Carp on the fly in Cape Girardeau

Phil Willmert of Cape Girardeau caught this grass carp on a fly rod on flooded Main Street of Cape Girardeau by Red Star Access on June 5, 2015. The fish measured just over 35 inches.

He caught it on a fly he tied that imitates a piece of moss-covered grass. "Carp are very difficult to catch using traditional fishing methods because, as their name implies, they feed primarily on aquatic plants," Willmert said. He cast his fly to the fish, which he could see feeding in the shallow waters of a flooded field adjacent to Main Street. "I twitched my fly and the fish turned slightly, took the fly, and then the fight was on!"

Willmert says there are many fishing opportunities nearby that are often overlooked. One of his favorite places to fly fish is Cape LaCroix creek which runs through through the middle of Cape Giradeau.

"A lot of people are surprised to see someone standing in the middle of the creek with a fly rod. But the water is clean and the fishing is great! Because it is connected to the Mississippi River, I'm often surprised by the diversity of fish I catch there."