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Carp fishing is said to be similar to bonefish fishing, just without the pristine water and beautiful tropical flats. They spook easy, require light line, delicate presentations, and smaller flies. Also they feel like you hooked into a freight train when you get one on the line! They are absolutely one of the most rewarding freshwater species to target with a fly rod. If you haven't carp fished before, you are definitely missing out. Where I went were a few small lakes right off of the San Juan River which is one of the best trout fisheries in the United States. However these lakes are pretty unknown to the general public, and there are some monster carp in there. My largest I have caught was a 30" carp when I was fishing a 5wt rod. I felt like I was going to break the rod due to that one fighting so hard. That fish took me 21 minutes to bring in, and has to be one of the hardest fights I have ever had on a fly rod. Of course this fish was only 20" or so, and I was using a 6wt rod, so he was much easier to bring in. It only took me 2 minutes on this last fish, because I could put a bit of backbone into him. Overall though, any carp is fun and enjoyable to fish for. The fights are epic, and its very tough to hook them. Lots of hiding, sneaking, and crouching while casting.

Kyle took me out fishing again on his boat and wow! We had a blast! Caught fish non stop! Most of them smallmouth bass, however we caught 5 different species. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, carp, crappie and bluegill. It was really one of the most fun days fishing I have ever had. I was also able to catch fish on a fly I tied with my own beard hair. That was a joke of a fly, but it actually worked! I couldn't believe it! Watch the video of me tying this "beard hair fly" here.... https://youtu.be/vPaIG25ng7E Kyle was fishing bass on a topwater fly, and I was able to get a shot of a bass coming up and crushing it, It was such a cool shot!

Carp are a fish that pull hard, and usually need to be fished for with an 8wt or greater. My little 5wt barely stood a chance! Not enough backbone to get the fish in, so I had to beach him with my hands. Still an absolute great day, and a giant beast of a fish to boot. I cannot believe I brought him in! For a while it seemed like the fight would carry on for hours! Instead it was 21 minutes, but it was 21 minutes of pure excitement!

I have never caught a Carp on a fly rod before, so I wanted to give it a try. Last time I went on the San Juan River I saw quite a few carp feeding on the bottom in a shallow section of the river. I wasn't setup for carp at that time and only had a 3wt fly rod with me. So I decided come back with my 5wt and come back for them another day. Turns out a 5wt is not really enough as well and this carp fought me for 21 minutes! Which felt like forever. By the end of the fight, I was so exhausted, I felt like my arms were gonna fall off. He was so large, and I was so tired, that I had trouble picking him up. They say carp fishing is like fishing for bonefish. They are finicky fish, that spook easy. You can site fish for them, but you need long, thin leader. They fight hard, and feel like your hooked onto the back of a freight train when they run. SO they make for a very formidable sport fish, one that many say is even tougher than bonefish. This is the first time I am fishing with my new vest, neck gaiter, and gloves. I love them! The vest helped by allowing me to bring water with me, and put extra things in the backpack. And even though the sun was in full blast, the neck gaiter and gloves kept me from getting burnt.