Brittany larkins
Our Angler of the month for June is Brittany Larkins from Billings, Montana…One of the most prominent female U.S. Carp Anglers on the scene today, she is a great ambassador for the sport and can often be found catching some of the most beautiful mirrors that the U.S. has to offer.
Brittany, Spencer and their children, are great examples of a family that spends quality time together fishing for Carp and making the most of the great outdoors. We love this shot as it depicts the sheer joy of her capture along with the raw openness of our great U.S. fisheries. Congratulations Brittany, and ‘Thank You’ for your stewardship…and as you will see later in this edition, under the new ‘Crumb Crunchers’ section…it runs in the family!
NOTABLE CAPTURES
What can we say about this incredible fish and shot…Adam Tomlin once again captures an absolutely jaw dropping bronze mirror…If this isn’t one of the most unique looking U.S. mirrors that has been captured, then we don’t know what is! Big congratulations once again Adam….Epic fish and shot!
Last month was a banner month for many of our members across the USA. With temperatures now warming up pretty much everywhere, we are starting to see the bigger fish coming to shore. With some lovely scaled mirrors, as well as a few of Dale Hollow’s fully scaled prizes, we had a lot to choose from. These photos below certainly caught our attention. Congratulations to everyone on the success of your angling sessions this past month…We appreciate all of your tags and mentions, and can’t wait to see what you guys and gals catch this Spring season! Don’t forget to tag us #americancarpsociety #jointheguiltyones
stay on target BY DON LOW
With the type of fishing I usually do, which is finding cleaner or firmer areas, holes in the weed, or fishing over a bed of bait on a spot that has been pre-baited, it really boosts my confidence to know that I am being as accurate as possible. This week I fished a clean gravel spot in the margin and had three fish. My buddy fishing just one rod length to my right, had nothing.
Any distance beyond which I can’t comfortably see the bottom or judge the distance by eye, say over two rod lengths out, I fish to the clip or to a line marker. By this, I mean I use the line clip on the reel’s spool, or a marker on the line, to ensure that I hit the same distance every cast.
Most reels have a line clip. Some are better than others, and it’s worth paying for a carp specific reel, as these will have a spring-loaded high impact clip which prevents line damage. Once I have found the spot I want to fish to, I tighten up to the lead and then use the clip. Often, I use distance sticks to memorize the distance, but you can also walk it right out along the bank. It can be somewhat of a laborious task to re-clip after each cast, so if I can get away with it, I mark the line instead. This will depend on conditions. If it’s windy or I’m casting long distances, the clip is better than the line marker method.
If you’re using mono, a bright colored electrical tape makes a great marker. If you’re using braid, the tape won’t stay in place long, so I use marker elastic. The line is marked just after the tip ring of the rod. I use two markers about 1/2 inch apart. This lets you know if one of them has moved, which would be impossible to tell when using a single marker. Make sure the markers are as small as possible, as they can interfere with the line leaving the spool during the cast. The marker is placed after the tip ring so I can start to feather the cast before I hit the spot. You can hear and see the markers going through the rod rings, which gives you plenty of line to react.
Find your spot, be accurate, and increase your catch rate. Good luck out there!
- Don Low
premier angler
Check out the latest feature from Wayne Boon and The American Carp Society on the Premier Angler website!
Read it here: ARTICLE
Spreading the word on proper carp care to the masses can only help with the preservation and stewardship of our trophy fish. We see more enquiries and thoughtful questions from new anglers getting into the sport from this outreach that we are doing with traditional fishing sites and outlets. If you have a local store, news channel or fishing site that needs information on the species, don’t hesitate to reach out to us so that we can help educate the masses!
it’s that time of year
In many parts of the country the carp are now in full spawn mode. Here at The American Carp Society we advocate taking a few weeks off from fishing your local waters where the carp are spawning. It’s a great time for observation and getting a better look at some of the inhabitants in your local waters during the spawning season, but we advocate leaving them in peace to let nature take its course. Use the time off to document the fish…You’ll see far more up close than when they are not spawning!
reece mcdowell
Reece McDowell, from Western Massachusetts, has been catching some beautiful fish from his kayak as of late. Catching large Carp on the fly is no easy task in itself due to the comparatively light tackle that is used if measured against a traditional Euro approach. Add that to the addition of having a moving platform on the water and you have the equivalent of a submarine towing you around! Many congratulations to Reece for a number of incredible fish this past month!
