I fished a deepwater area I haven’t fished in months. I decided to start with range cubes on a rod and reel just to see what fish were around. I ended up catching over ten carp and a blue catfish on cubes. I switched over to the fly rod and picked up several more carp, buffalo, and channel catfish. None of the fish were huge but when I was fishing with cubes I couldn’t get more than 3 rods in the water before I hooked up.

Here are a few of the fish I have caught in the last few days.

Nice fish.

I'm interested, what kind of flies are you using?

I use carp slayer flies. I use a sinking and floating version. Pronghorn or elk hair make them float and deer hair, with some brass wire, makes them sink. I also use a carp slayer minnow which is just a less packed fly that sinks more quickly. I usually use a #2 Mustad bait hook. I don’t take time to make the sinking fly pretty since I drag them on the bottom and often lose them.

Nice stuff Osborne, really nice pix too

Thanks! have to laugh, but it looks like food to the fish

edit: Wait, now I get it!

Second winter in a row, where I tell myself I ought to tie my own flies. Are caddis larvae a year-round forage?

If you throw out Old Roy dog food and my fly it is amazing how similar they are. And carp think so too.

Carp will hit lots of different types of flies. I believe the big secret is to get a fly that does not have a bunch of stuff sticking off of it. Carp use their lips to sample potential food and the second they touch a fly they will spit it out. Therefore, a round tight fly has a better chance of entering the mouth before they figure out what it is.

Good info. I know nothing about flies, but you're making me wonder if a fly, using a circle hook, would help.

The fly is very rarely sucked deep into the mouth, so I am not sure a circle hook would help. I may give it a try sometime, but if anyone has experience let us know.