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We had the opportunity to chat with Ty Clifton of Colorado about one of his favorite fish to catch on the fly. Ty is a Scientific Anglers Pro Staff member and when he is not guiding the mountain rivers of Colorado, can be found swinging flies for steelhead or casting to tailing carp.

What gets you so excited to catch carp with a fly rod?

TC: Carp are my favorite to fish for with a fly rod. Mainly because they are extremely smart and are typically BIG! Most of my “carp grounds” are close to home which makes it easy to take off and fish for an hour or two.

Where do you mainly fish for them, rivers or lakes?

TC: I’ll fish for them anytime, anywhere. Just be prepared for anything, wind, weather and sup-par water clarity. No matter where I’m fishing for them I always have a stripping basket with me, it helps me control my line for when I see a feeding fish and need to get a cast off quickly.

What are your favorite tapers when carp fishing?

TC: Reliability is key in carp fishing, that is why I only use Scientific Anglers lines. The Expert Distance and Warm Water Redfish Tapers are my go to lines. Both are designed differently and I use them for specific situations. The Redfish is great for those quick shots at close in tailing fish. With its short taper, the line loads faster action rods quickly and can present my favorite patterns effectively. The Expert Distance excels for those fish that are feeding at 50+ feet (Strange a distance line would work for distance casting!)This taper is not affected by the wind and offers great line control when delivering flies at medium to long distance.

Anything else you want to tell our readers?

TC: Get out there and give carp on the fly a try! You will love the challenge. May your fishing be plentiful and great! – Ty Clifton, SA PRO, troutbum_19@yahoo.com