’t get Strawberry Sense Appeal anymore. I wish you could. CarpPro: Now the packbaits. I know you’re a huge fan and you seem to be getting some great results. Richard: Tom Brooks and Keith Cisney have been very helpful. Actually, Tom deserves a lot of credit for helping me understand packbaits. We use a lot of particles and groundbaits, but Tom’s theories about fishing something much, much more attractive around your hookbait are absolutely right. The carp will find it. I also talk to a lot of my paylake friends. At the Carolina Carp Cup, at Lake Blalock, I spent a lot of time talking to people, but it’s very important to listen. Listen, learn, adapt and incorporate. There are some genius ideas in the paylakes, and some of the paylake guys just do some things that really make a difference. Even when it comes to how to avoid catching catfish. People like Tom Brooks have it figured out.

CarpPro: So, back to your monster buffalo. You’re not claiming the lake record. Why? Richard: As you know, I’ve already caught fish far exceeding the Texas state record carp. I’ve also caught lake records on multiple Texas lakes, and after seeing the devastation that comes from registering lake records, through the attraction to bow fishermen, I think its best to let the fish do their own thing. I don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to the quality of the fish in that lake. I look at the Texas Parks and Wildlife lake records to get an idea of the size of the fish in a lake. I’m not that naive to believe that bowfishers don’t do the same. You saw the devastation after this year’s tournament. There were hundreds of fish shot and dumped near boat ramps. CarpPro: I did. I had several calls from people who were incredibly upset by it, even non-carp fishermen and locals who had seen the incredible fish captured during the tournament. But until the regulations are changed there’s not much that can be done. One of the things we’ve been asked to do for the next tournament is to try to measure the economic impact of the

tournament and of carp and buffalo fishing in the area. And if Texas Parks and Wildlife can see how popular the sport is, and the money it is bringing in to the area, hopefully they’ll have the evidence to start protecting this incredible resource. I mean, if you’ve pulled in a 67, Bodgan captured a 66, and Austin Anderson caught a 63 and a 57 this last week, we know there have to be bigger fish in there, right? Richard: Absolutely! My target for this winter was a 60lb buffalo and I’ve done that with my first real session of the winter season. I just didn’t think I would get it at Lake Fork. So now I have a problem. Do I continue to fish Lake Fork or do I fish somewhere else. CarpPro: So are you going to change your target? How about a 50+ carp? Richard: No, not yet. I’m thinking of a 70+ buffalo now. I think my new goal is to set the state record. CarpPro: I think if anyone is going to, you’re the man to do it. Richard: We might even do it this winter!

CarpPro: So looking ahead to the Lake Fork tourney, are you surprised at its success? Are you surprised that we have a full field already? Richard: Not at all. I’ve put in a lot of work with WildCarpCompanies to make sure we had a full field. I’ve spent maybe 4 or 5 days just walking pegs and finding new sites for us to fish. I’m not surprised because the work has been put into it to make it a success. We had a lot of doubters at first, but WCC, the Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association and CarpPro have proved they can make something like this happen. I’m very pleased with it so far. CarpPro: I remember when you first called me about the possibility of the tournament and I remember you and Jason Johonnesson and Sandra Livingston working to get it started. You must be very proud of how it has caught the imagination, how it has turned out? Richard: I’m not surprised at all, really. We had our doubters at first, but we proved them wrong and I’m hoping we can continue to prove them wrong. CarpPro: I remember being nervous the first night of the

Commentary ⁇ CARPPRO @ 2013

tournament. We got off to a bit of a slow start and we were waiting for the first fish. Richard: The first night I admit, I was sitting there, sh***ing my pants. I was sitting there under a clear sky, looking up at the stars, just hoping people would catch. I was really concerned about that. I kept thinking, “What if no one catches! This could be a disaster!” Then the news of the first few fish started trickling in and it was a huge relief. I could finally relax and smile because I knew the tournament was going to be a success. Then it went way beyond that. It was a massive, massive

success. This year I can relax and just fish it too. I knew the fish were in there, we just didn’t know if they would show up. If people don’t catch this year, it’s not because there fish are not there! CarpPro: We looking forward to 2013 and seeing what happens next. Richard: It’s going to be a great tournament. But I’m looking forward to the next few years. I really believe this could be the premier tournament in the world, not just North America. Lake Fork has everything!

Commentary â &#x2021; CARPPRO @ 2013

Florian LĂ¤ufer The incredible photography in this article comes to you courtesy of Florian Laufer, please visit his incredible site more stunning images

I started fishing at 14 and taking photographs at 21. My intention for my pictures was purely to keep images of my catches. Then I wanted to have pictures of fish, landscapes and all the things I saw when fishing. Pictures like I saw in the magazines. I worked hard to improve my knowledge every day. I started publishing pictures in fishing-magazines in 1994 and was very proud to see my images published! I continue to experiment and my pictures sometimes work, sometimes not. Nowadays, I'm a well respected angler and photographer in Germany and I have published more than 50 frontcovers in Europe, 5 books (translated in three languages), many, many articles and hundreds of pictures in European fishingmagazines.

http://angel.fotograf.de

www.wildcarpcompanies.com

◘◘◘◘◘

Roll Your Own ◘◘◘◘◘

Michael Patterson

Bait ✽ CARPPRO $ 2013

◘◘◘◘◘◘◘ Michael Patterson has been fishing for over 35 years and making homemade baits for as long as he can remember. He runs Carp Bait Recipes USA, a Facebook page dedicated to sharing some of the secrets behind making successful homemade baits, and some of the secret ingredients that go into them! Go give Michael’s page a like and you may learn a thing or two. Michael will be sharing his secrets with CarpPro in upcoming issues, including recipes for boilies, packbait, glugs, goos, particles and more. “I hope they will help you make your own "killer" baits,” says Michael. “You can adjust them to suit your needs or use them as they are. I know it can be very expensive to rely on store bought or shelf-life baits, so I hope these recipes will help you as a general guideline and help save you some time, money, and to put more fish on the bank!”

The “Mulberry Scopex” Boilie DRY MIX 8oz Semolina 4oz Ground White Rice 4oz Soya Flour 2 Tsp Sea Salt or Ground Mineral Rock Salt (Food grade only - not the road salt) 1 Tbsp High vitamin birdseed (Prepare by soaking over night, then boil for at least 30 minutes. After straining, save the water.) Mix well and sit aside. I find if you place them in a large plastic bag,then blow it up,and shake well it does the job nicely. WET MIX 4 Large Eggs (save the shells and crush them into the dry mix) 1/2 Tsp Mulberry Flavor 1/2 Tsp Scopex Liquid Scent 1 Tbsp Honey (you can substitute clear high fructose corn syrup or Karo) 1 Tbsp Hemp Oil (or oil of your choice, vegetable and peanut work well) 1/2 Tsp liquid red food color & 1/2 Tsp liquid blue food color (or 1 Tsp purple if you have it) COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Blend wet mix very well, then slowly starting adding it to your dry mix stirring with a spoon until you can't add any more. Now start using your hand's to knead into a good dough. If your mix is a little dry add a little birdseed water. If it's a little wet, sprinkle a little flour until you get a play dough texture. Now roll into bait sized balls, roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter. Boil them for 1 1/2 to 3 mins depending on size or steam them for 8-10 mins. Remove from steam or water and allow to dry for 12-24 hrs (less if you want a moister bait). Give them a roll around now and then while drying so they dry evenly. Freeze until ready for use. TIP:Put a little oil on your hands or rolling table when you start rolling. It helps prevent the bait sticking.

Maple & Black Pepper Boilie DRY MIX 8oz Semolina 4oz Soya Flour 2oz Cornmeal 2oz Ground White Rice 1 Tsp Fenugreek Seed roast for a few mins in oven. (Optional) 2 Tsp Sea Salt 1 Tbsp Ground Black Pepper (or add 3 drops of essential black pepper oil to your wet mix) 1 Tbsp Wheat Germ (Can substitute prepared hemp seed or high vitamin birdseed. (Prepare by soaking over night, then boil for at least 30 minutes. After straining, save the water.) Mix well and set aside. WET MIX 4 Large Eggs (save the shells and crush them into the dry mix) 1-2 Tsp Maple Flavoring or Extract. (For concentrated flavors like Hutchinson Maple, use 1 Tsp; for grocery store flavors use 2 Tsp) 2 Tsp Molasses 1 Tbsp Hemp Oil (Or oil of your choice, vegetable, peanut etc.) 1 Tsp Liquid Food Color (Optional - I don't use any) Mix Well COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Slowly add your wet mix to the dry stirring with a spoon, until you can't add any more. Now knead with your hand's until you have a play dough texture. If your mix is a little dry add a little more egg. If you mix is a little wet, sprinkle flour until it tightens up. Now roll into bait sized balls, roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter. Boil them for 1 1/2 to 3 mins depending on size or steam them for 8-10 mins. Remove from steam or water and allow to dry for 12-24 hrs (less if you want a moister bait). Give them a roll around now and then while drying so they dry evenly. Freeze until ready for use.

Bait ✽ CARPPRO $ 2013

◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘◘

PVA-friendly Glug

16oz of sugar or powdered fructose 16oz water (preferably pure or mineral water) 1-2 Tsp flavor or other powdered spices (depending on flavor concentration levels) Liquid food color (optional) 1 Tbsp clear high fructose corn syrup

Bring your water to a rolling boil then slowly add sweetener until well blended. Reduce heat and start to simmer. Add flavor or spices (spices should be sieved first). Add any liquid colors at this time and simmer, stirring constantly until you reach the desired thickness. (Note that the mix will become thicker in the fridge.) Once simmered to desired thickness, stir in the corn syrup. (Corn syrup keeps the consistency of the glug smooth.) Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge. The mix will keep for one month before spoiling. This glug is PVA-friendly and can work on pickups to give you that extra edge on paylakes.

