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2013 Carp Fly Swap


With 30 tiers and 42 different patterns submitted the 2013 carp fly swap was Bigger.  Bolder.  Badder.  

Fly-Carpin Carp Fly Swap Montage



Janssen's Wizard's Sleeve
Zach Janssen's Wizard Sleeve Carp FlyTier: Zach Janssen
State: Kansas
Website: www.roughflyfishing.com
Notes:  "I have been tying variations of this fly since I started fly carpin’ a few years back. The general crayfish-like profile aided by the undulation of the rabbit fur, makes this pattern my go to for fish looking for a bigger, meatier morsel.  Fish this fly like most any other. Drop it in that sweet spot, give er’ a little twitch, and hope old rubberlips is willing to play!"   



Majcher's Egg Worm
Nolan Mahcher's Egg Worm Carp FlyTier: Nolan Majcher
State: Pennsylvania
Notes:  "I included both of my two most productive patterns.  Both were designed to deliver the effectiveness of a worm pattern with  a body that is easier to track.  I will use the bead chain egg worm when fishing deeper water or in current.  This pattern gets down surprisingly quick"   



Janssen's Alien Shrimp
Zach Janssen's Alien Shrimp Carp FlyTier: Zach Janssen
State: Kansas
Website: www.roughflyfishing.com
Notes:  "The result of an insomnia driven, late night tying session, this godawful bug has become a target of ridicule for my buddies. Don’t let its unusual appearance fool you, for this bug accounted for my first handful of fish in the frigid portion of January 2012 and has been a consistent producer ever since."    



Majcher's Worm Spawn
Nolan Mahcher's Worm Spawn Carp FlyTier: Nolan Majcher
State: Pennsylvania
Notes:  "I included both of my two most productive patterns.  Both were designed to deliver the effectiveness of a worm pattern with  a body that is easier to track.  I use the bead-head Worm Spawn when fishing skinny water.  It lands very soft and has a nice slow sink rate and often gets eaten before it hits bottom"   



Muraski's Slim Pickin's
Ben Muraski's Slim Pickin's Carp FlyTier: Ben Muraski
State: Kansas
Notes: "This is my go-to fly for picky river carp!  I fish this fly on the strip mostly, often with 4-5 second pauses in between strips to imitate a fleeing crayfish. It also works well on the drop, the flexi-floss legs and pheasant feather wing have a nice fluttering action while the fly drops and settles to the bottom...."



Krazy Carper
Jaime's Krazy Carper Carp Fly by Miles ChristmasTier: Miles Christmas
Originator:  Jamie Kaminski
State: Michigan
Notes: "90% of the carp I catch are on some variation of this fly.  A quick, easy and effective pattern for many species.  A must for me since my tying skills are lacking..."



Gregg's Carp Eggs
Gregg Martin's Carp Eggs Carp FlyTier: Gregg Martin
State: Idaho
Notes:  Size 6 eggs in mottled peach and mottled Peachy King.  Gregg's Eggs are spun, packed and trimmed to give a dense spherical shape with a mottled appearance.  Gregg effectively uses these eggs in turbid water under an indicator.  Whether it is the shape, color, texture or sink rate is hard to determine but they are extremely effective and the popularity of eggs for carp of late is inspired in large part by Gregg.



Muraski's Bottom Creeper
Ben Muraski's Bottom Creeper Carp FlyTier: Ben Muraski
State: Kansas
Notes: "This is my #1 fly for hungry carp or carp in murky, post-rain water. The large profile and lead eyes get the fly on the bottom in faster flows, and get it seen by fish. I originally came up with this fly on a smallmouth trip, and then began experimenting with it for aggressive carp during the spring rains last year.


Rinehart's Soft Shoe
Josh Rinehart's Soft Shoe Carp FlyTier: Josh Rinehart
State: Texas
Notes: "This is a simple design I have developed for fishing a very small lake in West Texas. The conditions that I fish are flats that range from inches to about 2 feet deep. The fish are extremely spooky and these flies are not weighted in order to give an extremely quiet presentation. Through a process of elimination I have also found that anything shiny or synthetic will get an immediate refusal."


