THE DAY TRIPPER FLY FISHING & FLY TYING BLOG

posted by Alex on Feb 7

I recently had the opportunity to do a short interview with Barry Reynolds about fly fishing for Northern Pike and Carp. I had been fly fishing for about a year when I first heard of Barry Reynolds. I wanted to get serious about fly fishing for Northern Pike and a friend recommended his book, “Mastering Pike on the Fly”. It blew me away! I’d never read anything, about any fish, that was so complete. Since, I’ve recommended it to not only people who fly fish for Pike, but anyone who fly fishes period- and even to several people who don’t fly fish. It’s dog eared pages put it up there as the most referenced book in my collection.

Barry has co authored several other books: “Pike on the Fly”, “Carp on the Fly”, and ‘Beyond Trout”. He also recently released a DVD, “In Pursuit of the Water Wolf” which has been described by many as some of the most exciting pike fishing ever caught on film. Over the course of 20 years he has traveled the world in pursuit of numerous fish species.

What do you say to those who consider Northern Pike or Carp trash fish?

My first response is to ask if they have actually ever fished for pike or carp or if this is just an opinion based off of a purist basis.

In regards to pike I like to explain it this way, I have fished all over the world and caught many of the worlds elite fishes on flies yet I still find pike to be one of the great fishes to pursue and take on fly tackle. Not because they put up a great fight but instead because of the way they hit a fly, especially top water flies. For me the pinnacle of fly fishing for pike comes in the pursuit of really big pike, those over 50”, and for the their strike/take. All fish have something different and unique about them whether they jump a lot, whether they are elusive and difficult to catch, or they make line sizzling knuckle busting runs. With pike it is definitely the take!

Carp on the other hand might represent one of the greatest and most challenging fish to take on a consistent basis in freshwater. Carp are highly intelligent, extremely wary, and will challenge and even frustrate the most competent angler. What’s not to love? What other fish in freshwater can require pin point presentations and will just absolutely smoke your tackle and take you over a hundred yards into your backing. And best of all you can sight fish them in skinny water! I think most people who make fun of carp have either never fished them before, or have tried and failed miserably in their attempts. Both of these fish are worthy of any fly anglers time and they both bring something different and unique to the table.

What other species do you enjoy fishing for?

I love fly fishing for all types of fish both traditional species and non-traditional species. I fly fish because I love fly fishing, not because I am trying to impress someone! I am just as happy chasing carp on a local pond as I am chasing Peacock Bass in the Amazon Jungle. For me personally, I do love the travel part of chasing fish on the fly. So if it is a trip that requires travel, and it can be difficult to get to, chances are I will be going. My most favorite recent trip took me to Guatemala chasing Sailfish on the fly. I enjoyed it for two reasons, I had never taken a sailfish on the fly and I had never been to Guatemala- both good enough reasons to get me to go.

Your book, “Mastering Pike on the Fly”, was labeled by many to be the final word on the subject. Was there anything you left out, or wish you would have included?

Mastering Pike on the Fly was at the time my most complete take on fly fishing for one of my favorite fishes! At the time I tried to include every possible thought and angle I had seen, experienced, or heard about to date. I still go out each and every day expecting to learn or see something new or different. I am sure I came up with new ideas the first time I went pike fishing after the book was completed. I am sure one day I will have enough new experiences to either rewrite the book or do another new one, but that will be many years down the road.

There are rumors going around that you’ve got a new book in the works, are there any truth them?

I am currently working on a new book scheduled to release Fall of 2008! The book is a different approach. I cover a wide variety of species from peacock bass to pike, carp, sheefish, and lake trout just to name a few. Instead of going the scientific how to route, I am trying to share useful information through personal experiences and make it a fun read. Personally I think there is some pretty fun shit in their because I do some stupid things on occasions and while the end result turns out ok, getting there can be pretty humorous.

Do you find fly line color to be a factor when fishing for Carp?

I have had a few guys email and say that they are spooking carp when they are casting over them and that they felt the line color was to blame. My first response was quit casting “over” the fish! Seriously though, I prefer to use green or sand/tan colored line. Depending on the water depth and clarity the fish can be extremely spooky, and skittish, so I will take any advantage I can get in those conditions!

