# The Quillback Challenge



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

I found a small population of quillback & was told that they will not take a fly.










Now I have to catch one. I had some follows but you have to use tiny little flies which make it about impossible to see the take. I saw about 20 or so in a pod & threw everything I had... however, I lacked finesse due to my choice of stick: Scott G series 9 weight, throwing a WF7 line. I am going to return with my Scott G series 3 weight... the biggest fish I saw was maybe 2 or 3 pounds... 4x tippet, size 22 "sparkly black thing". Hopefully I'll get a little nibble & some pictures.  


More information about some other cool suckers: 

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/pafish/fishhtms/chap12.htm


Tight lines.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Here's a really great article & some good photos of Ohio fish too.. 

http://www.flyfishohio.com/Piscatorial_Opportunity.htm


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## Andrew S. (May 22, 2010)

fallen513 said:


> ...was told that they will not take a fly.


How many times have we heard that before!?

Permit, tarpon, bonefish, winter steelhead, king salmon...


I predict you'll get one. Sounds like a great challenge, and those webpages are cool.


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## Intracoastal (Sep 12, 2009)

I agree with Andrew...if it swims and eats, it will take a fly.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

My dad says they will totally take a fly  To make it more interesting I won't tell you WHAT he ate though. Happy hunting!


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Clayton said:


> My dad says they will totally take a fly  To make it more interesting I won't tell you WHAT he ate though. Happy hunting!


Let me guess! POWER BAIT!


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

I saw some that size today! Nice picture!


No luck for me today as far as the quillback go. I even tried the trusty dog food superglued to a nymph hook. Not even a look. 

Saw a ton of really large common carp as well, all over 10 lbs... but it was mid day & they were just lounging, albeit in shallow water. I tried. No carp either.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Flyfish Dog said:


> Let me guess! POWER BAIT!



Don't think I won't try it.


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## Salmonid (Apr 14, 2004)

I have taken hundreds of quillies from SW Ohio on all sorts of flies, the best fly would probably be a #14 caddis rockworm, #12 BH Black Copper John and Pheasant tails, as you can see, Im usually throwing these types of nymphs for carp and catch them all the time on the GMR near dayton. If your in the area, I can almost....gaurantee one.  Oh yeah, I have taken quite a few on tiny crayfish/small hellgramite and small buggers as well. 

They usually are a by product when caught, if you start doing some carp fishing in the area you are at, youll start to pick them up. Same water, same flies, etc. 

Salmonid


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

ours were steelhead by-catch, haha.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Clayton said:


> ours were steelhead by-catch, haha.




Were you using an egg pattern?


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

fallen513 said:


> Were you using an egg pattern?


Nope. #8 prince nymph

I think my dad used some crystal eggs at some point during the day, but I'm not sure if it was the prince or the eggs that caught the fish. I know I caught some on the prince, but he caught the only photo op worthy fish haha.


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## JamesT (Jul 22, 2005)

Is that a quillback or a carp?

I caught one quillback below Griggs Dam, neat looking fish.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

the pic i posted is def a quillback, he was just feeling a little modest about his quill haha.


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

I've had better luck catching quilback in slack water, as opposed to their riffle haunts. Then again, I was using a clumsy and overburdening spinning reel setup . Oh, and tiny specks of live bait.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

These fish are all in about 18" of water max, solid rock bottom. It'll probably be a while before I'm back at'm just because of the drive. I ain't givin' up yet though.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

fallen513 said:


> These fish are all in about 18" of water max, solid rock bottom. It'll probably be a while before I'm back at'm just because of the drive. I ain't givin' up yet though.


I didn't give up on the buffalo, either. Keep at it and it'll pay off!


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## anglerNpurgatory (Jun 17, 2010)

I caught one last year on a Rapala, unless I got really lucky and snagged it right in the mouth. It was in a reservoir to boot. I also remember catching one on a foxie jig at the local spillway, so yes, they will hit a lure.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Try a Eggi San Jaun, they work well on just about anything.


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## sevenx (Apr 21, 2005)

Hey dude, I nymph em up. I practice nymphing for trout over them. They can be tough but its good practice for finicky trout. Use small nymphs like Salmonid and others mentioned you will hook up. Its a fun way to keep your trout chops up. Guess I better get out on some quills after our last trip to the Mad. BTW was pretty good maybe we head there next time. S


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

sevenx said:


> Hey dude, I nymph em up. I practice nymphing for trout over them. They can be tough but its good practice for finicky trout. Use small nymphs like Salmonid and others mentioned you will hook up. Its a fun way to keep your trout chops up. Guess I better get out on some quills after our last trip to the Mad. BTW was pretty good maybe we head there next time. S



Those quills are right in your backyard man!