Pike's Egg Bitters
Matt Pike's Egg Bitters Carp FlyTier: Matt Pike
State: North Carolina
Website:  BigFish Fly Shop
Notes: "Thanks to Gregg Martin, my brother in carp Ryan Dunne, and the US Carp Pro forum my eyes have been opened. I feel free. No longer do I need to look upon egg yarn as a derelict.....read more at Matt's blog"


Pike's Yiman
Matt Pike's Yiman Carp FlyTier: Matt Pike
State: North Carolina
Website:  BigFish Fly Shop
Notes: "I'm calling this one 'The Yiman', cause that's the guys internet handle that I stole the pattern from."


Bill Henry's Selection
Bill Henry's Big Un Carp FlySubmitted By: Bill Henry
Originators:  Unknown
State: New York
Website:  Great Lakes of NYC
Notes: The flies I selected are from my carp stash. The orange and green flies with the large hooks are from a bunch I got years ago. They are a type of fly used in the Great Lakes region.  The brown deer hair is a great fly for carp when they cloop. They resemble dry dog or cat food & berries. The red fly is a wet fly that mimics worms, leeches and minnows.



Kevin Frank's DamCraw
Kevin Frank's DamCrawSubmitted By: Kevin Frank
State: North Carolina
Website:  Feather Chucker
Notes:  What I tried to do with this fly is find a combo pattern between a dragon fly nymph and crawfish pattern. I wanted something that would sink but not plop in the water or drop like a rock. I tied in wire wraps to give the fly extra weight. Even with that the fly will need to be submerged for about 20-30 seconds to get the fibers soaked.



Vibber's Carpsicle
Mark Vibber's Carpsicle carp flySubmitted By: Mark Vibber
State: Colorado
Website:  Tie & Fly
Notes:  "I decided to enter a fly that I call the Carpsicle for the fly swap for this year. It's a fly that I started tying last summer, and I spent a few of my carpin' outings using this pattern. When I thought of flies that had worked for me in the past...."  Read more at his excellent blog post here.



Frasier's Carp Fly
Dan Frasier's carp flySubmitted By: Dan Frasier
State: South Dakota
Website:  CarpPro
Notes:  "Fox tail fur is one of most versatile and unique substances I tie with. The fine hairs are buoyant and breathe well without collapsing when submerged. This fly is fished without a strip or with a slow crawl in front of a feeding carp, to emulate a molted crayfish."



Orr's Rojo Bug
Austin Orr's Rojo Mojo carp flySubmitted By: Austin Orr
State: Texas
Website:  Salt396
Notes:  "I have caught over twenty species of fish in both fresh and salt water on this fly.  It has all the components of a successful carp pattern where I fish - subtle profile, wiggly appendages, bugginess. Fish will eat it while cruising high in the water column and also hoover it off the bottom while twitching or crawling it."  For more hit the button below and also read Austin's great blog post


Montana's Hybrid
John Montana's Hyrbrid carp flySubmitted By: John "Montana" Bartlett
State: Oregon
Website:  Carp On The Fly
Notes:  "For all my love of fly fishing, chasing carp, and catching big fish, I'm notoriously lazy when it comes to the details.  In short, I don't cast worth a crap, I use the most basic knots and can't be bothered to learn anything more complicated, and hate...HATE changing flies frequently.  These traits make the hybrid the perfect fly for me...." click button below for more.



Anderson's Berry Go Plop
Geoff Andeson's Berry Go Plot carp flySubmitted By: Geoff Anderson
State: Missouri
Notes:  "This pattern is a much shorter and different colored variant of Chris Vargo's Black Ops.  The molted color of the body is a dead match for over ripe mulberries that fall into water and no self respecting carp will ever turn that down.   The bead-chain adds just enough weight that the fly makes the perfect berry sounding "plop" when it hits the water.  Fish in my home creek come swarming to that sound."


Vargo's Blind Squirrel
BLANK Alternate carp flySubmitted / Tied By: Geoff Anderson
Originator:  Chris Vargo
State: Missouri
Notes:  "This pattern was developed by my friend Chris Vargo, owner of Missouriflies.com.  This pattern is exactly what was needed for catching the super spooky carp in the creek by my house.   This fly enters the water quietly and softly to not spook the fish and also rides hook point up to reduce snags.  This has been my go-to fly for the skinny water at my home water."




