Tying the Waving Wabbit carp fly

There's a unique thrill to stalking carp in the shallows. When you're sight casting in just a foot or two of water, presentation is everything. Spook a fish with a heavy splash, and your chance is gone. The flies used for this kind of fishing need to land like a softly and settle gently on the bottom, with the hook point riding up to avoid snags. Crucially, they also need enticing movement to grab a carp's attention. 

For me, this means tying on something like a Carp Mop, a Scarpion or the Twin Tail Carp Worm, or the Waving Wabbit. The Waving Wabbit features a lively rabbit zonker tail, a buggy dubbed body, bead chain eyes for weight, and a pulsing hen hackle collar. What sets this pattern apart is the added ‘lift kit’, a simple addition that helps ensure the fly flips over correctly for that critical hook-point-up orientation in shallow water. While I've tied this one in rust and brown, don't be afraid to experiment with colours – olives, cream, and black can all be incredibly effective. Hopefully, you'll find the following tying instructions easy to follow. 

If you have any questions as you go, please drop them in the comments. 

An Unlikely Thrill: Understanding and Catching Carp on Fly

Often viewed as pests, European Carp (Cyprinus carpio) are one of the most widespread and abundant freshwater fish in Australia. While their impact on native ecosystems is significant, they also represent a challenging and accessible target for anglers, especially those wielding a fly rod. Let's delve into the story of carp in Australia — how they got here, where they live, their life cycle, and how you can target these surprisingly powerful fish on the fly.

A brief history: Introducing Carp to Australia

Carp are not native to Australia. The first attempts to introduce them date back to the 1850s. An early introduction into Victoria in 1859 established a population in Melbourne's Botanic Gardens that persisted for over a century. However, the major spread began later. A different strain, imported for aquaculture in the early 1960s and subsequently stocked into farm dams near Mildura, Victoria, is largely responsible for the population boom. Assisted by floods in the mid-1970s, these carp rapidly expanded throughout the Murray-Darling Basin.