And as far as headin' out... you know me. I'm ready when you are. Tonight the wife was calling me while having contractions, I was swinging streamers muahahahaha.  

How was the trip with the client? AM/PM?



Kory nabbed his first hybrid on the river tonight, a fat one @ that.


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## OhJoe (Mar 9, 2010)

OK, so I went to get bait for catfishing tonight in a local stream and saw a TON of quillback and about a dozen carp around 10 lbs or so and some other carp that was kinda koi like. I decided to go get my fly rod and maybe land one of the larger carp and maybe some of the quills. I tried every type of fly I could think of with only a try at one by the larger carp....The quill wanted to have absolutely nothing to do with em' I guess the high water recently put them where they really have nowhere to go so I think they will be there for a while. I am assuming they have to eat and was wondering if anyone every figured out what to catch em on. The only thing I was catching were chubs and shiners who kept grabbing the fly in the pack of quills. I had both a 5 and 7 wt with me and must say a little chub on a 7 was just funny


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I caught yet another one back during steelie season on a wiggle stone, if I remember correctly. Big one, too, probably pushing 20 inches.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

They're tough to catch Joe. I'm no expert but I tried tons of different, tiny flies right in their face, behind them, 5' in front of them. Never even got a look. 

With the carp, you want to use a fairly small bugger in olive or black and put it in front of them by a few feet. Let it hit bottom, then only strip it a couple inches to stir up some silt & then let it sit. If you get lucky, one may shoot over to it & inhale it. If you don't set the hook quickly, it will spit it out. 

If they are cruising, as opposed to feeding (stirring up a big cloud of silt as they suck in a mouthful, filter out the goodies & spit it back out) it's even more difficult. Same with spawning behavior. I believe it makes it harder to get them to bite. Very challenging fish, especially when you can see a dozen of them in a couple feet of water and none will give you a look!


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## OhJoe (Mar 9, 2010)

I have caught a decent amount of carp on the fly usually in a lot muddier water and using the wooly bugger, glo bugs (or whatever they are called) small crayfish, etc... I have never fished for them in such large groups and NEVER in crystal clear water. They still appear to be nervous and just cruising back and forth and I think they know they are stuck. They seem to spook VERY easy and take commands from eachother. The only ones who will sort of give a look are the big standard carp....almost got one of them but they kinda punked me at the last minute and only got a partial hook that popped out after about 20 feet and my fly ended up in a tree...Its a tough area to actually fly fish so that didnt make it any easier. I could get my sein and get about a thousand lbs right now Those chubbs are still loving my offerings though! I might try again in a few days. I wish there was a way to get them into some other water....When this area dries up there will be no room for them to swim. I have some friends with some lakes....If the water dries up and they are still there would it be advisable to get them with a net and put into some small lakes/ponds. Not that they would be catchable but might save them. Would they destroy the balance if I put a bunch in or would it just be providing bait for the cats and friends for the koi and grass carp?


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Tough call. I'd personally shy away from introducing suckers into any type of pond environment. If you are feeling really friendly you could put them in the LMR or other larger, local rivers maybe. >

They're prolific spawners & after a short period you'd have to call in the bowhunters & bank tossers.


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## fontinalis (Mar 29, 2011)

transplanting fish is illegal, just throwing that out there


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

You could probably find somewhere in the same watershed.


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## claytonhaske (Apr 16, 2010)

caught this today below griggs, first fish on a fly rod too.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Nice! Congratulations on your first fish on the fly. Long road of good times ahead of you.  


I think the most challenging part of the "Quillback Challenge" is catching one on purpose.

Based on this thread, it's obvious that they eat flies & will even chase a streamer...so...

New challenge. 


Catch one on purpose out of clear water by sight casting to it.


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## OhJoe (Mar 9, 2010)

Nice first on the fly Clayton. I have spent about 5 hrs in the last week less than 20 ft. away from a ton of them and I swear I saw one stick his tongue out at me the last time out. I wasnt thinking about using a streamer. Hope to try again this week sometime if they are still there with the new round of rain.


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