Ty Clifton's Carp Fly
Ty Clifton's carp flySubmitted By: Ty Clifton
State: Colorado
Notes:  "This sinks fast and doesn't spook fish and the legs move great with no movement by the angler"



Medina's Black LickHerItch
Mike Medina Black LickHerItch carp flySubmitted By: Mike "Carpio" Medina
State: Colorado
Notes:  "This fly is best in still-water.  It can be presented softly to cruising, feeding or sleeping fish and because of the color, soft landing and slow sink it is good for positive AND negative carp and off-color water."



Martinez' Frankenstien Sculpin
BLANK Alternate carp flySubmitted By: Carptain Steve Martinez
State: Michigan
Website:  Pere Marquette Guide
Notes:  "Here in Northern Lake Michigan we are abundant with lake sculpins and gobys and these are a great add to any Great Lakes box.  Fished slow and with a hopping mostion they are my goto flies almost everyday for carp.  My customers seem to be able to fish these well because they get to the bottom fast."



Medina's Huevos de la Muerte
Mike Medina's Huevos de la Muerte carp flySubmitted By: Mike "Carpio" Medina
State: Colorado
Notes: "Mike has used eggs here and there for a while but last years swap inspired him and he fished this “easy stupid but deadly” fly heavily over the past year and was massively successful with it in all kinds of situations because of the feather light landing and slow sink."



Gubbin's Dirty Dancer
Nate Gubbin's Dirty Dancer carp flySubmitted By: Nate Gubbins
State:
Notes:  This fly uses a unique extended forward body to place a cone-head bead ahead of and below a down-turned eye.  Per Nate: "In this case, I used 40lb fluoro for the stem. I tied in the cone apparatus first, much like tying in the wing of a classic Catskill dry, then the tail, body, etc. No new tying procedures here, just a different application of them."


Justin Watkin's FYI
BLANK Alternate carp flySubmitted By: Justin "Wendy Berrell" Watkins
State: Minnesota
Website:  Fishing and Thinking in MN
Notes:  "Easiest fly in the world. Way back around year 2000 I fished something very similar for SMB in the Boundary Waters. Worked well. Perusing this article brought me back to that pattern. Burning a bit over that concept and the known response that carp offer to SJW and similar patterns..."  Read more here



Rice's Blue Monkey
Will Rice's Blue Monkey carp flySubmitted By: Will Rice
State: Colorado
Website:  Trout's
Notes:  "I am going to offer a bounty on the first photo I see that includes a) Cyprinus carprio or mirror b) my Blue Monkey in said carp's mouth c) and is accompanied by a solid story on how the fish was caught.  The reward:  something wicked awesome."  Read a complete history of the Blue Monkey on page 75 of CarpPro issue 2.



Barry's Carp Fly
Barry Reynold's carp flySubmitted By: Barry Reynolds
State: Colorado
Website:  BT2 Productions
Notes:  As you are probably aware, Barry Reynold's has been catching carp, lots of carp, on swimming nymphs since before most of us knew they would take take a fly.  With his carp fly, Barry addressed some of the weaknesses of the basic swimming nymph and takes it to a new level.  Note, this fly is commercially available from UMPQUA



Bonus Flies From Reynolds
Submitted By: Barry Reynolds
State: Colorado
Notes:  Barry sent in enough of these classic UMPQUA carp patterns that every participant got 3 or 4 extra flies.

Clockwise from the top left:
1)  Bear's Hex
2)  Burke's Aggravator
3)  Near-Nuff Crayfish
4)  Egan's Head-stand



Carp Bitters by John Jensen
Barry's Carp Bitters by John JensenSubmitted By: John Jensen
Originator:  Barry Reynolds
State: Iowa
Website:  Currents
Notes:  "I tied a variant of Barry's Carp Bitter. I received one of Barry's Carp Bitters in the 2012 fly swap and the pattern proved irresistible to hungry carp. Plus, Barry is a carp fishing legend so I'll imitate as best I can."  Read the incredible story of how hard John fished last years swap flies here.



