Fly Fishing for Koi and Crazy Other Carps

With the seminar behind it’s all about fishing my last two days here in Arizona.  Today Steve Berry had a motorcycle race so it was Cinda Howard and I on the urban assault of the Phoenix area.  Our destination was one we’ve been fishing together for almost ten years.  I’m honestly not sure the name of the place but it’s near where the Arizona Cardinals stadium is.  There are 21 small manmade lakes surrounded by homes and sidewalks that are chock full of a variety of warmwater species.  Although we could catch about anything, our main target was koi.

The weather this week has been hotter than normal for November.  Sure, Phoenix is always a hotspot but this week temperatures have been in the low 90°s every day.  The heat certainly hasn’t hurt the fishing however and today was no exception.  On the first lake we fished Cinda and I landed over a dozen colorful koi.  

My choice of rod for koi is a 5-weight.  That’s about par for the course for me and carp.  I’d like to find a koi big enough to beat me up on the 5 but most of the koi we catch are about 20”.  On occasion we get a honker that tops the 5lb mark but these fish are not only rare, but smart as heck.  The best flies for koi are bright colored nymphs or sunken imitations of berries of the local overhanging trees.

The koi fishing was so easy that it was almost boring.  It was as if these fish haven’t been fished too before.  To spice things up Cinda started specifically targeting only the pretty looking koi and common carp.  I took off my nymph and replaced it with my olive hopper and searched out the grass carp (white Amur).  There was less around than I remembered at this place but after a couple opportunities I landed a small one.  Meanwhile Cinda caught this glowing koi-common-carp combo.

We’ve caught all kinds of strange fish in these lakes over the years.  One in particular are giant guppy-like-goldfish looking things.  They’re hard to fool into eating a fly but fight like dish rags once you do hook one.  That’s probably because they have more dangling fins to drag around than an angel fish.  Today Cinda caught one of the weirdest of all.  I caught a small one of these here years ago and never came up with what it was.  It’s got the scales and face of a common carp, the dorsal of a sailfish and the tail of a guppy.  It’s probably a hybrid of some sort.

After giving a 110% through 90° heat for almost ten hours, Cinda and I called it a day at around 5:30.  I believe I have my fill of koi that will last me a few months at least.  The day was fun, relaxing and entertaining to say the least.  Tomorrow it’s back to the challenging grass carp.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing Seminars and Common Carp

I put on a full day fly fishing seminar for Desert Fly Casters down here in Arizona today. The group I taught consisted of all levels of fly fishers. I started with a basic fly casting demonstration and ended the day with the double haul. Not all casters believe the double haul is necessary but after showing off with some long 100 foot plus bombs with my Ross RX 5-weight rigged with my Scientific Anglers Mastery Series Expert Distance fly line, students that were on the fence were ready to learn.

The seminar went well and we ended just shy of 4. I must admit this was intentional because as expected, Steve, Cinda and I were headed for the canal where Steve and I spanked the grass carp yesterday. But our plan was rerouted. One of the students and longtime Desert Fly Caster member John Mayer suggested we go check on some of the carp around his golf course in East Mesa. Being you’re not allowed to fish on most golf courses, how could we refuse such and offer?

We had exactly an hour to fish before dark. John Mayor walked us out to a first lake and although we were on the hunt for grass carp all we saw were a few commons. I adjusted my set up and put a Red Copper John below my dry fly. Seconds after I rigged I spotted a group of small commons cruising my way. On my first attempt I hooked up and landed a small common carp.

We could have caught a few more small commons here but John took us to another lake where a rumor exists about a carp so big it scares golfers. It was near dark when we arrived and all we could see were a few moving blades of grass along the bank. I spooked the first two fish I cast at but then caught this handsome common carp on a rubber leg hares ear nymph. Not exactly big enough to scare you but a good looking carp nonetheless.

