 We now offer clothing with the above logo. Please check them out at the link below or go to our web page with items shown. MUCKLES – BCFlyfishers Club #99842 located in Broome County, N.Y. Muckles site; https://bearcat-prints.myshopify.com/collections/bc-fly-fishers |
PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING TO HELP CLUB TEACH FLY FISHING
Written by Gary Romanic Carp on a Fly
Potomac peeler, Susquehanna snook and elephant chub are some of the common names that belong to Cyprinus Carpio known to most as a carp. Although this noble fish is not desired table fare, except in the Far East, it is a terrific adversary and sport fish. Introduced from Europe in the 1870’s, it is found throughout the Northeast and other places where warm, sluggish water exists. It lives in brackish and clear water but prefers the warm waters of lakes and rivers alike. Successful carp angling with a fly rod requires persistence, stealth and stamina for locating and fighting the fish. The carp can be located in the back eddies and slower water where little or no current exists. It likes structures for safety and hiding from predators. The carp will choose deeper pools with vegetation, logs and large rocks. The vegetation serves two purposes, one as a place to blend in for camouflage and the other as a source of food. Carp are omnivores, which means they eat plants and animals. They like aquatic vegetation, plankton, insect larvae and crayfish.
If you’re a fly fisherman, especially a nymph fisherman you will enjoy the pursuit of carp. Look for a suspecting pool that may contain carp, a pool with depth and structure. The angler must approach with caution. I prefer to approach directly from the rear of the pool. If that is not possible because of the depth of the pool, then approach at a 45-degree angle. Fishing in the blind is not desired but sometimes the water depth dictates no choice. If no wakes are detected after the cast, the fish are not there or where they normally stay. Then you can proceed to a perpendicular angle choosing either side of the water. Once on the bank carefully look for a large silhouette or shadows. Carp can be solitary or school together. When together they can be either spawning or can school as most chubs do for protection. There is always safety in numbers. Smaller carp are favorite prey of pike, muskellunge, smallmouth and large trout. From the air, they can be picked off by eagles, osprey, herons and gulls. Once they are too large for the traditional predators, the land predators such as otters, mink and man pursue the animal.
Nymph fisherman should pick the last fish in the pack or an isolated fish that is sulking or feeding at the bottom. The traditional dry fly technique will not work because there is no flow to the water. The fish feed subsurface and I have never seen a carp rise to a dry fly. That would be a wonderful project for our fisheries biologist and hatcheries to create a carp that rises to a dry fly. Carp do rise but I believe it is to impress a mate or to rid itself of organisms that cause it discomfort. After a fish is located, move slowly into a casting position. Stream structure, bank obstacles, backcast and fly selection are the criteria for success. I prefer a floating level line on a 6-8 weight fast action rod with a reel possessing a good drag. The reel should contain no more than 100 yards of 20 pound test dacron backing because more is not sporting and a skilled angler does not need more to land a fish of this caliber. I use a tapered ten foot leader with 6-8x tippet because the carp’s eyesight is keen in clear water. The fish probably sees well because its senses are heightened if spawning and its environs are cleaner than usual. The finer the tippet, the better your chances for a hookup and of course more sport and skill are required for landing the fish. There are many patterns used for carp. Traditional trout nymphs like the gold ribbed hares ear, Zug Bug, Montana stone and Pheasant tail are consistent. I tie a nymph called “ENANILLO ROMANIQUE”. It consists of a nymph hook size 16-18 wound with black 9/0 silk thread and 2-3 wraps of peacock herl.
The trick is to find a tailing carp, that is a carp with its tail higher than its body indicating that the fish is actively feeding. It buries its mouth into the silt and rocks trying to loosen the bottom in search of tender plant roots and insect larvae. If you locate a fish in this posture gently cast upstream with your floating line making sure you don’t line the fish. Let the nymph sink and drift in front of the carp’s mouth. Be patient, wait to see the operculum (gill covering) flare and the mouth open. Gently lift the rod tip. If the fish does not turn and run violently there is no hookup and repeat the upstream process. I prefer to do an upstream air mend because mending the line on the water creates too much water disturbance and puts down the fish.
Please don’t try to foul hook or snag the fish for three reasons. First, it is not a sporting way to fish and unethical in practice. Next, I have never landed an accidentally foul hooked carp, its too strong for light tackle. The fish can be controlled better from the mouth than its body. In addition to its strength its scales have a hard exterior and undo readily. Lastly if the tippet breaks you will have a high velocity fly line headed in your direction. Always fish barbless hooks because they will penetrate the softer tissue nearer the orifice of the mouth.The inner mouth is raspy and tough and evolved this way because of the carp’s omnivorous diet. If the tippet does not break and becomes undone – duck! This is another reason to fish barbless.
Stream structure has to be considered because the carp will make an incredibly strong run after the hookup. The fish will take you into the backing and look for rocks, logs and vegetation. Your rod tip must be held high during the initial run. After the run, hold your rod parallel to the water and opposite the direction of the fish. This will increase the pressure on the animal and fatigue it for landing. The point to consider is bank structure. Consider the softness of the bank, trees along the bank, large boulders and the depth of the pool in front of you. All of these can cause the loss of landing the fish. Finally, when you are ready to land the carp use a net. Trying to tail this fish (that is landing it with your hand) is difficult, the Carp has a large caudal peduncle, the area just before the tail fin. This area along with the carp’s weight is why it is not a strong long distance swimmer in current. Unlike a salmon that can generate a great deal of power and swim great distances, Carp prefer the slower water and require less oxygen. Once you have landed the carp you will find it is not slippery and does not have an odor. The fish can live for a long time outside of its environs but should be released immediately.
