Overview

The Great Carpholio is a carp fly from Umpqua signature tyer Andrew Grillos, developed for the Missouri River, where carp get wary by August after a summer of seeing anglers.

Carp feed by tipping down and rooting on the bottom, so a carp fly has to get down fast and land quietly. This one is slender, drops quickly and has plenty of enticing movement. It is tied on a jig hook that rides point up, so it sits on the bottom without snagging and sets solidly when a carp eats.

Euro Specs

• Hook: Jig hook, rides point up; sold barbed.
• Role: Single fly for sight-casting to carp.

How to Fish It

• Lead the fish: cast a few feet ahead of a feeding carp so the fly reaches the bottom in its path without spooking it.
• Small moves: when the carp gets close, give the fly a tiny strip or hop to make it puff off the bottom.
• Watch for the eat: carp often just tip and inhale. Set when the fish stops, tips down or its gills flare.
• Leader: use a 9 foot leader with 1X to 3X tippet; carp are strong and often run for cover.

Choosing Color and Size

Black gives the strongest silhouette on light bottoms and in stained water. Brown and Olive match crayfish, nymphs and other natural foods on darker bottoms. All three come in size 4, a good all-around carp size.