Tomorrow its search for koi.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Urban Arizona Asualt of Grass Carp

Not much time to load a blog tonight as it’s late and I am giving a full day seminar for Desert Fly Casters first thing in the morning. The fast and short is that I’m settled in with my friends Steve Berry and Cinda Howard down here in Mesa, Arizona (See Not all Carp are Created Equal 2010 and Harder than Steelhead 2011). I came a day early to fly fish for grass carp (White Amur), common carp, koi and largemouth bass and I’ll be staying a couple days after my seminar for more.

Today Steve and I explored a few urban lakes around Phoenix that brought me back in time. They were those deals where you wondered how far from the No Trespassing signs you had to be to declare innocence. Luckily we didn’t find much more than a homeless colony so we snuck out of the illegal area as fast as we snuck in.

After a little more fishless adventure we ended up on water we knew from last year. It’s a canal near Steve’s house. This canal isn’t one of the most beautiful places in the world to fly fish; however its one of the most interesting. The water body is straight as an arrow and there’s a trail on both sides that you can expect to dodge a bike on your back cast at any time. It’s fascinating to me that we were fishing some manmade cement river in 90° heat with traffic blaring from all directions in a city. Despite the nutty place we were sight fishing olive hoppers to nice size grass carp immediately upon arrival.

The end result after fishing this canal for about four hours was a top grass carp day. Steve and I will never know why but the normally stubborn fish that often leave you begging for cocktail hour were flat out suicidal for our flies. Almost every good cast we made to a hovering grass carp led to an eat. Seriously, I’ll bet we had 20 grassies sip our flies today and landed more than a dozen.

I’ll be teaching most of tomorrow but should rap it up in late afternoon. After Cinda hears how good today was its likely we’ll end up back at the canal for sunset. Fine with me as fly fishing for grass carp is something we don’t have near Victor, Idaho and these oddball fish are one of my true favorite fish to fly fish for.

Last but not least.  We ended the day eating at my good friend Eddie Matneys Eddies House in Scottsdale.  I'll tell you the food here is incredible!  That's why over the years I've been fortunate to meet some well know people that eat here thanks to Eddie.  You know by now I'm a serious Cub fan.  A few years ago I hung with Ryne Sanberg and tonight I talked fishing for a few minutes with former Cubs television announcer and Diamond Backs coach Bob Brenly.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Currier Fish Art Coffee Mugs are Back!

A year ago my popular coffee mugs were close to extinction.  Now, thanks to my friend Harvey Cohen of the Fly Fishing Show Room, they’re all back.  Even bigger news, now they’re available with any fish you want.  Anything!

In a matter of a few days we’ve added the Apache trout of Arizona, a steelhead and a Northern Pike.  There will be many more to come.  Contact Me if you need any fish coffee mugs or visit Harvey’s Fly Fishing Show Room to see beer steins, frosted glasses, mouse pads and etc!

Christmas is around the corner. . .

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

End of the Season Celebrations!

I ran the Jack Dennis Fly Shop in Jackson Hole, Wyoming for over 20 years.  Those were some of the best years of my life and I made many lifelong friendships.  At the end of each season we had a fishing party.  Almost everyone went on the fun day.  We caught a lot of fish and shared our summer experiences. 

In 2009 I gave up my job to pursue my art and speaking career.  Leaving the fly shop and my friends was difficult.  After I left, the shop went through many changes.  The owners split and soon there were two shops battling for control.  The end result is that some of my fellow employees just bought the guide business.  It will no longer called Jack Dennis/Snake River Fishing Trips.  The terrific guide service now goes by Grand Teton Fly Fishing and through them you can fish all the same waters offered before with the same excellent guides. 

This weekend was the first Grand Teton Fly Fishing end of the year party and even though I haven’t been working with them for over three years I was invited.  I was so excited that I cancelled my trip to Yellowstone with Granny.  Saturday night we drove to Thermopolis, Wyoming where we spent yesterday and today fishing the Bighorn River.

Fishing was excellent to say the least.  Although we mustered up a few nice brown trout on streamers, the real fishing was with nymphs for rainbows.  In fact, it was some of the best rainbow fishing I’ve seen this year. 

