The Great Lakes of NYC

World Record Grass Carp- IGFA All Tackle Length Record

2012-01-25T21:07:00.000-08:00

Sakai koi farm Hiroshima 1982seba

2012-01-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

I wrote about Koi I have observed & they are fascinating fish to watch
There behavior is unique.

Tenkara Carp

2012-01-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

HIGHLIGHTS cross country ladies (FINAL CLIMB) - last stage TdS 2012

2012-01-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

This is an unbelievably tough series of races and the last race is on this
alpine slope, all up hill! Please don't try this.

Tour de Ski - Men's 10+10 C/F - Petter Northug Incredible WIN

2012-01-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

Bass notes

2012-01-06T21:08:00.000-08:00

By Wayne Gustavson

It’s a well known fact that smallmouth bass eat crayfish and largemouth are more likely to eat another fish. Why the difference? It is really quite simple. From birth, smallmouth utilize rock structure for cover. Largemouth consistently seek out thick brushy cover. Considering the preferred habitat types it is only logical that the diet of each species will be dominated by the most abundant food source in the neighborhood. Crayfish live in and under rocks while most small pan fish and minnows seek out weeds and brush for nursery cover habitat. So a smallmouth living in the rocks will encounter crayfish more often than small forage fish. Examination of the smallmouth stomach will most often reveal crayfish. That is the food most available to him and that is what is eaten. Conversely, largemouth bass live with the minnows in the weeds and their stomachs will be full of fish.

All bass species are opportunistic feeders that are proud to have anyone over for dinner. A largemouth in a really brushy or weedy lake may have an entirely different diet than a largemouth in a lake without weeds. In a study from Florida, the largemouth bass diet from weedy lakes was compared to the largemouth bass diet in lakes where grass carp had been used to remove most vegetation. Differences were dramatic.

It started with the youngest fish. Largemouth bass in weedy lakes didn’t start to eat other fish until the bass were almost 5 inches long. Their counterparts in lakes without "grass" got on fish when they were only 2.5 inches long. Forage fish in weedy lakes were unavailable to small bass. Minnows were just too good at hiding in the dense protection of thick weeds until bass got big enough to go in after them.

Eating fish early makes for a faster first year growth rate. This head start made largemouth bass in the weedless lakes bigger fish for the majority of their life. It wasn’t until age 5 that bass in weedy lakes achieved the same size. Fish are really adaptable creatures and as usually occurs in nature, all things tend to even out in the end.

So what do we do with our backyard pond where we are growing our own bass for fun and profit? Do we throw in a few grass carp to chomp the weeds and make young bass grow faster? Let’s investigate further.

Elimination of weeds makes the young of all species more vulnerable to predation. Some species can even be eliminated in short order if not protected when they are learning to swim and hide from strangers. In fact, bass themselves will be less numerous due to predation from their own kind in weedless lakes.

Weedless lakes then will grow bass faster but they will be fewer in number. Ten bass will grow faster than 100 bass confined to the same space. Forage fish, bugs and crawdads without weeds will be more accessible and therefore, vulnerable to be eaten and maybe even be totally eliminated. The best fisheries are created when widely diverse habitats are available. A pond choked with hydrilla is not producing as well as it could. The same pond without any weeds also underachieves its potential. The best mix is a few weedy areas combined with clear areas where all makes, models and sizes of fish and forage can find their own niche.

If just fishing on one of the huge impoundments anywhere in the U. S. it is possible to increase your catch by studying available habitat. Bass need food and they get it in the most efficient manner within the confines of the water they live in. With a 90% surface covering of lily pads or water hyacinth, fish will be guarding each little two foot open space for any intruder that ventures out of cover. Their home range may be measured in feet instead of miles. Dragging a plastic lizard slowly across the surface is a dynamite idea here. In deep canyon lakes without any vegetation to speak of, the lizard might not work as well as a shad imitating crankbait that can cover hundreds of yards of shoreline in a short time. The home range of a largemouth bass in this lake may be 3-5 miles, depending on time of year and what the forage is up to.

Habitat determines where fish live and what they will eat. It is up to the angler to recognize these signs and react to them in a manner that will put more fish in the live well. Much of the work of finding fish can be done by studying lake structure, habitat, vegetation and forage species mix. A call to the local fish manager will usually be an excellent place to start. Then just match existing conditions in the new fishery with those you have previously encountered to get you started in the process of catching fish.

Carp'n

2012-01-04T19:56:00.000-08:00

Bass notes

2012-01-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

By Wayne Gustaveson

We have been talking in great glittering generalities about spawning but now it’s time to get down to the sweet little details that really make a difference. Take nest placement, for instance. The bass spawning rule book says that the nest will be placed in shallow water. Water depth over the top of the nest will be at least 18 inches with a preferred depth of 24-36 inches. Will nests always be that shallow? Not likely. Maybe the really neat rocks are at 48 inches and clay, mud, and silt are the predominant habitat type in the preferred depth zone. Other variables come into play when determining actual nest site.

The nest can be deeper. Males may get hung up on a particular nest site on the first warm day in April. Due to changes in weather and wild temperature gyrations, bass may not actually spawn for the first time until the third week of April. Then after re-nesting a time or two, the original shallow nest site may be under 10-15 feet of water on May 15th in a rapidly rising spring runoff situation.

Spawning rule #1: Bass are extremely flexible. They will find a place to spawn.

Example: The large boat in the slip next to mine had a diving platform about 18 inches deep. For some reason a 12 inch largemouth, obviously deranged, decided that he would take the easy way and not move any dirt or rocks. He swished a little algae with his tail, made a clean spot on the diving platform and found an equally ditsy babe to deposit some eggs. When walking past the boat it was apparent that we had a mobile bass nest with a real red-eyed sentry on duty. He charged folks just walking on the dock. I never did see him leap out of the water and take anyone down but he was extremely aggressive. Of course, the next day the boat owner showed up ready to take the boat out for a cruise. My arguments to leave the boat tied up in the slip until the eggs hatched didn’t compete with the need for the man to earn his living. He cast off the lines and headed out. My last sight of the mixed up male bass was him trailing the boat and his nest at wake-less speed as the boat eased out of the harbor.

Smallmouth and largemouth overlap in spawning sites and depth. The same prime nesting habitat will be used by bass, crappie and sunfish. Subtle preferences apportion the real estate among the participants. Largemouth seek out a shallow, rocky area at the base of a tree, bush or some other brushy cover. The bush does not have to be all that plush - just a stump or log is often enough. Crappie and bluegill really need substantial overhead cover before placing a nest. Dense foliage is a high priority for both panfish. Smallmouth and green sunfish really do not care about brush and key in on just the right rocky structure. They will often use a ledge or boulder for overhead cover but not always. The rock dwelling fish do not seek out brush.

Spawning rule #2: Nest placement allows highest chance of survival for young fish
.

I stand in awe that bass seem to know what the kids need. Innocent, naive largemouth fry hatch and swim up to feed on plankton. They swim together in a black cloud of 1,000 to 5,000 black fry. Of course, all fish in the area salivate at the very thought of having one of the kids for lunch. The guarding male bass can’t keep all intruders at bay all the time and inevitably some fry are lost. When the attack occurs largemouth fry instinctively seek shelter in the thickest brushy weeds and cover available. If the bush over the largemouth nest is sufficiently dense more fish from that particular school survive. If the bush lacks small spaces, few fry survive.

The smallmouth nest on a rocky ledge offers no brush shelter. The same black cloud of fry swims around feeding on the same plankton. When the inevitable attack comes, smallmouth fry dive for the bottom and seek shelter in the tiny spaces between rocks where the larger predators cannot follow.

The amount of nursery habitat really determines the number of fish that will survive any given year. Young largemouth, bluegill and crappie are not going to have good survival without an adequate supply of dense weeds or brush to protect them. A large open rocky shoreline provides the means for smallmouth to survive where a brushy cove with a mud bottom would not.

Spawning rule #3: The male of the species is most important in determining spawning success.

Large females are revered but the scrawny, bruised male with the bloody tail really does all the work and gets none of the credit. The male builds the nest, guards the young, chases away enemies, and ends up getting caught more often by anglers. To protect the fishery and ensure good survival for a new year class of bass, crappie or bluegill, it is the male that needs to be protected and conserved.

Bass spawning lasts for about 2 months. The first spawn is triggered by rapidly warming temperatures. Eggs and sometimes young fry from the first nest may be lost to bad weather. Cooling temperatures cause guarding male bass to leave the nest until it warms again. The second spawn happens about two weeks after the first and is usually the biggest and most productive. Additional nesting occurs at two to three week intervals thereafter, depending on weather conditions. Fry from the later spawns are more likely to be lost to predation by dragonfly larvae and other predacious insects which creep onto the nest and are not apparent or noticed by the guarding male. Those fry that do survive from the last spawn are shorter, smaller and less able to compete with siblings that were born a month or two earlier. They could actually be eaten by their two month old cousin bass that are just switching to a fish diet.

