Common Carp - Due West Anglers

Home Waters

These days I'm watching seasons unfold on an algae mat, a place with no glamorized re-telling, no shadow casting, no-one haunted by these waters

Fly fishing for Bonefish, Carp, Bass, Permit, Pike, Tarpon, they are all surprisingly connected

warmwater

The Warmwater-Saltwater Connection

Can local warmwater fisheries help fortify the angling skills necessary for saltwater fly fishing?

best flies for carp, fly fishing for carp, fly patterns for carp

Members only

common carp

Carp Flies Don't Have To Be Dull

stanky leg fly pattern, tube jig fly pattern, crayfish fly pattern, euro nymphing fly pattern

fly tying

Weird Flies That Work: Stanky Leg

the fly fishing equivalent of a tube jig

Flies displayed include: chubby chernobyl, clouser minnow, barr's meat whistle, popper, crazy charlie, and turneffe crab

behind the scenes

Behind the Scenes

Unveiling the creative process from idea to ink for Due West Angler's distinctive articles on fly fishing + science + conservation

behavior

Wait... Carp Don't Have What Organ?!

These picky fish lack an internal organ commonly found in almost 3/4 of all fish, how is that possible?

skunked

The Skunk Set Me Free

Getting skunked, catching nothing, was never an acceptable outcome.... until I realized different

Releasing a pre-spawn Wyoming Brown Trout

Members only

big fish

5 Tips for Landing Those Big Fish

To be a true angler you need to experience the heartbreak of losing a big fish. Here's how to stack the odds in your favor so that doesn't happen...

anatomy Featured

Useful Biology: What A Fish Tail Teaches Anglers

We can learn clues about fish by simply understanding how tail shapes differ (Fly Fishing)

fly rod

Instant Favorite: TFO Axiom II-X Fly Rod Review

This fly rod has become an instant favorite, reviewing the tfo axiom 2-x fly rod

Walking the banks, fly fishing for urban carp, Denver South Platte River

common carp

Carper's Almanac: We Studied Carp Behavior for Two Years

We chased urban carp around for two year at a set of fixed locations, checking in regularly, and logged details to each encounter, what did we learn?

Fly fishing for carp with Umpqua's Headstand fly pattern, Egan's Headstand, Denver South Platte

fly tying

Weird Flies that Work: Chartreuse Headstand

I have a slight obsession chartreuse fly patterns...

Fly fishing for urban carp, Denver South Platte River, targeting carp on the fly

Members only

common carp

5 Tips: So You Want to Catch a Carp

Coming from trout, it's kind of like brushing your teeth with your opposite hand

clouser minnow fly pattern, do fish know when they get hooked?

behavior

Do Other Fish Know When A Fish Gets Hooked?

Let's talk about the social cues a group responds to, or doesn't respond to, when a fish gets hooked.

Fly fishing for largemouth bass with bass poppers and streamers

Members only

largemouth bass Featured

Understanding Warmwater Lakes

In warmwater fly fishing, especially bass fishing, we often just throw poppers and streamers with little emphasis on understanding the reasoning for these tactics

common carp

First to America: Carp

Carp introduction in North America pre-dates brown trout introduction, and the hatchery propagation of rainbow trout

swim bladder

Swim Bladders and Pressure Changes

Let's take a closer look at how fish swim bladders might be influenced by atmospheric pressure changes (ie; storms, cold fronts)

Fly fishing for urban carp from the Denver Metro area, Denver South Platte River

common carp

Story From the Road: 4-Wheeled Oven

Fly fishing: Craving the flats, it was finally time to dig into the carp game again

grass carp

Story From The Road: Mudwrestling

Our fly fishing story of landing an unlikely fish, and navigating the 9-5 grind

Releasing a Rainbow trout from the Pueblo Tailwater, Colorado

Members only

behavior

The Dynamics of Fish Spooking

Why do fish spook? Why don't fish spook? Let's investigate.