Warm Water Fix

Perfect Carp?

Common Carp, aka Cyprinus carpio are the redheaded step-child of almost all fish species in the United States. Invasive bottom suckers from Asia that tear shit up, destroying riverbed, kicking up the dirt and increasing turbidity of watersheds. This makes waterways unattractive, reduces the abundance of aquatic plants, and can render the water unsuitable for swimming or drinking even by livestock. This party animal feeding behavior also destroys rooted aquatic plants that provide habitat and protection for native fish species and food for waterfowl.














Brian Chou's Double Agent. Or should I say Triple Agent.

These party animals were brought over to the United States as ornamental aquarium fish and for consumption and now have been found throughout the country. These carp are not the same species as the Asian Carp that have invaded the Mississippi River System and are threatening the Great Lakes, but in some locations such as the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, they are taking over just the same. For years birds have migrated to this waterfowl refuge and now the cormorants, pelicans, gulls, ducks and terns by the millions have almost completely disappeared. Read more here.
















Yeah I admit it, I fish for Carp. Especially this time of year then the water temperatures are way to high for any worthy steelheading, not to mention almost lethal temperatures in some rivers for harassed steelhead. This is a game that not all fly fishermen really get. It's not the take, its the suck. And to be quite honest last weekend my skills were sucking it. Timing the take with feel, sight and pure luck is what it takes to consistently hook these fish. Still when the mosquitoes and deer flies were not biting and the hundred degree heat was not getting to us, it was good times and fish were caught.































A dude on the boat calls out to another dude on the other boat, "Does that guy have a big Walleye?" His reply, "No just a big old carp!"

Carp and other rough fish are very interesting to me, and Buffalo are on the list of species to catch. Check out the guys who really know how to find these fish. Read more from the Oregon Carp guru and former steelhead trout bum John Montana (his last name really isn't Montana) at Carp on the Fly and the Mid-West's own Jean-Paul Lipton from Rough Fish.