[Sergeant]

I have been fishing for the "ugly fish" or carp for three years now. I happend to be biking and saw some carp mucking in the shallows of a creek I fished as a kid, and quickly got my fly rod - a "Fair Play" combo from Cortland and tied on black ant fly. Sneaking up on the muching carp I dropped the ant in front of them and proceeded to hook one that broke the tip of my rod then the leader. Now I look for carp and fish for them with crazy anticipation of catching a personal best. I have used wooley buggers, ants, and corn on a small hook with good success and was wondering what others have used, and if anyone is as hooked on fishing for these fish as I am! I live in Bucks County Pa. and there seems to be no shortage of these fish around here. I catch them and feed them to the stream bank in hopes of letting other game fish prosper. Carp are now on my hit list of learning as much as possible on how to catch them w/ a fly. Any feed back will be appreciated.

[Piscator]

Sergeant,
I remember reading that Steelheadrob and BigCliff have caught some carp before on a fly rod. Check this link out. Steelheadrob may know some new patterns for you it seems like.

What else have you caught

Laterz,
Terry

[fshfanatic]

I cast for slurping pods of carp all the time. I have caught them up to 20lbs +.

Long casts and stealth are the key here. I have caught them on dries. Small stimulators, hoppers, ants, etc.

They are a hoot.

[Troutlassie124]

There is a great receipe for Carp, made famous in Gibbon's book, "Stalking The Wild Asparagus." Are you familiar with it? Gibbons was a naturalist from Pennsylvania who enjoyed living off the land and finding uses for otherwise unused plants and animals. He had a wonderful sense of humor. Check it out!

[Troutlassie124]

Try this site for carp recipies:
http://people.whitman.edu/~hashimiy/carp.htm

[tightlines57]

Big carp on a 4 weight, a real challenge. I prefer the 8 weight when going after carp but sometimes they hit bass flies when fishing the 4 wt. I've used hoppers, chernobyl ants, poppers. Like Fanatic said, stealth is the key. My biggest problem is when they get close to shore they start to thrash and usually break off my tippet.

[JBinUTAH]

I live a few blocks from the Provo River here in Utah. The carp are spawning now and are very active splashing along the weeds against the banks. They are available by the hundreds this time of year as they come out of Utah Lake. Two years ago was the largest spawning run for the last 100 years. City employees gathered at the river and tried to push them back to the lake with chain link because there seemed to be more fish than water and they were depleteing oqygen levels so low they were dying. It became quite stinky and a health issue. They did this for almost a month because the carp kept on returning. It was very interesting and quite the amazing to see. This is also the sign that says its time for great catfishing here.

[Joni]

JBinUTAH, I would love to get down there and try catching some of them. Couldn't go last year cause of work, but this year I have MUCH more time for fishing

[JBinUTAH]

I will be in Island Park most of next week, but after that I hope to find time to try it myself. It doesn't last all that long so I hope I won't be too late.

[darkcahill]

If you would like some truly excellent Carp flies go to www.watersidemb.ca This web site has patterns and articles on Carp. They even have some cool pictures as well.