F E A T U R E D A R T I S T

J o n a t h a n M a r q u a r d t

L I N O C U T

ART ✁ CARPPRO ✍ 2013

Linocut printmaking (linocut) is something that many of us have done at some point during our time in high school art classes. When I explain how I create my prints to customers I often find that people chime in with “oh I

There are two ways that I work with linoleum: 1.) linoleum sheeting that looks like a grey, un-finished floor tile and 2.) a piece of compressed fiberboard covered in a sheet of grey linoleum. I prefer the second

did that once!” or “I remember that.” This creates a connection with my work. That, coupled with the usual shared interest in all things fishing, and my customer base is pretty big.

method primarily because it is much easier to print images from with a hand press. All of my prints are hand-pressed. The wood block is easier to hold on to when carving and holds the form of the carved piece

ART â&#x153; CARPPRO â&#x153;? 2013 much better once completed. Tiles have a tendency to curve when stored and this makes it hard to print from them later on. I start with an idea and sketch it into one of my sketchbooks. This

process gives me a good idea of what the light and dark areas will be as well as the overall feel of the finish block. Drawing everything out and labeling colored areas helps reduce the chance of ruining the block by forgetting a detail in

J o n a t h a n M a r q u a r d t

You can see more of Jonathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work and buy Linocut prints at: https://jonathan-marquardt.squarespace.com

ART ✁ CARPPRO ✍ 2013 the carving process. Once I’ve finished sketching and planning, I draw the composition in reverse onto the face of a linoleum block in pencil and then trace it out in sharpie. From here I use two different gouges (angled blades) to carve the image out of the block. Light areas are completely carved out, dark areas are left smooth and I can achieve a middle ground by using different etching techniques. It’s possible to attain a very high level of detail in block printing. It is also possible for the blade to skip and ruin a nearly completed piece. Many of my prints are single color block prints, but I also create multi-colored images that are more akin to paintings

by using a reduction printing method. Reduction printing means that for each color that you see in a full color piece, the block had to be printed multiple times and then that area carved away. For instance, my Brook Reduction is a nine-color print. There are only five pieces in the series so each piece was printed nine times laying each color onto the previous color to create the final image. This is a very time consuming and detailed process. Failure to accurately align the paper as it falls on the block (registering) can result in a ruined print. I like the line and quality of the prints I get from linocut printing. The carving process is fun and complements my flyfishing subject matter.

Type to enter text

b e R

! ! n or

Commentary ✤ CARPPRO ✔ 2013

ineyside, one of the oldest paylakes in South Carolina and CarpPro’s home in paylake country recently received a $20,000 facelift thanks to new lake operators, Sharon and Gary “Gator” Ruble. Sharon and Gator have leased the lake from CarpPro co-owner Keith Cisney. Gator and Sharon have poured money into the historic venue, refurbishing and painting the bait shack and grill, rebuilding the dams, and landscaping and grading the banks. The water level in the 3.88 acre lake was lowered to allow the work to go ahead and the fish stocks replenished to at least 40,000 pound of carp. Another forty pounder was introduced bringing the number of 40plus carp to at least four. “We know they’re in there,” says Keith. “The biggest was put in just a couple of years ago and it was 47 pounds. We know it’s not dead but nobody has ever caught any

I think we know who the boss is!

of the 40s in the lake. The biggest fish are the smartest!” The forty-pounders may continue to outsmart the anglers but the renewed lake is already fishing well, with competitors catching fish averaging almost 20 pounds. Although Gator and Sharon are finding out how busy the life of a

paylake operator is, with Gator running the lake and Sharon running the grill, they get a helping hand from daughter Jaden who says, “I’m the lake boss!” Pineyside is one of the oldest paylakes in South Carolina, dating back to the 1950s when it was first built by Bill Jolly. Construction on the lake started in 1950 and finished in 1952. Although it started life as an irrigation pond for South

Carolina’s peach orchards, by 1960 the lake had transformed into a carp paylake where anglers could pay from 25 cents up to $2 to fish all day. After Bill and his wife passed in the mid 1990s the lake was handed down to the Jolly’s daughter, Myra, and her husband Marshall Hawkins, who continued to operate the lake until August 2006 when Keith Cisney acquired it.

Commentary ✤ CARPPRO ✔ 2013

The traditions and history of paylakes stretch a long way back in Paylake country. Although Pineyside recently celebrated 50 years as a popular paylake, it was not the first in the Spartanburg area. “There were three in this area way back in the 1940s,” Keith tells us, “One was where the airport now is and one was filled in for a housing

development. The other one was drained for road construction.” Pineyside is a 56-peg lake and during the busy spring and summer tournaments run 5 or 6 days a week. Although the lake is open year round, March 16 marks the beginning of the new season when it is warm enough to run night-time competitions. The evening tourneys run through the end of September

AFTER

BEFORE

or early October depending on the weather. Although Keith has leased the lake out to other operators for the last 18 months, that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop him from fishing Pineyside tournaments. using Hutchinson flavors, Keith regularly puts fish on the bank and jug money in his pocket. His favorite Hutchinson flavors include Total Maple, Chocolate Malt and Monster Crab,

although he says you have to fish what the fish want. Some days they want Hutchinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Strawberry, Secret Agent, Scopex and Megaspice. Rod Hutchison flavors are available at Pineyside and testing is already underway for a new CarpPro range that will be introduced later in the year. Rumor has it the new range is already a guaranteed hit!

CHOD RIG CarpPro pro-staffer Tomas Kutschy shows us how to create the simple chod rig.

Tactics ♠ CARPPRO ♣ 2013

Some of the bits you'll need to construct the Infamous Chod Rig; Choddy hooks, Rig rings, Ring swivels, Mouth trap, Puller tool of some description

Pass 6-10inches of Mouth Trap through the eye of the hook, leaving a couple inches tag end

Whip the knotless knot away from the eye gap making 4-5 turns

Weston Developments A must for all Daiwa big-pit users. TS 5000 / SS 3000 Spools • Metal Line Clip • Built in line guard Shallow - 230m 0.35mm mm Deep - 460m 0.35mm

Speed caps convert any Daiwa reel to quick drag

both

O/P £24.99

£59.99 DEALS ON TWO OR MORE RODS

ES INDICATORS O/P £32.49

TAMER ‘X’ WRAP

12ft 23/4lb 12ft 31/4lb 12ft 31/2lb 31/4 50mm 31/2 50mm

£124.99 £124.99 £129.99 £134.99 £139.99

12ft 23/4lb 12ft 31/4lb 50mm 12ft 31/2lb 50mm 12ft 31/2lb 50mm SU 12ft 6in 3.1/4lb 50mm 13ft 31/2lb 50mm 13ft 31/2lb 50mm SU

£159.00 £179.00 £194.00 £199.00 £194.00 £210.00 £220.00

NEW E-CLASS GOLD

FOX FLATLINER O/P £269.00 FOX SUPA BROLLY O/P £159.00

E-S X-S X-S 50m X-Sive

£259.00 £269.00 £279.00 £299.00

12ft 3lb 12ft 3lb 50mm 12ft 31/2lb 50mm 12ft 6in 31/4lb 50mm 12ft 6in 3.5lb 50mm 13ft 31/2lb 50mm 12ft HI-S-IVE 50mm 13ft HI-S-IVE 50mm NEW 12ft HI-S-IVE ER 50mm 12ft HI-S-200 50mm 13ft HI-S-200 50mm NEW 13ft HI-S-220 50mm MARKER 50mm SPOD 50mm 13ft SPOD 13ft MARKER

£345.00 £355.00 £365.00 £375.00 £379.00 £385.00 £385.00 £410.00 £395.00 £410.00 £419.00 £439.00 £295.00 £309.00 £339.00 £329.00

HI-S RANGE

SPODS & MARKERS

£119.00 £139.00 £154.00 £114.00 £134.00 £149.00

Medium Range Spod Long Range Spod 50mm 13’ Long Range Spod Medium Range Marker Long Range Marker 50mm 13’ Long Range Marker 50mm

NETS £125.00 £159.00 £162.00 £199.00 £205.00

E NET 46” S-LITE NET 42” S-LITE NET 46” HI-S NET 42” HI-S NET 46”

SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE Free Spirit

Bloodworm Boilies £11.25 Vortex Boilies £11.25 BOILIES £150 FOR 20KG Buchu Berry Pop-ups £5.99 Pure Krill Hydroslate £10.99

NEW

O/P £34.99

JOHNSON ROSS TACKLE 25 Year Anniversary Clothing

Trapper £17.99 Knitted Beanie £9.99 Peaked Inca £12.99 Hooded Beanie £9.99 New Warmer £7.99

T-Shirt M - XXL

£8.99 Hoodies M - XXXL

SAVE £30

POST FREE

NO MORE FALSE INDICATIONS

WHIPLASH GREEN

£117.00 £125.00 OR BUY 3 ALARMS & 1 RECEIVER FOR ONLY £449

ALARM RECEIVER

3-LEG O/P £299.99 4-LEG O/P £349.99 4-LEG WIDE BOY O/P £379.99

Diem D-Vest £49.99

Diem EQ+ Jacket £59.99

Net Float O/P Urban Rucksack O/P Reel Protector O/P £64.99 Tri Star 3-Rod Sleeve O/P £25.99 £69.99 £84.99 £39.99 £19.99 £19.99 NEW £39.99 £6.99

