Walk Trips | Spring Creek Trips | Float Trips | Carp Floats | Our Guides | Guided Trip FAQ | Discounts

Carp Floats

        In answer to your unspoken question, yes, we're serious.  Carp have long been regarded as a trash fish, but while they're not as pretty as trout and can live in some disgusting places, carp on the Missouri River (and many other places) exhibit a variety of characteristics that otherwise make them ideal gamefish.  They're big, most fishing for them is visual, they're difficult to fool, they fight like banshees, and there's seldom a swarm of people waiting to descend on your carp hole when you turn your back for a second.  Many publications have suggested carp are analogous to freshwater bonefish, and while there are certainly some differences (carp are bigger and are more common, for instance), in many ways this comparison is apt.

        Our carp trips, which as you might imagine aren't for everyone, take place exclusively on the Missouri River between Toston Dam and Canyon Ferry Lake near Townshend.  They are available exclusively from August 1 to September 15.  The sole PFS guides who run carp trips are Walter Wiese and Rob Olson.  Much of the time, we use the boat as transportation only, getting out to fish good banks on foot, since it's much easier to stalk a ten pound carp in a foot of water without spooking it from the shore rather than a noisy boat.  90% or more of the fishing will be sight fishing, usually with medium-sized nymphs and streamers, but occasionally with dry flies including hoppers, midges, and even cottonwood seed imitations.  The average carp present range from four to ten pounds.  This last sentence should really be in bold and have several exclamation points behind it.  The smallest carp W. Wiese has ever caught was 22" long.  Carp trips make an excellent component of a multi-day booking, or a change of pace for anglers otherwise familiar with what the area has to offer.  Please note that carp make extremely difficult quarry.  Thus our carp floats are only suitable for advanced intermediate and expert anglers.

        Because they're much (much much) larger and harder to fool than the vast majority of the trout in our area, some special preparations and concerns must be addressed before going on one of our carp trips.  You can treat much of the following as a general carp fishing guide, not just as specific to our trips or the area.

        Tackle: Rods must be 6-8 weights, with 9' rods strongly preferred.  Fighting butts are not required, but can help reduce wrist fatigue during hard fights.  Reels should have smooth drags, with disk drags recommended but not required.  Palming rims are a must to help slow fish down.  Large arbor reels are helpful.  50 yards of backing is required, 100+ yards recommended.  Leaders should be 9-12 feet long and tapered to 3-4X, with fluorocarbon tippets strongly recommended.  Anglers who do not have outfits that meet these specifications will be required to rent them.

        Clothing: Anglers should leave their photogenic red angling shirts and caps at home.  While camo is massive overkill, earth tones are much better choices than bright colors.  Waders will not be required on carp trips, as water temperatures will range from the mid-60s up to the high-70s.  Raingear and long sleeves are good ideas, however, the latter as much due to bright sun as temperatures.  Felt-soled wading shoes or sandals are good ideas but not required.  You do need shoes you don't mind getting wet.

        Flies: Depending on their feeding behavior, carp can be maddeningly selective in addition to requiring a perfect presentation, or they can eat what's in front of them provided it's placed their perfectly.  Five top patterns in descending order of importance: 1.) Fox squirrel over gray squirrel Clouser Minnow, with bead chain eyes, #2-6.  2.) Unweighted and BH Hare's Ear nymph, #12-16.  3.) Pheasant Tail Nymph #14-16.  4.) Rainy's Grand Hopper #4-12.  5.) CDC Cottonwood Seed, #12.  Both fish pictured here were taken on the Clouser, which primarily imitates crayfish.

        Scheduling: Because the Missouri River is so far from Gardiner (2.5hrs), you should expect to leave our shop no later than 7:00AM and get back no earlier than 8:00PM.  It is a mark of how cool carp are on fly tackle that we're willing to make this trip at all, based on the time commitment.  We can also meet you in Livingston, Bozeman, or elsewhere, and for trips with Rob Olson you should expect to meet him in Bozeman.

        Pricing:  Because of the distance and time involved, rates for our carp floats are $450 for one or two anglers if only a single day is booked.  Standard guide trip rates apply if the trip is part of a multiday booking, regardless of how many dates are for carp. 

        Expectations: Trout are often a "numbers" game.  Even on big trout rivers like Slough Creek or the Gardner in late fall, our clients often catch a dozen or more (sometimes many more) trout.  This simply does not happen with carp.  On the other hand, the smallest carp you catch on an excellent 3-5 fish day will be as large or larger than the largest trout our clients routinely catch, and you have a good chance at casting to fish in the 12-15lb class, occasionally ranging up to 20lbs.  And you'll see them, target them, see them swim over, and set the hook when they inhale your fly.

        For More Information:  Many of the major fly fishing magazines have been running carp stories lately.  Another good resource is Carp on the Fly: A Flyfishing Guide by Barry Reynolds, et. al.  You can also find good information on the web.  Fly Fisherman's forums, this article, and this website are fair places to start.  You can also contact Walter Wiese.