Bass Notes ( may appear on the mid term exam)

2012-01-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

Bass Are Cold Blooded: Their body temperature and more importantly, their metabolism is controlled by water temperature. The warmer the water, the higher their metabolism. Bass are most active between about 60 degrees and 75 degrees. Below about 50 degrees, their metabolism slows down, causing them to eat infrequently. Above about 80 degrees, low dissolved oxygen levels in the water place them under stress. Dead perch may be an indication of low oxygen levels. What's more important than the current water temperature is what's happening to it (i.e. is it going up or down?). Changes in water temperature affect shallow bass much more than those residing in deep water. Keep in mind that water temperature is but one factor to consider when putting together a fishing strategy. A Schooling Fish: If you catch a bass, you're likely to catch another in the same area. So once you "locate" bass, slow down and fish the area thoroughly. But don't put caught fish back in the water. Instead, put them in a livewell if you want to catch more fish. Panicked bass will scare the others off. Pay attention to depth: the deeper the water, the tighter the school. Bass of similar sizes tend to school together. Near Bottom: Bass usually will be on the bottom or something that represents bottom. Usually, the closer to the bottom they are, the more they're in a position to feed. Knowing where the bottom is dictates what type of lure you use. Bottom contour, composition and depth play important roles in finding bass. Predators: Bass are predators - they like live prey. But they don't hunt for prey, instead they prefer to lie in wait for an unsuspecting victim to happen by. Therefore, casting accuracy and presentation are vital to bass fishing success. Seek Safety: While bass are a predator fish, they can also become the prey. Bass use cover and depth as refuge from other predators. Smallmouths and spotted bass prefer deeper water than do largemouths. But even largemouths - which may be found in water only inches deep - require relatively deep water to be nearby. Near Structure: Bass use objects as places to launch an ambush. They'll use just about anything - pilings, rocks, tires, wood, bushes, weeds, sunken objects or anything "different" from the bottom. Near Edges: When in a feeding mood, bass will position themselves on edges or "transitions" of any sort because it's easier to dart out and catch their prey. Bass prefer to be at or near the junction of any two or more features, including: small rocks and big rocks; shallow water and deep water; shady areas and sunlit areas; current and still water; weeds and open water; emergent weeds and mossy weeds; wood cover and weedy cover; etc. Opportunistic: Bass usually feed on crawfish, sculpin, and minnows. They won't stay long where there's no food so learn where to find the prevalent and preferred food types in each season, and you'll find bass. They will eat an easy meal, so crippled and injured prey are they're first choice - even if it's not on their main menu. Bass have been known to eat worms, insects, panfish, frogs, lizards, salamanders, snakes and even birds! Spawners: Through much of the year, particularly from late winter through spring, bass usually can be found in or near spawning areas, namely fairly shallow, flat areas with some cover and with quick access to deeper water. Everything they do throughout the year is connected to the spawn. When searching for beds, keep in mind that generally the deeper the bed, the bigger the bass.
Interact My Recent Posts Message Me Blocking Ignore User's Posts

The end

2012-01-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

I spent the last two days fishing for carp in
Prospect Park Lake. I targeted the area nearest
to the first island.

While the weather has been rather warm, the
water is "beer cooler"cold! Fish are dormant.

I chummed the area for several days with
can corn, bread, pack baits & wild bird seed.
At this time of the year the water is clearer than
during the summer months; so I can see if
my chum is being consumed.

I set up each evening at 3 o'clock ( carp seem to
become active as the sun sets). I fished with
a sink tip and a length of tippet. My plan was to
use a deer hair fly like a traditional carp "pop up".
This allows the deer hair fly to float off the bottom
of the lake. Once before I had experimented
with this type of rig and been able to watch a carp
take my fly as it appeared to float off the bottom.

After about two hours; I left the park at dusk
Still looking for my first carp in Brooklyn.
No takes on December 31st and no takes on January
1st, 2012.

Fly Fishing for Carp | South Platte Carp | Colorado Urban Carp Fly Fishing

2011-12-28T21:03:00.000-08:00

Huge Carp feeding On Surface Bread

2011-12-21T18:52:00.000-08:00

The end of the line?

2011-12-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

I got a new March Brown Fly Rod, the Diplomat
series. An 8 piece, 5 weight, 10' graphite travel
fly rod. I love these rods because they transport well
are flawlessly made and come with an excellent
warranty.

i

I had tried to fish this rod on my last visit but
due to the length of the rod I was unable to
use it efficiently in the allotted space.

We are almost half way through the month of
December but warm weather is still holding.
Temperatures have remained in the 50F.
range. I put my fishing area where I fish
in the summer, near the Bethesda Fountain.
I have put ground bait out for 3 days now
and I expect carp to be actively feeding
even though there are no traditional signs that
carp are present.

In warmer weather the fish begin to feed in
less than an hour. This is a prime spot for carp
that feed on the surface. This afternoon I leave
nothing to chance, I add oatmeal & cream
style corn to the area as ground bait. Due to the
water being cooler, I allow more than hour wait time
before I begin to fish.

I'm using the new Wulff Ambush Taper fly line.
It is designed for single hand fly rod spey casting
technique; so there is no need to backcast.

With a flick of the rod the fly line shoots out
about 30 feet. I let the hook sink to the bottom.
No fish are coming up to the surface but in a few
minutes the line begins to straighten and pull
away. It is a carp. He is using strong head
shakes to try & dislodge the hook. The new
rod is giving and protecting my 4X tippet.

A crowd has started to gather behind me
Some of the question I'm being asked are
simply silly. " Are you fishing? " " Why
does it take so long for you to bring it in?"
I try to remain polite while the carp
continues to run & I try to not lose the
fish. I decide to pull the carp onto the
steps. My plan is to lead the carp to the
steps and take my picture without taking
the fish from the water. The head shakes
continue but the rod does it's job of protecting
my tippet. The questions continue and I
counter by turning to the crowd and offering
to let one of the bystanders relieve me; so that
a bystander can show me"how it's done".

The carp is slowing and tiring. I get him on the step
take several pictures, remove the hook and
we both part on friendly terms! My total for
December 2011, 5 carp; a first for the month
of December.

Where are my skis??

End of this season

2011-12-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

I took a walk in the park , Prospect Park, this
afternoon.

In a few days it will be too cold to stand around
and try to catch dormant fish; although reports
say that cool water species are active in spots.
Normally, this means, yellow perch, pickerel,
and big crappie.

Grand Army Plaza at the north end of the park
built to commemorate the Union Army.

A few waterfowl looking for handouts near the
shore.

Huey, Dewey & Louie

Where is Uncle Donald ?

Always regal but bad manners.

In four weeks, this will be true.

As smooth as glass

Carp Games

2011-11-29T17:55:00.001-08:00

Well, the season is just about finished as the
temperatures get lower and lower. My goal
for the month was to catch at least one carp
before the lakes become iced over.

I chose Wagner's Cove, a secluded cove on the
main lake in Central Park. It is named for the
former Mayor of New York City, Robert F. Wagner Jr.
who was the son of United States Senator Robert F. Wagner .
I began chumming this spot with various ground
baits to attract carp to this area.

I caught my first carp of December the next
afternoon as the temperature reached 60F.
I chummed the cove a second day. Before I
left I had hooked my second carp in 3 days.

By the fourth day, I had told Dennis of my
success. We arrived at the park early, 9:30 AM.
I set up but we had no bites so we took the train
up to The Meer at 110th street. We fished there
until about 2:00 PM & then took a ride back down
to 72nd street & "The Cove".

From past experience I knew the carp would
be active after three o'clock.

We saw bubbles coming to the surface of the
water, which can indicate that carp are actively
feeding; or it could just be gas escaping from
rotting vegetable matter laying on the lake bottom.

Looking north at Wagner's Cove.

Winter red

Near the Bethesda fountain, a prime area
for surface feeding carp during warm weather.

Pictured is my fourth carp for December. This
fellow was almost 10 pounds. I used my Fenwick
7 wt fiberglass fly rod.

Indian Summer

2011-11-25T16:01:00.001-08:00

"Carpaholic" (5min film fest teaser)

2011-11-24T19:53:00.000-08:00

CARP FISHING STALKING CARP WITH THE FLY ROD

2011-11-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

Fishing a big Carp on a Dry Fly - Pesca de Carpa com Fly -

2011-11-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

This video shows how inexperience can delay the landing of a carp .

Carp on the dry

2011-11-24T18:12:00.000-08:00

Hooking a carp on a fly, for the first time is a unique experience.
To be critical, this fly fisher makes the mistake of not getting the carp
on "the reel" as soon as possible. Getting the carp on the reel means
placing all extra fly line back on the spool so that the reel drag aids
in controlling the fish rather than your fingers.

CarpOnAFly

2011-11-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

Skagit Flyfishing for Squamish Chums

2011-11-12T19:04:00.000-08:00

WHAT IS A SKAGIT SPEY FLY LINE?

