When life hands you Colorado, might as well go fly fishing for carp

Spent Sunday with Michael Gracie (http://michaelgracie.com) a local angler, learning the ways of the carp. Michael has placed second twice in the Denver Carp Slam, so I was in rather esteemed company. The trip was a great Father's Day present from my wife, and was a benefit for Project Healing Waters (http://www.projecthealingwaters.org/) which helps get vets on the water fly fishing, as well as tying flies and building rods.

Let me tell you, trying to cast nothing, or nearly nothing but leader in a good breeze, with an 8 wt is humbling.

There was a lot of spot and stalk (be vewy, vewy qwiet) to within feet of a feeding fish, and then flip, dap, or cast. Twitch the fly, and hope the fish likes what you're showing them. Most don't, a few did. I wound up with a couple takes, and one fish to hand. This fish came pretty early, on a midge pattern of all things.



All in all, a great, educational time. I hope to put my new knowledge to use when we get back to Californ-I-ay.

Scott

Wow 8wt breezy...impressive...You Got Some...I love the the golden hugh of that fish....

Dude! ! What an awesome trip.   Love that carp.  Its great to see so many people targeting those cool fish!

Sweet! Carp is on my list of things to catch with the fly rod.

Giant body, smallish head... must be lots of food there so they can grow fast. How big do they get over there? Sight fishing/stalking big carp on small dries looks very challenging!

They get up over 40 lbs here. Utter tanks.

And we were almost exclusively fishing wet flies. As for carp on a dry fly - in California, sometimes carp will feed on Cottonwood seeds. In the midwest, they go after Mulberries.

Scott