Finally, #koiquest2017 success!

by Jeff D
(KC)

As you know, I've been after the koi in my local city park lake for some time. Well, I finally caught one.

I was fishing up close to the shore using a method feeder and a strawberry boilie on a hair rig. I hadn't had much luck other than a couple of overachieving bluegills. I was kind of spacing off when I noticed that there were two koi RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, about 3 feet out from the bank. I very slowly got up and walked away, so I could bring in the method feeder without spooking the fish.

I removed the method feeder and made a 4 ft 12-lb fluoro lengthener and reattached the hair rig. I was using a strawberry boilie, and I made a big glob of groundbait over the boilie and hook and very carefully lowered it into the water near the koi, then walked down the bank far enough to have a tight line. Immediately 2 more koi came in and began feeding in the area. After about 10 minutes without a bite, I slowly lifted the boilie out of the water, added more groundbait and carefully lowered it in the area of the koi, then retreated back down along the bank until I had a tight line.

What commenced was a feeding frenzy where I couldn't tell if a fish had taken the boilie or they were simply hitting my leader. I slightly lifted the rod tip and felt a weight, so I set the hook. The koi immediately made a beeline for the middle of the lake, but the Kiyogi 21 had no problem turning it. I recruited one of the many kids fishing the lake to man the net, and played the koi in. The fish ran and the line sang, but at no point did I feel like I didn't have control of the fish. The kid's father had a scale and we weighed the fish at 5.7 kg, which is about 12.5 lbs. Based on how easily I landed this fish, I'd guess the Kiyogi 21 is more than a match for anything but a truly gigantic carp.

“The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” - Benjamin Franklin

"Be sure in casting, that your fly fall first into the water, for if the line fall first, it scares or frightens the fish..." -
Col. Robert Venables 1662

As age slows my pace, I will become more like the heron.

We've all had situations where seriously chewed up flies kept catching fish after fish after fish. It is no sin to tie flies that come off the vise looking seriously chewed up.