Good question! The challenges of steelhead fishing on the Pacific Northwest rivers, like the need to deliver big flies in tough conditions with very little backcast clearance, using lighter and shorter rods to match the size of the quarry, and considering that control of the fly's speed and location in the water column is critical, resulted in the development of the Skagit lines and the Skagit, or Pacific Northwest (PNW), style of Spey casting. Specialized spey casts such as the Snap T and the Perry Poke were created to refine the use of the new Skagit lines.

Skagit lines are built as a shooting head and have also recently been designed with an integrated shooting/running line. Like the Scandinavian head, the length of most Skagit heads is in the 2.5-3.5 times the rod length range, but the rods are typically shorter. Skagit heads are unlike many other fly lines in that they have very little taper and are pretty much one thick, level section of line. This helps to carry the weight of a heavy sink tip and large fly for long casts with little room for a backcast.

Originally, Skagit lines were used to throw sink tips of varying densities (T-8, T-11, T-14, T-17) but now many spey casters are using Skagit lines for fishing under any conditions, and are now using floating tips on Skagit heads. The floating tips are 15’ long and vary in grain weight to match the weight of your Skagit line. The important thing about using any tip for Skagit style lines is that they have enough grain weight to properly anchor your fly line. Poly leaders that work well on Scandi lines are generally too light and will cause the caster to pull their anchor and struggle with their casting. A good anchor is critical to allow you to form a D-loop and maintain load in the rod throughout the casting stroke.

I got 99 problems but a carp ain't one!

2011-11-10T17:41:00.000-08:00

I fished the part of the lake where I have chummed
for several days. The leaves have turned
different shades of yellow and orange.

The water is fairly clear at this time of year
except at the deep end of the pond. In other
parts of the pond carp can be seen with the aid
of a good pair of sunglasses.

It took a while and a number of casts to hook
this little guy. As you can tell by the shadows,
this hook up came at the end of sunlight.

Cranking 'em out

2011-11-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

Trying to finish strong by catching carp as often
as possible. We've had several days with the
temperature above 60F. Carp are not as active
as when it is warmer. We see most fish just
before dusk, feeding on the surface.

Fall photos

2011-11-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

Cool crisp mornings that turn into warm Indian
summer afternoons.

The Lullwater looking south

The Lullwater changing colors

Dense colorful fall foliage that is found on the
Lullwater

Looking south on Prospect Park Lake

These flowers come in a number of colors

They resemble daisies

We have a large group of these swans now

The park changing for winter

A carp on my March Brown fly rod

Power fishing

2011-11-02T20:10:00.000-07:00

I pulled out a rare Fenwick Voyager, spin / fly
rod for this session. It is a 4 piece 7'6" fiberglass
fly rod. While it is rated as a 6 wt rod, I chose
to overline the rod with an 8 wt fly line.

I was here for more "Power fishing". I used a
full can of corn mixed with a ground bait to chum
the area. I expected good results as this was
the second evening in a row of chumming
this same spot of the lake.

Power fishing

2011-11-01T19:11:00.000-07:00

I decided to use the cane fly rod today; even though
it is missing a guide. I used an 8 wt bass taper fly line.
I arrived at the lake at about 4:00pm. My experience
fishing at this time of the year has shown that
carp will begin to feed after 5:00pm. During the
feed the carp will feed from the surface as well
as feeding on the bottom of the lake.

The carp will eat freely for the better part of
an hour and then stop. By that time the day
light has disappeared and the temperature
may be below 50F.

You must be prepared to make a number of
adjustments quickly to capitalize on this limited
window of opportunity. Do you fish on the surface?
Do you change flies, sizes, colors? With daylight
vanishing you may be able to switch 2 or 3 times
tops.

I caught this fish on a deer hair "bread fly".

Prospect Park on a quiet fall afternoon

2011-10-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

I took this picture from the Binnewater bridge
This area was restored several years ago.
There are some good size fish in this pool.

The Boat house

You are looking at the rare ATP 37 semi auto-
-matic fly reel from Italy.

My new fly box loaded with an assortment of
deer hairs flies for carp.

Another view from Binnewater Bridge.
Binnewater is Norwegian for sweet water.

Carp

2011-10-18T19:57:00.000-07:00

I fished for carp in New Jersey this afternoon.
Arrived after 1:00pm. I saw no fish feeding.
The picture above was taken after 5:15pm.

I caught this fish before 5:00pm

The next 4 fish were all taken after 5:00pm.
I lost two but managed to pull the rest from
the lake.

Tom, the wise man, of Passaic helped me with
his net.

Here carp are clooping on the surface. They are
feeding on dry cat food; which seems to be one
of their favorite treats!

Crappie

2011-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Went to Prospect Park yesterday. I walked around
the lake saw no fish at all. I fished in front
of the Boathouse with my Orvis full flex fly rod.
This is a fiberglass rod with the typical slow
flex of a bamboo fly rod.

I practiced casting with this rod for about 30 minutes.
Slowing the casting motion can mean a tighter loop with
a slow flex rod. I fished a #12 bead head white wooly
bugger.

I have a theory that at this time of year fish become
active in the late afternoon. I seem to catch more
fish after 5:00pm that at anytime before 5:00pm.

The Bronx in autumn

2011-10-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

We had a problem getting to Van Cortlandt Park.
On the weekends here in NYC repair work is
performed on the subway and sometimes it interferes
with fishing here. We had to ride a shuttle bus
from 207th street to 241st street through Saturday
shopping traffic.

The park colors are changing just as the weather has
changed. There is a visible color change in the
foliage of the trees.

There is a hint of red and gold in the trees as
fall runs toward the winter.

There were feeding perch and crappie this
afternoon.

I was hoping to catch another carp here today.

For the most part geese and turtles kept their
distance.

Dennis, David and Anthony fished the entire
lake using spinning rods and "trout magnets".

I came, I chummed, I waited. Nothing happened.

At five o'clock I added some more grenades
to the water. Within ten minutes my line
started to twitch and then pull away in a straight
line.

The line became tight; the rod bent. I had a carp on.
It was heading to the north side of the lake. No turns
no head shakes, just a steady taking of line from
my reel. Dennis was surprised and started to
laugh. I yelled:"get the net from my pack"!

There was a jolt as I tried to slow the fish.
The pulling stopped. The line went slack.
The fish was gone.

Prospect Park Lake

2011-10-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

I went to the park to chum the south east
corner of Prospect Park Lake.

pictured above is First Island, an animal refuge
for birds who come to the park. Carp frequently
swim around this island and spawn here in the
spring. It is a known carp holding area.

I've caught some big blue gills in this area too.

I stayed here for more than hour and saw no
fish at all. fishing was slow.

A Gentleman of Verona

2011-10-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Bubble bees, I saw on the way to the lake.
I missed my bus connection and ended up having
to walk about three miles, all up hill!

Verona Lake in New Jersey is another one of
the trout stocked lakes popular in New Jersey
towns and cities.

Looking west from the lower lake, this is the shallow
end of the fishery. The day I was there things
were slow.

another view of the lower end of Verona lake.

Bubble bees were pollinating in the autumn
afternoon.

Patiently watching & waiting, this egret was
having a hard time fishing in the deeper end
of the lake too.

Eastern pool, north shore of Verona lake.

Aerator helps the lake to support the trout that
are stocked here in the spring.

Note paddle boats on the right. Fortunately,
there were no boaters here when I was fishing.

The lake holds bass, panfish and carp.

Muscular Strength Training with the Methow Olympic Program

2011-10-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Lake Placid USST Camp Update

2011-10-03T16:33:00.000-07:00

Wild Duck Pond

2011-10-02T17:33:00.000-07:00

Traveled to Wild Duck Pond. This pond is near
the Saddle River in New Jersey. I saw a big
orange koi swimming in the east corner of the
pond but not one common carp.

I caught several BGs and one club bass (less than
12 inches).

Carpin in October

2011-10-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

My second visit to this lake since hurricane
Irene. It was good to be able to see some
juvenile carp feeding at the swallow end of the
lake.

I set up my rod and began to fish. It was slow
but at least this time feeding fish were visible.

I was using my carbon fiber Franco Vivarelli
trout reel. The last time I used this type of
reel it ended up being broken. So I was
apprehensive.

I did hook a small carp. The reel did not break.
Happy days are here again!

Another rainy afternoon

2011-09-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

The forecast called for rain but I took the subway
to the Bronx anyway. It was overcast but dry
as I walked to Van Cortlandt lake from the train.

But within an hour it started to rain and hard.
I took shelter under a deck.

I caught a crappie sized carp. The carp was
less than a foot long. It was too small for my
boca grip; as I raised the fish out of the water
it fell back into the lake.

I also experimented with a "pop up" rig.
A pop up allows the fisher to fish above the
floor of the lake; sort of suspension fly.

I caught a blue gill on a hook with a soft bait

first carp of the fall

2011-09-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

The forecast called for showers first and heavy
rain in the afternoon. I arrived at Central Park
before 10:00am.

I put out some corn pellets and waited for signs
of feeding carp. Carp can become active when
it starts to rain

For an hour I saw almost nothing. In keeping
with my policy of repositioning my fly; I recast
and put my fly in a different part of my swim.