FILSON 1987 - THE L.A RIVER and CARP ON THE FLY
Filson 1987 is the original Alaskan Outfitter for the outdoor enthusiast. A Company with great products and an exceptional Instagram page, we encourage everyone to check them out! They recently did an expose on the fly fishing culture that surrounds the L.A. River and asked Wayne Boon and our dear friend and American Carp Society Member, Fernando Vazquez to help contribute to the piece. Fernando put together all of the ‘Carp on the Fly’ content for the American Carp Society website.
“Before the 1930’s, the Los Angeles River was home to native rainbow trout, seasonal runs of steelhead, and even chinook salmon. Today, the concrete canyon below the hum of the 710 Freeway is a better-known location for Hollywood car chase scenes than a fly fishing destination. Luckily, a local community of fisher-folk who call the LA River their home waters are keeping the sport alive.
Wayne Boon, founder of The American Carp Society, says they’ve seen an upward trend in urban carp fly fishing over the past 15 years as fly fisherman look for angling options closer to home. ‘Folks are busier than ever, with less vacation time,’ Boon says. ‘They’re looking for fishing opportunities nearby, for a quick after work, or morning session. Carp, like humans, are blessed with an ability to survive in all kinds of conditions.”
Check out the full article here: ARTICLE
flies now available!
We are happy to say that the very popular ‘Carp Hex’ and ‘Squirmy Hybrid’ carp flies are back in stock on the store. Both of these patterns have been very successful with our members across the U.S.A. We will be releasing some very special additions next month, so stay tuned for updates!
cicada hatch update
BY: BRANDON TOURIGNY
At the beginning of the year I wrote to you all about the coming of the cicadas. Well, they’re here; and there is no better time to be a fly angler! The chorus of cicadas can be heard around lakes and rivers from North Georgia to Michigan. If you live anywhere along the eastern seaboard there is a good chance, you’re in the thick of the emergence of Brood X Cicadas.
As fly anglers we should be taking full advantage of this once in 17-year occurrence. The carp in my local waters have begun to take notice, and the outcome has been magical. In the last few days, I have witnessed dozens of carp searching for and feeding on cicadas right off the water’s surface.
Rather than looking for shallow mud flats as my starting point to look for carp, I let the sound of the cicadas be my guide. As their unmistakable ringing sound becomes louder and louder, and I know I am close, I start to look for the bugs themselves. Once I am in an area with a cluster of cicadas I observe the surface of the water, looking for carp rising to the surface for fallen cicadas. At the point of having spotted a fish you’ll want to try and lead the fish by about 2ft with your cast and ensure that your fly makes a loud smack when it hits the water. Stealth becomes less of a factor. Cicadas are huge insects, and they do not land on the water lightly. So, make sure your fly lands with a bang. The carp will then zone in on the sound of your fly, and hopefully eat.
If you don’t have cicadas in your immediate area but live in a state that has reported a hatch of the Brood X Cicadas, I recommend you download the Cicada Safari App. It is a free app created by Mount St. Joseph University as a community science project to track the Brood X emergence.
In the app’s interactive map users can pin photos at the location they have seen cicadas. This information will give you the starting point you need to find a body of water where this phenomenon is turning carp into hungry gluttons!
NOTABLE CAPTURES
Our Carp on the fly members and friends have been anxious for the weather to get a bit warmer…and it is now happening! Congratulations to everyone on the success of their angling sessions this past month! We appreciate all your tags and mentions, and can’t wait to see what you guys and gals catch this Summer season! Don’t forget to tag us and spread the word! #americancarpsociety #jointheguiltyones
Big thanks to CARP UNLIMITED for all of their tags!
