Carp Fishing

Carp phishing at its phinest

Outside of the trout fishing we are blessed with in central Wyoming, we also have somewhat of a hidden gem…. Pathfinder Reservoir! Filled with big beautiful sand flats, and miles of beaches Pathfinder gives fly anglers the perfect arena for targeting carp on the fly. It’s is primarily a grass carp fishery with a few common carp scattered around. The best thing about our grass carp is that they like eating flies!

I primarily use a Hog Island skiff to pole around for cruising carp. This is a very fun but challenging way to sight fish for these dirt devils. The other nice thing about the motor boat, is that it gives us access to miles and miles of beaches that are great wade fishing. While the carp here can be “grabby” and willing to eat flies, there is still a lot of skill needed to catch one. Precision casting, timing, and accuracy are all required. Anglers are expected to make up to 60 foot cast and be patient. I really believe the difficulty in catching carp is one of the most fun aspects of pursuing them on a fly rod. Remember trout are easy to catch, carp are not.

One of my favorite aspects of poling around for carp on the sand flats is that it is a perfect introduction to saltwater fishing too. All the angles and cast are the same but instead of tarpon we are throwing at carp! Overall if your here in June-July and want to mix it up a bit, a day of carp fishing can be very rewarding.