What is your thought process when sitting down to tie the first draft of a ‘new’ fly? (Do you have an application in mind, color scheme in mind, action in mind, imitation in mind, combination, etc.?) Which of those factors do you believe is the most important?

When I am tying flies or working on a new creation my thoughts on a new fly design revolve around the basic elements of overall size, shape/silhouette, color, and of course action. I like to incorporate materials like marabou and rabbit as these materials breath in the water on their own without much movement from us. Another thing I really take into consideration is how many different things can I mimic with one fly? Bob Clouser’s Swimming Nymph has always been my number one carp producing fly and I believe this to be the case because while the fly was designed to imitate the giant hex flies, it also doubles nicely for a damsel fly nymph, a small crayfish, and so on. Flies that can imitate more than one thing are always better producers day in and day out. So when I design a fly I do so with these things in mind.

You recently released a DVD, “In Pursuit of the Water Wolf”. In it you caught your new personal best Pike, a 54″ monster. Are there any “personality” differences between a pike of that size and average sized Pike that an angler can use to his/her advantage to catch bigger pike?

I like to break pike down into three categories: small, aka hammer handles; medium, aka teenagers; and large, aka the holy grail! They all have different personalities and tendencies.

In regards to your question we will focus on the really big ones, the ones I like to refer to as the holy grail. These big pike are a beast of a different nature and tend to be more loners than other pike. They will hang nearby other groups of pike but usually will not mix in with them. If I am on a spot and it’s only producing small to mid-size pike its time to move on to another spot. The big pike are cold water oriented and I tend to find them most active in water temperature in the low to mid fifty degree range, where smaller pike may often tolerate water temps into the seventies! For me Fall is big pike time!

What angling personalities have inspired you, and how?

Instead of dropping names, and perhaps forgetting a few, I will answer your question this way. I am most inspired by the young and up and coming talent more so than I am of the old guard. Some of today’s young guns have so much to offer, fresh ideas and thoughts and don’t come with preconceived notions. And best of all, they like fishing for everything- carp, pike, whatever. I would much rather sit and listen to them, than someone telling me there is only one way to do things and one fish to catch! Everybody needs to look outside the box and preconceived notions about what fly fishing is or isn’t!

Concerning Carp, to get a delicate presentation do you shy away from the bass bug tapers in favor of double taper or traditional weight forward, or doesn’t it matter?

I would prefer to use the weight forward lines but I think overall leader size and length should be more of a concern than line taper. I have used all three quite effectively while pursuing carp and if I find I need a more delicate presentation, I feel I can accomplish this by going to a longer leader and backing off my casting stroke a bit. In ultra skinny water that is gin clear I have gone as long as twelve feet to super skittish carp. But to be honest, day in and day out I usually fish a weight forward line and 9ft 8.8lb bonefish leader for my fishing, and have very little difficulty approaching and presenting the fly to 99% of the carp I see.

What are your experiences regarding carp hunting minnows or busting “bait balls” in open water? This is something Joe Cornwall of Fly Fish Ohio Magazine has often seen in late summer on Midwestern impoundments with large shad populations - the carp act very much like stripers and feed on surface, schooling juvenile shad, sometimes in 20 to 50 feet of water!

The first time I saw carp feeding on minnows/baitfish was back in the seventies while I was fishing for crappie with a stand-up float and live minnows! While fishing for crappie around some old stickups the occasional school of carp would push through and every single time I would have one come over and eat the live minnow. Since then I have seen the same scenario Joe refers to numerous times. I have seen it on Flaming Gorge on the South Platte River on many of the local ponds around town. I have even been caught in the middle of these surface attacks on baitfish and been able to throw all white woolly buggers at them and been quite successful!

Part of the misconception surrounding carp is that they are bottom feeders and feed primarily on crud. Carp are actually highly selective and when found in a normal environment (not a city park where the ducks are feed bread and the carp help themselves) they feed on normal things, a variety of nymphs, leeches, crayfish, baitfish, and the occasional vegetation, all make up a big part of the carps diet!