It was almost noon when my line moved, slowly.
There was some hesitation then a run but not
a typical "carp" run. I thought it was a catfish.
I was fishing a Fenwick 7'6", 6wt rod which helped
me control this carp. It took awhile to put this
fish on the Boca grip and I was surprise at how
hard a fish for this size fought. All the while it
P O U R E D!

Wooddale park pond

2011-09-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

I Googled a few more lakes and ponds in New
Jersey and found Wooddale Park Pond, near
Woodcliff.

The pond has bass and panfish. I hooked a few
blue gills but saw no carp.

After surveying the pond I headed west toward
Storm Pond. I discovered, after a long up hill
walk that it is on private property

Intro to Carp Fly Fishing - with Barry Reynolds

2011-09-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Denver Carp Fly Fishing with Trico Dry Flies

2011-09-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

The Meer

2011-09-17T20:09:00.000-07:00

I arrived at The Meer, in Central park, just before noon.
My hope was to engage some of the tailing carp that
I had seen there under a layer of duck weed
about a week earlier. This time there was no blanket
of duck weed on the Meer.

Only the south east corner was covered with
green duck weed.

However, I saw no evidence that carp were
active in the clear water. Nevertheless, I chummed
and waited for carp to make their presence known.

And I waited for some indication that carp were
in the area or even in the lake.

Normally when I fish the Meer, I target the
panfish ( blue gills, crappie, bass). On this day
those fish seem to be the only fish active and
ready to be fished.

So I changed my rig. I tied on a #12 Hare's ear
with rubber legs.

I took position on a rock sticking out of the water
and began to use spey casting techniques.

The first Blue gill hit my fly hard and made a sweeping
turn towards 11oth street. I hand stripped him
to hand.

I caught another and another; these were mature
fish, more than seven inches long. I switched flies
and used a #12 green weenie. This fly caught fish
also. Later in the day, I headed to The pool at 103rd street.

There I caught several club size bass using the
green weenie.

By 7:00pm I had walked down to the lake at 72nd
street. I was hoping to catch a carp. But like at the
Meer, carp were inactive.

The Bronx

2011-09-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

I went to Van Cortlandt Park today. My plan for
the week was to try and catch carp in The Bronx.
I had chummed the area just before leaving
yesterday.

I arrived at about 1:00pm, drank some power
ade and formulated a plan of attack. I added
more chum, made some grenades and put
together my rod. There was no sign that carp
were feeding.

The ducks and geese voluntarily left the area
where I planned to fish; so every thing was in
place.

After 5 minutes my line started to move rapidly
away and across the lake. I watched but didn't
try to slow the fish. My drag was clicking as the line
ran out the rod tip and across the lake. I realized
I would be on the short end of the stick if I didn't
try to move with the carp. As the fish veered to the
north east of the lake, I followed along the lakes
edge. Always try to maintain or decrease the
distance between you and the fish.

The carp turned west for awhile. He was well into
the backing of my reel. The backing looked brand
new. But it too was nearing the end. I started
to apply braking techniques to slow the fish.
I pumped the rod and began to pull the line
back onto the reel.

Finally the fish was showing signs of tiring. A
crowd had gathered as I fought the carp. The
crowd included a sun bather, fishermen and
golfers returning from the adjacent golf course.

I handed my boca grip to one of the golfers. He
managed to grip the carp and raised it out of the
water. It weighed just under 1o lbs.

Van Cortlandt Lake

2011-09-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

I promised myself that I would fish in The Bronx
this week in an effort to catch a carp. I have never
caught a carp here.

Big carp are frequently seen jumping out of the
water in the south east corner. Rumor has it
that this part of the lake is deeper.

So my first stop was that part of the lake.
I chummed a small area there with pellets.
I saw some yearling bass in the area

After monitoring the are for an hour, I walked
back to the south west part of the lake.
I chummed this part of the lake too.

I bought my 6'6" 2 wt fiberglass fly rod for
some panfishing.

This rod has a slow flex and reminds me of fishing
with a bamboo fly rod. I managed to hook a
club size bass (about 12 inches long) on a white
woolie bugger

Water fowl

My 2 wt, 6 foot, 6 inch, 6 piece, fiberglass fly rod

Flower

Cat tails

The Meer

2011-09-11T20:23:00.001-07:00

After visiting Morningside Park, I walked
down the street to The Meer at Central Park.

Much of the lake surface was covered with duck
weed. Duck weed does not stop one from fishing
and I hoped to hook some of the carp swimming
under the duck weed.

I followed my standard rountine, chum, wait
and then fish.

Carp appeared to be active and feeding under
the green blanket of duck weed. Dorsal fins
were sticking out of the water as the big carp
swam back and forth, stopping here and there.

Chum grenades ready for use.
It was frustrating because after more than an
hour, I had not even a nibble. They were there
but they were not taking anything I offered.

Morningside Park

2011-09-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

A friend asked me if I had ever fished in this
park. I hadn't even though I walk past it when
I fish The Meer, in Central Park

About twenty years ago a small pond was added
to the park. There are fish but there are way too
many turtles for my liking.

It is a pretty setting when you sit on a bench
and look at the pond and it's waterfall.

Morningside Park:

Morningside Park takes its name from the eastern side—where the sun rises in the morning—of the rugged cliff of Manhattan schist which separates Morningside Heights on the west from the Harlem Plain to the east. The area was formerly known as Muscoota to the Indians of the Harlem Plain, Vredendal (Peaceful Dale) to 17th century Dutch settlers, and Vandewater Heights after the Dutch landowner who acquired property here in 1738. On September 16, 1776, during the Revolutionary War Battle of Harlem Heights, colonial forces retreated on a road through the area. Three blockhouse fortifications were built here and put to use during the War of 1812.

In 1867 Andrew Haswell Green, Commissioner and Comptroller of Central Park, recommended that a park be located in Morningside Heights. He argued that it would be "very expensive" and "very inconvenient" to extend the Manhattan street grid over the area’s severe topography. The City of New York was granted jurisdiction over this property in 1870. Construction of Morningside Park was delayed, however, because the Board of Commissioners for Public Parks rejected the design proposals submitted by Parks Engineer-in-Chief M.A. Kellogg in 1871, and by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux (co-designers of Central and Prospect Parks) in 1873.

Architect Jacob Wrey Mould was hired to rework Olmsted and Vaux’s plans in 1880. He designed the promenade and buttressed masonry wall that encloses the park along Morningside Drive. The 30 foot-wide walkway was constructed as a series of esplanades, linked by steps, with semi-octagonal bays providing visitors with places to rest and to enjoy the view. Although a construction contract was awarded in 1883, Mould died in 1886 before the work was completed.

Fourteen years after their original proposal was rejected, landscape architects Olmsted and Vaux were hired in 1887 to continue improvements to Morningside Park. They enhanced the park’s natural elements by planting vegetation tolerant of the dry, rocky environment. Two paths—one broad, one meandering—traversed the lower portion of the park. Retained as a consultant, Vaux saw the work to completion in 1895, the year he drowned in Gravesend Bay. Parks Superintendent Samuel Parsons Jr. wrote of Vaux’s work, ". . .perhaps Morningside Park was the most consummate piece of art that he had ever created."

The park’s design continued to evolve in the 20th century. Monuments installed in and around the park included Lafayette and Washington (1900) by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the Carl Schurz Memorial (1913) by Karl Bitter and Henry Bacon, and the Seligman (Bear and Faun) Fountain (1914) by Edgar Walter. Between the 1930s and the 1950s playgrounds, basketball courts, and softball diamonds were constructed in the east and south parts of Morningside Park.

In 1968 student and community protests halted construction of a large gymnasium in the park intended for the use of Columbia University and the public. The excavated foundation crater was converted into an ornamental pond and waterfall in 1989-90 as part of a $5 million capital reconstruction of the park from 110th to 114th Streets. The project also included installing new play equipment, creating a picnic area, planting new trees, and rebuilding the ballfields.

Jersey Shores

2011-09-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Dennis and myself headed to Branch
Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey.

We fished here last year and expected to
be able to fish in an area where fish would be
holding.

When we arrived we saw chain link fences all
around the area we wanted to fish. So we decided
to walk the lake edge to see if there were any
other areas holding fish.

No fish here

The lake is also stocked with rainbow trout

We saw no trout either. We even chummed
for carp and re chummed again but no actively
feeding fish could be found.

While we made the tour we saw this young
Red Tail Hawk lunching on a rodent.

We keep our distance as he ate

After lunch he flew up to a tree branch and
rested in the sun.

Dennis fishing for panfish. At 3:00 o'clock
we packed up and traveled to Harrison, New Jersey.
Harrison has a small pond that is stocked with
rainbows, panfish, carp and koi!

Harrison was no different except for several
white koi. But we paid a heavy price while
trying to catch them. Mosquitoes peppered
us without mercy. At one point there appeared
to be a mist hanging over head, A mist of big
Jersey mosquitoes!

Golden Pond

2011-09-05T15:56:00.000-07:00

This pond has panfish and a bunch of cautious,
difficult to catch carp.

I've fished here several times but I have never
been able to find feeding carp.

