BroodX Buffet
17 years ago swarms of a particularly massive, winged insect descended upon much of the eastern half of the country. Recently, they slowly crawled from their subterranean homes where they had spent nearly two decades eating on roots and other underground food sources. These insects can seem like something out of a horror film; waiting in the dark for years and years they slowly emerge from their dark lairs crawling into the light en masse. They shed their larval husks and sprout gargantuan wings capable of carrying even their enormous bodies through the air…Fiery red eyes peer out at this new world they have discovered. One day, nothing. The next, tens of thousands of insects have invaded your surroundings seemingly coming from nowhere. Their droning scream rends the peaceful early summer quiet. They are here.
My retelling may be melodramatic but it nonetheless roughly characterizing the cicadas appearance and life cycle, this emergence of insects is truly a natural marvel! Brood X cicadas (this particular batch of insects) only emerges every 17 years and remains above ground for just a few weeks or so. As I have heard it told, the individual bugs only survive above ground for under a month before succumbing to exhaustion or whatever else that usually does them in. When we anglers are lucky, that final end for the cicadas often comes on the water at the hands (or lips) of an aquatic predator. When they can find them, cicadas can make up a major portion of certain fish’s diets.
Carp have been the species most keyed in on this hatch in my area of north Georgia although you certainly hear stories of trout, bass, catfish and the ubiquitous Bluegill pursuing them as well. Fly fishermen have clearly discovered the incredible fishery that emerged in my area just a few weeks ago. Over the previous 12 months on my local reservoir I have seen perhaps a half dozen boats fly fishing. Memorial day weekend, I saw 7 boats using the whippy sticks in just one day! Flats skiffs with poling platforms, jon boats with jet motors and even inflatable drift boats have all made themselves at home here recently. All of these fly fishermen have been plying the banks searching for cruising Common carp, often referred to as freshwater Bonefish. I personally find that they remind me more of Redfish but either way this is a huge compliment to these non-native fish.
As it is, I think fly fishermen may actually have a rare advantage over bait or lure fishermen while fishing the cicada hatch. For one, a decent fly caster can pick up 20+ odd feet of line and re-cast immediately to a cruising fish that has appeared suddenly. Conventional tackle anglers though, will waste at least a few moments reeling in before being able to cast at the new quarry. This can seem small but often you only get one quick shot at these fish and, much like in saltwater, every second counts. Secondly, a fly rod and line are designed to cast light patterns long distances. This is quite the opposite of casting and spinning gear as these methods rely on weighted lures or baits in order to load the rod and cast. With the fish feeding on floating insects, it becomes very difficult to cast a weighted cicada any kind of distance while still getting it to float. What it boils down to is that the fly angler will be able to cast quicker to further distances while still getting good presentations compared to our conventional peers.
My gear selection has been deliciously simple for fishing these lake carp. I have been using rod weights 4 through 7, floating lines and reels with solid drag systems. I began by using 3X tippet but have since upsized to 2X after experiencing a few break offs. These fish are extremely intelligent fighters and will do all they can to tangle your line in structure or bury their noses in the banks. My leaders have been between 7 and 10 feet long but, as the fish have not been that spooky, I don’t think the extra length has been completely necessary. As far as flies, anything that resembles a cicada will work. We threw everything but the kitchen sink and the fish did not seem to mind one bit, but for those that like to tie their own a simple black foam body with any sort of rubber legs will suffice. Fish what you have! Don’t obsess over your gear, just get out there and use whatever you can to catch these fish while you can!
The fishing for these cicada-feeding carp has been shockingly easy and straight forward. Carp, a notoriously finnicky fish, seem to have lost much of their hesitation while eating these massive terrestrial insects. I do my best to read the individual scenario but for the most part I try to land my fly three feet or so in front of moving fish. If the fish is deep in structure or already slightly out of my casting range, I will slam the fly on the water as hard as possible in hopes that they will hear the commotion and come to investigate. The ideal scene for the fishermen is something like this: you are in a cove on the main lake and spot multiple carp cruising near the surface and heading in the same direction along the bank. Maybe there are just two fish but there could be as many as eight or so. Make your first cast at perhaps 45-55 feet, well away from the boat but close enough to get a good hookset on the fish. Throw to the leading fish and lead him by three feet give or take, try to keep the fly well away from the tip of your fly line. Point your rod tip directly at your landed fly giving it just enough slack to allow it to drift naturally for a moment. Usually, several of these schooled fish will charge it hard and the competitive aspect will cause them to lose all inhibitions. This is almost a guaranteed scene for getting an eat from these fish. When setting the hook on them, wait about 1/2 second longer than usual before giving a firm ‘trout’ set with your rod. If you can visually confirm that the fly is in their mouth and not just being “drowned”, you may also set the hook. The beginning of the fight is typically explosive! Some fish will jump but nearly all will immediately race to the nearest woody structure to break you off in. This is the most important part of the battle, steer them away from the snags with as much force as you can while getting the boat out into open water. If all goes well, your fish should be clear from snags within the first 30 seconds or so. Due to the nature of carp biology, they will not tire in the same manner as trout will. They keep pulling every time you get them near the boat and they have no interest in sliding into a landing net. Think to yourself as a general rule that for every pound a carp weighs, that equals approximately one minute of fight time when hooked. Even the smaller fish can be hard to bully as they can make such quick and powerful runs. Watch your knuckles when you hook the real bruisers, they’ll be sure to at least scare your backing!
On an average day I have been landing approximately five fish per hour while seeing twenty or so in that same time frame. I generally think that, if I see three fish, one will be uninterested, one will eat but not get hooked and one will become hooked and likely landed. A successful ratio indeed compared to most carp fishing! Locally, bycatch is most commonly catfish or bass, both fun competitors in their own right but they don’t hold a candle to Common Carp when it comes to the fight. So while they’re here, get out there and try cicada fishing for carp! They’ll be gone before you know it and you’ll be kicking yourself in 17 years when you realize the fun you missed out on!
