From trash fish to fly rod favorite, the common carp is getting a reputation makeover

You’ve probably heard the old saw: To cook a carp, nail it to a wooden plank, heat it over a fire, throw away the carp and eat the plank. But not everyone gets the joke. More available than most game fish, carp are increasingly being targeted by fly anglers with specialized flies and gear. Less dirty than its reputation suggests, the common carp truly does taste better than the common plank.

In its native Asia, anglers have targeted carp since before the invention of the written word. There, the carp is considered a traditional freshwater delicacy prepared as a cold-braised appetizer in soy sauce and spices, and as an entree cooked with chilies, leeks and chicken stock.

Some 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers brought carp to Europe’s Danube River. The fish quickly spread, and in the 13th century monks domesticated the fish for food. It is still considered a traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, and is the main ingredient in the “gefilte fish” served during the Jewish Passover.

In the 19th century, the U.S. government imported carp from Europe, stocking it widely to feed its growing population of industrial workers.

Then came the 20th century, and Cyprinus carpio’s reputation took a nosedive.

“A lot of traditional game fish died off in polluted waters, but the carp is more hearty and continued to thrive. It got unjustly labeled as this dirty-water bottomfeeder,” said Lee Terkel of Beaver, whose blog (mrbrownliner.wordpress.com) boosts the concept of catching carp on flies.

At a seminar last week at International Angler in Robinson, Terkel outlined some good reasons for fly anglers to reconsider the common carp.

• In the Water Despite the bad press, carp are extremely adaptable in a wide variety of habitats — from still ponds and lakes to white-water rapids; from pristine Class A mountain trout waters to Class C urban environments; from the Great Lakes to a creek or feral farm pond near you.

• On the Table Carp meat is dark and rich, low in fat, firm in texture and mixes well with many ingredients. The so-called “mud vein” is neither mud nor effluent nor a storage space for chemical pollutants. Isn’t even a vein — it’s the lateral line, an area of robust-flavored dark meat present in most fish. It tastes fishy — cut it out before cooking.

• On the Line Carp can be fairly easy to catch with live bait or dough balls, but the challenge is far greater with a fly. Broad and strong-shouldered, curious but wary, carp can be an exciting game fish, particularly when tempted by nymphs, egg patterns or top-water flies.

In recent years, the fly fishing industry has caught on that common carp are, well, common to more waters than trout, bass and other game fish. Increased fishing hours equals increased demand for specialized fly fishing equipment conducive to catching carp.

“They’re coming up with a lot of carp-specific gear that never existed before,” Terkel said. “Most carp rods are 9-foot in 6- to 8-weight. Orvis and Rio have carp-specific fly lines that are more muted in color and with a shorter belly that tends to load the rod with less line out for tighter presentations. I own 6-, 7and 8-weight lines — I use the 8 on the Great Lakes.”

Leaders are unchanged. Many carp anglers use a 9-foot 3x leader and tippet.

“A common error — people think big fish, big flies” Terkel said.

“On streams, rivers and local lakes, use No. 8 to No. 12 flies. Larger in the Great Lakes, No. 4 to No. 6.”

Most nymph and egg patterns can work from the top of the water column to the bottom. Terkel said when the cottonseeds fall, carp will suck a beige colored Adams right off the surface.

Carp-specific flies often represent a juvenile crayfish or aquatic insect, and are tied with the hook positioned up to avoid bottom snags. The Hybrid, sort of a wet hackle pattern with a San Juan Worm tied off the bend, represents a freshwater clam. On the Trouser Worm, foam discs float the articulated tail while the weighted fly sinks, looking like a worm coming out of the lake bottom.

“From a quarry perspective, here’s a fish that can be extremely difficult to fool — more than any trout you’ve tried to chase. Their sensory perception is phenomenal,” Terkel said. “They’re big fish with broad bodies that can really fight, particularly in a current. It’s exclusively sight fishing. You don’t cast for the fish — typically you’re casting to where you think the fish will be in 10 or 15 seconds.”

He describes it in a way he knows Pittsburghers will understand:

“Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t throw the ball to where Antonio Brown is now. On a timing pattern, he throws it to where Antonio Brown is going to be the second he turns around. That’s how you cast for carp.”