Unicoi Outfitters is north Georgia's premier guide service and fly fishing outfitter, located on the Chattahoochee River near alpine Helen. Look for fishing reports, gear and book reviews, and general musings here from our staff and guides.

Friday, May 15, 2009

North Georgia Bonefish!

We got this in from Ben VanDevender (you may know him as "benvan" over at NGTO) today and thought we'd share. Ben's been going after grass carp recently and may have figured them out:

OK I think I have this grass carp thing down to a science, or maybe just plain luck...

I hit the pond yesterday afternoon around 6 with the young one. This time I was going to target the carp so I brought my 8wt and only my 8wt....I had her with an Orvis 0x striper leader fixed to Cortland444 8 wf line. I pulled out a selection of egg patterns again and got rejected on pink and orange but found the ticket to be a size 12 yellow yarn egg. The fish were feeding at the surface as I could see their mouths popping like a goldfish causing ripples in the water. I cast out with the new pattern about six feet in lead of a cruiser. Next thing I know the line goes taught and I pull back to insure a good hook set. Now my drag begins to sing as I am quickly into backing with no sight of turning the fish anytime soon. Well for some reason she changes direction and starts heading straight to me. I pull in as much line as I can to keep up with her, and just as that happens she runs parallel along the bank. Now I really try to use the backbone of my rod and tire her. After another couple of runs I finally get her beached in the shallows of the bank. Not as big as my first one but still a real humdinger at 35 inches long. My lil one was so excited. I managed to land two more and broke off one bruiser before we headed home. Both tired from fishing, me from big carp and her from big panfish on the barbie poll.

I plan to try the pattern out again next week to see if I can justify my results. The main thing I have learned though is how critical it is to lead these fish. They are extremely finnicky and any disturbance in the water too close can run them off. This time I did not have the camera but with the bruiser I have my sights set on next time I shall surely have it.
The carp in the picture was 45 inches long and caught on my 6wt. Quite a fight.

Yes Ben, carp are definitely spooky fish, but a ton of fun as you can attest. Keep us posted on that Big Boy!

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