I’m scrambling the next few days to be ready for a trip to Arizona Thursday.  I’ll be giving a full day seminar for Desert Fly Casters on Saturday.  Anyone can participate in this fun day.  The focus of the event will be knot tying, building European nymphing leaders, the double haul and simple tricks to “Improve Your Fishing Photography”.  If you’re in the area I promise you the day will be worth your time! 

Naturally, there will be some serious fishing involved with my good friends Cinda Howard and Steve Berry.  I’m going early and staying late so I can pursue the grass carp (white Amur) as well as the local bass, koi, sunfish and whoever else swims my way.  Expect some cool blogs soon!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Currier Artwork Season

The snow has flown here in Victor, Idaho.  I won’t stop fishing.  In fact this afternoon I’ll be off to Thermopolis, Wyoming to spend two days on the Wind River with friends.  But the cold weather does slow me down and I’ve spent the last three days working on the first of many accumulated art projects.

This is a water color I did of a golden dorado for Mark Del Frate of New Mexico.  Mark caught and released this monster from a remote jungle river at the Tsimane Lodge in Bolivia.  If you haven’t caught the “freshwater” dorado yet, put them on your list.  I’ve caught them in northern Argentina in the Iberá Marsh as well as in the Paraná River.  Although I’ve not yet fished them in Bolivia, I’m going in July – pumped!  Dorado are one of the top freshwater game fish on the planet!

Now is a great time to place an order for an empty spot on your wall. 

Here are my prices and size options.

CONTACT ME

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing for WI Muskie 2012 - Final Day

 October 21, 2012

Bill Sherer and I don’t like to make a habit of getting skunked.  We got our butts kicked yesterday by the muskellunge and we couldn’t let it happen again.  To increase our fish catching chances today, Bill guided me on a double float.  We literally floated two days worth of stretches on one of his secret muskie haunts.  This meant I needed to do my share, loosen up the shoulder, cast the 10-weight like it’s a 3 and fool as many chasers as I could.

As usual, I have an idea where we were but couldn’t begin to name the water body.  The place was in the boonies and other than a trapper and his young boys there were no other humans all day.  The sunrise will be memorable for the blast of colors from trees and the millions of leaves covering the ground.  The scene left my mind twirling about whether or not I should’ve left this wonderful place nearly thirty years ago.  Bill returned from doing the shuttle after about a half hour and we pushed off under a rich blue sky and temps in the 30ºs.

The tiny river consisted of long flats, a winding corner then a 100 feet of riffle.  I stripped my intermediate line through the riffles then dredged the deep corners with my 300 grain.  Because of the amount of river we were covering Bill pushed through most of the flats where there wasn’t enough water to hold a muskie.  Ten minutes into the morning I ripped a small muskie out from behind a log.  A similar spot to where I’d catch a brown trout on the Green back home.  It was an awesome attack on my fly, much more aggressive than that of a trout.  The baby muskie of 28 inches leapt from three feet away and landed on my fly with his mouth open.  I actually missed him then but he chased my fly towards the boat and I enticed him to eat again.

Fishing never slowed down from there.  We pushed through a few more flats.  There were a few turns without fish but then we floated into a run that reminded me of fishing for peacock bass in the Amazon because there were baitfish fleeing for their lives.  There were multiple muskies here and my heart raced.  I braced myself and sure enough on the first strip of the first cast I hooked up.  I ruined the fun morning for this muskie and he made me pay.  Even with my 10-weight, all I could do is hang on for his first smoking run.

I ended up catching three beautiful muskies from this one run.  Two were just over 30 inches and this one we didn’t measure.  Although he’s not nearly a monster, this is a fish I’ll remember to go along with today’s sunrise.  I had four muskies landed on the fly and it wasn’t even 10 AM. 

