Once considered a “trash” or “rough” fish disregarded by anglers, carp have become a favorite target for anglers with a fly rod. Fly fishing for carp has exploded in popularity over the last 20 years and have become a highly sought after gamefish.

Carp are difficult to catch. They’re picky, moody, and easily spooked. But that’s what makes them so fun to target. Known as “prairie permit,” carp offer anglers a rewarding challenge with difficult eats and reel burning runs. You’ll have to work for them, but it’ll be worth it!

In this guide, we’ll dive into what carp are, where to find them, the gear to use, and tactics to use when targeting these newly popular gamefish.

What are Carp?

Carp is the generic name given to a wide variety of freshwater fish in the Cyprinidae family. They’re large, scaled fish that are native to Eurasia and were introduced into United States waters in the 1880s.

Basically carp were brought over to the United States by someone, somewhere 150 years ago and their population exploded. Carp are able to tolerate wide ranges of waters and conditions and reproduce faster than a fluffle of bunnies (yes, a group of bunnies is appropriately called a fluffle. I had to look that one up). They’re technically an invasive species that can take over bodies of water, fueling the negative reputation they had for a long time.

While carp are and always have been a highly touted gamefish for conventional anglers in Europe, in the US they’re reputation as a “trash” or “rough” fish dismayed anglers from pursuing them. It wasn’t until the last decade that many anglers realized the challenge of catching carp and began to target them on the fly rod.

Sure, people have fly fished for carp for a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that pursuing them on a fly rod became mainstream. Fly fishing for carp has become extremely popular in the United States and the carp’s bottom-feeding, invasive reputation has all but gone away.

There’s even a national group dedicated to promoting the and educating the public on the carp fishing in the United States. Check out the American Carp Society.

Types of Carp

Now that carp are more distinguished, people have become more aware of the types of carp swimming in their waters. There are lots of types of carp found throughout the world. For our purposes, we’ll stick to the species of carp that are most commonly found in the US and most often targeted with a fly rod.

Common Carp

Common carp, as the name suggests, are the most common type of carp found in the United States. They are light gold to dark brown and have a pretty even checkered scale patterns along their bodies.

They can be distinguished from other types of carp by their scale patterning, coloration, and barbels (whiskery lookin’ things) on their mouths. If you’ve ever been trout or smallmouth fishing and seen big submarine-looking creatures in the water, they’re likely common carp.

Grass Carp

Grass carp are another common species of carp found in the United States. They look similar to common carp, though are generally longer, more slender fish. They also don’t have the barbels on their mouths that the commons do.

As the name would suggest, grass carp love eating grass, weeds, and leaves. Developers very often stock grass carp in bodies of waters as a means of weed control. If you’ve ever been golfing or walked along a man-made pond and seen large fish roaming the shallows, they’re likely grass carp. A group of grass carp will keep a pond clean all-year round.

Mirror Carp

Mirror carp, contrary to their name, are not shiny. At all. The name comes from their larger scales that I guess at one point someone thought were shiny? Anyway, mirror carp are typically brown or dark gold with almost leathery looking skin. What makes them identifiable and unique are their irregularly shaped scales dispersed along their bodies.

Typical mirror carp have this uneven scale pattern randomly assorted on their bodies. Fully-scaled mirror carp have a more even distribution of their scales on their bodies while linear-mirror carp have a clear pattern of scales along their lateral lines. While there are technically several types of mirror carp, anglers often group them all into one category.

Koi Carp

Picture the goldfish you had when you were 10. Now picture that little guy as a 5-20 lb beast. That’s basically a koi carp.

Koi carp are domesticated common carp that have been bred over their years for their vibrant, exotic colors. They come in a variety of sizes, colors and designs. Koi carp are extremely popular as decoration and some people even have dedicated “koi ponds” in their homes.

For this reason, koi carp are most commonly found in highly populated areas. People have seemingly let their koi friends out into the wild after being conversation starters at dinner parties. That’s good for us anglers, as koi give us an opportunity to catch a wild looking, hard fighting fish.

How to Find Carp

Sight Fishing

Finding carp is a sight-fishing game. That’s one of the appeals of fly fishing for carp- it’s very visual and akin to stalking the saltwater flats in search of redfish or bonefish.

Carp roam the shallows in search of food, often in less than 5 feet of water. It is vital (and I mean vital) that you seek out and cast to actively feeding carp. These are carp that let their guard down and might eat your fly.

Actively feeding carp typically have their nose down and tails up, visibly rooting the bottom for food. I’ve also caught carp that were slowly, yet confidently, posted up in very slow moving water.

If you see cruising carp, let them go. They will not eat. They will tease and taunt you, especially when swimming in large packs. I distinctly remember casting to a large pod of cruising carp, thinking I could dump my fly in the pack and one of the 30 fish would take a bite. Nope. None of them even acknowledged the fly’s presence. Frustrating, but that’s part of the carp fishing game!

Carp Water

Carp are found in any body of warm freshwater. Rivers, lakes, streams, neighborhood ponds, you name it. If the water is fresh and warm, there’s probably carp in there somewhere.

You’ll be able to find carp in different types of water, though typically I’ve had the most luck in slower moving water. In ponds and lakes, this tends to be the shallow flats and in rivers, they’ll be feeding in shallow pools near moving water.

Carp swim around in nearly every depth of water, though to fish for them the water should be less than 5 feet. Keep your eyes peeled wherever you are as they seem to pop up out of nowhere.

Fly Fishing Gear for Carp

Carp are big and they fight hard. We need to have stout fly fishing gear that can handle the fight! A 6-8 weight rod with floating line on a quality reel, paired with a 9-10 foot 10lb leader with a small egg, squirmy wormy or Wooly Bugger will get the job done.

