Secrets of Carp Fishing Around Spawning Time, with Rowan Lytle

The Orvis Fly-Fishing Podcast

Carp are difficult any time but around spawning time they can be extremely frustrating. But they can be caught on a fly. You need to know where to look and which fish to target. Guide Rowan Lytle [44:38] has it dialed in, and if you always wanted to catch a carp on the fly you need to listen to this podcast. Rowan, not yet 30 years old, has already caught 202 different species of fish on a fly rod, and some of them will surprise you. But you'll need to listen to the podcast to find out what they are. In the Fly Box this week, we have some great questions and tips from listeners, including:

• I tip for taming your line and leader when you don't use a hook keeper
• How far do I hold my UV lamp form the fly when curing UV epoxy?
• What do I do on my local lake when the Power Bait crowd out-fishes me?
• How do I catch catfish on a fly rod?
• Do you fish different caddis pupa patterns for cased vs. uncased caddis?
• How do different holes in a river change throughout the season?
• Should I fish dry flies and nymphs in a lake different from the way I fish them in streams?
• Do weed guards on flies actually work in thick vegetation?
• If we see mayflies about size 12 hatching in our lake, should we use a size 12 nymph or one smaller?
• What is the difference between flow, thin, and thick UV resins and when should I use each one?
• My size 20 grizzly hackle keeps breaking. Do you have any tips for keeping tension and not breaking the stems?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying a complete outfit vs. separate components?
• A tip from a listener on whether to use your wading staff upstream or downstream of your position.
• I want to start tying flies. What pattern would you recommend I start with?
• What are your favorite bass and bluegill flies?