Nathan,
Great link to flycarpin provided by Fred above. Lots of good stuff on that site.
I hope you stick one this weekend, just warning you, if you do get into one it is very addicting!
I have been chasing them for the past four years with my fly rod. Yesterday I brought my 38th carp of 2016 to the net. 34 of those fish were caught on only three different fly patterns. My "go to" carp flies have become bead chain eyed fuzzy nymphs tied Clouser style to ride hook point up. I like to use natural materials (Pheasant, Mink, Squirrel, Crow etc.) in natural colors such as brown, tan, olive and rust. Furry dubbed bodies and soft hackle style collars provide a lot of movement which is what you need to fool the carp into thinking it is alive. I don't use a lot of flash because I feel that excessive flash in a carp fly just stands to blow the deal most of the time. I have gained a ton of confidence in flies tied in this style. The carp love them! Put one into the zone, right in front of a feeding carp without spooking it and you probably will be in business! Don't get hung up on having to use the materials that I have listed. Use any kind of fuzzy dubbing and soft hackle type of feathers in natural colors that you may have on hand and make up your own pattern. It may just become your "go to" fly. I use medium size black bead chain eyes and size 6 2X heavy wet fly hooks for most of my carp patterns. I like the bead chain eyes over the dumbbell eyes because the presentation is a bit more gentle and results in less spooked fish. Here are some photos of my top producing carp flies from this season. Good luck with your carpin'!