Things warmed up considerably.  I’ll bet the temperature was close to 55º in mid afternoon under mostly sunny skies.  Bill and I were shedding layers between muskies.  Yes, I said “between muskies”.  Today will likely go down as the top muskie fishing day of my life.  I hope it’s wasn’t but seriously, I doubt I’ll top today.  Our final fish count was nine muskies to the net.  The smallest was the first of the day.  All the rest were over 30”!

If fly fishing for muskellunge isn’t on your list then I suggest you make room for it.  Muskies are one of North Americas top game fish and Northern Wisconsin is one of the best kept secrets of all.  I truly love it up there.  You can get in touch with Bill Sherer through his We Tie It Fly Shop in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin.

What an incredible fishing day to add to an already phenomenal 2012!  Many thanks to my friend George who made this trip possible. 

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Wisconsin Muskellunge Fly Fishing 2012 - Day 2

October 20, 2012

While yesterday was a typical mid October day in Northern Wisconsin with temperatures in the 40°s and a few rain showers, today was a warmer and mostly sunny.  Whether that’s why we couldn’t budge a muskellunge to eat my fly we’ll never know.  Another possibility to our lack of success was that we had musky anglers floating ahead of us fishing lures and live suckers.  Unmolested muskies are hard enough to catch but to come up on them after someone fished a lure to them – your chances at catching them are slim. 

We saw exactly two muskies all day.  Both were over 40 inches long and the way they raised from the depths to pursue my fly will always be remembered.  They were like ghosts and the distance between their eyes was nearly a foot.  But they were far too smart to be tricked by my feathery concoction.

The only fish that even swung at my fly was this scrappy fly-wrecking Northern pike.  Northern pike sit high on the menu of big muskies.  This dude was out on the prowl which means the muskies were not.  Tomorrow is the last day.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing for Muskie 2012 - Day 1

October 19, 2012

George booked Rick and I with the same two muskellunge fly fishing guides we had last year, Bill Sherer and John Coolidge.  This was fantastic news. Rick and I hit it off with these guys and they really know their stuff. You could easily call Bill one of the pioneers of fly fishing for muskie and it only takes a few minutes before you admire his knowledge of this fabled fish.  Bill is the owner of We Tie It Fly Shop in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin.

As for where Bill took me today, I honestly don’t know.  Certainly I have an idea but I respect his hush-hush spots and would never return on my own nor tell another angler where we were.   What I can tell you is that like most muskie waters, the place was beyond gorgeous.  Some folks don’t believe places without mountains can be so beautiful, but for me the dense forest of the Great Northwoods is spectacular, especially the tamaracks glowing everywhere you look. 

While Bill ran a shuttle for our float with his wife, I geared up.  For muskie you need a big fly rod.  I rigged my 10-weight Ross RX with my F1 reel and a Scientific Anglers Streamer Express 300 grain fly line.  The stout rod and saltwater quality reel will handle a 20lb musky if I have the good fortune of hooking one and the sinking line helps drag my 8” streamer to the depths where large muskie live.  Last, you must have about 12” of 30lb wire shock tippet at the end of your heavy leader or the toothy muskie or his cousin the Northern pike will bite you off. 

When Bill returned we pushed off and on my third cast I saw the first muskie.   Last year I learned there’s knack to induce a strike.  I slowed down my fly, hesitated and then made a vigorous strip.  Wham – the first muskie was on!  Moments later I landed and a 25” muskie toddler.

Not a bad way to start considering last year on Day 1 I got skunked.  Since that first day I’ve learned what it takes to get a muskie to eat a fly and I’m better at hooking them.  Like all big fish, I strip set rather than raise my rod like with a dry fly for trout.  But even so, muskies glide towards you after they take the fly instead of turning.  So not only do you have to make several long fast hook settings strips, but you need to sweep your rod much further than the normal jab.

The morning continued to provide excellent action.  However, despite the improvements in my tactics, I added a few more muskie screw ups to my resume.  The next muskie I landed was this handsomely barred 33". 

