Addicted to Carp

Many anglers call them the cockroaches of the rivers, whilst others hold them on a pedestal as one of the best sight-cast species they have targeted. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, one thing is for sure, on the Australian mainland you will at some stage come across European carp (Cyprinus carpio) on your fly-fishing travels. And when that day comes, you will be kicking yourself if you don’t have a few carp flies in your box.

Before I had even considered trout, I was being shown how to target carp. My fly-fishing experience had only been on tropical saltwater and southern estuary species such as flathead, bream, mullet and bass, so there was a lot to learn; more than I realised.

Carp fishing required accuracy, a skill I had only acquired from casting at structure in the rivers for bass. Now I had to implement that cast at a slow-moving object that could spook at any moment. This was harder than I had envisaged.

The second, but just as important factor, was stealth. I’m sure at that stage I sounded like a cow coming to the edge of the bank, so I had a lot to improve on. Staying low, creeping along slowly and softly, and then coming to a complete stop — not even a shuffle of the feet — is how stealthy you need to be. We would laugh at missed opportunities, and I can say it was completely due to my lack of skills. We called it the ‘trout training grounds’, saying that one day when the opportunity came to fish for trout, I would be ready.

LOCATION

Here on the Central Coast of New South Wales, a great place to start searching for carp is in your suburban waterways. Recreational ponds, wetlands, drains and any area that storm-water will fill and flood, are all perfect locations to hunt for carp. Make sure you keep an eye on the weather and be ready when heavy rain is predicted to fall. Be prepared to put your rain jacket and gum boots on, because this is the prime time when carp will be most active.

Once you find carp, you and your crazy carp buddies will more than likely come up with a few location nicknames, such as the esky, the shopping trolley, the bicycle and even the mattress. These are all the unattractive yet interesting features that you will find carp mooching around. I would recommend casting your least favourite flies into these areas, as they are usually not the most hygienic of waterways to be entering to retrieve your precious fly.

If you’re after a more tranquil experience, then a trip to your closest small streams would be an ideal way to fall in love with carp fishing. Slow moving water with a mix of long shallow runs and deep pools will allow you to take your time and plan your ambush. If you miss an opportunity on one fish, others are sure to cruise through.

And then there’s my favourite way to target them, which will leave you wondering why you haven’t been doing this every weekend. Carp will hold their position in small river runs. It’s a great area where they can move from side to side across the stream, feeding on all the good food options drifting by. It will blow your mind when you find yourself swinging flies across gravel beds towards feeding carp. You will feel like you’re cheating on trout, if that’s a thing.

Lake fishing would have to be one of the most exciting ways to sight-cast carp in shallow water. Walking the edges of the lake, nothing but the sound of water lapping the banks. Big carp cruising in ankle deep water, their backs sitting above the water line, plump lips slurping algae off the surface without a care in the world. Now, you’ll know it when you hook one of these brutes, as the only direction they can head is straight back out into the open water. Make sure you have your drag set tight, as they can have you into the backing in an instant.

Hats off to a fellow carp fisho I follow on the socials, Casey Mattson. Casey would be the most active and exciting female carp angler in Australia. She has this species absolutely dialled in, and when it comes to wrangling the big boppers on the lake edges, she is an expert in the field.

ROD SELECTION

When I’m fishing local stormwater drains and suburban ponds, I use my 4wt 8ft rod. I’m generally not making long casts, as I’m just scanning the weedy edges and I’m either casting at short range or tea-bagging around the overhanging reeds.

Whether I’m fishing lake edges or walking along small streams, I take my 5wt 9ft rod. This is ideal if I need to put a distance cast out towards a cruising carp, but what I love the most about the rod is its accuracy. It has been an absolute game changer for my carp fishing. It has the delicacy to present a fly in the skinniest of water, and on the other hand it has the blank power to turn the heads of the biggest broad-shouldered brutes.

If it’s a heavier weight rod that you own, that’s also fine to use. But one thing I’ve learnt on my fishing adventures is that the more you fish for carp, the more you crave a challenge. And once you’ve mastered the techniques required to easily manage these fish, you will be looking to lighten your gear and take on the challenge.

REEL SELECTION

I’m always partial to a fly reel that looks sexy. Whether it’s the colour and style of the reel itself, or the colour of the backing that’s been chosen to bring out its beauty, I can’t go past a reel I’m attracted to. The reel that I’m having an absolute ball with now, is the Abel TR click pawl reel. If you haven’t experienced fishing with a click pawl reel, I highly recommend getting your hands on one and giving it a lash.

