Late summer is one of our favorite times to chase carp. They’re widely available across the Front Range; they thrive in warmer water; they grow big; and catching one on a fly can be every bit as technical as sight fishing to a selective trout.

And unlike a trip to the mountains, some of the best carp fishing might be just a few minutes from home.

The Fish Hiding in Plain Sight

We’ve said it before, carp might be one of the most overlooked fly fishing opportunities in Colorado.

You can find them in neighborhood ponds, reservoirs, and urban waterways. Including the Denver South Platte. They’re accessible, often surprisingly large, and challenging enough to keep even experienced anglers humble.

As longtime Anglers All colleague, Umpqua Signature Tyer and resident carp fanatic Daryl Eakins told us, “The impact of showing someone that I can go out and catch a carp as long as my leg in the reservoir that’s 10 minutes from their house is eye-opening to them. They see a fish that size and their first thought is that they need to book a trip to Mexico. Who thinks of a fish that large in a pond up the street? That’s the beauty of fly fishing for carp.”

That accessibility is particularly appealing this time of year. You don't necessarily need an entire day, or even half a day, to go carp fishing. A nearby pond or stretch of warmwater river can offer an opportunity before work, after work, or whenever you can steal an hour.

Carp Fishing is a Sight-Fishing Game

If you’re accustomed to trout fishing, one of the most exciting things about carp is how visual the experience can be.

In many situations, you’ll be walking the bank and looking for individual fish. Instead of blind casting, the game becomes spotting a carp, determining whether it’s feeding, planning your approach, and making a careful presentation.

The first step is learning which fish are worth casting to.

“Usually the first sign of a feeding fish is when its head is down, and its tail is up, so look for tails,” Daryl explained. “When you see head down and tail up, you know that’s a happy fish and that it’s eating. Your job is to sneak up and present a fly.”

Stealth Comes First

Carp have a reputation for being difficult, and there's certainly truth to that. These fish can be incredibly wary. Especially in shallow, clear water.

That means your approach to the water is often just as important as your cast.

Move slowly along the bank. Keep a low profile when necessary. Watch your shadows. And resist the urge to immediately throw a fly at the first fish you see.

Take a moment to figure out where the fish is headed and how it’s feeding. Then try to place the fly far enough ahead that it can settle naturally into the fish’s path.

In our previous conversation with Daryl, he recommended generally placing the fly a foot or two in front of a feeding fish rather than dropping it directly on its head. Sometimes the right distance will be six inches; other times it might be several feet. The important thing is giving the fish an opportunity to discover the fly rather than alarming it.

And when you inevitably blow a shot, don’t sweat it.

“Cut yourself some slack,” Daryl said. “You’re going to make mistakes.”

That could be some of the most important carp fishing advice of all.

Gear Doesn't Have to Be Complicated

One of the nice things about getting into carp fishing is that you may already own most of what you need.

A 6-weight can handle smaller fish, but a 7- or 8-weight is a versatile choice when bigger carp are possible. These rods provide enough backbone to handle a heavy fish efficiently while still allowing you to make accurate presentations with relatively small flies.

For leaders and tippet, don't go unnecessarily light. Daryl told us he commonly carries fluorocarbon leaders and tippet ranging from 8 to 15 pounds, with 10- and 12-pound being his most frequently used sizes. He likes to recommend the Umpqua Carp Leader: At 12 feet in length and built the most abrasion resistant material it is a go to. 

A shorter leader can also be surprisingly useful. Many carp opportunities happen very close to shore, where long casts aren't necessary. Sometimes a short flip, pendulum cast or simple "dab" of the fly is all that's required.

And bring a big net.

A trout net that works beautifully on a 16-inch rainbow suddenly looks comically inadequate when a big old carp slides toward your feet. A large rubber-basket net makes landing and releasing these fish much easier.

Keep Your Carp Fly Box Simple

There are plenty of specialized carp patterns out there, but don't let the options become intimidating.

Some of our favorite carp patterns were developed by anglers right here on the Front Range.

Daryl’s H.V.R.T. Carp Fly is a great example. Based loosely on the familiar Hare's Ear, it's designed to land softly and sink slowly, making it useful for spooky fish in shallow water. His Detroit Mop City and Hipster Dufus provide additional options for different water and feeding situations.

Other proven patterns include Zimmerman's Backstabber, Barry's Carp Fly, Barry's Carp Bitter and Lance Egan's Headstand.

The goal isn't to carry 50 different carp flies. Instead, assemble a small selection with different weights, profiles and sink rates. You want the ability to present something subtly to a fish in inches of water as well as get a fly down to a fish feeding a little deeper or in faster-moving water.

As Daryl advised us, “Don't overwhelm yourself with all the choices. Keep it simple and find a handful of flies that give you an assortment of sink rates. A fly box full of the same fly, but various sink rates is more powerful than a box full of different flies with little range of sink rates.”

Check out our hand picked Carp Fly Selection here and let us do the hard work of picking flies for you. 

Watch the Fish, Not Just the Fly

Once you've made the presentation, pay close attention.

In clear water, you may actually see the fish eat. In other situations, especially when a carp is mudding, or the water is stained, the take can be much harder to detect.

Watch the end of your fly line and leader carefully. A twitch or sudden movement can be your indication that the fish has eaten.

When it's time to set, use a short strip set rather than lifting the rod dramatically. Bring the line tight with your line hand and be prepared for things to get interesting quickly.

Because when a good carp realizes it's hooked, you'll understand why so many fly anglers become obsessed with them.

A Perfect Late-Summer Challenge

Carp fishing isn't a consolation prize when trout fishing gets tough. It's a completely different fly fishing challenge, and a very good one.

You’re hunting individual fish. You’re reading body language. You’re thinking about approach, angle, sink rate, and presentation. And when everything finally comes together, you might find yourself attached to a fish that takes you well into your backing.

Better yet, that opportunity could be sitting in a pond or river practically in your backyard.

As Daryl put it, “Have fun, chase some fish, and make mistakes. Mistakes mean progress.”

That seems like pretty good advice for the remainder of summer.

Grab a 7-weight, throw a few carp flies in a box, and start exploring some of those overlooked waters around the Front Range.

Need Help Getting Started?

Stop by an Anglers All fly shop in Littleton or Denver and talk carp with our crew. We can help you put together a setup for carp and show you some of our favorite fly patterns.

Not in the Denver area? We offer free shipping on all orders over $25 here on the website. And you’re welcome to give us a call at 303-794-1104, and we’d be happy to help over the phone.