Video Pro Tips: Fly-Fishing for Carp Down Under

It seems like most modern fishing videos are edited to show only the moments when everything goes right, so it’s refreshing to find one that paints a more complete picture of both victories and defeats. In this video from . . .

Read More

Fish Facts: Everything You Wanted to Know About the Common Carp But Were Afraid to Ask


Carp may be an invasive species, but many fly fishers love them.
Photo courtesy Mike Mazzoni

Unlike trout, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are unattractive, slimy, feed almost exclusively below the surface, and rarely inhabit clear mountain streams—choosing instead to live in turbid or brackish waters. For these reasons, the species was denigrated as a “trash fish” by . . .

Read More

Fish Story: From Customer to Field Tester

Written by: John Van Vleet


Kaufmann’s trophy from the “Carp Locker” put a huge smile on his face.
Photo by Shawn Combs

John Kaufmann is absolute hell on fly tackle. He’s a fly rod’s worst nightmare, but a fly shop’s favorite patron. Every spring, as he chases stripers up and down Cape Cod with reckless abandon, he snaps rods, explodes reels, and puts fly lines through what some might consider. . .

Read More

Photos of the Day: Big Carp, Nicknames, and Optical Illusions


Orvis copywriter John Van Vleet shows off a carp that bottomed out his 15-pound Boga Grip.
Photo by Shawn Combs

Orvis copywriter John Van Vleet (a.k.a. “JVV”)—the guy who actually writes the fly-fishing catalog—caught this brute while fishing with rod designer Shawn. . .

Read More

New Issues of “The New Fly Fisher” and “Carp Pro” Are Online Now

The latest issue of The New Fly Fisher, from the folks who make the Canadian TV show of the same name, has got some great articles in it. Those who are looking forward to chasing Great Lakes steelhead will benefit from the wisdom of well-known guide Glen Hales. As usual, there’s also plenty of stillwater content, as well as. . .

Read More

The Quest for a Monster Carp Comes True

Written by Joey Paxman


Joey Paxman’s quest for a 20-pound carp in downtown Minneapolis finally came to an end last week.
Photo courtesy Joey Paxman

[Editor’s Note: Blog reader Joey Paxman sent in this killer photo and the story behind it this weekend. I love how all the elements come together to complete the saga and result in a great image that any angler would cherish.]

The first carp that I ever witnessed being caught with hook and a line was on a small bass pond near my mother’s house in Redding, California. I was spending the last hour of light throwing poppers to eager 12- to-15 inch largemouths, when a young boy showed up on. . .

Read More