This reel takes the challenge of landing a carp that has just eaten your fly and is peeling line off at a rapid rate, to a whole new level. Not only are you concentrating on the bend of your rod, the direction the fish is heading, and whatever structure the carp is going to bury you in, but you then must consider how much pressure to use with the palm of your hand acting as a drag on the reel.

Too much pressure and you risk the fly breaking off. Not enough pressure and the fly might fall out. It’s absolute chaos in a short period of time that hopefully pays off. And after you’ve either lost or landed the fish, you can look around to see if anyone witnessed the mayhem, and have a little chuckle to yourself.

LINE, LEADER & TIPPET

A general-purpose trout taper line such as Scientific Anglers MPX and Airflo Universal work very well, because you are presenting similar sized streamer flies as you’d present to trout.

Leader choice depends on location. When fishing the local ponds, I tend to use a shorter 7.5ft 10lb leader. On a lake edge or stream where the water is much clearer, I’ll put on a 9ft 10lb leader.

I’ll also put an extra 2 feet of tippet on the front to extend the leader. This will help if I’m constantly changing flies and don’t want to cut into my tapered leader. Tippet spools in 8,10 and 12lb are a good range of strengths to carry in your carp kit.

CARP FLIES

Woolly Bugger, worm, mop, nymph and crustacean style fly patterns are all effective, in a range of weights to target carp in a variety of water depths. Natural colours such as tan, brown and olive are all great choices as are some of the brighter colours like hot pink, orange and yellow. We are lucky enough to have a couple of local carp enthusiasts who tie a few specialty patterns for our shop.

When fishing shallow water, choose a fly that is either unweighted or has a set of small bead chain or plastic eyes at the front. The last thing you want is to place a precision cast, only to have the fish spook when the fly lands too heavily. Be aware of the sink rate of the fly so you can judge the distance needed to land it in front of the fish. A few top fly picks for this scenario would be Rainy’s Swimming Nymph, BWC Carp Woolly Worm, Shane’s Leech (tied by the local carp gun, Shane Ferris), and the Couta Mudeye.

When you find carp with their heads down, stirring up the mud and sand, you’ll need a fly tied with brass dumbbells. The idea is to cast into the mud puff and straight to the bottom, allowing the carp to come across it as it sifts along the substrate. There are a variety of flies for this situation, and my favourites are the BWC Carp Twin Tail and Mal’s Scarpion, tied by Central Coast local, Malcolm Holden.

If you’ve come across carp in deeper pools or sitting off deeper lake edges, it may take a few casts with a variety of flies to figure out what they want to eat. There’s not always a secret recipe or magic wand to catch these guys. If there’s an opportunity to find carp in shallower water, where you can see the fish eat your fly, then that’s where I’d be heading.

TECHNIQUE

As a rule of thumb, carp will not react well to a fly being pulled or drawn towards them. Prey will generally be fleeing in the opposite direction. You will need to keep this in mind when deciding when and where to cast your fly.

Position the cast at an angle, landing the fly a foot or so in front of the carp, giving enough time for the fly to sink into its line of sight. If you are fishing in clear water, you will be able to see the fish react to the fly. Use a consistent, slow, steady strip of the fly line to drag the fly almost away from the fish, keeping it within sight, and then stop, allowing the fly to slowly sink. In most cases, the carp will follow and hoover in the patten.

Don’t become too excited and strip the fly super-fast. The retrieve needs to stay steady and consistent. Once you see the carp inhale the fly and close its mouth, lift your rod at a gradual speed and set the hook. From here it’s all up to you to land the fish.

When fishing the weedy edges of ponds, canals and drains you will often be positioned a lot higher, along banks, walls and barriers. This is the perfect opportunity to use the tea-bag technique. Tea-bagging involves dangling a fly in front of a feeding fish, and with carp, if the opportunity arises, you can even lower the fly into its mouth.

Again, don’t spook the carp by swinging the fly towards it. Lay the fly down in front of the fish. If the carp is moving along a weed edge, allow your fly to fall off the weed in front of it. They can’t resist a fly slowing sinking from the weed edges. Once you see the eat, make sure to lift your rod on a 45-degree angle, back against the fish. If you don’t strike in the correct direction, you will pull the fly straight out of its mouth.

When it comes to close-range sight fishing, catching carp in this manner is very hard to beat. So, next time you’re on the water and notice carp swimming around, don’t just walk on by. Be sure to have a few carp flies in your kit and give it a go. You will be addicted for life, like the rest of us.

Carp are typically classified as a noxious species in most states and territories of Australia and an unwanted species in New Zealand. Please check your local jurisdiction for mandated requirements, including extermination.