I was wondering if anyone on here fish for carp? What techniques do you employ and what are some good flies to start with?
I have tried and haven’t caught anything but that’s 'cause they saw me! :lol: Here is a link that I saw when I was first interested in carping.
http://www.msu.edu/~connert/carpfly.htm
Also, you should really try a Google search. I typed in, “carp on the fly” and got 490,000 results so that should give you plenty of info!
When I went carping, I wasn’t really expecting Carp but rather Smallmouth Bass and maybe Rainbow Trout. All I had really was a lot of streamers, one leech from a swap, and a “Guadalupe Green” I tied with Root Beer marabou. I didn’t catch a thing, but got a few follower before they saw me, so the next time I go out, I am gonna try something a bit smaller…
Hope this help, nen-bran
Thank you Nen-Bran. I heard you have to sight fish for them and they are extremely skittish. Thank you for the link!
Hello JF,
First let me extend a warm welcome to FAOL. Always glad to see a new victim…I mean member. 
I personally don’t go out looking for them on purpose, and wouldn’t complain if I were to catch one. But there are some members here that say they do put up one heck of a fight and do fish for them actively.
For a first time poster your going to get a lot of hits to your question.
Enjoy this while I see if I can find some old threads from this past summer on Carp fishing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xc8KGLbiAi8
Jim
JF
Found a couple of threads.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/showthread.php?t=16343&highlight=Carp
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/showthread.php?t=15634&highlight=Carp
Not the ones I remember from this past Summer. If you go up to the Search option and put in Carp You’ll get a ton of hits. The really good threads I remeber were in late August early September time frame.
Again, Welcome to FAOL.
Jim
Just Fish,
If your looking to get into FF for carp I would suggest you get a copy of the book “Carp On The Fly A Flyfishing Guide” It has a lot of useful information on flyfishing for carp as well as a good selection of carp fly patterns
Bill
Just Fish, it would also help if you would fill out a bit of your profile so we can get an idea where you are, etc… It may be that there are some FAOL’ers nearby who fish for carp and can give you local hints.
Ed
Thanks Five Dials for the links? I am a pretty experienced trout/steelhead fly fisherman. More so Trout, however, I am trying to expand my horizons. So this summer I was thinking about giving carp a shot. I hear it is similar to bonefishing. Which I also would like to do someday.
Thanks again!
Shawn
Have had good luck with about anything in size 8-10 that will sink pretty quick (mini Buggers).
If they are feeding…rooting through the mud, just drop the fly out in front of where they are and twitch it around to flick a little mud on the bottom and HOLD on.
Let 'em take the fly and turn, then set the hook and let them run for a bit before turning them.
Very powerful fish but they can be played in if you don’t try anything too quick or drastic, try to keep the play nice and smooth.
They are great fun to hook BUT keep in mind, you’ll lose plenty of them so a quick, buggy tie is in order…at a buck or two a piece for commercial flies, they would get expensive.
I use either my 3 wts or the 5 wt with a 2x or 3x tippett, nothing complicated about it really. The good thing is if you spook a couple, just move on to another pod as Carp are plentiful in most areas. Also, if possible wade into the water near them and stand still a bit…they’ll hear, see or feel your vibrations from the bank.
It only took me a couple of hours of trying to get pretty proficiant at “luring” them in.
Thank you brhoff. I’ll have to give it a shot!
thanks again
Shawn
Scuds and crawfish patterns work well. If you are fishing ponds or lakes where the people are feeding the ducks and geese with bread, then a simple white glo bug pattern can be dynamite. Damsel fly nymphs also work well.
Welcome to the forum.
Ray
Thanks Ray,
Any particular size scud?
Regards,
Shawn
Just fish, try a google for a man named Mike O’brian, you should turn up his guide service on the Susky. I know there are some dedicated carp anglers that travel to your neck of the woods just to catch some big’un’s. Check out the PA fish and boat commision web-site to view the big fish of 2007 and check out the carp section.
JA
Here’s the fly board at CAG:
http://www.carpanglersgroup.com/forum/index.php?showforum=26
And here’s another link:
Unfortunately I have become a Carp addict. Other than Steelhead, Carp put up the best fight here in OH. Their first run rivals the Steelhead. Check out the site below, they have a section of Carp flies. I have had a lot of success with Jim’s Lil Bugger and Barry’s Carp Fly.
They are a fish that you will need to stalk with as much stealth as you can manage. They will almost never bite unless they are actively feeding. When you spot one feeding and have decided which direction it is going, cast the fly in front of the fish. If clear water, up to 5 feet in front and closer as the water gets more stained. Just the “plop” of the fly will scare many fish away.
I have heard that if they are mating, you can drop a sucker spawn behind the first two and you may get a bite - the same strategy that you can use with Steelies. I want to try that this year.
Also, hunt for Mulberry trees that overhang the water. Check the same site below - there is a Mulberry Fly!
http://www.madriveroutfitters.com/
Thanks for the links guys. I will utilize them and they have been helpfull.
Regards,
Shawn
I fly fish for carp on a regular basis every summer and find them challenging. I use many of the same flies for carp that I use for trout, e.g. wooly buggers, hare’s ear nymphs, pheasant tail nymphs. Usually in sizes 8-12. I also use a WF line, 3x leader and tippet and a 6 wt rod most of the time.
As others have mentioned, get a copy of Carp on the Fly it is an excellent reference. There are plenty of people on this site who fish for carp. Also check out Warmwater FlyFisher and see the Carp Hunters portion of that site.
I fish for carp with a fly alot. My favorite fish on a fly for fresh water so far and I have caught alot of species on a fly.
Rick
I hear they are a blast! I usually fish two or three times a week in the winter and a lot more in the spring, summer, and fall for trout. I also go steelheading in Erie, PA. I hear carp are a compareable fight so I am looking forward to giving it a shot since erie is five hours away and carp are two-five minutes away from my house!
Thanks for all the input fellas!
Regards,
Shawn
I’ve been targeting them since the 50s and they are one of my top fish in freshwater. Although I’ve gone as light as my three weight, many I’ve caught are way out of legimate three weight country. Make it a seven or risk losing the trophy fish that you can always find if you Carp long enough. A grey grizzled wooly work, not bugger, with a red tag is my favorite fly and I tie them from floating with a small piece of white foam, to fast sink with a wrap or two of weighted wire. (for fishing different depths while sight casting)
Here’s a few pics and an article from my webpages that speak to Carping with the long rod.
http://community-2.webtv.net/fishing-folks/Carpflyfishingthe/
It’s a sight fishing game.
It’s an accurate and very light touch casting game.
It’s a lot of fish game at times.
It’s a big, no say huge, fish at times game.
All in all quite a challenge and a combination between stalking and fishing.
Good Fishing
Chuck S