Okay, we've given you some time to get a few Carp Kwans whipped up on the vise and in this post, Brandon Bailes of Panther Branch Flies is going to give you a primer with the techniques and gear (fiberglass fly rods!!!) on how to effectively fish this pattern.
Brandon wrote... "How I fish the Carp Kwan varies greatly on the watershed I’m fishing and the water depth and clarity but there’s no wrong way really. Typically though, I use the tried and true “Drag N' Drop” technique but with a subtle tweak to the presentation. The difference in my approach is I try to drop the fly a little further out from the fish and have it on bottom, crawling slowly and because of the wide EP fiber body it creates a nice visible mud trail that carp simply can’t resist as it comes into their view! But if you stop the fly completely, then the Skworm tail will be standing upright with subtle movement from the hen saddle and that makes an ideal target for a tailing fish. The EP body also slows the flies descent as it's dropping through the water column which can be deadly on suspended fish that are cruising and not actively tailing. I have also had fish eat them in the surface film by Mulberry trees by simply sneaking close and high-sticking the fly or doing a contact drop so I can control how slow the fly falls. To me, that’s what makes the Carp Kwan so versatile. It can be taken as a mulberry, clam, tadpole, crawfish, worm cluster...you name it, they just eat it! And because of the signature trail the wide EP body leaves, its easy for both the fish and angler to follow, which leads to more fish in the net!
As far as terminal tackle, I may be the minority here but I use leaders built to be no longer than my rod (7.5-8 foot) so I can present the fly as accurate as possible and not struggle to turn over super long leaders but I know plenty of anglers that can stretch out the leader lengths and still maintain good accuracy. As far as fly lines go, I will say that I thought for a few years there was not a better fly line for carp than the Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Infinity Warm but after trying their new Amplitude Smooth Carp line, I’ve been sold on it! It just does everything well from roll casts up close, to making quick “ pick up and shoot” casts, to the long range casts. It does it all without feeling clunky or aggressive.
And lastly, you really should fish the Carp Kwan with a glass stick to maximize its effectiveness. Joking, sorta... I do love glass for everything but especially carp, since you can put a lot of pressure on the fish and turn them without worrying about busting tippet. Oh yeah, and it's just plain fun!!!"
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