Published Jan 23. 2019 - 5 years ago
Updated or edited Jan 23. 2019

The Flying Flash Carpet

Look! It’s a bird... It’s a plane... It’s the Flying Flash Carpet! A pike fly out of this world.

A colorful Flying Flash Carpet
A colorful Flying Flash Carpet
Martin Joergensen

This article was initially rejected at GlobalLurefisher.com but Martin Joergensen assured me it was OK to publish it here – even though I’m not quite sure whether we are dealing with a fly or a lure.

Maybe I should ask

the pike that regularly sink their teeth into it. Anyway – the phenomenon of pike becoming accustomed to the flies and lures that we present to them is well known. Yesterday's top pattern can soon become useless to the pike if they have seen it too many times.
The Flying Flash Carpet is a means to present a fly/lure that the pike probably have not seen before. A lot of the pike's favorite quarry is laterally compressed, which can be hard to emulate with standard patterns if you want to exceed a certain size.
This pattern does just that.

Can you say large?
When you give me that look
Can you say large?
Erik Tveskov

As a bonus

you can construct flies/lures that are really big, essentially only depending on the length of flash fibers you can find, which is something that the pike don’t mind at all.
How many times haven't you had bigger pike ferociously attack the small pike that you have hooked?

Perch-like colors
Erik tying a Carpet
Not easy to cast
Erik tying, and Carpets
Martin Joergensen - Erik Tveskov
The Flying Flash Carpet
Pattern type: 
Pike fly
Originator: 
Erik Tveskov

A potentially huge pike fly

Species: 
Materials: 
Lateral tube
Tube fly tube, 3-4 mm Ø, 8-10 cm long
Arc
Mono nylon, 1 mm Ø
Thread
6/0 to suit fly color
Flash
Smooth flash in the colors you select
Glue
Superglue
Eyes
Doll's eyes, size to fit fly (large!)
Extension tube
Tube fly tube, 3-4 mm Ø, length to the rear of the fly
Hook
Hook of your choice, single or treble
Skill level/difficulty: 
Medium


A wet carpet
Slightly tangled
The fly collapses, but straightens when it's back in the water
Erik Tveskov

Tying/building/constructing

Click on each picture for a larger version and more details on the construction.
1. Tie a piece of 10 cm 1.0 mm nylon to a plastic tube using figure-of-eight turns.

Step 1 - mounting the arc
Step 1 - mounting the arc
Erik Tveskov

2. Melt the ends of the nylon.

Step 2 - Melting the tags
Step 2 - Melting the tags
Erik Tveskov

3. Use pliers to squeeze the entire length of nylon. This will give the flash a better grip.

Step 3 - Scoring the nylon
Step 3 - Scoring the nylon
Erik Tveskov

4. Take a bundle of flash fibers (around 20 fibers) in the desired length and color and tie an overhand knot in one end of it. The use of a crochet hook makes this a lot easier.

Step 4 - Preparing the loop
Step 4 - Preparing the loop
Erik Tveskov

5. Slide the loop over the nylon and finish the granny knot with another overhand knot.

Step 5 - Tying the knot
Step 5 - Tying the knot
Erik Tveskov

6. Secure the knot with superglue (not the gel-type). You can trim the tags now or when you have tied a full side.

Step 6 - Secure
Step 6 - Secure
Erik Tveskov
Step 7 - First bunch
Step 7 - First bunch
Erik Tveskov

Step 8 - Underway
Step 8 - Underway
Erik Tveskov

7. Proceed on both sides until you have built or knotted your very own Flying Flash Carpet. If you left the forward flash tags on, trim them once the fly is done.


The construction and the rigging
The construction and the rigging
Martin Joergensen

8. Rig the carpet with another plastic tube that extends all the way to the end of the fly/lure where you attach a treble or single, maybe barbless, hook.


Notice the size of the fly!
Notice the size of the fly!
Erik Tveskov

Go fishing

in your favorite pike spot. You will quickly discover that Flying Flash Carpets larger than 10 centimeters (4 inches) high and 30 centimeters (12 inches) long are almost impossible to cast on a normal fly rod. The super large carpets (60-70 centimeters or more than 25 inches) are used for trolling from a kayak or a belly boat.

Almost a flag
The carpet flying
So named for a reason
Erik Tveskov

The Flying Flash Carpet

has a tendency to swim “sideways” (which is something that sick or dying baitfish often do). Split shots in the lower part of the “fly” and floating pearls in the top can correct this if you want.

In the water
A true carpet
In the water
Erik Tveskov
A pike was tempted
Erik Tveskov
.

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