
Reason #1: Carp Get Really….REALLY BIG!
Carp grow to enormous sizes. The average fish in the South Platte River is 8-15 pounds, with a large amount of fish growing to well over 20 pounds. Catching a 20 pound fish, on a fly rod and in a river is very special. To land a 20 pound fish, in moving water, your angling skills must be top notch. Carp do fight hard. Maybe not as hard as a Trevally or a Tarpon, but when you live in Colorado, a carp is the next best thing. Carp are bulldogs, and fight just like it. They play dirty, running into logs and wrapping you around rocks. They use their weight against you and never seem to give up. Carp are stubborn creatures and will fight till the bitter end. Just as you think you sealed the deal, one flap of the tail and the fish is making another run!

Reason #2: Carp Will Challenge You and Make You Better
Carp are not easy to catch. Everyone ignores this fact or does not believe it. In a previous blog I explain Why Carp Are So Hard To Catch. Fishing a unscented fly, on a fly rod and getting a carp to eat is not easy. Carp are big targets and are easy to snag. Snagging a fish is not the same as getting one to eat. Scenting your flies or using bait is not the same. Just as using the same tactic for trout is not the same. Fishing for carp makes you a better angler….Seriously! If you can consistently catch carp on a fly, then trout and other species will come much easier. Carp fishing also makes you a more well rounded angler. Understanding more about the sport and about how other fish act will give you a deep understanding of fly fishing. Most people who turn their nose up at carp, cannot catch them in the mouth or have never tried it!

Reason #3: Carp Live Close to Home
With gas prices on the rise, staying close to home is more important than ever. For me, staying close to home means I get to fish more. I am able to fish for a couple hours, before or after work. Carp live in urban areas, such as the South Platte River in Denver. Carp can live in ponds, rivers and reservoirs all the same. This is what is so great about carp. They can be found everywhere, big and small. They live in golf course ponds right in your back yard. Many people are less than 15 minutes away from a carp fishery. Carp are spread though out the United States. They can be found all over the place!

Reason #4: Crowds
Fly Fishing has become a popular sport. The growing number of anglers are beginning to crowd our more popular rivers. This is not a negative thing, it just is what it is. I welcome new fly fisherman and love teaching them the sport. Carp fishing is a good excuse to get away from the crowds. Our western tailwaters become very crowded on the weekends, and carp fishing a breath of fresh air. I rarely see other anglers fishing for carp, and when I do I usually know them. It is not something you have to do every time you go fishing, just do not be afraid to try it!

Reason #5: Carp Fishing is FUN!
This is the real reason why I fly fish for carp. I enjoy it! For me, it is as simple as that. Fly fishing is supposed to be fun. Your fly fishing experiences are your own and no one can take that away from you. For those of you who do not agree, that is fine. You are entitled to your opinion and I am as well. Most who do not agree, are fly fishing for the wrong reasons. And that is perfectly fine. Just leave the people having fun alone!

One of the arguments that I hear a lot is that carp are stinky. Well..they may be, but every fish smells just like a carp…FISHY! And yes they are slimy, but what fish isn’t? Trout, Bass, Bonefish and every fish is slimy. That is how they stay alive! Carp are just big and come with more slime. Everyone who trash talks carp, has never tried to catch one.



Carp also talk to each other. Well not by voice, but they do communicate. Once you spook one carp in a pod, the entire group is spooked. This is because carp emit an emergency pheromone once spooked. This alerts the rest of the fish in the pod that they are in danger. I try to find small groups of fish or single fish. I like to avoid the large pods of cruising fish. You make one mistake and you blow the whole thing. A single fish that is eating off the bottom is usually my favorite fish to fish to.


Carp will never get the recognition they deserve, and that is fine with me. Once I introduce people to fly fishing for carp, they get it. The eat and the pull of a carp speaks for itself. Once you see your first tailing carp and it eats your fly, you will understand it as well. Yes they are slimy, but what fish isn’t? Everyone who knocks it, has never tried it. Once you get past that, you are in for a real treat!
Boom...Morgan
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