Tips and Tricks for Carp on the Fly

I N T R O : 

Fly fishing for carp might be outside of your vocabulary but you might be missing out. With a little re-thinking you might have an opportunity to catch a really big fish a few miles from where you are reading this. 

Around the shop here we have fully embraced carp on the fly and have committed quite a bit of time chasing, tying for and traveling for our next trip. They aren’t easy but with a few tactics you can tie into a rather large freshwater fish that will pull harder than you might expect.

Once you have figured out the type of conditions carp like it isn’t very hard to find them. The difficult part of putting a carp in the net is knowing which carp to cast to. As this is a sight fishing game, taking your time is crucial and will greatly increase your chance of success. 

We have compiled a bunch of info from experts near and far to help you better understand a really fun fish to chase with a fly rod.

T I P :

 

A great standard for this fishing style is LOOK, WAIT and OBSERVE. 

• LOOK – More often than not, carp will be basking and not in an active feeding behavior. Find and target actively feeding fish, as these will be much easier to catch and not alert other fish to be wary of your proximity.
• WAIT – once feeding fish are found, slow down and make sure you understand their behavior. Pay attention to direction of travel… are they eating on the bottom, mid column or on top? Is there a fish that is more active than others? Is there one that is larger than the others?
• OBSERVE – Details of behavior and the environmental conditions can impact overall success. Wind, sun conditions can play a pivotal role in allowing you to see fish and having them not see you. Slow down and take in the details of the surroundings.

G E A R : 

Carp are known to be a strong fish to land, and putting one in the net can be as difficult as any game fish on a fly rod. 

We recommend a large hooped/long handled net, and maybe even a fishing partner to help land them. 

A 6-8wt rod and 6/7/8 wt reel with a sturdy drag spooled with a floating fly line.

Use a  7.5 ft 3X tapered leader as this is a great start as it can be lengthened if a more delicate presentation is needed. 

3X tippet is where you should start and size up/down as needed. We suggest fluorocarbon due its ability to penetrate the surface film. Pick up either Cortland’s Top Secret, or Fulling Mill Masterclass Tippet.

While it is hard to say that one piece of gear is absolutely necessary. You will hear from us that a pair of polarized sunglasses will be as close as you will get.. Polarized lenses may give you an advantage in sight casting to these fish, as well as blocking out bright high sun. We have a good selection of Costa sunglasses that work well in a high sun and high contrast situations.

Our exclusive Carp Dozen is a selection of 12 staff favorite carp flies.

P R E S E N T A T I O N :

Carp are intelligent fish, and have an air bladder that is connected to their lateral line. This makes them very adept at sensing vibration and movement in the water and sometimes even as far as the shore. Therefore when carp are feeding they have a singular focus, allowing us to make close accurate casts to present our fly. 

The key is softly dropping your fly to where the carp is looking or moving towards. Let’s imagine that a carp is wearing a baseball hat. With the hat on, there is a limit to the extent of their visual field when feeding. Your goal is to drop your fly inches in front of the carp within its visual field. Did I mention, Land your fly softly.

If your cast presentation is slightly off, you can skate or drag your fly slowly into place to make sure that it drops vertically into the fish’s visual field. Carp are less likely to take a fly that is already sitting in the mud even if you try to twitch it to entice it.

L O C A T I O N :

They don’t always only live in ugly, dirty places. They are tolerant of most conditions, and are commonly found in slow moving or still water, with an abundance of vegetative sediment. The eastern portion of the Truckee River and certain urban ponds can host an abundance of carp. 

In the summertime carp have moved into slower moving water to feed and bask. The best fishing conditions are mid-day with high sun, clear skies and low wind. These conditions make them the most visible to anglers. A slow stealthy approach is key. Carp have very keen senses. Their vision, hearing and ability to sense vibration allow them to find forage and avoid threats simultaneously.

A R O U N D  T H E  T R U C K E E  M E A D O W S :

The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) has purchased and began stocking a community pond in Spanish Springs with rainbow trout. After NDOW purchased the existing Kiley Lake and rebranded it Battle Born pond they began stocking rainbow trout. However Kiley Lake has had an established population of carp for quite some time. With improved access and parking this is a great place to start chasing carp. There are a lot and they are pretty grabby for now…

Other urban ponds and stillwaters around our community can often hold carp. Look for drainage ditches, golf course ponds and even ponds within neighborhoods. ****Please respect private property signs at all times****

The Truckee River can be an interesting challenge to fly fishing for carp. East of the Truckee Meadows is where you would want to focus in the summertime. The challenge to the Truckee River is all of the complexities stated above with moving water. The current spreads scent and the fish around quite a bit. Don’t give up but know that it is the graduate school location versus urban stillwaters.

O U T S I D E  T H E  T R U C K E E  M E A D O W S :

Our regional desert reservoirs can be great opportunities for chasing carp and warm water species. The NDOW website is a great source of information and fishing conditions for our state resources. The podcast episode below discusses several destination locations around the country for chasing carp on the fly.

Take a listen to Reno Fly Shop podcast, Episode #55 with John Bartlett. Host Jim and John discuss carp fishing on the fly and more.