Fly Fishing For Carp

The ultimate catch for many fly fishers is a jumbo carp

, a bottom feeding fish that can grow in lakes and ponds up to a staggering 60 pounds. Carp are bottom dwelling fish, eating whatever debris falls to the lake floor, making them capable of growing into massive catches for a patient angler. Fly-fishing for carp is less common than fly-fishing in busy rivers, so that not many fishermen deliberately catch carp - but the challenge of doing so is well worth the struggle for many.

Fly fishing is divided into sight casting and blind casting; the difference between being able to see your quarry and simply angling into busy water. In clear, fast running rivers it is not difficult to sight cast as the fish show up easily, but in deep, still, murky water there is no way to tell what lies beneath. Whenever carp come up to the surface, however, it is possible to sight cast on your target. Set the fly about one or two feet further out than the fish itself with consistent motion to keep the attention of the fish.

Blind casting requires angling in a place where you are certain there will be fish, such as a submerged log or a spot laden with bait. Carp hunt mostly by smell, riling up the muck to eat fish and invertebrates living in the mire, so it may be necessary to use smell induced bait to attract the proper specimen. The fly you will want to use is one that combines the smell of food with a sight to which the carp will respond. Many fishermen find that a fly resembling small live creates works well; insect larvae, worms, miniature crayfish, and leeches are on the regular menu of a carp. Other flies imitate plant matter or even human produced food (such as thick bread) to which a carp in a stocked lake may be accustomed.

The poor eyesight of carp makes the actual movement of the fly more important than the fly itself. When hunting along the bottom of a lake, visibility may be so poor that only rapid movement can alert a carp to a tasty morsel. Some fly fishermen do not cast on the surface, allowing their fly to sink just deep enough into the water to touch the bottom. If they are sight casting, the angler need only flick it against the silt of the bottom, which the carp will automatically react to in the hopes of getting a meal. Casting on the surface may draw the attention of shallow dwelling fish, but to get a higher chance of reeling in a trophy, make sure to set in deep water and allow the fly to sink further down.

by: Jo Gregory

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