Fugly

They're obese, foul smelling, and covered in gelatinous ooze. They've mouths reminiscent of a nightcrawler eating its own tail. They root in mud flats, hoping to make a meal of the insects and crustaceans from which other, more refined fish simply turn away. There's nothing elegant about them. They're slovenly. They're repulsive.

Carp are also incredibly powerful. They've an uncanny sense of the dingy world around them. They know when you're coming, and this quality more than any other makes them a worthy adversary. They're downright tough to catch - on purpose anyway. If a bug chucker spots and stalks a carp, makes a cast without spooking the fish, and then hooks up ... well ... then that bug chucker has got some mojo.

And besides ... when it's "too hawt fer trawt" ... these fugly bastards can make for a fun afternoon.