Over the last ten years, the art of fly fishing for carp has evolved rapidly. Today most fly fishers have some knowledge of, or at least a new respect for carp, especially if they have stalked and hooked one with a fly.

There have been numerous magazine articles, television episodes--including an episode of Walker’s Cay Chronicles I did with Flip Pallot on Great Lakes carping--, books, DVDs, and new carp flies. Some guides are even offering fly-fishing trips for carp.

As a result of these changes, I thought it was high time to update the state of fly fishing for the amazing golden ghost. The nice thing is that I no longer feel compelled to avoid that four-letter word--carp. Now I can just dive into teaching you how to be successful at finding, stalking, and hooking carp on flies.

Carp Biology
Carp are omnivores, and are usually classified as warmwater fish. However, they also flourish in cold, temperate, and tropical environments because they can tolerate an amazing range of water temperatures--from 32 to 106 degrees F.

This is one of the main reasons carp are so successful over such wide geographical areas. This adaptability, plus their toleration of low dissolved-oxygen levels and pollution, and a diet that includes almost anything vegetable or animal, gives carp an enormous survival advantage. If there is massive global warming, carp will most likely survive it.

Fisheries research has shown carp can swim faster and farther than trout or bass of similar size. This means you usually get a stronger and longer fight from carp. If you’ve been fortunate enough to hook one, you already know this.

Carp Senses
Carp also have superior senses of smell, hearing, taste, and touch compared with trout or bass. Their eyesight is similar, but it’s not as important to them for locating food and avoiding danger. However, don’t let them see you, or you won’t be in sight of them for long.

Carp typically locate food with their discriminatory sense of smell, reported to be 100 times more sensitive than a bird dog’s. Avoid flies that have objectionable odors, such as glue or head cement. “Deodorize” your fly by rubbing it with plant material or a little muck from the stream to neutralize or obscure unnatural human odors.

When startled, carp emit a pheromone that warns other carp in the vicinity of danger. When they are physically injured, the wound also gives off a scent that scatters other carp. I’ve witnessed both these warning systems, and either usually means moving to a new section of water to find relaxed and feeding carp.

Carp have a threefold sense of hearing, where most fish have only two. First, with their inner ear they hear high-frequency sounds that we hear as noise. If you can hear it, they can too.

Second, the lateral line sensor detects low-frequency vibrations generated by objects moving in the water. With this lateral line sensor, carp can detect the direction, speed, and general size of a specific movement for up to 40 feet. They probably use this sense to locate danger more than food.