Roughfisher's Ruffian
Roughfisher's Ruffian  carp flySubmitted By: Roughfisher (JP Lipton)
State: Minnesota
Website:  roughfisher.com
Notes:  "Roughfisher's Ruffian is Carp Crack's older brother. A great profiled fly with plenty of movement from the soft hackle and rubber legs. The two tone action helps break up the color scheme, with just a bit of flash in the spectral dubbing and midge krystal flash. Features a hook point protecting fur throat..."




Austin Anderson's Carp Fly
Austin Anderson carp flySubmitted By: Austin Anderson
State: Texas
Website:  PondBass
Notes:  "I have to admit I haven't fished the pattern yet but when Trevor selected one of my extras and caught a fish on the fourth cast in one of the most pressured locations for carp on the fly in America I think that proves something special.  This fly will be in my arsenal this year for sure" Don't miss the tying instructions at the CarpPro forum (free account required).



Inverted Leach by Alonzo Sanchez
Inverted Leach carp fly by Alonzo SanchezSubmitted By: Alonzo Sanchez
State: Idaho
Notes:  "These are a variation of a pattern a friend of mine developed for our carp, the Inverted Leech. it was developed to land softly and 'rock' on the way down. the flat bottom aids in the swimming action and ensures the hook rides point-up."



Erdosy's Damsel Bugger
Mark Erdosy;s Damsel Bugger Carp FlySubmitted By: Mark Erdosy
State: Delaware
Website:  This River is Wild
Notes:  "This is a modified woolly bugger.  The Schlappen on either side is meant to slow it's descent and create a parachute effect and also allow the pattern to lay flush on the bottom.  The Damsel Bugger can be tied in three different styles (light, medium and heavy) and large or extremely small depending on the body of water you are fishing."



Hope's Carp Dragon
Adams Hope's Carp Dragon carp flySubmitted By: Adam Hope
State: Pennsylvania
Website:  This River is Wild
Notes:  "The pattern I submitted is a weightless rendition of a dragonfly nymph.  I am able to target feeding, cruising and laid-up fish with this pattern.  I fish this fly to mudders and cruisers by leading the fish at a distance that allows the fly to slowly parachute down in the water column directly into their line of vision"



Dobrowolski's Carp Diem
Matt Dobrowolski carp flySubmitted By: Matt Dobrowolski
State: MI
Notes:  "My go-to carp pattern, done in many variations.  This color will work well for those days on the flats when it's not exactly bright blue and sunny and the wind is blowing.  Designed to make the carp angry!"



Dobrowolski's Just Eat Me
Matt Dobrowoslki's carp flySubmitted By: Matt Dobrowolski
State: MI
Notes:  "This one is pretty simple.  Carp get hungry they eat it!  Also works well when the carp dissapear and the Smallmouth show up."



Goodwin's Woven Nymphs
Ty Goodwin's woven nymph carp fliesSubmitted By: Ty Goodwin
State: GA
Website:  Carp Aficionado
Notes:  "These small, fast sinking nymphs are proven to be deadly on my home waters.  If this past year has taught me anything, it's that the ideas of discretion, subtlety and even stealth extend all the way to the end of the tippet when we're talking about carp."



McTage's Foam Trouser Worm
McTage's Foam Trouser Worm carp flySubmitted By: McTage
State: CO
Website:  Fly-Carpin
Notes:  For this swap I submitted the reworked Foam Trouser worm.  Video and background is available here.



CarpPro Stickers

Website:  CarpPro.net
Notes:  Not only did CarpPro send out stickers for all the participants, they also did a 16 page article in CarpPro Issue 2 with pictures and tier profiles for many of the patterns.










Orvis Fly Boxes

Website:  orvis.com
Notes:  Orvis provided enough nice fly boxes to equip all 30 swappers.  This was a huge improvement and is greatly appreciated!











INTHERIFFLE.com Stickers

Website:  intheriffle.com
Notes:  INTHERIFFLE provided tier sweet new carp stickers for all the participants.












Trout's Fly Fishing

Website:  http://troutsflyfishing.com/
Notes:  Trout's Fly Fishing provided enough stickers with the new carp version of their venerable logo to supply all the swappers.