Well. Well. Well. Yet another article glorifying the lowly trash fish. The common carp. Let me tell you something, Deeter. Just because I've been getting out of bed at sunrise every morning to go carp fishing before work, just because I purchased a new 9 wt just for carp, just because I bought your book and just because I asked for a shirt and hat on the "Carp Throw Down Facebook page" (free sticker if you purchase both) does not mean you were right about carp fishing. No. I will never admit it. Never.

I was feeding carp from my barstool last night at the local pub on the lake. They'd be easy pickings for a French Fry Fly. I'd be there now if not for the pending bad weather.

In Iowa what we catch we just kill em and throw them in the woods. Or use them as fertilizer for our garden. I never thought I would see the day when people would purposely catch the lousy things.

KD, I know we probably all think of the common carp during these discussions. What say you of the other sucker-faced fishes like Buffalo or Quill Back? Are they all approached with the same flies and presentations?

I see lots of negativity on here regarding carp. How many of you are aware that the carp is the most sought after GAME fish in Europe, and that a huge industry exists to provide highly specialized carp tackle and baits. A few European carp fishing venues charge thousands of dollars just for the right to fish there for a week.
I will, however, concede that the Asian and bighead carp that have invaded some waters in the US are a serious problem, and threaten other species. But let's not lump the "common" carp in that same category. Commons have been around for more than a century, and in most cases, can and do coexist quite well with other, native, species.
Historically, common carp have received bad press, and have been accused of eating the eggs of "game" species. They have also been blamed for killing the eggs of other fish by stirring up mud that prevents them from hatching. Both of those accusations are partly true, but to a much lesser degree than was thought. In fact, ALL fish will reproduce to whatever level is optimal for a given water system. If there is poor reproduction one year, the species will simply produce more eggs the next year, until the optimal balance is achieved. To summarize, carp will do little long term harm to the game fish population.
Carp are terrific fighters, and for that reason, the number of carp anglers here in the US has grown considerably in recent years. There are several organizations that promote the catch and release of large carp, and carp fishing in general. I happen to be a member of one of those, "CAG" - Carp Anglers Group (visit www.carpanglersgroup.com if you'd like to check the website), but there is at least one other such group, and possibly more.
Carp fishing can be every bit as challenging as fishing for trout or bass, or other better recognized game fish. But your chances of tangling with a sizable fish will definitely be much better if you'll just try carp fishing.