ENDURA

MODELS £89.99 £109.99 £139.99 £149.99 £164.99 £149.99 £99.99 £119.99 £59.99 £99.99

All Ingrediants in stock

NEW NASH SLEEP SYSTEM

30lb 600yd spool RRP £69.99 ONLY £39.99

2013

MK2 Basic MK2 Standard MK2 Deluxe MK2 Fat Boy MK4S Sleep Eazi Bedchair Dreem 3 Leg Bed Dreem 4 Leg Bed Lightweight Recliner Big Boy Chair

Logo on reverse

£19.99

Steve Neville Alarms

Cell £11.25 New Grange £11.25 New Cell & Grange Fluro Pops £7.25

Diem College Hoodie £34.99

Diem Joggers £34.99

NEW 2012

ULTRACAST SPIDERWIRE

Fluro Carbon / Braid Ultimate sinking/ Casting braid 300yds 20lb & 30lb

TRAKKER HATS

Trakker Layers Bag £99.99 Trakker Tundra Suit £99.99

£74.99

Agent Jacket

File O/P £9.99 Vice O/P £20.99 Ultra Eye O/P £4.99

NEW

Available in Green

£89.99

Sharpening Stone O/P £9.99

Ultimate Fluorocarbon 12lb 16lb 200m O/P £19.90 1000m O/P £69.90 20lb Now available

Scout Jacket

Available in Green

LINE CLIPS O/P £14.99 FOR 3

TIGER LINE S-RANGE

HOT HEADED HANGERS O/P £15.75

FULL RANGE ON WEBSITE

DVD: Korda Underwater 7 £19.99

DVD: The Urban Myth £29.99

Catching the Impossible Box Set £75.00

CUSTOM-MADE ELSTOW BOBBINS Including Isotope

£19.99 EACH

Combi Mat Weigh Sling Small Carryall Large Carryall Modular Cool Bag Buzz Bar Pouch Baiting Pouch Camera Bag Tip Protector

O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P O/P

LONG CAST BAITRUNNERS (LC ORIGINALS) LIMITED NUMBERS £119.99

£9.99 £49.99 £11.99 £129.99

NEW

Fox Rigid Rig Case

£19.99

IN NOWACK BL Nash Black Amber Bait 1kg £9.49, 10kg £85 10 & 15mm Freezer Bait Available: Original, Amber & Strawberry

Solace Alarms

Buy a set of 3 alarms for £149.99 and get a receiver free. Worth £59.99

TEL: 01992 462044 CALL FOR A COPY OF OUR FREE CATALOGUE

DARE TO COMPARE!!!

P29_TC_03_Johnson Ross.indd 1

Check out our new easy to use website, ordering from the UK has never been simpler and we even take PayPal! www.johnsonross.co.uk

05/02/2013 11:56

Careful finishing up your knot as it's loaded like a spring, it should look something like this.

Slide a rig ring onto the tag you've left down the shank of the hook

Poke the tag back through the eye, use a tapered tool to form your "D"

Tactics â&#x2122; CARPPRO â&#x2122;Ł 2013

Trim off the excess of this tag before you blob down with a lighter, be sure to protect the knot from flame and your fingers!

Tie a simple 4-5 turn blood knot onto a swivel

Moisten knot and tighten down tight with the aid of a puller tool

Using some dental floss tie on your chosen bait with a series of simple overhand knots

Thread a rubber bead onto your mainline or leader, this will help adjust where on the line/ leader you want the rig to sit Add a final bead and job done! You've got a simple but very effective Chod rig!

Tactics ♠ CARPPRO ♣ 2013

35lb 4oz CHODTASTIC!!

Contact: Tony Cartlidge! ! Email: Tony@CarpPro.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARK ERDOSY TEAMS UP WITH CARPPRO This River is Wild, Skinny Water Culture Blogger Joins CarpPro Team Jan 18, 2013 - Round Rock, TX -CarpPro today announced the continued growth of its pro-staff with the addition of Mark Erdosy to the team. CarpPro continues to recruit the brightest and best carp angling talent in North America to the pro-staff and Erdosy, who is a fly-angler, writer and photographer, is an exciting addition to an already formidable talent pool. A self-confessed fly-fishing addict who got his first fly rod at age 13, Erdosy is a multi- species angler that runs the hugely popular This River is Wild blog, and contributes to Skinny Water Culture, the Loop Blog and FlyFishingNation. “I am glad to be a part of CarpPro and to help bring fly fishing for carp into the mainstream,” said Erdosy. “I consider myself an equal opportunity fly fishermen that will fly fish for anything that swims. However, I consider sight fishing to be the pinnacle of the sport and carping consists entirely of sight fishing. Combine that with their intelligence and sensory awareness and you have the makings of an extremely fulfilling challenge on fly.” In addition to his popular blogs, Erdosy contributed to the hugely successful Fly Special edition of CarpPro magazine--read his Carping the Column feature--and will continue to bring his vast knowledge and unique perspectives to CarpPro magazine and our active fly-fishing online community. CarpPro pro-staffers are selected based on their experience, skills and expertise, their ability to share their knowledge with CarpPro readers, and promote the sport of catch and release carp and rough fish angling in the US and Canada.

“We’re very excited to be able to add Mark to the CarpPro pro-team,” said Dan Frasier, CarpPro co-owner and fly-fishing media editor. “Mark is a prolific blogger, a dedicated angler and a fine fly-designer. He’s a perfect addition to the team and we look forward to working with him to promote our sport.” Please join us in giving Mark a very warm welcome to the CarpPro team and stay tuned for more announcements as we continue to grow. ###

“WILD” MAN HOPE JOINS CARPPRO PRO-TEAM Adam Hope of Skinny Water Culture, This River is Wild, Joins CarpPro Jan 22, 2013 - Round Rock, TX -CarpPro continues to recruit the brightest and best carp angling talent in North America and we are excited to announce that Adam Hope has agreed to join the CarpPro team. Hope is a relatively new contributor to the magazine-read his Be Stealthy and Stalk article in the CarpPro Fly Special-but his years of catching carp on the fly, prolific blogging, and the iconic images of him mid-stream wearing ghillie suit and holding yet another stalked carp make him a perfect addition to the team. CarpPro pro-staffers are selected based on their experience, skills and expertise, their ability to share their knowledge with CarpPro readers, and promote the sport of catch and release carp and rough fish angling in the US and Canada. Adam was fourteen years old when he purchased his first fly rod and learned to fish, as many of us did, through many trials and lots of errors. Now, over a decade later, he regards it as the most rewarding experience of his life. “To this day I've never been on a guided trip and have no urge to so,” said Hope. “I’m a do it yourself angler at heart. I've caught everything from trout to tarpon but my true love is carp.”

“We’re thrilled to be able to add Adam to the CarpPro pro-team,” said Dan Frasier, CarpPro co-owner and fly-fishing media editor. “He represents everything that is exciting and positive about the surging carp on the fly scene here in North America. We’re all looking forward to working closely with him to promote the sport.” Hope added, “This species has me captivated. They are truly amazing and have my utmost respect. The pursuit of carp has consumed my fly fishing career to the point where I've lost all motivation to fish for anything else. I’m excited to be a part of the team here at CarpPro.” Please join us in offering Adam, who blogs about his adventures at www.thisriveriswild.com, www.flyfishingnation.de, and www.skinnywaterculture.com, a very warm welcome to the CarpPro team and stay tuned for more announcements as we continue to grow. ### About CarpPro

Carp FlySW

THE

2013

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

John Jenson

Barry Reynolds Nolan Malcher Ty Goodwin John “Montana”Bartlett Adam Hope Mark Medina Mark Vibber Geoff Anderson Will Rice Austin Orr Kevin Frank

Trevor Tanner

Justin Watkins

Steve Martinez Josh Reinhardt Dan Frasier Austin Anderson Gregg Martin Alonzo Sanchez Zac Janssen Mark Erdosy

Jean Paul Lipton Bennett Muraski

INTR

THE

ODU CTIO N

"What fly should I be using?" It's the most common question we hear lately on the CarpPro forum, as more and more anglers prepare to pursue their first carp on the fly. Nobody has done more to answer that question than FlyCarpin’ blogger and CarpPro pro-staffer, Trevor "McTage" Tanner. Trevor recently concluded his 2nd annual fly swap and it is proving to be another huge success. The 30 fly swap slots were filled in a matter of hours as professional fly designers, commercial fly tiers and amateurs scrambled to take part. All told, over 40 designs were submitted with 621 flies being swapped and an astounding array of creative designs being produced. Additionally, the event found prominence on the national stage this year, with Orvis providing fly boxes to house each participant’s return flies. This year’s array of flies is about as varied and unique as you will see anywhere. The wide geographic distribution of the tiers coupled with the carp’s penchant to be picky about what flies it eats means that designs of all shapes, sizes and

colors were submitted based on their effectiveness on the home waters of the tier.

Maybe the best thing about the swap is the openness with which Trevor runs it. Every pattern can be viewed, with descriptions and recipes, at his website. Additionally, most of the tiers have agreed to have a thread on the CarpPro forum dedicated to their flies, so that people can view the ties, ask questions and discuss the patterns with the originators and each other. The amount of work and the logistics involved in orchestrating the fly-swap are daunting and prior to this year’s swap groans of “never again” and “what have I done?” were frequently be heard from Trevor’s Colorado hideout. As you can see, some of the patterns are works of art and the variety, beauty and ingenuity will be inspiration enough to guarantee Trevor will continue this new tradition next year. Keep your eyes peeled because McTage's 2014 Fly Swap slots will be snapped up quicker than a politician can tell a lie.

