As I was packing fly tying materials for this summer’s move to Beaver Island, I thought about the evolution of a new carp fly. I have the impression that most people think that it is all about size, color, shape and movement. While these factors are part of every fly they are the last consideration for our carp flies.
We’ve found that carp are choosy about materials, especially when it comes to dyed and synthetics. Grab all the burnt orange materials at your local shop and you might be surprised how differently the carp react to them.
Over the years we’ve developed a list of materials the carp hate, are indifferent about and love. At first, my flies were a combination of neutral or indifferent materials with me trying to blend in as many love materials as possible.
At this point we have a diverse list of “love” materials and every year it is becoming more complex and interesting to create new patterns. Some of the new flies for this year are tied with 100% love.
