Fly Fishing
Carp on the fly
My question is...does anyone have away of landing these things other than carting a landing net along with you? Would a boca grip (or similar knock-off) work with their mouth? I hate the idea of bringin a net along but landing them without one is not easy.
I'm sure my tactics work in other areas as well, just go to a park where people frequently feed ducks bread. I chum some pieces of bread in the water and then wait for the fish to start feeding on the surface. Here is where I cheat as I use a regular hook for carp and put a piece of bread on it and lob it in the area of the feeding fish, but a large white fluffy yarn fly should also work. Wait for a fish to take your bait and then hang on once you set the hook.
I have a 5wt rod and my 8 year old daughter and I can usually catch half a dozen fish or so in an area before we have to move. Occasionally you'll have to re-chum to keep the feeding frenzy going. Just be sure to keep the ducks scared away from your bait so you don't get one of them.
I can probably put you on some an hour North up in Door County. It is getting late in the year for Great Lakes Carp, but if the water id warm they are probably still hanging around. I would check the lake shore, look for warmer shallow bays, especially when the wind is out of the South East and Sunny.
Attached is a go to fly for me, very simple cross between a nymph and a bugger. Bead head marabou tail, marabou wrapped up the hook and the combed in the thorax to make it fuzzy. It is tied on a size 8 5263 TMC hook. I have caught hundreds of crap in Door County on this fly.