Fly Fishing For Carp
The Common Carp may be the most wide spread fish species in America. They can be found in lakes, rivers, neighborhood ponds and even the forgotten overgrown irrigation ditch out back.
Being the addicted curious anglers we are, of course started delivering flies to these often slow moving shadows. We quickly learned just how hard these picky but prolific feeders are to catch. Those who have outsmarted these fish, told stories of the fight that ensued, and that is how these slimy scaly monsters got the infamous name Golden Bonefish. As news spread, anglers looking for less crowded waterways, or a quick stop in town after work started honing their skills and specialized tactics and flies began to emerge.
Photo by Daryl Angler
Enter Daryl Angler, a man possessed. Not long after Daryl starting tying flies, he started designing, testing and fishing flies specifically designed for carp. His approach goes beyond "matching the hatch", and focuses even more energy on how the fly enters the water, and how it sinks to the bottom. All important aspects of delivering a fly to the extremely skittish Common Carp.
It is impossible to speak with Daryl about chasing carp on the fly without leaving with a smile on your face and dreams of line peeling off your reel. His expertise and enthusiasm are absolutely contagious. We started to fill our fly bins with his bugs and booked him in our fly tying studio as soon as possible. We weren't the only to notice, we recently congratulated Daryl on his flies entering the Umpqua Feather Merchants Fly Catalog and Daryl becoming a Signature Tyer. Enjoy the video below, and the origin story of the H.V.R.T Carp Fly one of Daryl's signature designs.
Fly Origin
Here Daryl runs us through how this fly came to be. "The respected, tried and true Guides Choice Hare's Ear has crossed over to the dark side and is sporting a makeover. I start out with the same chassis as the Hipster Dufus and add just enough buggy resistance to help with sink rate, entry splash and silhouette. I had decided early on that I was going to have a variety of natural choices in my box, to provide balance in my options. I believe it’s a natural progression to build on something you’re confident with. I’ve written many songs on guitar that were built off of a Keith Richards riff or a Bob Weir progression, because I was confident with that riff, that key, and/or that mojo. So shifting that mentality to the vise made sense to me and provided confidence early on. This is also a great gateway pattern into carp on a fly, as it’s still somewhat “trouty” and certainly passes for a plump aquatic nymph, or even a juvenile craw. This fly will provide an opportunity to transfer that trout pattern confidence over to your newfound carp game! The "cherry on top" is the Vicuña Hare's Ear Sub, which provides a healthy dose of umami to this pattern".
"Oooh, what does H.V.R.T. stand for? Well I’ve heard it’s been called the “Havarti Carp Fly”, which makes sense but isn’t accurate. As a long-standing fan of the show Seinfeld, this one was a no brainer... "That reminds me of the Haitian Voodoo Rattle Torture. You haven't gone over to their side, have you?" ahhh, thank you J. Peterman!"
Daryl's H.V.R.T Carp Fly
In this video, Umpqua Signature Tier, Daryl Angler gives us a step-by-step look at tying the H.V.R.T Carp Fly. The fly can be purchased using this link. Materials to tie this fly are listed below.
Material List for Daryl's H.V.R.T Carp Fly:
HOOK: Tiemco 2457 size 8
THREAD #1: Ultra Thread 70 Denier - Red
THREAD #2: Ultra Thread 140 Denier - Red
EYES: Bead Chain Eyes - Black Medium
LIFT KIT: 2 .30 Lead Bars - Cut to 4mm
CEMENT: Water Based Head Cement
RIB: Ultra Wire - Brassie - Gold
TAIL: Australian Opossum
DUBBING: Natural Hare's Ear Dub
COLLAR: Partridge Feather
SHOULDERS: Natural Fur Dubbing - Fox Squirrel
WAX: BT's Dubbing Wax
FINISH: Zap-A-Gap
Contact Us with Questions
If you have questions about tying the H.V.R.T or fly fishing for carp please don’t hesitate to ask. Come see us at the fly shop in Littleton or give us a call at 303-794-1104. We’d love to help you with whatever you need at the vise or on the water!