Brought the Kids to Catch More Shad

I found this place via a video on youtube. Mason Springs, Maryland. I caught two shad using a clear grub with red-white-blue flecks (HOOYAH AMERICA!!!). Fun on the light action spinning gear. If I had room for a back cast, I would have tried for the shad with the Epic 686 again, but the strategic placement of trees ruled that out. Noe caught a sunfish. On the other side of the bridge, the group was catching shad like every other cast - location, location, location.

SUP Flyfishing for Potomac Shad (again)

I paddled out at Fletcher's Cove again (same trip as last weekend) - this time I brought the Chris Barclay built Epic 686 fiberglass fly rod lined with an Orvis Access Full Sink 6wt line. The line was tricky to cast (and some of my casts looked like total crap - but I did get off several decent looking shots if I might say so myself). I cannot say in words how awesome it was to fish this rod and to pull in decent fighters like these spawning shad. The bend in the rod was so cool! Some of the other pictures below are of me fishing my Orvis Hydros 8wt. I caught one big shad that was exercising the Hydros well - the difference between the rods besides the Epic being olive is the Orvis has two stripper guides (which you can see on the pics). The pink jighead fly worked again this session - I didn't get a single it on any other fly. Oh what fun I had!!!

Wednesday Skunking

I took Marlon out to Fletcher's Cove on Wednesday morning to see if we could wrestle some Shad while they are in the Potomac (annual spawning run). We saw tons of shad breeching the surface - but we couldn't get a single hook up. The water was high and the current was swift due to the rains we got last weekend. That's my story and I'm sticking to it (it's the weathers fault).

White Sucker Fish from the Potomac

I went to the platform above the Chain Bridge this morning to try my luck at catching some Hickory and American Shad while they are still around. Instead of shad, I caught this White Sucker (Catostomus commersoni). I lost about 10+ flies and if it wasn't a snag, my backcast was caught on a tree - pretty frustrating. For the short time I have been flyfishing, I never knew why people would carry their tippet spools on the exterior of their vest/packs/lanyards - but now I have been enlightened. Anyways - the shad flies I was casting did get a few 'pecks'. I maybe have another month to figure this out. I am fascinated by the timelessness of catching Shad on the Potomac - the colonists did it during the Revolution with this fish playing a huge part in changing the nature of how people viewed governing bodies (the colonial army may have starved without shad at some of it's lowest points). And it isn't a stretch of the imagination to think of how the Native Americans celebrated this annual event by spending days on the river catching and smoking shad. If you have kids, live in the Washington Metro Area and want said kids to learn how to fish - there is an event at Fletcher's Cove this coming Saturday. I'm volunteering on Friday to help stock the C&O Canal - and to pick the experts' minds on how to properly cast and attract the Shad (because I'll be damned if I am going to be shad skunked!!!!). Anyways - anyways... I am happy that I caught a different species - White Sucker Fish.