Fly fishing for carp in the urban waters of Denver

April 3, 2009

: Image via Wikipedia

Go to any pond at any park in Colorado and carp will be swimming lazily near the shore. Most rivers and streams are the same. The large fish, often weighing between 10 and 20 pounds, has been shunned by fisherman in the United States for years. However, there is a small group of fly fisherman who are setting out to catch carp as their sole target, and their numbers are growing.

Even some of the prominent members of the nation’s fly fishing community are coming forward with tales of catching carp. One of these is Dave Whitlock, a world renkowned fly tyer and fly caster. In his article, “Stalking the Golden Ghost”, he shares his insight on catching carp. He claims that carp “are faster than a trout, stronger than a permit, and have more staying power than a small mouth bass.”

Whitlock talks about stalking carp on the limestone flats of Lake Michigan. However, such opportunities also abound in Colorado. The state is of course famous for its abundant trout numbers in the high mountain streams, but from the Front Range extending to the Kansas border, almost any water will have carp, most holding staggering numbers. Carp outnumber any other fish species combined giving anglers a good chance at having success. The South Platte running through Denver is full of them as is any lake or pond where a person might wet a line.

The Wall Street Journal recently did an interview and article with Denver’s own Tom Teasdale, manager of Denver’s Disount Fishing. Check it out for a taste of what carp fishing in Denver is all about.

by Jeremy Kaiser at examiner.com