While the pond is shallow it is a pleasant place
to fish. There are a large number of turtles
here also

Looking west on Golden Pond.

No Henry Fonda did not fish here.

My first carp from Golden Pond.

History of the Park:

The Crocheron family lived on the edge of Little Neck Bay for centuries. The first family member to live in the area was John Crocheron, a farmer whose will dates from 1695. His long line of distinguished descendents include: Henry Crocheron, a Congressman from 1815 to 1817; Jacob Crocheron, a Congressman from 1829 to 1831; Nicholas Crocheron, a member of the 1854 State Assembly; and Joe Crocheron, a horse racer and gambler who was as renowned as Cornelius Vanderbilt and August Belmont.

In the days when the Tweed Ring ruled city government (1866-1871), this park was known as a political gathering place. The “Old Crocheron House” here on the shores of Little Neck Bay was a favorite site for Tammany Hall picnics and clambakes. The infamous William “Boss” Tweed (1823-1878) knew the area well, and took refuge here after he escaped from the Ludlow Street Jail in 1875. Boss Tweed had been held on corruption charges, but his extensive connections allowed him to escape to Spain in 1876. He was arrested by the Spanish police and returned to prison in New York, where he died of pneumonia in his cell in 1878.

The Crocheron family house burned down in 1907, and the estate remained unused and undeveloped for almost 20 years. In 1924, the City of New York bought the land where the house once stood. The following year, at the request of the Bayside Civic Association, the City purchased another 45 acres and drew up plans to build a park on the consolidated property. By 1936, the City had turned the area into a park with picnic grounds, winding walks, an enlarged lake for wintertime skating, and thousands of trees. The following are just some of the species found in the park: Northern catalpa (Catalpa seciosa), American elm (Ulmus americana), Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos), Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), Red oak (Quercus rubra), Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergiana), London planetree (Platanus x acerifolia), and Weeping willow (Salix alba ‘Tristis’). Since 1936, fields of saplings have grown into a veritable forest, and Parks has added a playground, a dozen tennis courts, a baseball diamond, and a field house. In addition, visitors can also take in the splendid views of Little Neck Bay from either of the hexagonal gazebos that stand on the bluff.

Between 1954 and 1956, Parks acquired the property to the north of Crocheron Park from Broadway producer John Golden (1874-1955), built a park, and named it after the donor. Parks undertook a major renovation of Golden Park in 1973, when the goldfish pond was restored and a tennis house, tennis courts, playground, and six baseball fields were built. Together, Golden Park and Crocheron Park provide the neighborhood with a large area for recreation.

Bowne Park

2011-09-05T15:51:00.000-07:00

I've fished Bowne pond several times. This
pond has bass, blue gills, catfish and carp.

I come here for the carp.

The one bad thing about this park is TURTLES!
They are everywhere, especially when you are
fishing for carp. Do Not chum with corn.

I use boilles or pellets as chum here

I fished the day before Irene arrived & I noticed
that the was no carp activity after 7:00pm.
I wonder why?

Weequahic Lake

2011-09-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

This was my second trip to Newark, New Jersey.
Last year the lake experienced low water conditions.
This year, thanks to Irene the Hurricane, the
lake is overflowing.

Here is an example of the flooding that occurred.
Part of the surface of this 80 acre lake is covered
in a green muck in spite of the aerator but the
water is clear.

I caught blue gills on the west side of the lake.
People were fishing for carp on the west side too.
Thirty pound carp can be caught here.

Notice the plant growth on the lake's surface.
Weedless is the way to fish here in the summer.

I manage to fish for carp here. I had to chum
a small open area that was weed free. I mixed
some ground bait, even used some floating
pellets. Initially, I had no takers but I waited
two hours and applied more chum. With the
water being clear I could see that some of the
chum had been eaten.

I hooked at least two carp that roared off into
the weeds where they were able to break my
6 pound tippet. I also hooked what felt like a
catfish. It too swam for the underwater weeds
and snapped my tippet. So I packed and left.

Milton lake

2011-09-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

I took a trip to Milton lake. There is still evidence
of Hurricane Irene on the shores of this lake.
Water marks and wet brown grass outline the
shore line of this lake.

I arrived late in the morning. Since this was
my first visit, I walked and surveyed the lakes edge.
As I reached the south end, I had to get permission
to cross because part of the road had been
washed away. The east side of the lake is
strictly bushwacking over tree branches,
mud and muck.

The water was clear and I saw fish swimming;
Panfish and carp live here. I set up for carp but
I had no takers on the east side.

When the sun started to get low, I began to catch
some blue gills on nymphs & streamers.
Just before sunset, I hooked my first bass of the
summer. He jumped at least three times but
I kept my rod tip low.

I noticed these flowers on the west side of the
lake. They remind me of daisies .

A great place for largemouth bass to hide, carp too!
These pads line the west bank.

And I even saw an orange koi here.

Big Pike Fly Fishing

2011-09-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

Carp fly fishing

2011-08-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

Fished for carp at a park in New Jersey. I chose
this water because the carp here are especially
cautious. This maybe the most difficult place to
catch carp that I know.

When I arrived in the early afternoon, I saw
feeding carp. I decided to not use any chum.
Within the first fifteen minutes, I had hooked
a relatively small carp. There are no big boys
in this water. No carp weighs more than a few
pounds. The second carp was caught in a
different part of the river.

The third carp took longer to catch. I think in
hindsight, I should have moved to another part
of the water, carp were getting wise to me.

During the time I was fishing, I would see takes
that were not typical carp takes. Usually this means
small panfish or catfish ( I was fishing on the bottom
in dark water). Finally I caught a nice, about a foot
long catfish.

By the time the weather started to get threatening
I had hooked 5 and landed 3 carp. I wanted to
take one more crack at the carp but I could hear
the thunder in the distance.

According to the New Jersey Transit bus schedule
the next bus to NYC would arrive at 7:15 pm; so
I walked to the bus stop several blocks away.
" And then it started to rain". It rained, thundered
and lightninged for nearly an hour. There were
no shelters or doorways in which to hunker down
It was a heavy rain. I was literally standing in an
outdoor shower.

The rain slowly soaked my clothes starting at my hat.
Even my gore tex shoes were wet inside due to the
trickle down theory working. If you stand still the
rain soaks your pants, runs down you leg and
into the tops of your soxs which filters the water
before it collects in the bottom of your water proof
shoes

Holly Berry

2011-08-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

The real Holly berry.

Dan River

2011-08-17T18:01:00.001-07:00

Spent several days in Danville, Virginia. Finally
got to fish Dan River. I had visited her as a boy
but never had a chance to fish this unique river.

The Dan River is a river of contrasts - even contradictions. But it also has similarities like the brook trout and striped bass. Both fish fight hard, but do not leap- and both are naturally occurring.
The Dan River originates high along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Patrick County and flows easterly until it empties into 50,000-acre John H. Kerr Reservoir (Buggs Island Lake) near Clarksville, Virginia. The Dan River is a stream for all seasons and the choice of a variety of anglers. It's hard to imagine while standing on the banks of John. H. Kerr Reservoir that four counties to the west, the Dan River is a sparkling mountain stream and home to the native brook trout.

Hot Fun in the summer time

2011-08-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

During the summer, I like to fish the lower portion of the Passaic river. Carp and Northern pike (Esox lucius or water wolf) actively feed during the heat. The Passaic river, the longest river in New Jersey, was formed during the last ice age from a proglacial lake. A proglacial lake happens when water is trapped by ice until the water overflows. That overflow became the Passaic.

The river still has a pollution problem but I have witness improvements in the quality of the water since 2004. Now when I fish, I see crabs, young fish, turtles and stripe bass living in the river.

During the summer months, is when carp feed on the surface of the river. I use an 8 weight fly rod to fish for fish in the river and small round pellets made from deer hair as "bait". When tied correctly, flies made from deer hair float like a bug or piece of bread on the water.

Carp offer a unique challenge to the fly fisher because of what is required to catch them. They are smart, cautious and tough. Some like to compare fishing for carp with a fly rod to fishing for bone fish with a fly rod. Both require stealth, patients and casting skills in order to have a chance of catching the fish.

Several times during the summer I also fish for pike in the river. I target these fish using big flies up to a foot long sometimes! Pike are at the top of the food chain in the tidal water of the lower Passaic river; where it flows through the urban areas of New Jersey. Nothing is bigger, badder or meaner than the pike with it's canine like teeth. Pike will lay in the river, almost motionless, waiting for a unsuspecting fish to pass by. On the attack, pike can go from zero to speeds in the upper teens when pursuing prey!

And then it started to rain

2011-08-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

I had not fished in New Jersey in more than a
week. I started to fish at the shallow end of the
lake where it is easier to see the fish feeding.

Shortly after I arrived, clouds started to roll
into the area. The chum I had placed on the
water was causing carp to cloop( feed on the surface)
I have found that the carp here like smaller
deer hair flies rather than larger ones like size 10.

