Carp have moved to deeper water?

[Pink Nighty]

I wouldn't characterize it as a shame, not at all. It's just very uncommon. I'm very happy fishing for carp with a sunken fly, it's still sight casting and at times only sensing when to set.

@Buzzy your desire to get a clooper on the schmootz is well noted. You don't have to pretend. Of course the standard nymphing is great, but to get em on a clump of green foam up on top? Just the the thought of those lips gracefully slurping on the fly.....

 

[Northern]

I actually see them at the surface a LOT, and often in groups. Sometimes but not always, they are "clooping" - tube mouths working the surface for something, but nothing I can identify.
I've never gotten them to eat any dry fly.

A week or so ago, there were carp, both singular and in groups, just milling around under the surface on a Basin lake. Some had their backs poking out of the water, but only saw one (out of dozens) with lips up.
Casting just outside one of the groups, I did get one to chase and eat a slow-stripped, glass bead head, black marabou leech just under the surface:

 

[thorn99]

I wouldn't characterize it as a shame, not at all. It's just very uncommon. I'm very happy fishing for carp with a sunken fly, it's still sight casting and at times only sensing when to set.

Sorry, I should clarify. The "that's a shame" comment wasn't directed at you at all. It was actually something I was saying to myself, but I think the translation may have caused a misunderstanding. Please don't take it the wrong way.

Even here in Korea, there are fly anglers who fish for carp exclusively with sunken flies. I know very well that it's a challenging, exciting, and highly rewarding way to fish.



This is a video I uploaded to YouTube a long time ago. Back then, carp fly fishing was viewed quite negatively by many fly anglers in Korea because it wasn't considered the traditional style of fly fishing in clean mountain streams.

Anyway, sorry for the long explanation. I do have other reasons why I feel a bit disappointed about the lack of carp rises, but explaining them would probably take much longer than this post.
If my wording gave the wrong impression, I apologize.