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

AUSTIN ORR I received my first flyrod from my grandfather at age 9; the subsequent big-trout-that-got-away trip locked fly fishing in as a lifelong passion for me. I've lived and fished all across the Midwest, discovering carp as an engaging quarry in my young river-running days and never forgetting their appeal. Now I spend most of my time chasing salty species on the Texas coast, but I still find time to hit some local rivers for our favorite golden cyprinid.

The Rojo Bug is probably unique in this swap in that it was developed entirely with redfish in mind and then repurposed for my fly carpin' needs. When the reds in my area get finicky, they act a whole lot like carp, necessitating subtle profiles and delicate presentation to seal the deal. It's a quick tie, a unique take on crazy charlie-style flies, and a very successful pattern for me.

AUSTIN ANDERSON I’m a self-confessed carp fanatic hailing from Dallas, Texas. I taught myself to fly cast at age 8 and have been at it ever since. I got seriously interested in carp 5 years ago, catching them both on the fly and conventional tackle. I slowly sank deeper and deeper into it, starting to employ English and euro tactics for both carp and smallmouth buffalo. Fast forward a few years and I’m a member of the CarpPro prostaff. I’m slowly but surely trying to reconnect with my fly fishing roots this year. I had an idea to do a craw style fly on some new so I started experimenting. After whipping up two prototypes I started tying them. I have to admit I haven’t even fished the pattern yet but when Trevor selected one of my extras and caught a fish on the fourth cast in one of the most pressured locations for carp on the fly rod in America I think that proves something special. This fly will be in my arsenal this year for sure!

JOHN JENSEN John Jensen is a fly fishing enthusiast who appreciates the many freshwater species available in Iowa. He blogs about fishy things on Currents, www.flyfishingwarmwater.blogspot.com

I received one of Barry's Carp Bitters in last year's fly swap and the pattern proved irresistible to hungry carp. Plus, Barry is a carp fishing legend so I'll imitate as best I can.

GEOFF ANDERSON I'm part of the under 30 club in fly-fishing (at 28). I have no shame or pride when it comes to fly-fishing. If it’s swimming in water, I want to catch it. I've been fly fishing and tying for about 15 years and don’t plan to stop. I am a self proclaimed "Stormdrain bonefisher" since my local water is a small creek with storm water run-off into it with lots of carp, sunfish and other minnows. Spring and summer is warmwater time for me; looking for carp, smallmouth and sunfish in wadable streams and creeks

Berry Go Plop - No self-respecting carp will ever turn down mulberries, this fly has the perfect "blop" when it hits the water. Draws ‘em right over to it

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

JUSTIN WATKINS I was born and raised in northern Minnesota where I grew up targeting pike and bass. Following college I moved to SE Minnesota, where I now reside. Shortly after my relocation I discovered and began to target carp with the fly rod. My fishing now is split between fishing trout, pike and bass and carp all on the fly. http://www.fishingandthinking.blogspot.com/

Way back I fished something very similar for smallmouth bass in Northern Minnesota. Burning a bit over that concept and the known response that carp offer to San Juan worms I dusted off the “yarn worm”; restyled a bit and turned out a dozen or so. The result is my contribution to the swap. I call it “The FYI”. FYI stands for Yarn Invasion, with the prefix modifier or your choice.

NOLAN MAJCHER 21 years old from Pittsburgh PA. Obsessed with fly fishing, particularly for carp. If I’m not fishing I'm probably hunting.

Designed for use when a delicate presentation and medium to slow sink rate is necessary. These patterns also combine the effectiveness of both a worm and an egg pattern. They work well when fished on the bottom, but can be just as good fished mid column to cruisers. These are my go to patternsfor shallow, spooky fish.

feed your ƒddiction

see the Helios 2 video here

proudly mƒde in the usƒ

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

MIKE MEDINA Mike “Carpio” Medina has been flyfishing for carp for the last 10 years. Even before then really, but because of life changes they have become his favorites. He says “Carp are hard to catch but are an easier game-fish to go after right here in the city.”

Huevos de la Muerte: Mike has used eggs here and there for a while but last years swap inspired him and he fished this “easy stupid but deadly” fly heavily over the past year. He was massively successful with it in all kinds of situations because of the feather light landing and slow sink.

GREGG MARTIN I have been fly fishing and tying for 43 years, or since I was 12. My father preferred fly fishing and I gravitated toward that, though it was not until 1985 I fished this way exclusively. I began tying flies at 12 also; comical things but flies adults actually bought. Of course carp were a late comer, trouting was our foundation, but all fish we caught were good enough. I am known for a certain type of egg tie, tough it has only been in my arsenal for 2 years.

My egg is spun and packed and mottled. I use a wide variety of yarns to achieve the right look. With a decided lack of mobility, fishing in a single spot is often my only option. I simply found that the egg was so versatile as I sat for hours, working in different lighting, water conditions, and types of carp behavior. I truly enjoy a sighted fish cast to with a fly more suited to mobility, and carry 2 rods always to be ready for this, but an egg simply works most for me, hands down.

BEN MURASKI My love for fly fishing began at 9 years-old with an old fiberglass fly rod, a bluegill pond, and a battered fly-tying box from my uncle. Ever since then I have had fish on the brain; I just can't stop! My obsession for carp began a few years ago when I first noticed them in my local creeks and began attempting to catch them on the fly. After finally catching my first carp, the excitement from the take and fight haven't diminished one bit!

This is my go-to fly for picky river carp! I fish this fly on the strip mostly, often with 4-5 second pauses in between strips to imitate a fleeing crayfish. It also works well on the drop, the flexi-floss legs and pheasant feather wing have a nice fluttering action while the fly drops and settles to the bottom.

ZAC JANSSEN I’m Zach Janssen a 16 yrs old from Overland Park, Kansas. I got interested in making realistic patterns using materials I found in craft store and my grandmothers basement. A part time job at my local fly shop allowed me to expand my range of materials and hone my general tying skills through copious amounts of contract tying. I focused on perfecting my carp game with specialized patterns and tactics, making me the angler I am today!

I have been tying variations of this fly since I started fly carpin’ a few years back. The general crayfish-like profile aided by the undulation of the rabbit fur, makes this pattern my go to fly for fish looking for a bigger, meatier morsel. Fish this fly like most any other. Drop it in that sweet spot, give ‘er a little twitch, and hope old rubberlips is willing to play.

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

JOSH RINEHART I grew up in Fort Davis, TX. Early childhood fishing memories include summers spent with my Mamaw on the Concho River and family trips to the Sea of Cortez. I had always been fascinated with fly fishing. I started fly fishing around 2000, a first for anyone in my family. It didn’t get serious until 2006 when I discovered tailing carp in the flats.

I found the carp would take this pattern while ignoring patterns containing synthetics. The soft-shoe is some pheasant tail and rabbit fur as dubbing wrapped around a dry fly hook, simple and easy to tie. I developed this pattern to throw with a 3 wt and 4X tippet, largest carp to date with this setup is 29.5”. I am a hack tier and crap caster, but occasionally I am blessed with a fish to hand.

JEAN PAUL LIPTON To readers of CarpPro JP needs very little introduction. One of our original gangstas from the early days with his regular “Roughfisher Ties”, he’s gone on to be player in the rise of carp on the fly. His patterns are traded on Denver street corners for big bucks, far from his native Minn!

Roughfisher's Ruffian is Carp Crack's older brother. A great profiled fly with plenty of movement from the soft hackle and rubber legs. The two tone action helps break up the color scheme, with just a bit of flash in the spectral dubbing and midge krystal flash. Features a hook point protecting fur throat. It's been tough NOT tying on this fly when out fishing. Been effective on everything from carp, freshwater drum, channel cats, and smallies.

WILL RICE Will Rice is the Director of Marketing at Trout's Fly Fishing. He is also a freelance journalist and a contributing editor for the Drake Magazine. He's written for the Denver Post, Salt Water Fly Fishing, Flyfish Journal, Fly Rod & Reel and he is a regular contributor to Angling Trade Magazine. He is also the co-champion of the 2012 Denver Trout Unlimited Carp Slam Tournament held on the banks of the Denver South Platte (DSP). Will grew up fishing for small mouth and large mouth bass in upstate NY but has lived in Colorado for the past 15 years. Will, carp and and the South Platte River have been included in the New York Times as well as 50 More Places to Fly Fish Before you Die (by Chris Santella).

EvolutionofMyBlueMonkey

The

The Blue Monkey is a pattern that I started working on back in the winter of 2011. I basically ripped off the McTage Trouser Worm, tied everything in red and made it bigger - bigger hook, bigger bunny strip, bigger tungsten bead and eyes. There was a spot on the DSP (Denver South Platte) where I could consistently find feeding fish in fast moving water that was

anywhere from 2-3 feet deep, right up against rip rap - in January. I needed a fly that could get down quick. I liked the bigger profile because it was easier to see (I have terrible eyesight - picture Mr. Magoo with a fly rod). Anyway, the bloated and stolen McTage pattern worked. As the winter wound down and we moved to the spring of 2012, I started tying different colors. The first big modification was in the spring when I started to see a lot of crawfish bodies on the banks and in the water - some dead and some shells (crawfish molt). The big changes were:

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

1) color (brown) 2) moved the eyes back a bit because I liked the idea of creating a “body” 3) added rubber legs (because I add rubber legs to just about every pattern at some point) The modifications worked.