Best Fly Rod for Carp

A 6-8 weight fly rod is ideal for carp. I prefer an 8, knowing that I won’t be under-gunned if I hook in to a monster.

That being said, you should have a general idea of the size of the carp in your local waters. Typically speaking, larger bodies of water tend to have larger fish. If you’ve seen them swimming around while fishing for other species, you’ll get a sense of their size. Smaller carp in the 4-6 lb range would be handled fine with a 6 weight, though fish in the 10+ pound class might break that rod in half.

That’s why I like an 8 weight. It’ll handle easily handle the smaller fish and will be ready to fight the 15 lb-er that takes you for a ride.

Best Fly Fishing Lines for Carp

Nearly all fly fishing for carp will be done on a floating line. In fact, I haven’t seen or heard of anyone fly fishing for carp with anything but.

Carp will be in shallow water and we’ll need to get our flies on the bottom. A floating line is ideal and even necessary for this. Any sort of sinking line will pull our flies down too fast and likely get caught on the bottom, not to mention likely spook these wary fish.

Fly fish for carp on a floating line and keep it that way!

Best Leader for Carp

Carp are spooky and have very sensitive mouths, so we need to match our leader size for that. But, carp can also get huge and we need a leader that will survive the fight.

A 9-10 foot, 10 lb leader is the perfect match of stealth and strength. Carp don’t have teeth, so we won’t have to worry about them slicing through our leader. The 10 lb breaking strength is enough to handle the fight but not thick enough to spook them or present our flies unnaturally.

As with all fishing, make any appropriate changes based on water conditions and fish behavior. Dark, muddy water could call for 12 or even 15 lb leaders while crystal clear water may require thinner tippets. I can remember a time where actively feeding fish would scoff at my 3X leader (8lb), but once I dropped all the way to 4X (6lb), they began to bite. It can make all the difference!

Best Flies for Carp

As with all fishing, flies for carp will depend on region and season. Though there are several patterns that can consistently work wherever you are. You will find carp’s pickiness changes with the wind, seemingly out of nowhere. Actively feeding fish can vacuum any fly that looks edible, other times they will scoff at a fly for no apparent reason. That’s just part of the game!

While the style of fly is important, the weight of the fly is most crucial. I would recommend having simple, straight-forward flies in a variety of weights that are adaptable to the depth of water you are fishing.

Wooly Bugger

You guessed it! Wooly Buggers are a great fly for carp, especially in smaller sizes. They replicate small leaches, hellgrammites, or crayfish that naturally swim in their waters.

Squirmy Wormy

Squirmy wormies are a great fly for carp. They resemble the naturally occurring invertebrates that they’re used to chowing down.

From my experience, the slight undulation of the fly can get a carp’s attention, but too much action can turn the fish off. Keep movements subtle when fishing with squirmy wormies.

Eggs

While carp aren’t necessarily eating eggs found in freshwater all the time, egg patterns are effective simply because they look like something that can be eaten.

Bright colored eggs can get their attention, while natural eggs can look like a berry, or even corn. Eggs are extra-effective in community ponds. Some fish-friendly citizens often will take their evening neighborhood stroll with a pack of corn or dog food to feed fish and the carp get accustomed to eating these little morsels. In the most unnatural “matching the hatch” possible, egg flies can be carp candy.

Egg flies also can look like little bunches of grass. Carp are known to chow down on grass (which is why they’re stocked in community ponds) and can slurp down these flies, especially if they’re in the mood for salad.

Fly Fishing for Carp Tactics

Fly fishing for carp is all about stealth. Carp are weary, easily-spooked fish, which increases the challenge of catching carp on a fly rod.

That challenge is frustrating but is also a core appeal of fly fishing for carp. Anglers need to be on point with a stealthy approach and accurate casting in order to hook up.

Fly fishing for carp is a sight-fishing game and when we spot fish, we need to approach them with the upmost caution. Carp do not necessarily have laser-sharp vision but do detect motion incredibly well. When approaching carp, move slowly and carefully with the least movement you possibly can. When casting to carp, limit the amount of false casts you make so no extra movement or unnecessary flying of lines are created.

Accurate casting is paramount You’ll need to cast close enough to get their attention but far enough away to avoid spooking them. Land your fly 2-3 feet in front of the carp and wait until you see it inhale your fly before setting the hook.

You won’t feel the strike, so seeing the fish consume your fly and then setting your hook is crucial. Carp can be quick too- spitting out flies almost instantaneously when they realize it isn’t food. Keep your eyes sharply in tune with the fish and be ready to set the hook when it takes a bite.

Fly fishing for carp is the closest you’ll get to saltwater flats fishing in freshwater. It requires patience, stealth, and accuracy. It can be frustrating at times but is well worth it when you hook into one of the hardest fighting fish of your life!

Conclusion

Fly fishing for carp has truly transformed from a niche interest to a mainstream passion, captivating anglers across the United States. Carp, once dismissed as a “trash” fish, now stand as a prime and sought-out target for anglers with a fly rod.

As we’ve explored, understanding the different species of carp, mastering the right gear and tactics, and honing your sight-fishing skills are key to success. The unpredictability and challenge they present keep the pursuit exciting and satisfying. Every encounter with a carp is a test of your angling skills and offers a chance to experience the gratification of conquering one of the most resilient freshwater fish.

So, grab your fly rod, fine-tune your approach, and embrace the challenge of carp fishing. With patience and practice, you’ll not only refine your skills but also gain a deeper appreciation for these formidable gamefish. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or new to the sport, carp fishing promises an adventure that’s as rewarding as it is exhilarating.

Have you caught carp on a fly rod?