While other fly fisherman look forward to mayflies, on the islands it is just the opposite. It turns what would otherwise be perfect conditions into a struggle to find and entice mayfly stuffed carp into eating just one more tiny morsel. You can still get some to eat but all too often a perfectly good tailing carp will simply move over, look at the fly and say, “I just couldn’t”.
For years we just didn’t understand what was happening, the carp would vanish and just about the time we’re ready to cancel the rest of our trips and pack-up for home, the carp would happily hit the flats again.
Thankfully we’re just coming out of what we call the “curse of the mayfly” and the fishing has been getting better the past several days. It is also thankful that we have jumbo smallies, that aren’t affected by the “curse”, like the fat 24 pictured below.
Check out the cool pic of the carp hoovering in a fly.