As the feeding frenzy of the carp increased, the koi,
"Passaic Red" made an appearance. She would
not take more than a pellet at a time. while
the common carp would gulp as many pellets
as they could without having to breath air.
Red would surface, eat and dive deep, only
to surface 20 or 30 feet away and repeat the
process.

It had started to rain but it was not a soaking
rain. It was fun at first and then the sky opened
the rain became a down pour.

6wt

2011-08-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Decided to have some fun this afternoon.
I packed my gear with a 6 weight rod and headed
to New Jersey.

My plan was to see how many carp I could catch
before it got dark. I arrived at the lake after
3:00pm. It was warm but not oppressively hot.
I started at the west end of the lake.

As I worked my way east, I saw a few guys
fishing for carp, without fly rods.
They were fishing with just a can of corn for bait.
Not what I would recommend for carp. Yes they,
the carp take corn but I always carry more than
one weapon into war.

Carp will feed at different levels in the water
column; so one needs to use tactics that will allow
one to fish where the carp are feeding.
I fish on the bottom, top and in between to increase
the likelihood of catching a fish.

By the end of the evening, the other carp fishers
were watching in amazement as I hooked carp
and catfish. I had 9 carp take my offerings and
landed 6 carp. when they saw I was using a
#12 hair ball, they didn't know what to say.

nishikigoi

2011-07-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

With the dog days of summer here, fish become less active in the lakes and ponds in New York City. It is best not to fish during this period because just like humans, fish become stressed from the heat. This is the time to watch some of the fish .

I was surprised to discover the number of koi that are in urban lakes. No one seems to know how they arrived. I suspect that they are the result of people moving and relocating their pets to the nearest lake. But no matter how or why, the result is that multi colored fish now live happily in urban ponds and lakes.

Carp have been a source of food for Asians for for many centuries. First in China, later in Japan, carp were also bred based on their coloring. In China this led to producing goldfish. In the rice fields of Japan this breeding of carp for their coloring produced "brocaded carp". The Japanese word Nishikigoi means brocaded carp. Koi can live for a long time, longer than humans. In Japan the oldest documented koi lived more than two hundred years!

Prospect Park lake has many koi, some more than a meter in length. Some almost snow white, some with different combinations of orange, black or red. Due to their unique coloring koi are extremely cautious. They can not hide in their surroundings like common carp and other fish. However they can be observed in the spring as water temperature warms. To watch koi and other fish wear polarized sunglasses, they allow the wearing to see through the light reflected by the lake's surface. There are common carp that weigh nearly fifty pounds in the lake too.

Koi oh boy!

2011-07-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Thunder storms were in the forecast a few days
ago. I was fishing in Babylon, New York; when
I saw a bolt of lightning far off to the north of
the lake. I counted the seconds until I heard
the sound of thunder. Based on the sound of
thunder and the fact that the clouds were moving
away from where I stood, I felt it was safe to remain
and fish for carp.

I noticed that this koi was feeding on the surface
near the very center of the lake. She was out
of casting range. Koi have a unique swim or
search pattern they follow while they forage.
It is different from the carp.

Looking north on Southard Lake.

My first carp of the day.

By the time the koi was within casting distance,
it had started to rain heavily. As it continued to pour,
I stood under a tree for some shelter from the rain.
My line started to move. I saw the koi as it accelerated
toward the center of the lake. I let her rip. There was
nothing to do at this point but to hang on and wait.

After about 10 minutes of experiencing koi anger,
I brought the fish in to shore.

Piker

2011-07-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

I favor fishing for Northern pike during the
new moon phase. Over the years I have found
this to be the time that pike are looking for a
meal.

So Dennis & I got to the Passaic river for some
toothy fish fishing. Dennis had never caught
a pike on a fly. My experience has shown
that big salt water flies work best on the Passaic.
Although, Last year I caught a pike with a big
black gurgler, a surface fly.

We arrived about three hours before low tide.
Since Dennis had never fished for pike before
I gave him one of my favorite flies. I tied on my
gurgler fly hoping to repeat my previous success.
Within a quarter of an hour, Dennis had a pike
on line.

By the end of out time there He had caught
four pike each one bigger than the last. He was
thrilled with catching these water wolves.
He especially enjoyed watching them jump
out of the water and appear to stand on their tails.

I decided I would allow Dennis to fish alone this
day as it was his first time. Besides my floating
gurgler had stopped floating and there was another
fly fisher fishing for pike. Two's company, three's
a crowd as everybody knows and the space we fish
is limited. Pictured above is my equipment for
pike fishing: An 8wt March Brown Fly Rod, Franco
Vivarelli Goldstar semi automatic fly reel, Boca Grip,
box of big flies and tippets.

Sunday afternoon

2011-07-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

I got a call from Dennis, Sunday morning.
He called because it was raining. Many times
carp feed during showers. So we decided to fish
in Central Park. The lake is quiet with almost
no visitors while it rains.

By the time we met, it had stopped raining
We tried to fish but there were no carp feeding
at 1:00pm in the afternoon. I decide to leave
the state of New York for the more accommodating
waters of New Jersey. We arrived there just before
4:00 o'clock.

First Dennis, then myself hooked fish. The
water was murky and I had not bought my
sunglasses; so sighting fish was nearly impossible.
But fish were feeding on the surface so fishing
was productive.

By night fall, between the two of us we had caught
more than 20 carp; not bad for plan B.

12 hours

2011-07-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

I was up and out early this morning. I took
this photo before 7:00am. Not much to see
the lake was like glass, no wind. No sign of
feeding carp.

Twelve hours later same spot. This time I
can see crappie. I think they are being chased
by larger predators. fish are clearing the lake
surface here and there but still no sign of
feeding carp. I threw some chum in the water
and waited. At this time of year, daylight lasts
until almost 9:00pm. I expect that if there are
carp in the area they will come close to shore
after dark.

When I was 20 I stood a number of watches,
topside on the USS Tusk, a submarine, at night.
One of the things you learn to do in the dark is
see things by not looking at them. Using my
peripheral vision I spotted a large white koi
moving east, about 10 feet from the shoreline.
Just as suddenly, the white shadow disappeared.

Watching a carp swim at night is like watching
smoke. It takes awhile to recognize what it is.
It takes more time to figure what it is doing.
The big koi reappeared at 9:40pm but this time
moving west. She stopped to eat the chum I had
used. The water level was less than 3 feet where
she had stopped to hover.

As a couple leaving the park walked by me. I pointed
at the large white koi no more than 5 feet from
the edge of the lake. Initially, they thought something
had died in the water but when they stopped and
took a good look they could see the fins moving
slowly. With the park light helping, we were
able to watch this rare koi go about eating it's
dinner. Many people don't realize that while
the lake is man made, it is a healthy, living lake.

Prospect Park lake is well known for it's population
of Large Mouth Bass. While it is not easy, one can
catch a five pound bass here. The lake is also home
to Bluegills, Carp, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Golden
Shiner, Yellow Perch and Pickerel.

There are seven species of turtles in the lake including
man hole size snapping turtle!

After dark

2011-07-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Went to the park last night. Put some chum
in the water for the carp. I saw no evidence
of carp feeding.

I watched the lake surface until 10:00pm
then packed up and walked home.

Passaic River

2011-06-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

It was my intention today to fish for pike. But
when I arrived at the Passaic river, I found
I had miscalculated the tide. I was an hour too
late.

All was not lost, nearby carp were feeding,
on the surface. I set up my rod. Tied on a fly
and began to fish for carp. My first fly choice didn't
attract any attention.

My second fly choice is my favorite for low tide situations,
a white woolie bugger. After a few warm up casts
I hooked a carp. River carp behave differently.
On the Passaic, I have never seen carp eating chum.
But they will take a number of different dry & wet
flies, even terrestrials. Carp living in ponds &
lakes readily eat chum, as much as they can get!

Hooked five, landed one.

Mulberries in Brooklyn

2011-06-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

A friend told me that there is a mulberry tree
in Prospect Park next to the lake. I looked and
sure enough there are a number of trees bearing
mulberries all along the south west part of the
lake. However, of the more than a dozen trees
adjacent to the lake, not one carp was found
eating mulberries.

I guess the reason for not seeing the trees
before is that I was not expecting to find any
mulberry trees.

My question now is why aren't there fish eating
berries as they fall into the water?

I spent about an hour or so this morning watching
an orange and an albino koi slowly swimming
in the area near Wellhouse Drive. I left a few corn
pellets before I left.

"I'll be back."

Catching some nice carp on the fly rod

2011-06-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

Kissena lake

2011-06-25T21:45:00.001-07:00

Since 1907 Kissena Park has undergone many improvements and renovations. In 1942, Kissena Lake was transformed into a "bathtub lake" when the Works Progress Administration drained it, built an encompassing stone retainer, and refilled it. The lake had to be drained again in 1983 due to a buildup of algae. Today the lake is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life, including snapping turtles, ducks, herons, egrets, and gallinules.

Saturday we took the Long Island Rail Road to
Jamaica, Queens. It has been months since Dennis
and I had fished this small lake for carp. There
are way too many turtles here for my liking but
there are some big, strong carp here.

