Fly Fishing For Carp

An 8 pound, 2 ounce common carp caught on a fly.

One of the reasons that I started this blog was to show people that you can fly fish for just about any species of fish.  There is a misconception that some people have about fly fishing and it usually goes something like this: “I thought you could only fly fish for trout.”  I know a lot of people also think that you have to be wading in a cold water stream with snow capped mountains in the background.  The fact is, if you do a little research and time things just right, you can catch any species of fish that you want to target.

This summer, I have spent a lot of time learning about and targeting carp.  There are usually two reactions that I get from people when I tell them this.  1. You can fly fish for carp?  2. And why would you want to catch carp?  Both valid questions so let’s take this one at a time.

You CAN fly fish for carp but it can be a challenge which is partially what makes it so rewarding when you actually hook one.  While carp might look big, slow, and stupid, let me assure you they are not.  I once had a fisherman tell me that carp actually have an IQ of 12.  (I am curious what type of person develops and gives a fish IQ test).  Carp are very versatile creatures in the sense that they are omnivorous and are able to eat anything from small fish and crayfish to mulberries and aquatic vegetation.  A fisherman can use this to his/her advantage, but there is a catch.  Carp usually like to target specific food sources at different times of the year or even day and are very picky when it comes to making sure that what they eat is the real deal so they are not duped easily.  I have had the best luck catching carp that are slurping small bugs off the surface of the water in the evenings.

Catching a carp is unlike landing any other fish I have ever fished for.  They run from you like a freight train in open water and they don’t tire out easily.  How they have so much strength and stamina is what makes them unique and fun to catch.  They’re not like bass that have one or two good runs in them or like catfish that just try to bury themselves in the bottom of the lake.  This attitude and power helps to compensate for what some people believe is a lack of good looks.  Personally, I think they are kind of pretty with their golden color, large scales, and small barbells around their big rubber lips…which are admittedly ugly.  They also grow to large sizes and you could easily catch a carp at any time that is heavier than the largest bass you have ever caught.  Catching a carp in the five to eight pound range is pretty common but fairly rare if you are going after largemouth.  They can actually grow over sixty or seventy pounds.  Who wouldn’t want to try and catch a fish that large, that pretty, and with that much feistiness?

This summer, I have had the fortune of catching a few carp at a nearby lake that a friend of mine owns.  I have had the best luck hooking (and sometimes even landing) fish by targeting two behaviors.  The first, and the most difficult, has been going after carp that are feeding on leaves from aquatic vegetation in shallow and flooded area.  I have a leaf fly that I use in these situations and have tricked a few fish using this method.  The most difficult part is getting close enough to a feeding fish without spooking it or at least making it aware that you are there.  They don’t hit the fly hard but give it a light “bump” and I try to go strictly by feel which is challenging.  The second activity I look for is for carp cruising along the surface of the water and eating insects.  I don’t always know exactly what they are feeding on but I have had my best luck when I put a Griffith’s gnat in their path.  Again, it can be easy to spook a feeding fish if you aren’t careful with your footsteps and in this case you casting.  You need to be quiet, efficient with your casts so you don’t rip the water too many times, and be accurate with your casts.  Hitting a carp on the head with a fly will alert it and casting over a carp can scare it off as well.  Catching a big, smart fish isn’t easy regardless of the species so make sure you bring enough patience to the lake as well.  You might also want to bring a camera because if you DO actually land a carp on a fly, you will want to share it with you buddies…or start a blog about the tale…pun intended.

A 6 pound carp that I landed earlier this summer.

What a majestic and beautiful creature!

Top flies: Griffith's gnats
Bottom flies: leaf imitation flies