This is a fish that should be promoted more by sport fisheries and state’s promotional departments. It’s not classic dry fly fishing but it takes some of the pressure from our traditional sport fish like smallmouth and trout. Carp provide sport in the dog days of summer. The fish is a tough customer that deserves more respect than its past reputation as a junk fish. If you like to catch 5-10 pound fish on a fly rod, then try carp on a fly.
Text: © Gary Romanic 2000
FLY FISHING ACADEMY April 25, 2026… Sign Up
BC FlyFishers Invites You to an Introductory Hands-On Course on Fly Fishing for Those Who Always Wanted to Try Fly Fishing but Didn’t Know Where to Start!
This course is for budding fly fishers age 12 and over. No experience necessary, in fact this course is targeted toward those who want to try fly fishing for the first time but is beneficial for beginners as well.
This is a great gift opportunity to get your spouse, kids, grandkids and friends exposed to a sport you love.
We supply everything for you to use during this one day course including rods, lines, flies and accessories. We will cover the basics and give you hands on experience including;
- What’s different and special about fly fishing
- Equipment definitions and set up
- Knot tying
- Basics of the different flies and how they are fished
- Fly tying – what is it and how it is an art form on its’ own
- Casting instruction from FFI (Fly Fishers International) certified instructors
- Plenty of time to practice casting and to revisit any of the other subjects covered
Where – West Endicott Fire Station 113 N. Page Ave, Endicott, N.Y. – We have a gym in the building where you will learn to cast with expert guidance. This year we are hoping to do the casting part outdoors. More details to come.
When – Saturday, April 25, 2026 9am – 3-ish pm. We will add more sessions as there is interest and are accepting only 4 students per session unless we can get outside for casting.
Cost – $50 per student. Drinks and snacks included
You will leave with a sense of what fly fishing is all about plus a booklet with background on what we talk about… links to help cut through the confusion on equipment choices to help you choose your first rod, reel and line, and videos you can access as you proceed on your fly-fishing adventure.
Once the weather allows, our club has fishing days on ponds and on the different creeks and rivers that bless our area. We set up fishing buddies on these outings so there will be someone to help you on the water as well. There is no charge for this as a member of our club.
You are welcome to join our mailing list, join our club and participate in our meetings, fishing trips and other events as well. This is optional, you do not have to join our club to participate in this course.
Learn more about BC FlyFishers on Facebook, Instagram and on our website at www.bcflyfishers.org
Learn more about FFI at www.flyfishersinternational.org
Contact Anthony Palombaro- apalombaro8457@gmail.com – 607-727-1826
or Nick DiNunzio at ndinunzio73@gmail.com or 607-624-6987 with any questions
See our BC FlyFishers logo merchandise at https://bearcat-prints.myshopify.com/collections/bc-fly-fishers
Sign up for this course through our website – http://www.bcflyfishers.org/?page_id=4240 – Or mail a check to
BC FlyFishers
712 Elm St.
Endicott, N.Y 13760
Include your name, phone number and email address so we can send you important materials to review before the class and refer to after.
See our BC FlyFishers logo merchandise at https://bearcat-prints.myshopify.com/collections/bc-fly-fishers
or Nick DiNunzio at ndinunzio73@gmail.com or 607-624-6987 with any questions
Contact Anthony Palombaro- apalombaro8457@gmail.com – 607-727-1826
Learn more about FFI at www.flyfishersinternational.org
Learn more about BC FlyFishers on Facebook, Instagram and on our website at www.bcflyfishers.org
You are welcome to join our mailing list, join our club and participate in our meetings, fishing trips and other events as well. This is optional, you do not have to join our club to participate in this course.
Once the weather allows, our club has fishing days on ponds and on the different creeks and rivers that bless our area. We set up fishing buddies on these outings so there will be someone to help you on the water as well. There is no charge for this as a member of our club.
You will leave with a sense of what fly fishing is all about plus a booklet with background on what we talk about… links to help cut through the confusion on equipment choices to help you choose your first rod, reel and line, and videos you can access as you proceed on your fly-fishing adventure.
Cost – $50 per student. Drinks and snacks included
Where – West Endicott Fire Station 113 N. Page Ave, Endicott, N.Y. – We have a gym in the building where you will learn to cast with expert guidance. This year we are hoping to do the casting part outdoors. More details to come.
When – Saturday, April 25, 2026 9am – 3-ish pm. We will add more sessions as there is interest and are accepting only 4 students per session unless we can get outside for casting.
- What’s different and special about fly fishing
- Equipment definitions and set up
- Knot tying
- Basics of the different flies and how they are fished
- Fly tying – what is it and how it is an art form on its’ own
- Casting instruction from FFI (Fly Fishers International) certified instructors
- Plenty of time to practice casting and to revisit any of the other subjects covered
FlyFishing School $50.00 US
Fishing Books for Sale
Hundreds of classic fishing books available from our member Chris Bloomer. If you are interested in checking out his collection, email me back here or give me a call at 607-727-1826 and I will get you in touch with Chris.
The collection can be viewed on the south side of Binghamton. Anthony
Call 1.406.222.9369
Please visit FFI National
Our Mailing Address
712 Elm St.
Endicott, NY 13760
