The first thing to
do is forget trout.
Carp are smarter and spookier than any
trout I’ve ever even heard about—carp
behave very differently. After you slow
it down, you should go and buy Kirk
Deeter’s guide to fly fishing for carp, and
read Rod Hamilton’s DIY bonefishing—
especially the part about walking speed
and seeing fish, as well as any other
information you can find on fly fishing
for carp.
Basically the first carp is the hardest,
and they will get easier the more you
grow to understand them... back when
I started there wasn’t much information
around, and it took me a long time to
get my first—but even blank days are
part of the learning curve.
While carp behavior varies a lot
depending on the type of water they’re
in, I think there are some guiding
principles that can be applied to most
waters regardless of the forage and
behavior.