The day was hot and fishing was very slow.
Most of the afternoon was spent trying to locate
carp. Nothing was happening until we moved
to the north side of the lake. There I caught
the first carp; really powerful, for it's size carp.

Dennis had started to target an orange koi, about
50 feet to my left; that was gobbling down his
dog biscuits. After about 20 minutes of this
the koi disappeared.

As dusk arrived, Dennis hooked his first carp of the
day with a deer hair fly. This carp ran like a freight
train at night. While Dennis was in his battle, I
hooked my third carp of the day. My second fish
was a LDR (Long Distance Release). We stood
almost side by side, sort of synchronized carp
fishing as daylight strolled away. Each fish was
a battler, running, head shaking and refusing to
be put in a net.

I had a hefty 8 wt fly rod, which gave me an edge
and I needed it for this fish. Dennis had his usual
5 wt, advantage carp. So even though our arms
were hurting as we hung on to our fly rods; I could
feel my fish weakening. Shortly, my carp was
unwillingly being pulled towards my waiting net.
Finally my ordeal was completed but Dennis'
fish still fought as if he had not already spent 20
minutes swimming like a shark. I tried to help
with the netting of the fish. This fellow was over
3 feet long, longer than my net was deep! At the
last moment he broke the tippet and returned to
the lake bottom for a well deserved rest.

Clove Lakes

2011-06-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

After spending about eight hours fishing in
New Jersey yesterday; I was on Staten Island
at 8:30 am. My reason for being there was
carp and mulberries. Mulberries are on the
trees here and carp love mulberries.

It turned out to be a long day. Carp were not
feeding on the berries this morning. So I put
some chum in the water. Nada. As the morning
turned into afternoon, I went to a spot were
I had seen carp before.

Carp and koi were in and out of this area as they
feed on what appeared to be an orange colored
root system growing from a willow tree branch
touching the lake surface. I threw a few corn
pellets in the water to get the attention of the
carp.

This area where fish were feeding had limited space
for fighting a fish and especially carp. So my plan
was to try to keep any fish from running wild.
Several times my line became tangled with under
water tree branches and twigs. I took the time and effort
to quietly remove each one until I felt there were
no submerged obstacles left. I was ready to fish.

During this whole process I could see carp tailing
I knew that I would need to keep my rod tip low,
if I were to have any hope of controlling and limiting
the carp's first big run. A line caught on a branch
would cause me to lose whatever fish was on the
line.

The tailing carp were so engrossed in feeding
that they ignored my presence. I soon saw my
line tighten and begin to form a straight line.
I set the hook and an under water commotion
began! I could not let the fish have more than
a 15 foot radius in any direction. This meant I
had to move my rod tip in anticipation of the
carps movements. Keep the fish guessing.
My tactics worked and I was rewarded with a
big bellied mirror carp. They are rare, only my
second since 2004.

Passaic

2011-06-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

Dennis and I went to the river to fish. Things
were slow there, so we packed up and went to
a nearby lake.

We had a double digit day. I landed the one
pictured. It was after sun set when we left the
lake to return to New York City.

The Passaic river

Passaic Red

2011-06-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

Carp fishing is heating up; with mulberries and
warmer weather, fish can be found actively feeding.
I went to New Jersey with a 3 piece, 6' 10", 7 wt,
Fenwick fiberglass fly rod. The rod is from Japan.
It is designed for fishing big bass flies.

The day of fishing started well. I arrived,
set up my rod and began to fish. Quickly, I had
landed two small carp. I thought that I might be
having a banner day but the carp changed their
behavior and I stood and waited for a long time
for another fish.

It took a while before I had my third fish. As I reeled
him into shore I noticed that the hook was not
in the carp's mouth. I had foul hooked it in the
fin. I removed the hook and released the fish.

Later things changed and carp began feeding
again. I could see the shadows of the feeding
carp in the deeper water with my polarized
sunglasses (never fish without them). I changed
my location and caught a few more carp.
By late evening I had landed a total of 5 carp.
I decided to empty the remaining contents
of my chum bag into the lake rather than
carry it back home.

This cup of pellets lay almost motionless on the
windless lake surface. Slowly carp began to
eat the buffet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw
"Passaic Red", the lakes largest koi. Everyone
who fishes this lake dreams of catching her.
She is not actually red but orange with black
splotches across the back. Last year my friend
Dennis got lucky and landed her.

Passaic Red began to eat and greedily gulped the
pellets down. Koi are coy. They are smart, alert
and difficult to fool with a fly. I watched. Carp
were in a feeding frenzy and so was Red. When carp
are feeding, in a frenzy they put aside their normal
cautiousness. It appeared that Red might be in the state
of frenzy. I made a cast with a #14 brown deer hair
fly. The cast was too short. I made another cast and
put my fly six inches to the right of Red's mouth.
I watched as she made another approach to a row
of pellets. She sucked down three pellets in a row.
My fly was not part of that row. But at the last moment
she noticed my fly sitting alone on the surface.
She turned, sucked down my offering and dove deep
into the lake. Carp can expel flies faster than you can
set the hook; so I did not know if she was attached to my
fly line. I waited and watched as my line followed as she
swam to the lake bottom. I set the hook and felt the fish
trying to flee.

This was a fish of a lifetime. Very very few have been able to
stalk and hook a koi. Red resisted my attempts to bring her
to hand for the better part of ten minutes. Finally, tired,
she stopped fighting. Just as I was placing the boca grip
in her mouth, she slipped off the hook and slowly swam away.

Night Stalker

2011-06-13T19:42:00.000-07:00

Last night Dennis and I fished in Central Park
for double digit carp. The forecast had called
for rain but no such luck. The only carp were
nestled at the base of mulberry tree and they
were not interested in anything we offered.

There was almost no wind and no visibly active
fish. The mulberry tree is on the right side of
this picture. We did spend about an hour trying
to convince a couple of koi to take one of the flies
we offered. They seemed to follow a pattern.
To me it resembled a treble cleff. Dog biscuits
were offered and gratefully accepted by both.
Not one biscuit was allowed to drift away; all were
methodically consumed.

Picture of Prospect Park Lake in moonlight.

Clove Lakes

2011-06-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

Went to Staten Island to see if mulberry trees
were bearing fruit. There are an abundance
of trees, mulberry trees in Clove Lakes Park,
all bearing fruit. All with insatiable carp stuffing
themselves beneath the low hanging branches.

One of the things I like to do at Clove Lakes is
catch catfish with flies. In June, catfish become
active and can be taken with dry or wet flies.

I took this picture while catfish of different sizes
swam below a bridge. They took a #10 white
woolie bugger, whenever I would fish it like a
minnow.

I saw another orange and white koi in the water

Looking south on one of the three lakes at Clove
Lakes Park

Better than manna, Mulberries.

2011-06-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

It is Mulberry time!
These mulberries are a favorite carp treat; as they
lazily drop from branches overhanging rivers and
lakes. Carp seem to lower their guard in order to
gorge themselves on these late spring treats.

8 carp today

2011-06-07T18:08:00.000-07:00

Fished in Passaic County for carp. In spite of
the windy conditions and brown water, I had
quite a day. I got to the water about noon.
Carp were tailing and feeding on the bottom.
I threw a handful of carp pellets close to shore
and then set up my fly rod.

A local sage yelled to me from across the lake
that fish were feeding on the bottom; so I knew
what to do. I lost my first fish, which is unusual.
I looked at what was left of my line and determined
that I had purchased an inferior tippet. In an effort
to save a few dollars I bought an unknown tippet
from a vendor on e-bay. As they say: "cheap is cheap".

I replaced the weaker tippet with an Orvis
fluorocarbon tippet. A little while later I landed
my first carp of the afternoon. Carp continued
to feed in my area and I continued to fish.
I landed another fish. Lost the third fish, this
time due to the fish being able to out maneuver
me as I tried to lift him from the water and place
him on the bank of the lake.

I hooked my 3rd and 4th carp & a friend
netted them for me which helped save time.

By the time I was ready to leave I had hooked
a total of 8 carp and landed all but 3. A really
good day of carp fishing for me.

The Mudhole

2011-06-06T19:41:00.001-07:00

Today, after 3 years and several frustrating efforts
I landed my first carp at the "mudhole" in New Jersey
This spot has the most cautious carp I have ever
come across. Nothing I tried worked the way I
wanted. Chum, which should attract fish and make
carp feed did just the opposite; it chased these carp
to the far end of the pond.

Even the bait fishers have no advantage here.
I watched as half a dozen others tried what they
thought would entice the carp but I was the only one
to land a fish and I was only able to do it early in the
afternoon. I did hook 2 others but I lost them to
a purchase of an inexpensive tippet from e bay.

Passaic

2011-06-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

I spent the day in Passaic, New Jersey.
It was too windy for sight fishing, except for
when I took this shots of a cruising carp.

Fish still are in spawn mode. Normally there
would be more carp in this shallow water.

Surprisingly, fish were not spooky. I was very
close to these carp when I took these pictures.
I was even able to put a fly in front of a carp
and get a take. Unfortunately, too much drag
and a 6X tippet do not stay together for long.

