A Good Start to 2009

[Fishboy]

Finally, I landed a Tamagawa carp. This was my fifth outing for them and on my previous attempts I came up empty.

Today, I went out early, around 8 AM, caught the train, and headed to Futako-tamagawa station. From the station it is a 5-minute walk to the river and I was geared up in about 5 minutes. There were several schools of carp taking the morning sun and they were all in the +5 lbs range.

I tied on an egg pattern that I had made with my new vise and drifted it a few times through the usual pool. No takers. drifted the egg a few more times without success. I rested the pool for 10 minutes and then drifted the egg once again. The line went taught and I had my first Tamagawa carp on.

It took all of about 3 minutes to play the fish to the point where I could bring it to hand. My net wouldn't hold a fish this size so I brought along my fileting glove which works very well. There were some old guys fishing on the bank behind me and they were enjoying the show. I asked one of them to take my photo with my cell camera and he obliged.



A little later, I headed off downstream. There were many schools of fish, but they all had lock-jaw. There was some fast water just below a spillway and I saw several large fish milling about in the slack water beside the current. I tossed a tellico style fly out to them for about 15 minutes. The water was very shallow (about 1 meter deep) and it was easy to see my fly on the bottom. One of the larger fish sucked up my fly and I had my 2nd fish of the day on. This one was a little larger than the first fish and it took a little more time to bring it in.



The wind really picked up after that so I decided to call it a day. The forecast is for clear skies and above freezing day time temperatures. Maybe more action this weekend?

[northernfly]

Good work. Looks like persistence paid off.

[Woolly Bugger]

Good job Fishboy.

Just curious, do you get some odd looks when you travel by train with all your fishing gear?

Happy New Year,

Woolly Bugger

[Fishboy]

WB - I carry a 4-piece 9-wt w/reel, my waders, boots, and vest along with a few fly boxes in a back pack.

Most people take trains or subways here. It is way cheaper than owning and operating a car. As such, you see all kinds of people carrying all kinds of stuff on the trains.....my fishing gear hardly rates a 1st look never mind a 2nd one!

[Salar]

Congrats on the carp

Thanks for the reports. Sounds like they're a challenging but fun species to catch. There's an underground movement to target carp here in the Fraser valley. They're on my hit list for this spring / summer.

Cheers,

Salar.

[Fishboy]

Salar - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the challenge carp present on fly rod. They are the wariest species I've targeted. Also, they fight like hell for the longest time....amazing!

The Fraser, now there's a big piece of water! Are there fishable shallows were carp would congregate?

[Tip-up]

Good fishing Fishboy, dandy Japanese Carp.

[Salar]

Yes, there are a number of back sloughs on the Fraser where carp congregate. A couple of the guys from the shop I work at target carp on the fly.

[Mike Lennox]

Nice carp! They are a blast to catch on the fly before the weeds get to thick. The magic fly for me this year was a size 12 san juan but I'm sure the japanese carp are much more sophisticated and trickier to catch.

Congrats on the success, you definitely had more fun than I did this break catching steelies in the freezing cold! (but it still fed my flyfishing addiction) !

[beachburger]

Great job!!!!! I've heard bug chuckers refer to carp as "freshwater bonefish" because they are so easily spooked.

Cheers.....
Doug

[northernfly]

Nice hat BTW. They are quite rare around here! How about in Japan.

[Geos]

Nice report, any good Koi fishing? should be some nice ponds around there

[Fishboy]

northernfly: You have to be on the "A-list" to get a spiffy hat like that.

Geos: There were several koi in the 5 lb range swimming with the carp. Also, the turtles sunning in the bank are the pet shop variety - red eared sliders - that are non-native.

To all of you who haven't yet targeted carp: TRY IT!!!! They really are like freshwater bonefish. They are easily spooked but once you figure them out and hook one, WOW!!!

BTW -The previous time I fished the Tamagawa I saw a long paddle-tailed fish swimming in the back channel where I fish. I looked on the internet and found out that it was a Japanese version of the infamous snake-head.

[Mitch24]

BTW -The previous time I fished the Tamagawa I saw a long paddle-tailed fish swimming in the back channel where I fish. I looked on the internet and found out that it was a Japanese version of the infamous snake-head.

Nice Carp, but snake-head look like a riot. Are the long paddle-tail fish in the Tamagawa the same as these...

http://www.fishing-khaolak.com/images/f ... head_6.jpg

or quite different?

[MrGrey1]

I've just returned from Europe a few moths ago, where I participated in Orvis Cup Fly Fishing Festival. I love to go there as I can learn and see the differences in Trout & Carp fishing.
The Europeans farm carp and some of the fish gets over 20 kilos! They have the carp sets with all the fancy elctronic buzzers and beepers.
They also pre-feed the waters before they throw the lines in. Its fun to browse the tackle shops and see all the huge 20lb bags with Boilees and other mixes. Its also interesting to know how they deliver it. As we know, chumming here in North America is highly ellegal in most places.
Over there, you use "Sling Shots!" (many brands sold in tackle shops). They also sell many chumming leds, that you pack with food below you hook. They look like cages on the end of the drinking straw..
Have you ever see a "Tripple Scisors?". Well, that cuts up worms, maggots and liver pretty quick. A good quality product, used by many Carpers.

But they have other nice policies: Most of their fresh water leds are now coated with heavy non-leaded glossy paints. It is to prevent immediate poisioning. That way most of it gets covered by the currents, sands or mud before it can release the toxins. Long lasting paint.
I'll post a few pictures when I can and as I resize them later.
Hope you find this article inetresting in some way.

Until than, MrGrey1