The Scarpion — A Carp Fly That Bites Back

One of the first flies I tie on when I am chasing carp in shallow water is the Scarpion. This fly was designed by Chase Smith from Texas and is designed to elicit aggressive takes from even the most discerning carp. For me, this fly, with its buggy profile and enticing movement, has proven to be a winner in various water conditions. My favourite colour combinations are red and black, olive, brown, and cappuccino (brown with a cream tail).

The Scarpion is relatively straightforward to tie. Designed to ride hook point up, you start by tying in a pair of beadchain or dumbbell eyes to the underside of the hook shank. Then, a small clump of rabbit zonker for the tail, followed by a 2mm foam strip or chenille for the body and wrap this down around the hook shank to just behind the eyes. If you like, you can tie in a pair of rubber legs along the sides of the body
to increase the buggyness of the fly, but this is not essential. Finally, tie in a hen hackle and take a few wraps behind the eyes before finishing off the head with some UV epoxy.

The Lift Kit Variation

The Scarpion needs to ride hook point up, which improves the hook-up ratio, so we need to be certain that the fly flips and orients this way. With heavier dumbell eyes, this isn’t normally a problem but when you use lightweight beadchain eyes in shallow water, sometimes the fly doesn’t flip in time. To fix this, you can incorporate a ‘lift kit’ that is described by Jay Zimmerman, in his book The Best Carp Flies. 

Before attaching the eyes, a small piece of lead wire or monofilament is tied along the top of the hook shank and then the eyes are tied in above this. This creates a space between the hook shank and where the eyes are attached, effectively raising the eyes and shifting the fly’s centre of gravity, causing the fly to rotate and ride with the hook point facing upward.

Materials:

    Hook: Ahrex XO774 Universal Curved  size 6-8

    Eyes: Beadchain or dumbbell eyes
    Thread: 140D - 200D flat thread
    Tail: Rabbit zonker 
    Body: 2mm foam strip chenille 
    Legs: Rubber or silicon legs  

Fishing the Scarpion

Sight Fishing — If you can spot carp, cast the fly slightly ahead of their path and let it sink to the bottom. Drag and drop the fly so it is the feeding zone and if necessary, give it a slow twitch. Be prepared for a sudden and aggressive take.

Blind Casting — If sight fishing is not an option, cast the Scarpion into likely carp holding areas, such as drop-offs, weed beds, or submerged structure. Use a slow, deliberate retrieve with occasional pauses to allow the fly to sink and settle.

Strikes — Carp strikes can range from subtle to violent. Watch your line for any movement or hesitation, and be ready to set the hook quickly.

Links

How to Use a “Lift Kit” to Make Flies Ride Hook-Point-Up

FishChaseFlies Scarpion - || CARP FLY TYING TUTORIAL || - With Zack Harris