I then started tying different colors brown rabbit with an orange body. Orange rabbit strip with a green body. Orange rabbit with a brown body. Red and black. After I had luck in the summer with Nate Taylor’s Mellow Yellow I tied up a Yellow Monkey. As the summer

wore on and the water levels in the DSP continued to drop, a lot of the patterns I had used in the winter and spring were just too big and heavy. I had to go smaller on the eyes and the bead. I also started to add an underwing to give the fly a bit more profile. One last thing to note. I’m a utility

tier. If a carp fly takes me eight minutes to tie that is about two minutes too many. One signature characteristic of all my flies - trout, saltwater, carp - they are a bit janky*. I do not fashion myself an artisan fly tier and the Blue Monkey bears witness to this.

! *janky - adjective used to describe a person, place or thing which is questionable, f*ed up, wrong, strange, broken down, undesirable, and/or just some thing you can't think of example. “Friends and I were sitting around drinking coffee one morning, and I was bitching about my empty cup when my friend blamed the lack of coffee

on the janky ass coffee maker.” Anyone who has fished with me a lot on the DSP will tell you that I’m a bit obsessed with crawfish. Not sure why, I think I had a crawfish farm at one point when I was a kid but they all died. I’m always chasing them around, trying to pick

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

them up in the right spot and not get pinched. I did notice last summer that there were quite a few blue crawfish in the river. I noticed them in two sizes - EXTRA JUMBO HUGE... and also smaller. The small ones look almost like shrimp they reminded me of the ones I would see in Mosquito lagoon while fishing for redfish.

So this all comes back to the Blue Monkey. I was a bit hesitant about sending in a fly to the McTage swap that I have never caught a fish on before, but screw it! The pattern works - the color blue, untested. So with that

said, I’m going offer a bounty on the first photo that I see that includes a) Cyprinus carpio or mirror b) my Blue Monkey in said carp’s mouth c) and is accompanied by a solid story on how the fish was caught. The reward: something wicked awesome.

PAYLAKE BUFFALO with Scott

Hagans

TACTICS ✱ CARPPRO ♣ 2013

Located about 30 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina, is a pay lake for “buffalo carp” named Midway II. This region of the South is famous for pay lakes, but this lake is different from the others because it is known as the Buffalo capital of the state. From the moment you walk in the lake store, also known as the “shack,” and see the replica of the world record 88lb smallmouth buffalo on the wall you know this is a special place. The lake’s owner, Tony Crawford, caught the world record in 1993 at Lake Wylie. The record is now almost 20 years old and is the holy grail of any smallmouth buffalo fisherman. The lake’s original owner did not have Buffalo’s in the lake when Tony purchased the property in 2002. Tony’s brother, Keith Crawford, owns Midway I lake in Shelby, North Carolina, but that lake is only stocked with yellow (common) carp. In late 2009, Tony decided to stock Midway II with wild caught smallmouth buffalo from Lake Wylie and Lake Wateree. Since late 2009, Tony has stocked his lake with over 1,000 buffalo, with the majority he has caught himself ranging in size from 5 pounds to 70 pounds. Other lakes in the area have followed Tony’s lead in stocking

TACTICS ✱ CARPPRO ♣ 2013

their lakes with buffalo, but Midway II is the best buffalo pay lake in the Carolinas along with being the cleanest and a Christian family atmosphere. I have been fishing for buffalo since 1995 in the wild and also in Pay lakes. Fishing in pay lakes for buffs is much more of a challenge than fishing in the wild. The fish transition once put into the lakes and most times will not bite the same bait that they were first caught with. Buffalo at Midway II will bite on a range of packbaits including soybean, millet, bread, oats, and rice. The bite depends on the season and what bait is being predominantly thrown at that time; the bait being thrown usually dictates what the buffalo are biting. Let me expand on the use of the word“biting.” It is very rare to have a buffalo run with the bait; they will most times give a slow pull and it is

during this slow pull that you have to “snatch” the rod. I prefer to use a very light sinker in the 1/8 ounce size and number 4 wide bend hooks. Some guys prefer a number 6 hook, but I don’t lose as many fish with the larger hooks. I credit Tony Crawford for giving me the best piece of advice when it comes to hooking up with a buffalo. Tony said, “You have to figure out the pull each and every day because it changes, but once you do you will be very successful in hooking more fish.” This advice has helped me hook and catch many more buffalo than I had previously caught. I also prefer to use a small ball of bait, especially in the winter time with the fish’s metabolism being slow. You don’t want the fish to fill up before they reach your pickup. Just this past weekend, I had been fishing for most of the day without any success and I decided to try a small ball of bait and I caught a 30lb

a warm welcome from

Tony Crawford

2oz buffalo on my first cast. It may have been coincidence but the guy fishing beside me saw what I had tried and also hooked up on his first cast with a large buffalo, but was unable to get the fish into the net. Getting the fish to the net is a challenge. They need to be played with care because no two fish will fight the same way. Some will come straight to net while others will almost jump out of the water when hooked. It is very important when fishing a pay lake and Midway II is no different so do your homework and find out which location on the lake ir producing the majority of the fish. The fish move daily,but will stay in an area for an extended period of time on occasion. Getting a good draw is just as important to having the right bait. The best bait in the world will not catch a fish if they aren’t in the spot you chose to fish. Pay close attention before the time to draw spots to where you see fish jumping or rolling and that is a good indicator of where you choose to fish. Thrown your lines in and slide the modeling clay (indicator) into place, place the rod into the stand, and get ready! It’s time stand behind your rods, wait for that slow pull, and begin jerking. Most times you will come up empty-handed,

but once in a while you will get lucky and hook one. It’s what makes all the preparation worthwhile and keeps us coming back time and time again in search of that elusive fish called the buffalo.

TACTICS ✱ CARPPRO ♣ 2013

the current world record BUT for how long?

LIFESTYLE ✰ CARPPRO

Some of you may be wondering about the sport of carp fishing as it has become very popular over the past few years. You may also have looked at how to get into the sport and what you may need to get started. Now, you can go online and Google "Carp Tackle" and a number of shops will pop up that

chase for big carp. In this article I will share my tactics and explore big carp fishing on a budget. We caught the "Carp Fever" about 3 years ago when we were at a local lake in our hometown of Riverside, California. We landed several carp weighing in at about 6

Budget Carping California style with

David Narita

specifically cater to carp fishing but if you have never gone fishing for carp before you can get lost very easily trying to figure out what to order first. Take myself and a friend of mine for example, we have two very different styles of fishing and ideals but overall we share the same passion for fishing and the

lbs. and thought it was the most fun we had had fishing in a long time. Before this we were avid trout fisherman spending much of our time and money fishing in the winter months, but once we landed a few Carp we were hooked. We spent many months researching different rods, reels, and tackle

2013

trying to figure out what we needed to improve our chances of catching these beautiful specimen. We found many videos on Youtube that were mainly shot on location in the UK, and noticed that they were using tackle we had never seen in any store before, so we did a search on Google to find a couple companies based in the U.S. that sold the tackle that looked to be the future of our tackle needs. My friend put in a decent investment of about two hundred dollars on nothing but tackle and baits. He ordered an assortment of different flavored boilies, hooks, swivels, weights, and attractants. At the time we were still using our usual tackle; 7 foot rods matched with standard spinning reels laced with 12-14 lb line. I believe my friend had Shakespeare Ugly Sticks with Shimano spinning reels, while I was sporting a 3 year old $20 rod & reel combo from Walmart. I then purchased a second rod by Daiwa, it was a 7 foot bass rod & reel combo from Kmart. Obviously we had no idea what we were getting into at the time so after researching different tactics we ended up going out to our local lakes with nothing more than a couple pounds of dry oats, and a can of cream corn. We landed a

LIFESTYLE ✰ CARPPRO

few smaller carp, but we were still trying to figure out how we could land the big ones. We started messing with different flavor ground mixes and soon found one that landed us our first 20's. I thought to myself, Man, if we can land these on simple tactics with specific tackle then we just stumbled on the best sport fishing next to tuna. Although my friend was in search of bigger rods, and specially designed baitrunner reels, I still had my eyes

I was sporting a 3 year old $20 rod & reel combo from Walmart

on a budget. Why spend big bucks if what we were already using was working? After several trips to big lakes around Riverside we had managed to catch several large carp. My friend was evolving his gear while I was still using basic setups, but I could notice a big difference in the efficiency of his setups compared to mine. He had upgraded to 12 foot rods and bigger reels with braided line with 20+ lb line that was able to cast over 80+ yards. With my current setup of 10 lb test, the best I could muster up was about 60 yards, and the only place I seemed to be able to do alright was at the smaller lakes. Little did I know at the time that it's not all about distance all the time! After a couple months of solid fishing we decided to hit Lake Perris in Riverside. I struggled to get on while my friend was landing one carp after another, and with the weight of each fish increasing I felt like it was my turn any minute. Finally late in the session my rod bent over and I ran to pick up my rig. As I fought the fish I knew it was a carp because it didn't want to give up. It dragged me into the lake taking every bit of line I had left on my reel, I felt it start to slow down so I dropped the hammer and

2013

started the fight of reeling it in. Everything I was using was homemade, I had learned how the hair rig was tied and started designing my own out of fluorocarbon and cheep hooks from Kmart. I couldn't see spending the type of money my friend had been spending on tackle considering I didn't have a big wallet at the time, so I just made similar rigs at a quarter of the cost. I could finally see the fish and man was it a big one! I got it up close enough for my buddy to slip it in the net and we both got as excited as two school boys in a girls locker room. We put it on the scale and it tipped to 32 pounds. We thought, This is amazing! My glory was cut short about an hour later when my friend pulled in a new personal best of 35 pounds, but what a day. The trick to fishing for carp is not in how much you spend on your gear or rigs, but in the time you spend researching tackle, and what you can make work. There are plenty of great companies out there selling rods for $150.00+, and reels up to $500.00, but I am here to tell you you do not need that to start. Along your journey you will start to find what you like and prefer but it will take many months and even years before you come to that point. I finally broke down last year and

upgraded to 12 foot rods. I barely made the upgrade to baitrunners recently but, I did not make the decision overnight to go out and blow hundreds and thousands of dollars on gear. One thing I stayed true to was fishing on a "Budget", and I emphasize budget because you can catch 30+ lb. carp on a minimal budget any day of the week.

