# 2010 Rough Fish Classic



## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Ok, here we go roughfishers. Here's your chance to show your prowess. The Grand Slam of bottom feeders, undesirables & throw backs. The rules are simple. Catch these seven fish on a fly rod. Have fun. Catch them any way you want. Tie a cast net on your tippet. Electrify your fly line. I don't care. Have fun. Post pictures. 

A word of caution. I spent two hours last night watching a single carp nibble moss. This is the type of psychosis that rough fishing can bring upon an unsuspecting angler. 



The Classic will run until the end of the 2010 season. Any fish caught by you during the 2010 season will count. No fish stories.  



And now, for the Super 7. 


The Mighty Quillback, or any of the high fin carpsucker variants:










Any of the seven species of Redhorse found in Ohio:










Any of the 3 species of buffalo, including the big mouth, small mouth & black buffalo:











The Ferocious Freshwater Drum : 











The Golden Bone, aka common carp :











The Amur, Giant of the Grasses : 











And finally, the Graceful Gar, any of the three species which reside in OH:














I'm excited to get started because...well... I've already been fishing for these guys for a couple months now & have a huge head start on all of you.  Just kidding. 



Good luck!


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

I'll start things off with a freshwater drum, caught on a size 4 all white clouser, from the bottom of a riffle.










And a common carp, my first on the "fly", caught from the surface on a piece of dog food superglued to a size 14 hook. Sorry purists. Quite an eye opening experience for my first tango with the golden bone.


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## riverKing (Jan 26, 2007)

fish counts for 2010, on fly
63 common carp
2 grass carp
3 longnose gar
3 quillback
?? plenty of redhorse
1 drum (does it count if it wasn't in ohio)

no buffalo yet I need to get the lmr

and you forgot bullheads, I got one on accident fishing for carp too lol, and I think bowfin should be added because I want one of them on the fly as well

so do I have to go get pictures of these fish or does this count


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Wow RiverKing! Impressive!

Pictures would only make the thread more interesting... your choice of course.


I would love to hear/see more about the catches, including methods/technique etc, etc....


(edit: Specifically the redhorse, grass carp & what fly/presentation...I'm guessing nymph drifting?)


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

10lbr last night.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Caught it today, because you challenged me to. Lit a fire under my butt to get moving already and get some carp. God knows it was a big enough pain in the butt... The rocky river fish want smaller flies and tippet. Guess they don't like the usual 18lb floro I use for bass lol.

Honorable mention catfish?


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Fished a small river today... saw a nice 10 lb. bigmouth buffalo hanging out in the current.



Had the 3 weight with me. I tried... but I knew what would happen if he decided to eat the size 16 nymph. Not a look anyways.

Also casted to some feeding carp but the water was too deep to see the take.


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

I had that problem yesterday, seth. I just kinda pushed the rod forward to give slack for a minute, had a clairvoyant moment and did a strip set. there he was 

50th time's the charm


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

I'll continue to use this thread to tell fish stories as well. Everyone else, feel free to add some roughfishing adventures as well.


Missed 3 big fish tonight. Could not figure out why they kept coming off... After further inspection, I was using a barbless nymph hook. Not a chance in hell these fish were going to stay hooked.


This lake is right next door to my house, it's pretty neat to see the different fish, where they hang out, how they feed, etc. etc. 
Prepares me for the river fish a little better than just reading about it. 

Tonight, I saw a "tailer" that was huuuuuge, definitely 20+. This fish must have been doing a headstand the entire time I was there. Tail fin every bit of 12"

Soon...


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Got my first fly rod common carp on Saturday. Not a giant, but we all have to start somewhere! Pics to come later.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

TheCream said:


> Got my first fly rod common carp on Saturday. Not a giant, but we all have to start somewhere! Pics to come later.



Awesome!!!


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

1st common carp on the fly, stalked from a kayak, no less! 



















