The purpose of this site is to
network with other carp fishermen, learn more about carp and to find
more local and non-local carp water to fish. As you can see from my carp
photos, I do most of my carp fishing alone so it would be great to find
more folks to fish with. I also enjoy teaching people how to catch carp
but you have to be a decent angler to begin with. Carp fishing has made
me a MUCH better and more patient angler over the years. Living in
Colorado, we only have about an 8 month carp fishing season so I want to
find other warm water states to fish. I have seen unknown species of
carp with my own eyes that were 5 to 6 feet in length and at least 80 or
100 lbs. and that was here in Colorado! Unfortunately it was private
water so I was not allowed to try and catch one. I know there are large
species of carp around the world so please contact me if you know of
any! Contact Carpboy at carpboy@carpboy.com.
WHY I LOVE CARP:
Carp are considered by most North
Americans as a much maligned, non-native species of “trash fish”. They
were introduced to North America in the late 1800’s and have
proliferated to the point that I believe they inhabit every state in the
US as well as much of Canada and I would assume, mexico as well. My
first experience with carp was like so many others; I used to shoot them
with a bow for sport as a kid. Even through that experience, I had to
admire how tough carp are! I recall many swimming away with an arrow
running through the fish. I have found carp to be a tremendous game
fish, especially because I catch all my carp on a fly rod. Even if you
think carp are trash fish, you have to admire how tough and adaptable
they are. Most of the carp I catch are Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio
carpio) and their mutated brethren, the Mirror Carp and Leather Carp. I
also catch the occasional Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Grass
carp are fun and they can be quite large but do not fight as well as
Common carp and are MUCH harder to catch. The one good thing about the
Grass carp is that they mostly eat dry flies which is always a good
time!
Carp are extremely tough fish. They
are ancient fish and have been around for millions of years. They can
survive huge variations in water temperature, salinity and pollution. I
think that after a nuclear war, the carp will be around as well as the
cockroaches! They can survive partial freezing and can slow down their
metabolism to a hibernating dormant state in cold environments during
the winter. I have seen huge fish that were well over 60 pounds in
Hawaii in salt water alongside mullet and milkfish! It makes me wonder
how big they can get when they can feed year round. The largest carp
I’ve caught to date were around 40 lbs and were in a reservoir in my
neck of the woods and that is covered in ice 2 to 3 months of the year. I
saw fish that were substantially larger then 40lbs and look forward to
going back there and fishing it again as well as the many other big
reservoirs that I’m still waiting to explore. I’m waiting for my buddy
Frank to get his new skiff so we can fish them properly. You really need
a boat to cover the water in some of these really big reservoirs.
I love carp because they are
opportunistic omnivorous feeders. They eat all types of vegetation as
well as bugs, crayfish, leeches, worms etc. Carp are hard to pattern and
make trout look predictable and stupid. Every piece of water has its
own subtle nuances so I have to learn different tricks for every pond,
lake, reservoir, and river that I fish for carp. Another thing that
really differentiates carp from other species is their unpredictable
nature. Unlike other species of fish like trout, carp may be “easy” to
catch one day and virtually impossible to get them to eat the very next
day with exactly the same conditions which can be extremely frustrating.
I have to tie flies that represent things that fall from trees like
cottonwood seeds for instance. As I said, carp fishing has made me a
much better angler. I have to be very observant and patient to be able
to consistently catch these fish. That’s what makes carp fishing so
addictive in my opinion.
Another thing I like about carp
fishing is that over 99% of the carp I catch I site fish to. So, I’m
fishing to specific, individual fish every time in clear water. Some
water is crystal clear and some is more turbid but I have to be able to
see the fish or if it’s tailing, at least see the tail and the direction
the fish is facing. My window to get the fly in is literally less then 3
inches in diameter. I have to get the fly right in front of the fish
and moving away from, not towards the fish. Just as in salt water
fishing, the fly has to be fleeing the pray otherwise it’s completely
unnatural and the fish will spook. There is nothing more satisfying in
fresh water then feeding a fly to a tailing fish in a clear river or
lake and watching the fish eat the fly and then setting the hook!
ATTENTION ALL EUROPEAN CARP FISHERMEN (AND
WOMEN)!
Unlike most Americans, you guys have
the carp love! I know you are willing to spend a lot of Euros to fish
dirty carp ponds with bait rods and special alarms and such. We have an
almost unlimited supply of carp water in the U.S. both private and
public. You guys would freak out at the fishing we have over here and
there’s lifetimes worth of quality water that is FREE. I think you would
enjoy fishing clear water where you can actually see the fish. And any
fly fisherman would be blown away by the quality and quantity of carp
water we have here in the U.S. Carp fishing is definitely some of the
most aesthetically pleasing freshwater fishing I’ve ever done. I have
friends that have saltwater flats skiffs that guide on some of our big
reservoirs. Some of my favorite fishing is right in the heart of big
cities. Good fun! Contact me at carpboy@carpboy.com if you want more
info.
Cheers!
Carpboy