Choosing Your Setup How to choose the right setup depends on your style of fishing and the amount of fishing you will be doing. For instance, when I chose to upgrade to 12 foot rods I researched all the different types of rods under $50 dollars. There wasn't much to choose from so I went with a rod called the Black Phantom BKII "Classic Carp" it set me back $29.95 per rod. I chose this rod because the specs were very similar to the expensive Nash rods my buddy was using at the time, and I liked the feel of his rods. Once I decided to use baitrunners I was on the same search for reels under $50 dollars only this time there were quite a few to choose from, so I looked at all the specs of the reels including the line capacity, amount of bearings in the reel, and

LIFESTYLE ✰ CARPPRO

2013

read as many reviews as I could find. Finally making the decision I went with the Diawa BRi 4500 baitrunners. I chose these because I knew I wanted to run 10 and 12 pound line, and the reel came with two spools so I could line one with

10 and the other with 12. I also chose this exact reel because it held the most line in the categories I was looking for, and it made it the best bang for my buck at only $40 dollars per reel.

LIFESTYLE â&#x153;° CARPPRO

End Tackle As far as tackle goes, I buy better hooks now, although I still think the cheaper hooks are stronger and more affordable they actually hinder me for the lakes I fish. It is actually more convenient that the

hooks be weaker considering getting stuck in weeds with a strong hook would sometimes run the risk of breaking off your entire setup and losing your weight which can be very costly. I now run a setup with 12 lb fluorocarbon you can find at any Kmart for about $6 dollars for 1200 yards. The reason I run this very inexpensive line is because of the amount of fishing I do. It has held up to a 32 lb common and plenty of 20+ lb carp at all kinds of different venues. The second reason I use this line is because of the amount of fishing I do. I like to reline my reels at least once a month and it can get very costly using name brand lines. With 1200 yards I can fill at least 4 spools worth and that will usually last me a couple months. You can even get away with using a couple of 1 oz. egg sinkers for weights instead of using the method weights that can be very costly for one unit. For leader line I use a lesser 10 lb braided line. The reason for this is simple, if the leader is weaker than the mainline and you get caught in weeds or a rock bed, your leader will break off only losing a hook and bait instead of losing the entire rig. I believe hair rigs are crucial to big carp fishing, but again you don't need it. If you do chose to run a hair rig buy your

2013

own leader line and hooks and learn how to tie them yourself. You will save a lot of money making your own rigs.

Baits In my opinion keep it simple when it comes to baits. All of us at one point in time has claimed to have the secret recipe for carp, but in my experience the simpler you keep it the more success you will have. Learn the waters and where the fish hang out, and what they eat naturally. Basic ground mix would consist of 2 lbs dry oats and get original oats not instant, there is a huge difference. You will need at least 1 can of cream corn nothing fancy just the cheapest brand you can find. I usually use the local stores generic brand and it works just as good as any name brand you will pay twice as much for. I mix these contents into a large bucket that can be sealed so no moisture can leak, if you use an open lid bucket the mix will dry out over your session and you will have to add water or more cream corn to get it to stick to your weight again. There are some things you can search for that will increase your chances of keeping the fish on your swim such as hemp seed, although

some will say that it is cheating or frowned upon especially in local derbies, but all of us true carpers love hemp seed and what it does for our swims. We just don't like when our competitors have it too. It drives carp nuts and they will go into a feeding frenzy, the only downfall sometimes is that they will be so adamant on finding the hemp that they will sometimes over look your presented bait. There are some that have even improvised and glued hemp seed to boilies or a piece of large maize to try and trick the carp and have had much success, but it can also be a chore to find the seed as it is technically illegal and costly when you can find it. (Ed: Regular hempseed can only be grown under license but sterilized hempseed is not illegal in the US. You can find hempseed at Scorpion Tackle and at selected pigeon feed and pet food suppliers.) Some anglers add different flavors and concentrates to their groundbait to try and increase there chances, but once again in my opinion it is not necessary. To recap, just try and keep it simple at first and try different experiments as you go. And remember, there isn't really a losing combination because carp will consume just

LIFESTYLE â&#x153;° CARPPRO

about anything in front of them. I have used hot dog, pepperoni, shrimp, night crawlers, tortilla, corn, maize, boilies, and plastic corn. Rubber corn has become a mainstay in my tackle because its affordable and reusable. They have different colors and sizes, and ones that sink and ones that float. In my opinion they are one of the most diverse baits that I have seen yet.

Why Carp? Now that you have a good starting point you now need to know why you are fishing for carp. In my opinion carp is the most under rated sport fish in history.They have been deemed invasive, trash, and have no purpose. I beg to differ, carp are treated with affection, adoration, and seen as good luck.

2013

Every time I land a carp on the bank I have a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of completion. It takes patience, determination, hard work, and compassion to visit with these majestic fish. I take care when unhooking and handling the carp, so that I can immortalize the moment and take a picture with my new-found friend. I enjoy every minute of it. Releasing the fish back into the water is almost as satisfying as landing them in the net. I hope that you have learned in this article not only how to fish on a budget but also how to care for these majestic creations so that generations to come will be able to share the same passion for carp as I have.

Author

Name: David A. Narita Age: 31 Hometown: Riverside, Ca. Occupation: Sales Accomplishments: Lake Perris Riverside, CA 32lb. Common Carp Personal Best. Rancho Jurupa, Riverside, CA 24 lb. Common Carp (Unofficial Lake Record). Dozens of 20+ lb Commons. Dozens of Teen Commons at Different So Cal venues. Setup: Carp Classic Rods, and 4500 BRi Diawa Bait runners.

CarpReport Event Calendar 2013 March 23 Bubba’s March 30 Bolins’s April 6 Midway II April 13 Pineyside April 20 Poplar April 27 Prestwoods May 4 Fatboyz May 11 Lawson’s May 18 Carp Caraway May 25 Hud’s June 1 Midway 1 June 8 CJ’s June 15 Foster’s June 22 Lake Charles June 29 Creekside July 13 Carp Country July 20 Mike & D’s July 27 D & R August 10 Taylor’s August 17 Laurel & Hardy September 7 FINALE - Laurel & Hardy www.carpreport.com

Hi fellow carpers, my name is Chris Carden. Local guys know me as Big Chris but other people know me as Rippin’ on the Internet Boards, such as Carp Report, Southern Paylaker, Northern Paylaker, CAG, etc. I didn’t start out as a Carp

catching (what seemed like back then) huge carp compared to my 5-7 pound cats! I said to myself, “I have got to get in on that action!” My first Paylake set was 3 nine foot Black Master Surf rods with Big Ryobi Spinning Reels. My first year of Paylaking was a total

At CARPPRO we’re always looking for new contributors and larger than life characters. In “Big” Chris Carden we think we’ve found both. With a long history of fishing the paylakes and exploring wild waters Chris will both amuse and inform. Paylaker but actually as a catfish Paylaker. I caught my first carp from a river on sweet corn. While cat fishing at various pay lakes I kept seeing guys with their 3 Rod set ups that matched and numerous bait buckets. They were

disaster! I didn’t know how to make the “Pack Baits” and usually people of both sides of me were slaying them! My bait either wouldn’t stay together or wouldn’t break down, I was very depressed, as you might have gathered, until

Paylake $ CARPPRO

Rippin’ i s my nam Paylak e i n and g is my (Oh, an game… d wild water, t oo!

)

2013

finally a man took me under his wing. He showed me the ropes and taught me how to make baits! I owe a big thanks to Ron Bennett because if that man had not helped me out, I would have probably given up on Pay Laking before I really got started!

I started out in 1978 and to this day I still love Carp Fishing just as much. I consider myself a carp fisherman not just a Paylaker, not just a Wild Water guy, but a carp fisherman lifer! In 1988, my PB Common caught was 31.7 pounds, caught on

Rippin’ to say ME THE

likes “SHOW MONEY!”

Paylake $ CARPPRO

Rippin’ G OT BAIT! Almond Millet. In 2005, my PB Buffalo was caught on a Boilie in Austin, Texas weighing in at 42.0 pounds! My home lake here in Georgia is DeMooney Fishing Lake. It is considered large at 8 ¾ acres compared to some SC and NC 2-4 acre Pay Lakes. I’ve seen a lot over the years including fussing, fighting, flipping off and even fornicating! There have been trucks and cars driven straight into the lake. Someone once made a $20 bet that he could swim to a certain point in the lake, sadly, he drowned doing it. I have had my share of personal injuries at the

lake. I once left DeMooney one Saturday night not feeling too well. It turns out my gallbladder was infected and about to rupture! It had to come out the next day. I lost my balance once and tore the ligaments in my foot and ankle in 2000 at Lake Anne and tossed my wedding band into the stumps swim at DeMooney in 1985. (Exwife, of course!) I also have been on fire and I don’t mean catching fish! I was literally on fire! I have made a lot of great friends through this sport, at lakes and events over the years. I just enjoy being out at the lake with friends, hanging out. Of course, it we

2013

catch some or win a little money that is a bonus! I enjoy the gear, thinking up recipes and the bait making just as much as the actual fishing part.