Coming up in June we have some wonderful interviews on The American Carper Podcast…
tommy robinson:
Fishing for carp in tidal waters? That’s one of the many topics that we address in the latest American Carper Podcast. Tommy Robinson has been fishing for carp here in the USA for 40 years and has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with anglers of all experience levels in this podcast. An amazing guy, great angler and ambassador for the sport, Tommy fished the World Carp Championships in 2005 that were hosted by The American Carp Society, and spends some time discussing the marathon event and what took place. With Carp over 45 lbs to his name, Tommy is also an avid multi-species angler and discusses the attributes of the Snake Head as a worthy quarry when he’s not fishing for carp. With plenty of laughs and a great sense of humor, this is not to be missed!
dan frasier - a 3 part series - carp on the fly
Dan Frasier is arguably one of the most significant Carp on the Fly anglers in the USA today. Along with a handful of others, Dan has been pioneering the approach for our beloved species for many years across the country. A published author, speaker and all around great guy, with a vast amount of knowledge on the subject, he sits down with Sean to document some of the most significant aspects of the sport today. In a three part series, Dan discusses his history and gives some wonderful insights into his personal methodology for targeting the species. This is a must listen for anyone that has ever considered targeting carp on the fly.
We thought dedicating a section of the Angler’s Insider each month to the young’uns would be a good way of encouragement and keeping an eye on our rising stars. If you have a youngster that’s passionate about Carp fishing here in the USA, don’t forget to tag us for a chance to be featured in the Angler’s Insider!
Spencer Powell Jnr.
Abel Powell
Aedan Eshleman
Kyle Aronson
Mark
Mikey Nestor
Kirah Roland
new members stickers!!!
We thought that ‘Barnaby’ deserved a ‘Fully Scaled’ version…so we made one up! Our new membership packages, that will be unveiled toward the end of the year, are going to sport a number of new stickers in both the ‘Traditional’ and ‘Fly’ membership. Here’s a sneak peak of just a few of them!
We are working closely with our friends at Denver Trout Unlimited to bring some more exposure to the great Carp Slam Fly Fishing Tournament that takes place later on this year. There will be a unique opportunity for American Carp Society members that support the cause…more news to follow next month!
“Registration for CARPSLAM XV opens June 1, 2021! Amateur competitors, “Slamateurs,” compete in fundraising efforts to benefit the Denver South Platte River, then spend the day teamed up with a pro, targeting carp on the fly, in Colorado’s premier carp on the fly tournament!
july 4TH limited edition american carp society stars ‘n’ stripes!
In honor of celebrating our great Country on July 4th we will be releasing a very limited number edition of a new ‘Members Only’ American Carp Society ‘Stars ‘n’ Stripes’ cap. With woven stitching on the brim depicting the American flag over an olive camo layer that features our ‘Guilty’ logo, these hats will be collector’s items and will go fast! We will give our members a heads up on the time of release a few days prior. LIMITED QUANTITIES
in development
We have been working on something for the past six months in the Barnaby’s Revenge line of bait products…it’s just about ready and the field testing results have been something pretty special! We will keep everyone updated as the unveiling draws closer…Sneak peak below…
hats off to june!
We will be releasing a very limited number of new American Carp Society hat designs on JUNE 10th! After many enquiries from our members wanting some new looks and colors, we decided to branch out and get stylish! Along with some traditional ‘Camo’ designs, we have added some new ‘paisley’ designs as well as a new ‘vinyl’ texture on some selected items. Whether you are bank-side or simply at home, there is a choice for all occasions. As stated, we have very limited numbers of each design in stock and each design is unique. Once they are gone they will likely not be restocked. June is the month to add to your collection!
on sale
We are having a sale on our LUXURY BEANIE from $19.99 to $11.99 and our ACS LONG SLEEVE from $39.99 to just $19.99! With just a few left…these will go fast!
And for our Fly Anglers…. our Big Game Fluoro tippet has been reduced from $14.99 to $9.99!
