PDX Carp-a-rama! Fishing Was Happening With the Sunny Bright Weather

Common Carp Near Portland Oregon

The past couple of day I was out with friends/clients, and we had wonderful days in the sunshine stalking common carp in the grassy flats. My friend Bruce, Blaine, and Brian were out there picking up carp with regularity, and it was awesome watching them have a blast out there; while I was stalking away for these challenging fish.

Bruce D. with a nice golden PDX carp

The fish have been very active; patrolling around the flats seeking whatever food may be drowning or vulnerable in the flooded land. They are super opportunistic feeders, as they root around, swim around, and look around seeking nourishment to sustain their powerful rock hard bodies. They are not the lazy logs that most people think they are, and they happen to be a fine gamefish that takes the most talented of anglers to catch them.

A smiling angler with a hard bodied common carp

When you find the carp, you have to crawl like a slug, whisper with no impacting audibility, and you have to observe them before making your cast at them. All while anticipating where they are about to move to. Then you have to hope you do not spook them, and that they will want your offerings. Carp are about the toughest fish to stalk around!

Pretty Scale Patterns on the Common Carp

 Sometimes you can get a carp to bite with your leader and a few feet of fly line; while other times you have to make a 60'+ cast right on their nose. They are constantly moving around too; so you are putting your cast on the dime of a moving target. Pretty good casting practice for the bonefishing trip you have planned next year.

Carp and Human Battle in Progress

 Once they are hooked, they pull line out of the fly reel with serious authority, and you will see fly line backing quite often. Then some of the fish do not give up, and will not yield to your pressure until you fully are worn out on "your" end of the line. Again, these carp are a fine game fish, and not the sluggish logs that people perceive them as.

The Carp are literally on flooded Fields....

 Friday afternoon (5/20), I managed to spot out two large fish cruising the shallows and I got a few good shots at them. Finally after about a 65' cast threaded into a little pocket in the grass, the line was tight on the first little strip. The end of the line erupted and the reel screamed as my line spilled out into the backing and then some. A long battle and two times the fish took me long into the backing before it budged and I was worn out. The largest fish I have taken on a 8'6" four weight with 3X tippet. Yeah!!!

Common Carp Taken on Dumbbell Eyed Softhackle

Carp flats fly fishing is a wonderful way to get out when it is bright sun and crystal clear skies. A lot of fishing slows down when it is bright out with high pressure, but carp fishing seems to shine when the sun is out and bright. Get out there and challenge yourself and feel the big pull.

Carp Time! Fly Fishing the Carp Flats

Carp fly fishing is something that I did not pay much attention to when I had lived down in Eugene, but when I moved up to Portland things changed. I knew there were plenty of areas where these weary fish lurk around, and I also knew that it is a relatively underground fishery. One of my favorite things is to tap into a underexploited fishery; so I can see what potentials there are, and sometimes you get "hooked" on something new. It turns out that I am totally into carping out in the flats, and it is probably one of the most technical fisheries that exists.

When I have been going out, the fish have been cruising along the shallows, and they are rooting out looking for bugs & crayfish. They are super weary, and you basically are spooking them when you are standing 40 feet back from the water; so you have to more or less walk are slug speed. That is one of the main things to success, and also realizing you have to have ultimate patience while waiting for them to start feeding around you.

When you get into position finally, you then have to cast accurately and gently too. When you get the good cast into where you want it to be, then you have to present the fly, and that is determined by the pattern you are using. Some flies have to escape prey; while others need to sit dead as a doornail on the bottom. If you are fishing a crayfish, it'll swim away when a predator moves into the area. When you are fishing an aquatic worm pattern; you must have it sit on the bottom perfectly; without any movement. The rewards are awesome! The fish fight a relentless strong and sturdy battle. They are rather larger, and seem to average at least 3-4 pounds and can get to be 20 pounds and larger. They challenge the best of anglers, and you are fishing a similar style to something like Louisiana redfish marshes; except you have not even left the state. It is a great avenue for the fly fisher looking for something very different.