Since 1985 and to this day I have travelled to many lakes in the mecca of Paylaking, North and South Carolina. I have met and fished with many great guys up

Rippin’ l to BUF ikes F WILD!

I am here to give something back to the sport that has given so much enjoyment over the years to me. If I can help some people just starting out or young guys wanting to get in the game, which would mean a lot to me. I will never insult you by telling you to roll your bucket down a hill or throw it in the trash.

there and stayed in touch while trading recipes and talking tactics. I’m always hungry for new ideas or info on baits or gear. I have subscribed to many of the U.K. Carp magazines for the last 15 years or so. Plus I get as many DVD’s as I can from the U.K. especially with the Korda

Paylake $ CARPPRO

Underwater and Thinking Tackle Series; they are my favorites. To this day, the main thing that is different between Georgia and the Carolinas is that up North there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t many lakes with catfish. In Georgia, it is hard to use your standard type of pick-ups such as:

Puffs, Pops, or Kix because the small cats usually eat them before the carp do. You have to come up with different ways to combat that issue. Most people use beads, pieces of plastic worms, foam pieces or just bare hooks. It is a challenge to overcome for sure. I will go into Rigs and Pick-ups in

a d i a p n e v e â&#x20AC;&#x2122; o t Rippin e d i s y e n i P o t t i s & i v y h c t u H s i h p u k pi c s r o v a l f o r p Carp

2013

my next segment. One little trick I will share right now is that I am really big into using salt in my baits and I don’t mean just in rice! I will also show you how to incorporate Euro ingredients successfully into your pack. I will also be doing a lot of easy to follow recipes that will both the new Pay Lakers and the Wild Water guys catch more. Just one of my current Pay Lake sets ups is: 3 Shimano 7’11” heavy Flipping rods with 3 Abu Garcia 6500CS Silver Pro Rockets. These rods have a little more weight to them, I find I get a more accurate casting with a heavier rod. I load them with Stren 17 pound Clear/Blue Flouro line and for the hooks, I use #2 Wide Bend Eagle Claw LO42 tied with mono. But if I am buff fishing I drop to #6’s, I use a 1 ounce Flat no roll sliding sinker above a barrel swivel. I can’t wait to try the new Scorpion Paylake hooks! They look the mutz nutz! Until next time, Tight Lines and Screamin’ Clickers!

Paylake $ CARPPRO

Rippin’s goto chow Pack • 2 lbs #300 chow

• Pour hot water on chow just to cover and let sit 10-15 seconds then pour water off. • 2 cap fulls of CarpPro BANANA ISLAND • 1 cap full of CarpPro EXTRA BUTTERNUT • Mix the chow around and let sit about 15 mins, go fish, if it does not break fast enough for your liking add a handful of cracked corn or scratch feed. • I sprayed the Puffs with HUTCHY CHOCOLATE MALT then sprayed the ball with BANANA ISLAND or your flavor of choice from Hutchy, CarpPro or both!

2013

Carp FlySW AP ConT inu

THE

....... ...

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

BARRY REYNOLDS The Godfather of flyfishing for carp, Barry Reynolds has written numerous highly acclaimed books including the groundbreaking "Carp on the Fly" and "Pike on the Fly". For years Barry has engaged in writing and speaking to promote the acceptance of less utilized species as respectable flyfishing quarries.

As you are probably aware, Barry Reynolds has been catching carp, lots of carp, on swimming nymphs since before most of us knew you they’d take a fly. With his carp fly, Barry addressed some of the weaknesses of the basic swimming nymph and takes it to a new level.

ADAM HOPE When I was fourteen years old I purchased my first fly rod and learned to fish through my own failure. Now, over a decade later, I can say it has been the most rewarding experience of my life. I’ve caught everything from trout to tarpon but my true love is carp. The pursuit of carp has consumed my fly fishing career to the point where I’ve lost all motivation to fish for anything else. I also blog about my fly fishing adventures at www.thisriveriswild.com, www.flyfishingnation.de , and www.skinnywaterculture.com . The pattern I submitted is a weightless rendition of dragonfly nymph. I’m able to target feeding, cruising, and laid up fish with this pattern, making it very versatile. I fish this fly to mudders and cruisers by leading the fish at a distance that allows the fly to slowly parachute down in the water column directly into their line of vision.

MARK ERDOSY Born and raised in Pennsylvania, currently residing in Delaware where he works as a history teacher. Spends his free time fly fishing throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and runs the This River is Wild blog www.thisriveriswild.com

This is a modified woolly bugger. The Schlappen on either side is meant to slow its descent and create a parachute effect. A thin skin is meant to enhance the parachute effect and also allow the pattern to lay flush on the bottom. The Damsel Bugger can be tied in three different styles: Light, Medium, and Heavy. The Damsel Bugger can be tied large or extremely small depending on the body of water your fishing and the size and behavior of your targeted carp.

TY GOODWIN Ty Goodwin is an insufferable carp snob hailing from the mud flat mecca of northwest Georgia (motto – Where the mud is soft but the fish are hard.) His blog can be found at www.carpaficionado.blogspot.com. (formerly the Finewater blog).

If this past year has taught me anything, it’s that the ideas of discretion, subtlety and even stealth extend all the way to the end of the tippet when we’re talking about carp. Big, hairy and rubber-legged often wins the day - we know that - but carp are complicated. When those things fail us, the trending had better be toward more discreet, more subtle, more stealthy. Not the other way around. Accordingly, I find the fastest growing section of my fly box is the one containing the small flies. The nymphs. The hare’s ears, the PT’s, even the zebra midges. And recently, woven nymphs. These small, fast-sinking nymphs are proving to be deadly on my home water.

Tactics â&#x2DC;ş CARPPRO

ALONZO SANCHEZ I'm blessed to live in the great state of Idaho because I get Steelhead, Chukar, and Carp in 3 states inside a 5 hour drive and as short as 20 minutes if time is short. I started targeting carp because they get big and I was told they are a challenge. A friend of mine always said he liked to 'tune up' on carp before he went after Tarpon and my interest was piqued. I jumped in with both feet and have not look back.

My pattern was the Inverted Leech which is a pattern my buddy Dave G. developed for our carp. He was looking for a pattern that landed softly and fished itself. The Thin Skin bottom and weight location helps the swimming action. I like to pre-tie a bunch of hooks in advance with lead, tails, and Thin Skin. Then I just wrap/dub the body the color I want and tie off the back/bottom thinskin.

DAN FRASIER Well there goes the neighborhood! Talk about a flagrant abuse of power muscling in on the fly swap like that. And to think it was only during the last long South Dakota winter that he learnt to tie his shoes let alone flies. We tried to stop him Trevor!

Fox tail fur is one of most versatile and unique substances I tie with. The fine hairs are buoyant and breathe well without collapsing when submerged. This fly is fished without a strip or with a slow crawl in front of a feeding carp, to emulate a molted crayfish.

STEVE MARTINEZ After a Decade or so of full time guiding, I still get excited to wake up bright and early every morning. My experience ranges from guiding the Pere Marquette, Muskegon, and Manistee Rivers in the spring and fall to the flats of northern Lake Michigan for carp and smallmouth in June and July.

The flies that I tie are more ammo than masterpieces. Sculpins, Gobies and Crayfish are all patterns that I use for my Carp And Smallmouth here on Lake Michigan. The Frankenstein Sculpin has grown to be one of my go to favorites. peremarquetteguide.com

KEVIN FRANK I have been fishing all my life and fly fishing exclusively for the last 8yrs. I'm blessed to have a wife that tolerates my obsession. It wasn’t until the last few years that I got interested in tying. I find it particularly challenging to tie patterns that work in my local area. There isn't a ton of information about fly fishing the NC Piedmont. I have a blog where I share my fishing adventures and go over what patterns and techniques are working.

The fly I submitted is called a "Damcraw". This fly is an attempt to find a combo pattern between a damselfly nymph and a crawfish pattern. I wanted something that would sink but not plop in the water or drop like a rock. The fly has quite a bit of dubbing so I tied in wire wraps to give extra weight.

Tactics ☺ CARPPRO

JOHN MONTANA BARTLETT For all my love of fly fishing, chasing carp, and catching big fish, I'm notoriously lazy when it comes to the details. In short, I don't cast worth a crap, I use the most basic knots and can't be bothered to learn anything more complicated, and I hate...HATE changing flies frequently. These traits make the hybrid the perfect fly for me. I can tie it on at the start of the day, and be confident that no matter what type of water I end up walking through, there will be a visual trigger the carp are used to seeing. The worm tail is great in softer bottoms, and the soft hackle/nymphy shape is deadly among the rocks and cobble. For all of our talk about how smart carp are, they are still fish. Show them something that looks like food they are used to eating, and they'll eat it. With the hybrid, you get a little bit of everything rolled into one. Sometimes it pays to be a bit lazy.

MARK VIBBER I spend most of my fishing time on the fabled tailwaters of Colorado, sight fishing small midge patterns to large trout. My carpin time is spent on the north Denver South Platte, chasing the finicky Golden Bones. I feel very fortunate for living so close to such amazing fishing, either trout or carp. I tie way to many flies. Hours upon hours are spent behind the vise, tying up anything from sparse midge patterns to gaudy, carp patterns. I love learning new patterns, and creating my own. The freedom behind the vise is what I find so awesome! Carpsicle. I created this fly for the Denver South Platte. In my own fishing experiences, I prefer flies that get down quickly, allowing me better presentations in the river currents. I like the combination of both the tungsten bead and dumbell eyes to help the fly ride point up, and also help to add some of the up and down action. I added the marabou and the sili legs to give it a pulsing action from the natural currents in the river.

TREVOR TANNER Trevor "McTage" Tanner is the author of the highly respected blog "Fly-Carpin''. From his haunts of the South Platte river in Denver, Trevor has earned acclaim as one of the most technically proficient fly fisherman for carp going; an expertise that was demonstrated with his winning Carp Slam 2011.

This is the foam version of my Trouser Worm which uses foam beads on a thread tail to create a head-stand effect. When I visited John Montana in Oregon last summer I had a couple dozen Leather Trouser Worms and only one of the foam. Early in the trip John told me that he prefers the foam version on the Columbia and I immediately tied it on. I only landed two carp before I broke it off but I also got 5 or 6 more takes and briefly hooked several more in less than half an hour. It was easily the hottest half an hour of carpin I had all year.

MARK MELNYK HOST/PRODUCER OF WFN’S GUIDED WITH MARK MELNYK

“

A FULL DAY OUTSIDE WITH ZERO EYE FATIGUE SEPARATES SUNDOG MELA-LENS™ FROM EVERY OTHER BRAND I’VE WORN.

”

CUSTOM “CHAMBER” HARD CASE INCLUDED

THREE GREAT STYLES THREE GREAT LENS OPTIONS

PHANTOM

22 DEGREES

HALO

ALL FRAMES AVAILABLE IN: MELA-LENS™ POLARIZED • MELA-LENS™ POLARIZED PHOTOCHROMIC • MELA-LENS™ POLARIZED PHOTOCHROMIC WITH CLARI-COAT (OIL AND WATER REPELLANT LENS COATING)

• ENHANCED POLARIZED DEFINITION • MAXIMUM VISUAL CLARITY • PROTECTION FROM UVA, UVB, UVC AND “BLUE LIGHT” • SUPERIOR GLARE REDUCTION • SOOTHING VISUAL COMFORT

OLEO / HYDRO / ABRASION RESISTANT LAYER LENS - POLYCARBONATE MELANIN TECHNOLOGY POLARIZED FILM LENS - POLYCARBONATE PHOTOCHROMIC TECHNOLOGY AIR SILVER MIRROR OLEO / HYDRO / ABRASION RESISTANT LAYER

Melanin is produced by the human body and is a natural defense against the negative impact of the ultraviolet and more

importantly, the blue light portions of the spectrum. Melanin-based technology is the foundation for Sundog’s Mela-Lens™ which features synthesized melanin. In addition to protecting you from UVA, UVB and UVC rays, Mela-Lens™ filters 98% of dangerous High Energy Visible Light (HEVL). Commonly called “Blue Light,” it creates “veiled glare” in the eye, causing fatigue and negatively impacting performance. By filtering this dangerous “Blue Light”, Sundog Mela-Lens™ effectively reduces veiled glare impact to provide “soothing” visual protection and superior visual clarity.

WWW.SUNDOGEYEWEAR.COM

TACTICS ✤ CARPRO ✪ 2013

RIG CLINIC The GREEDY PIG RIG

Josh Snow - Prostaff What you’ll need: The greedy pig rig wouldn’t be named so if you didn’t use BIG baits. So a sturdy size 4 wide gap, or long shank hook is what you’ll need. Along with a coated braid (in this case Korda N-trap), some shrink tubing large enough to slip over the eye, some

extendable bait stops, and a small bit of silicon tubing. A tip I find works well, I think, is to use components that match the lake bed only to an extent, i.e using various colors to break up the outline. Fishing over a tan bottom I’m using a clay colored hooklink, weed green shrink, and grey

TACTICS â&#x153;¤ CARPRO â&#x153;Ş 2013 Make sure the loop you make forming the hair is large enough to accommodate your baits, you want the knot to be just inside the boilie closest to the hook to keep it from sliding down the hair and throwing off its mechanics.

I like to use a very buoyant pop up, either artificial or real, to ensure neutral buoyancy. You want the hook to lay flat and your baits to waft freely. And a Taska extender stop to really hold the bait. Choose the right length stop to set the length of your hair, leaving a 3/8-1/2 inch gap between bait and hook bend. When using this rig its important to keep everything inline, use a short piece of silicon up the back of the hook near the bend to do this. Threading it on this way.

Even when using a hook with an in-turned eye I always like to use a piece of shrink tubing or line aligner to make the angle a bit more aggressive to aid in hooking.

TACTICS ✤ CARPRO ✪ 2013

Go big orgo home

Experiment

LALOCK

The

Comp.

CARPPRO ☁ 2013

In the summer of 2012 Wild Carp Companies and CarpPro took yet another bold step. They presented the first wild water carp tournament aimed squarely at the Paylakers of the Carolinas. The dream of CarpPro co-owner Keith Cisney, the event staged in his South Carolina back yard took months of planning and a huge leap of faith. Jason Bernhardt at WCC said “We trusted Keith and he didn’t let us

down!”, as the dust settled on the event. There was one fundamental flaw, nobody was prepared for the oppressive mid summer heat and its ability to shut down the fishing almost completely. Keith had made many very successful trips to the lake in the weeks proceeding the event, but nature is fickle. Anglers were left trying every trick in their armory to steal a bite. Persistence

CARPPRO ☁ 2013

SOCIAL

Comp.

THE DRAW

Comp.

paid off for a few and they left with heavy wallets and the smiles of a job well done. The rest? They laughed it off and asked if they could register for next year!! With the fishing in the lap of the angling gods what was left was an incredible immersion in the paylaking way of the life and the characters and hospitality for which

CARPPRO â&#x2DC; 2013

the south is so rightly famous. The out of state Euro style anglers of Extreme Carp Fishing, CarpPro and neighboring states where frankly blown away with the greeting and dedication of the local anglers. As we visited every swim we met welcome after welcome, and an enthusiasm Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve yet to see at Euro wild water event, where stern faces often greet visitors,

SHIRTS

always suspicious of motives. Not here. Enjoy this pictorial barrage and be very sure the Carolina Cup will be back in 2013, but this time in carp chow down season at the end of September. Just remember “It ain’t illegal ‘til you get caught!”

CARPPRO ☁ 2013

TEAMS

Comp.

TEAMS

Comp.

CARPPRO ☁ 2013

TEAMS

Comp.

TEAMS

A lot is made of the European carp anglers tackle, but, on the lake Blalock we discovered Paylakers can hold their own in the tackle tart stakes, and their bait, well that is legendary. For two days and two long nights they fished, they battled stinging ants and Mossies the size of small helicopters. No body slept a wink as indicators and alarms were watched, rigs were baited in the continuous pursuit of the one hungry carp in the lake. Catfish after catfish plagued the Dam swims, grass carp turned up on the island and carp on the fish finder sat mid water and out of reach of even the longest caster. Then eventually one or two fish showed up and it was game on!

CARPPRO ☁ 2013

TACKLE

Comp.

BAIT

Comp.

CARPPRO â&#x2DC; 2013

Tournament Results Grand Prize: Big 4, 1st Place ($10,000) Gregg Hudson/Rich 59 lb, 13 oz Abee

Spot Winners ($200 each) Teammates

Spot

Peg #

SPOTS

Big Common Carp ($1,000) Scott Koon/Danny 17 lb, 8 oz Rogers

Fish Weight Lbs

Scott Koon/Danny Rogers

Gregg Hudson/Rich Abee

Lou Collier/Jarred Israel

Gregg Hudson/Rich Abee

Daniel Robbins/Jimmy Price

Gregg Hudson/Rich Abee

Jordan Abernathy/ Larry Cook

Jerry Cash/Tony Cash

Scott Bryant/David Bryant

DJ McBee/Joe Estes

Gregg Hudson/Rich Abee

Oz 8 5 0 4 3

10 9

13 12 12 10

SPOTS Dennis Johnson/Daniel Fowler

Scott Koon/Danny Rogers

Bogdan Bucur/Istvan Gyori

Gregg Hudson/Rich Abee

Michael Turpin/Matt Perdue

Gary Ruble/Billy West

Donnie Cooper/Dale Roberts

Gregg Hudson/Rich Abee

Donnie Cooper/Dale Roberts

Scott Bryant/David Bryant

Gary Ruble/Billy West

Tommy Foster/Jamie Thornton

Scott Koon/Danny Rogers

Derek Burns/David Keenan

Bogdan Bucur/Istvan Gyori

CARPPRO ☁ 2013

A FISH

Comp.

GIGGLES

Comp.

CARPPRO ☁ 2013

GIGGLES

Comp.

ADVERTISING WITH CARPPRO CarpPro is the leading resource for catch and release carp and rough fish anglers in North America. Comprising a magazine, a website information hub, a user chat forum, an active Facebook page and original and contributed multimedia content.

Regular contributions from some of the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brightest names and best anglers, in addition to submissions from some of our 12,000+ readers, include technical articles and videos, tips and tactics, tackle reviews and catch reports.

Anglers and vendors from around the world come to CarpPro and read our popular magazine to find out what is happening in this booming last frontier of carp angling. CarpPro prostaff in the US and Canada are embedded in the wild-water, paylake and flyfishing for carp 5 scenes, bringing all the latest news from across the spectrum of carp angling from the new world.

Partners and prostaff sponsors include Rod Hutchinson baits, Taska Carp, Orvis, Sundogg Eyewear from Mark Melnyk, Rio, WildCarpCompanies, and many more.

Now is the time to catch the carp wave with North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier rough fishing magazine as we continue to transform and grow carp angling in North America.