Fly-fishing for carp still raises a few eyebrows in the angling community, but these picky, powerful fish are now widely accepted as a challenging quarry. In this vide from The New Fly Fisher, host Colin McKeown and guide Glen Hales chase golden bones in the Bay of Quinte in Ontario. Along the way, they discuss fly choice, presentation, and what you must do to avoid spooking these wary fish.
In my area, grass carp (white amur) are often stocked in ponds to help control algae. This species has a terminal mouth (not sucker-like, as does the common carp). They are extremely skittish. Walking up to a pond often sends then in all directions. The little success I have had (0 for 3) has been in the spring using a black woolly bugger on a stout hook. When a fish approaches the fly I immediately concentrate on the end of the fly line not the fly. Use strip strikes to ensure a solid hook-up.
With Covid-19 restrictions in place, some fishermen have been concerned about whether there are any safe fish they can eat. The only way to guarantee a safe catch is to harvest fish from certain areas that have been cleared of contamination. Keep safe.
chesterbrookwaterproofing.com
Carp are probably the most underrated and underappreciated fly fishing target. I’ve written quite a bit about chasing them with a fly rod here: https://sippingmayflies.com/fly-fishing-for-carp/
One of my most productive carp flies is the Jan’s carp tickler, available at Orvis.