Deneki.com is a great resource for all things spey fishing and bonefishing from some of the best people in the business.  Applying flats style knowledge to carp fishing can really increase the numbers of fish that you land.  Carp are super smart with faces only a mother could love.  This is a great article from a while ago and I have been employing many of these tricks for years http://www.deneki.com/2011/06/rub-your-fly-in-the-sand/.  One more reason to rub sand on the fly is to help it sink faster- flies that use materials with bunny or marabou can actually float for a time until the materials are soaked through.  By the time this happens you might have missed your chance.

Many people focus on the cast with carp- more concentrated about 70 foot casts than the approach, fly selection among many factors.  I have caught more fish less than 10 feet away than 70 feet away.  I have spooked more fish with they are 50 plus feet away with a stumble or peeling the line off my reel or missed my chance because the fly didn't get down in time.

Preparation starts the day before with making sure you have everything to fish the next day and ends when you land the fish.  By blending a thorough understanding of different fishing styles and a dash of your own you are able to greatly increase your chances of landing more fish especially when fishing in new areas or different species of fish.  Carp on!!!