All quiet on the Passaic River. I saw no carp
at all during my visit.

Lincoln Park

2011-06-01T16:25:00.001-07:00

Took the PATH train to Jersey City to take a
look at Lincoln Park.

The park has two ponds. The first pond has a large
carp population. Unfortunately, an unknown
illness attacked that population late last season
& caused poor fishing and many dead carp.

This season the pond will be closed to fishing
but the state of New Jersey has restocked
the pond; which will be open for fishing next
season.

Roll Cast; Fly Fishing technique

2011-06-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Rockland lake

2011-05-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Caught a smallmouth bass & several BGs
At Rockland lake

Fishing was slow until I reached the eastside
of the lake. Wish I had brought my waders.
Saw a few feeding carp on the westside of the lake
swimming beneath the lily pads. I caught several
yellow perch too.

More fishing after 7:00

2011-05-31T19:00:00.000-07:00

Same place, same time, more big carp

I was barely able to net this carp. Look at the size!

Dennis' biggest carp

2011-05-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Dennis & I have found a place that holds big
carp. Unfortunately, the best time to have a
shot at catching a big carp is between 7:00pm
and dark.

I worked the net for Dennis this time due to
the size of his double digit carp. My net came
apart as I tried to lift the carp from the lake.

Urban fishing in New Jersey

2011-05-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I made trips on the PATH train to
Bayonne and Harrison, New Jersey. The purpose
was to recon two ponds which are reported to
hold carp.

My first stop was at the almost unknown
Bayonne pond, in Bayonne, New Jersey. It is
a small body of water which holds channel catfish
and carp. I spent several hours inspecting the
pond and catching only one "pocket" channel
catfish.

The next day I headed to Harrison, near Newark,
New Jersey. There I found a pond loaded with
panfish and carp. All along the shore I saw
fish suspended.

In the north east corner I found what I had hoped
to see, carp. They moved slowly in the afternoon
sun. A few were still spawning.

There were a number of koi swimming slowly
in the water too.

Hackensack flats

2011-05-28T17:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday I traveled to the Hackensack river.
Carp are reported to hold in this part of the river
During the tide change, carp move freely.

In this picture the tide has gone out and all that
remains is a pool for carp to wait for the
incoming tide.

In this picture the tide has returned, even the
flats are now covered.

I don't know if these prints in the mud were
left by a raccoon or a small child walking on
her hands in the slippery Hackensack river
mud.

The flats on the Hackensack river at low tide.

My wife catches her first carp on the fly.

2011-05-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

Beetle Tactics - The Fly Fishing Odyssey - risetheory.com

2011-05-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

The third time is the charm

2011-05-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

We returned to Central Park, Sunday evening
for some more carp fishing. The park is filled
with tourist until about 6:00 pm, then people
start to pack up and leave. This is the time to
look for feeding carp.

Dennis arrived earlier than I did so he had already
wet his line by the time I arrived. We used spey
casting technique to reach carp feeding on the
surface. There is little room for back casting here.

We cast from this rock. The water is muddy
looking and algae is starting to grow but this
lake has some of the largest carp in the city.
In the few days spent fishing at this part of the
lake, we have caught a number of double digit
carp. They are longer and thicker than the carp
we normally see.

carp fishing big mirror carp

2011-05-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

The Pond

2011-05-21T16:11:00.001-07:00

After leaving the lake at 72nd street we walked
to the pond at 59th street. While the water
there was brown and muddy, we were able
to see fish.

At the west end of the lake we saw these young
bass sunning themselves in the morning . Several
large koi were suspending too.

The draw back is that this body of water must
be fished very early in the morning because of
tourists.

Looking east at the pond.

The waterfall & source of the water for the pond.

The next morning

2011-05-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Dennis & I returned to the park in the morning.
There was no wind on the lake. I set up and waited
But unlike the previous evening no carp were
feeding.

Dennis landed his first mirror carp.

I landed a big carp with the aid of an 8 wt March
Brown fly rod and my net which shortened
the time needed to beach this one.

Dennis fighting the mirror carp.*

Looking south at the lake.

*Mirror carp are a type of fish, commonly found in the United Kingdom and Europe. The name "Mirror Carp" originates from their scales' resemblance to mirrors. They can grow in excess of 60lb - the last few British record fish have all been mirror carp.

The difference between mirror and common carp is both genetic and visual - biologically they are similar. The mirror carp was the first mutation of common carp, owing to two alternative genes, the S allele and the N allele. The genetic term for a mirror carp is "ssnn" (all minor). Common carp have an even, regular scale pattern, whereas mirrors have irregular and patchy scaling, making many fish unique and possible to identify individual fish by sight, leading to most carp in the UK over 40 lb being nicknamed. This lack of scales is widely believed to have been bred in by monks in order to make the fish easier to prepare for the table.

Out of the night

2011-05-21T14:48:00.000-07:00

My fishing buddy asked if I wanted to fish for
carp in Central Park in the evening. I got to
the park after 7:00 o'clock and waited for Dennis
I could see carp clooping.

This part of the lake has a number of 30 lb carp.
When I hooked this fish, he took off towards the
south end of the lake. The rod shook in my hand
as line was peeled off the reel. My 5 wt was bent
and now backing was being stripped off the reel
spool also. This was a powerful carp!

My March Brown Fly Rod

It was dark by the time I was able to bring this
fellow to shore (more than 30 minutes).

Drying out

2011-05-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

We've had several days of rain and today it was
still cloudy. I walked the lakes edge looking for
signs that fish are active.

Bass fry are visible almost everywhere.

A club size bass taken on a #12 pheasant tail
fly. At this time of the year these guys are very
active and I've had success using this fly for bass
this size (8" - 12").

The park gets greener each day

A mature BG

Central Park Common Carp

2011-05-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

KOI

2011-05-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

I was walking by an area where I had seen koi.
Previously, I had chummed this area in an effort
to get the carp & koi to feed. Note the koi pictured
it has an orange body with a few black hash marks
on it's side

I was surprised to see that the carp were back
again; this time to spawn. The koi are much
easier to see but when I looked closer, I could
see common carp swimming as well in this shallow
water.

the koi pictured is almost a meter in length,
including the fan like tail.

There were 4 white koi in this area with the
less flamboyant, common carp.

This koi was in spawn mode too. I did put a
fly in front of him but no "takers".

Little Ferry

2011-05-08T18:48:00.001-07:00

I went to Little Ferry, New Jersey to fish in
a small lake. Last year I fished this lake but
fish were not feeding. This time the water
was muddy and the fish still were not feeding.

I did see a few ducklings but not one trout or
carp. Some people who were fishing with bait
managed to catch fish here & there but it was
a really slow day.

Looking south, almost no wind but the water
looked like a cup of light coffee.

Carp normally reside in the north end of the
lake.

A big snapping turtle, there were lots of them
visible.

Warm day

2011-05-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

The trees are starting to fill in with leaves.
Bass are on beds and even BGs are beginning
to spawn.

Pictured here is a mature BG, over 7 inches
long taken on a white woolie bugger.

Looking north from the 3 islands on the south
shore. I caught a bunch of cigar size bass on
a small muddler minnow.

Prospect Park

2011-05-06T14:38:00.001-07:00

I spotted a couple of small koi this afternoon
on the lullwater. It is difficult for these guys to
hide in their surroundings because of their
beautiful coloring. The orange one appeared
to have a fantail.

Koi are the most difficult fish to catch

Koi are extremely shy and rarely can be found
eating, which is the key to catching fish.

A seven inch Bluegill taken on a mudler minnow

One of Brooklyn's wild Bass sitting on it's nest.
Notice the clarity of the water. In a few weeks
the bass fry will be swimming with their parent.

Island hopping

2011-05-06T14:28:00.001-07:00

I went to Staten Island to fish at a lake near
CSI. No not that CSI, The College of Staten Island.
Bass, Carp and panfish live in this lake. I saw
4 big orange koi, that refused to feed while I
was there.

After a few hours I took the S62 bus to Clove
Lakes Park. Fish were not active but I managed
to catch a small catfish.

One of the small waterfalls in Clove Lakes park

Catfish on a fly

On the way to Staten Island, the ferry passes
The Statue of Liberty.

Carpin in the rain

2011-05-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

It was a cool rainy day so I picked up my Fenwick
"535" fiberglass fly rod. This rod is rated for 5 wt
fly line but recently I discovered that fly rods
can be underlined. For years I had overlined this
rod with 7 wt fly line. Now I fish this rod as if it is
a 3 wt using 3 wt fly line for delicate presentations.

Notice the new tiles on the ceiling

Looking north

The famous Bethesda Fountain a big tourist
attraction but it makes carp fishing here almost
impossible.

This is what is called "The Mall" in Central Park.
It has been used in many films. I remember it
from the film "Kramer v. Kramer, with Dustin
Hoffman and Meryl Streep.

The whole time I fished it rained but I had
the place to myself. During my battle with this
carp This fiberglass rod was bent into a "U"
literally! If it had not been for the drag on the
ATP 37 reel I might still be in a tug of war.