I hooked two and landed one, the other slightly larger than this one but lost it. I was able to slip right up on them in the kayak on a big mud flat. I was basically push-poling with my paddle in about a foot of water. Most of the fish were not big, but I do think I landed the runt.

The fly that got this one is a cross between the Headstand and Carpolicious flies that I tied up in #10. I have done them in rust and black, both fish took the black version on Saturday.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

This was my smallmouth buffalo from earlier this year:










I was going to knock out the gar, the easiest of these species IMO, but the rain hammered Athens and the Hocking is completely trashed. I could've had the gar in 20 minutes, tops, if the water at normal levels.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Never caught a gar myself, I'm excited to give a try... I know where quite a few are.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

fallen513 said:


> Never caught a gar myself, I'm excited to give a try... I know where quite a few are.


Two words: rope fly. 'Nuff said.


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## Flyfish Dog (Nov 6, 2007)

Sweet catch Jeff. Nice looking flies to. Rubber legs standing up really should entice them to hit it.


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

Shocked. Out of nowhere comes the ferocious 32" shortnose gar. Bonus! Hard pulling & two tail walks at dusk had me thinking it was a 20 lb channel cat! Hit a chartreuse over white clouser in size 1/0.  I had to really pry the hook from the top jaw. He must have snapped shut pretty hard. Nasty!


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## fallen513 (Jan 5, 2010)

I'm not sure what was more exciting, the battle in the water or the one that ensued upon land. LOL I was scared to death of this SOB he was snapping and shooting through the grass like a snake!


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## Clayton (Oct 7, 2008)

Blahhhh screw you guys! I can't find any gar, buffalo, or redhorse! 

Someone give me GPS coordinates of the fish please? lol. Also, CREAM: How the heck does one tie that sweet little carp-catcher fly of yours? Looks like an easy tie and a blast to fish. They've been turning their noses up at the usual woolly bugger I use for them haha.


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## Andrew S. (May 22, 2010)

fallen513 said:


> Never caught a gar myself, I'm excited to give a try... I know where quite a few are.


Yes, apparently you do!

At 11:37 am on 7/19 you say you'd like to catch a gar some day, then 13 hours later you post a photo of yourself holding one. I'm impressed!

Is that mojo transferable? If so, could you please say "I sure hope Andrew gets a nice striper or two soon."?


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Clayton said:


> Blahhhh screw you guys! I can't find any gar, buffalo, or redhorse!
> 
> Someone give me GPS coordinates of the fish please? lol. Also, CREAM: How the heck does one tie that sweet little carp-catcher fly of yours? Looks like an easy tie and a blast to fish. They've been turning their noses up at the usual woolly bugger I use for them haha.


Very easy, indeed. Recipe:

*Hook*-#10 curved nymph hook (caddis pupa style hook)
*Eyes*-small brass dumbells
*Tail*-small ultra chenille
*Beard*-two strands of rubber skirt or centipede legs, doubled over the thread
*Body*-ice dub of your color choice, spun in dubbing loop, wrapped forward and over the eyes

The original Headstand fly calls for a similar body, but uses peacock swords for both the tail and beard (some versions also had some rubber legs, some didn't). I have swords, but wanted something more durable. The Carpolicious fly uses ice chenille for the body, swords for the beard, ultra chenille for the tail. So I basically took the durable features from each and rolled them into one.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

fallen513 said:


> Shocked. Out of nowhere comes the ferocious 32" shortnose gar. Bonus! Hard pulling & two tail walks at dusk had me thinking it was a 20 lb channel cat! Hit a chartreuse over white clouser in size 1/0.  I had to really pry the hook from the top jaw. He must have snapped shut pretty hard. Nasty!


You hooked a gar...you should go buy a lottery ticket! The rope fly is the easy way to "hook" them, especially when you can sight fish them like I can in the Hocking when it's cleaner. No hook required, snip it off! They hit the rope fly (tied from fine strands of nylon rope), shake their head, tangle the fibers in their jaw and they're had!


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