After that last muskie, the fishing shut off.  Other then spooking a beast from a sunken tree, we never had a single muskie look at my fly again today.  We tried a variety of different colored flies and fly sizes but nothing.  When the muskie bite is off – it’s off.

When I got home to Chippewa Retreat I met up with Rick.  He and John saw several muskies while fishing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but never landed one.  However they hooked a giant that shattered one of John’s 10-weight fly rods.  It’s back at it bright and early tomorrow.

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing

Wisconsin Musky Time

October 18, 2012

My friend Rick Schreiber and I flew into Duluth, Minnesota last night and today we drove to Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.  We’re staying at the Chippewa Retreat Resort.  This is our second annual muskellunge on a fly trip.  This fantastic excursion is put together by our great friend George Hillenbrand.  Rick once guided George on the Snake River and I took care of all of Georges tackle needs when I ran the fly shop.  Over the years we became great friends and George started taking Rick and I and other friends to Northern Wisconsin ice fishing each year.  Last year, he changed the trip to fall in hopes we could catch some musky on the fly.  The adventure was a great success.

Unfortunately, this year George and his friends were unable to make the open water musky trip.  They cancelled three weeks ago.  Yet even though they can’t make it, George generously kept everything from flights and guides to accommodations in tact for Rick and me.  The trip certainly won’t be the same without the complete gang, but Rick and I intend to catch some musky.

Normally Rick and I fly into Wausau, Wisconsin.  This year we decided to go to Duluth a day early and cruise Route 2 along Lake Superior to Ashland, Wisconsin.  I spent incredibly fun years in Ashland earning my degree at Northland College from 1983-1987.  Those four years provided me with some of the best fishing of my life.  Had I not been offered a fly shop job in Jackson Hole, Wyoming I may have stayed in Ashland.

Although I’ve returned to Northern Wisconsin the last six years, I’ve not been to Ashland since 1988 – hard to believe.  So today, for old time’s sake, Rick and I passed through.  Like everything does, Ashland has changed.  But after my quick observation, Ashland looks great and best of all, Northland College is still thriving.  I made a surprise visit on an old pal, Tim Walworth.  Tim, an Ashland native, taught me a lot tricks for catching fish out of Lake Superior.  He is now the proud owner of the local favorite, The Vintage Platter Restaurant.  Tim’s restaurant is a must stop for anyone passing through Ashland.

I probably don’t have to tell you Rick and I wet a line along the drive.  We stopped at the famous Brule River.  Right now you can fish from Route 2 downstream to the mouth by Lake Superior.   After a Wisconsin breakfast in Iron River, Rick and I got fishing licenses and drove to the mouth of the Brule.

Although the mouth of the Brule River is loaded with Coho salmon, walleye and incoming steelhead, Rick is a fan of moving water.   After a look around we drove back upstream a few miles and found some nice turns in the river.  The water was slightly off color from the drizzle and rain we were experiencing, perfect for fall run steelhead. 

While the locals advised fishing egg patterns Rick and I went with streamers.  Neither of us is much into fishing egg patterns.  However, after I fished a great looking run without a fish, I put on a favorite Vladi Trzebunia nymph of mine and immediately dredged out a rainbow.  This was my first fish on a nymph in a long time and I was delighted.  Today is my birthday and I catch a fish every year on my birthday. 

After working the run hard with no other trout I went upstream to track down Rick to see how the streamer was doing.  When I found him he was fishing hard.  He’d had a steelhead chase his streamer and was focused on bringing him up again and catching him.  I bummed a stogie and watched.

After Rick worked the pool without another sighting of the fish he turned it over to me and my nymph rig.  On my second pass the oversized rainbow (Great Lakes steelhead) nearly ripped the rod from me.  It was game on and the thick lake run fish leapt and ripped his way up the pool.  After a fantastic fight I tailed the splendid birthday fish.

We are now at Chippewa Retreat in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.  We just played pool with the owner and good friend, John McGraw.  We had a great time catching up over beers and tomorrow it’s time to chase musky on the fly. 

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing