Fishing The Fly Scotland

Index => Main Discussion Area => Topic started by: Hamish Young on 05/05/2018 at 18:17

Title: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Hamish Young on 05/05/2018 at 18:17: Quite excited.... been invited back to fish a very very private lochan that's about 20 minutes from me and has all sorts of Coarse fish in it.
My quarry will be Carp on the fly, commons, mirrors and there's a few Koi in there too :z13

I'm going on Monday :z18 :z16

H
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Will Shaw on 05/05/2018 at 23:10: Jealous!
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Mike Barrio on 05/05/2018 at 23:17: Enjoy :z12
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: James Laraway on 07/05/2018 at 13:34: we are awaiting your report :z16
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Hamish Young on 07/05/2018 at 15:05: I haven't gone yet... water supply problems at home :z6 :mad
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: James Laraway on 07/05/2018 at 16:07: if you cant make it im more than happy to go in your place...

look in it as me doing you a favour - you get to sort out your water supply problems at home plus i will handle those slimy carp for you...

you will owe me though :z16
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Hamish Young on 07/05/2018 at 20:37: So despite a late start I managed 9 carp today and dropped the 10th - naturally the 10th was the biggest.... well actually it was and I stalked it for twenty minutes before I got him to take. Had me into the backing and the shite made one really big run into the weeds before falling off - would have gone 9 maybe 10lbs. Hell of a lot of fun on the new Mackenzie FX1 9' #6wt :z16

I suspect these were the first Carp to be ever caught on a Mackenzie DTX rod, and certainly the first on any of the single handers :z12
Few pics:

(https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/16-070518202320.jpeg) (https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=5028)

same fish:

(https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/16-070518202444.jpeg) (https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=5029)

another.....
(https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/16-070518202805.jpeg) (https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=5031)

this was a stunning fish....

(https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/16-070518202953.jpeg) (https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=5032)

and finally:
(https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/16-070518203049.jpeg) (https://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=5033)

Happy :? You bet :! :! Those who underestimate Carp do so at their peril.... hard fighting fish and powerful.
Super powerful in fact, these fish (all around the 5lb+ mark) put the new Mackenzie FX1 9' #6wt through it's paces and it coped really well - gentle but powerful rod at the same time.

Great way to spend a few hours :z18

It also represented the retirement session of my Barrio 'Point & Shoot' prototype (the line that became the SLX) which over the past seven years has seen me through my SGAIC assessment and more trout, Salmon, Sea Trout and Carp than you could shake a rod at :wink An honourable way to retire the line that has served me so well :X3

H
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Mike Barrio on 07/05/2018 at 22:05: Great stuff Hamish :z16
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: James Laraway on 07/05/2018 at 22:05: Amazing...
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Euan Innes on 07/05/2018 at 22:55: Nice work mate. Must try my 10' Orvis when I come up. Whenever that is.
Looks like great fun😁
Euan
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Hamish Young on 08/05/2018 at 18:21: Quote from: Euan Innes on 07/05/2018 at 22:55
Looks like great fun😁

It was just awesomely good fun :z18
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Will Shaw on 08/05/2018 at 20:05: Superb Hamish! 👍👍
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Sandy Nelson on 10/05/2018 at 08:03: Agreed, Thats looks like a blast :z16

Golden Bones from what i'm told, have to give a it a try at some point. :z18

Sandy
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Robert MacDonald-Lewis on 10/05/2018 at 18:49: Looks and sounds like a great days fishing.
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Hamish Young on 10/05/2018 at 20:12: It was superb fun. Kind of gives me the taste to try for them again, thinking cap on....... road trip :z18
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Allan Liddle on 11/05/2018 at 08:15: Looks amazing, something i really need to get round to doing :z16
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Rob Brownfield on 11/05/2018 at 14:15: Still say there is huge scope for a water stocked with F1 carp (Common/Crucian cross) which grow to about 8 pounds, feed through the winter and will take flies freely, including dries. Add in a few Commons to give some bigger fish to go at, and you have a very exciting fishing experience that's more of a challenge than trout and gives a fish that fights far harder whilst being a bit more robust for C&R.

Will also tolerate low oxygen/high temperatures better.

A coarse water down where I was staying last weekend switches one of its waters to fly only through the summer months and the fishing is amazing, with carp, roach, bream, tench, rudd and orfe/Ide all taking the fly.
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Hamish Young on 13/05/2018 at 09:01: No pun intended, but I'm casting my eye around for other opportunities for UK carp fly fishing - they do go well :z18 I would consider a warmer climate trip too.
I've no doubt you're right Rob, a UK venue (fly only) might work, but the question is where and how much to charge....

H
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Euan Innes on 13/05/2018 at 15:03: I seem to recall that in one of John Gierachs books he enters a carp on the fly competition in the States somewhere.
I am too far away from my Gierach collection at the moment to check, but I do remember that the name of the competition was....
CARP DIEM! :z4 :z4 :z4
That might be a trip worth doing.
Euan
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Rob Brownfield on 14/05/2018 at 07:58: Quote from: Hamish Young on 13/05/2018 at 09:01
No pun intended, but I'm casting my eye around for other opportunities for UK carp fly fishing - they do go well :z18 I would consider a warmer climate trip too.
I've no doubt you're right Rob, a UK venue (fly only) might work, but the question is where and how much to charge....

H

One of the waters I was meant to be fishing last week before food poisoning took hold was a place called Willinghurst in Surry. They have at least half a dozen lakes where fly fishing for carp is allowed and actively encouraged. Well worth a visit...only an 8.5, 450 mile drive from me...but I will be back!

I also had permission to fish another "secret" water down there, but I soon realised that it was not practical. The fish started at around 25lbs (grown on, not stocked) and ran up to a colossal 56lbs. With all the will in the world, it would have been irresponsible to fish for those on a fly rod due to the weedy nature of the place.

I have also been given the nod to a water in the North East of England. It's going to be hard, but the fish are often seen in the margins so sight fishing should be possible.

Unfortunately, none of the Scottish Carp Group waters are suitable for fly fishing :( but there are a few trout waters with carp in them, and again, I have been given the nod on one local(ish) water so just waiting for a warm day as they are often seen on the top taking bits off the surface. Those fish are 11-17lb so should be good fun on a 7 weight (If Orvis ever get my rod back to me :( )
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Hamish Young on 14/05/2018 at 12:56: Quote from: Rob Brownfield on 14/05/2018 at 07:58
I also had permission to fish another "secret" water down there, but I soon realised that it was not practical. The fish started at around 25lbs (grown on, not stocked) and ran up to a colossal 56lbs. With all the will in the world, it would have been irresponsible to fish for those on a fly rod due to the weedy nature of the place.

Interesting stuff Rob :z16 Sorry about the food poisoning, must have put a dampener on things :shock

I quoted the above bit of your post because it got me thinking about the right tackle for the job.
I'm assuming you discarded the idea of going for these larger fish as you didn't have a 'stout' enough fly rod with you, but if you had then surely it would have been worth a punt :? A nice #9wt would probably be OK, but it would need to bend a tad :z17

H
Title: Re: Carp..... in the Highlands
Post by: Rob Brownfield on 14/05/2018 at 15:16: Quote from: Hamish Young on 14/05/2018 at 12:56
Interesting stuff Rob :z16 Sorry about the food poisoning, must have put a dampener on things :shock

I quoted the above bit of your post because it got me thinking about the right tackle for the job.
I'm assuming you discarded the idea of going for these larger fish as you didn't have a 'stout' enough fly rod with you, but if you had then surely it would have been worth a punt :? A nice #9wt would probably be OK, but it would need to bend a tad :z17

H

I had my Helios 9 weight with me but very quickly realised that firstly, I was too far from a toilet to fish...and secondly, I would not have stood a chance if I had hooked one of those fish. The water was very weedy and I would have been weeded in seconds. I just don't think a 9 weight would have made an impression on those particular fish. Tails like shovels and rarely caught. The smallest one I saw was a good 35lb in weight!

Willinghurst suggest a 9 weight for their lakes. Most fish are in the 8-15lb region and the lakes are relatively weed free.

The manager of the carp water up here uses 7 or 8, but the loch is only 2 acres, uniform and with very little weed and no snags.

Its all relative of course. When you are fishing for doubles on a large inland sea with room for them to run, then rod choice is less critical. Having had a few carp over 20lbs on stalking gear (9-10 foot rods) I don't think I would fish for 20lb carp on purpose with a fly unless the water was pretty clear of weed.