The Extreme Guide To Fly Fishing For Carp

By Sean Mills

The author of the book ‘Fresh water fishing in South Africa’. Sean Mills condenses over 20 years of fly fishing for carp know how into this well-illustrated work. He lists the techniques, flies and history of fly fishing for this awesome species.Sean Mills was one of the pioneers of fly fishing for carp in the 1990's. He has been writing on the subject for more than 2 decades.

This E-book is populated with full color photographs and illustrations. It contains chapters on the carp varieties, tackle, leaders, knots, how to stalk carp, bubble bashing, subsurface and surface flies, night fishing tactics, fly tying etc.

It is "the" reference on fly fishing for these large and powerful fish.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sean Mills
• Release date: May 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463096567

Sean Mills

Sean Mills is a freelance photographer, videographer, artist and writer living in Cape Town South Africa.

Book preview

Introduction

A common carp safely landed

For me, fly fishing is the most enjoyable possible way to catch fish. Unlike many fly fishers, I started fly fishing for warm water species in and around my area, the Cape Flats, South Africa. This includes kurper (tilapia), catfish and carp. This gave me a great advantage. No one had told me that it was not possible to catch these fish on fly, so I just went out and did it. My first fish on fly was a vleikurper (banded tilapia) and my second species, a common carp. The fight that it put up has stuck with me to this day. It is still my favourite species on fly.

The sport of fly fishing has experienced enormous growth over the last few years, with many new converts taking it up. There has also been a vast improvement in the quality and affordability of fly fishing tackle, which is fantastic. Along with the numerical growth has come a desire to catch many different species of both fresh and saltwater fish.

Few fish have been dogged by as many misconceptions and outright misinformation as the carp. Carp are excellent fly rod targets. These fish grow fast and keep growing, and few freshwater fish get as big. They are challenging to hook, and deliver a spirited and determined resistance once hooked. There are few waters in which carp cannot survive and, indeed, thrive. From alpine streams to large, strongly flowing rivers; large, clear lakes to small, muddy dams where most other fish would die.

In addition, the carp is found all over the world – and most probably just down the road from where you live or work – making it very accessible and affordable. You can travel very light when fishing for them. This makes keeping your tackle in your car ready for instant action at any time a real possibility. Because the places where you can target them are extremely varied, a change of scenery is always on the cards. The fact that you can catch them in streams, rivers, estuaries, lakes and ponds means that there will be water to everyone’s liking.

One of the largest carp on record was landed in Pretoria, South Africa in 1963. It is reputed to have weighed 37 kg (83 lb). Recently, a common carp of 47kg (104 lb) was netted in the Bloemhof Dam, South Africa. Carp are found throughout Europe, the British Isles, Asia, North America, Canada, Australia and the southern half of the African continent. This is truly a global fish.

On average, carp are far larger than more popular fly rod quarry and average 3 to 5 kg (7 to 11 lb). I have fished a few waters where the average size was closer to 8 kg (18 lb)!

A lovely common carp from a lake in the centre of an urban area

What makes fly fishing for carp so addictive? For me the reasons are simple. The carp is a large, robust fish, endowed with a strong, forked tail, good eyesight and a keen sense of taste and smell. It is one of the most intelligent fish species, and is highly adaptable. All carp are wild, not artificially bred for angling like many trout. No two carp are alike; everyone is unique and individual. On the whole, no expensive permits or day tickets are required to catch them. Like the premier saltwater fish, the bonefish and permit, you have to sight fish and your presentation and fly choice must be spot on. Once the carp is hooked, you need every ounce of knowledge and guile to outwit it. Its strength has to be seen to be believed.

If this is not the most challenging and worthy freshwater game fish in the world, I do not know what is? Why not give it a try? The information in this book has been amassed over a period exceeding two decades. After landing more than 2,000 carp on fly, I am confident that the information found here will see you well on your way.

Carp forms

Carp are found all over the world. They are very popular as a sporting fish and even as an eating fish in some Eastern European countries.

A number of different varieties and types of carp are found worldwide. We have a few of these in southern Africa.

All true carp have the same scientific name (Cyprinus carpio), but their outward appearance can vary considerably. All carp belong to the vast Cyprinidae family, which includes minnows and Barbus species. Carp are long lived, reportedly living up to 20 years or more. The common goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) is very closely related to carp in both habits and general body shape. Some lakes contain goldfish that can grow up to 3 kg. These goldfish have no barbells around the mouth and can interbreed with carp.

Goldfish – a close relative of the carp. The orange colour fades in the wild

Many waters have been stocked with the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) from China for weed clearance. They are only distantly related to the true carp. Their habits are quite different with aquatic plants featuring heavily on the menu. Grass carp look like a stretched wild carp. They can grow to over 50 kg (100 lb)! They are native to Asia and will sometimes take small dry flies (especially grass hopper imitations). I have also stalked them with bead head hairs ear nymphs in tan or olive. You can also catch them by chumming the water with bits of grass and the casting a floating olive dry fly near them.

A grass carp

Two main types of true carp found in most places, namely the common and mirror carp, both originated from the wild carp. The wild carp is a slow-growing, fully scaled, lean-bodied fish that is normally not larger than about 9 kg (20 lb) in weight and commonly averages about 1 to 2 kg (2 to 4 lb). It originates from the Caspian and Black Sea and Sea of Azov basins, but has been farmed for food in Asia since about 400 BC. The common, mirror and koi carp all originated from the wild carp. The other carp varieties can revert to their wild form if they live in flowing or very shallow water. They have no hump above the head like the common carp.

Wild carp

Common or king carp, also known as a full scale carp (diagram D), is a fully

scaled, deep-bodied fish possessing a distinctive hump above the head. It is capable of growing to awesome proportions. It has been bred