2017 shad season has begun

[Terry C]

Spent a few hours at Fletcher's today and managed to catch a dozen.  This was #1 of the season.  

[MikeV]

I'm interested in shore fishing Saturday, 3/25, if anyone is interested. I've not done that on the Potomac before, without a better idea, I'm heading off to Chain Bridge in the morning after rush hour.

Not sure how we get in touch with each other other than in this forum. I will get an email notification if anyone responds to this.

I am new to this group, but I was at the last beer tie sitting across from Vo. 

Mike Vance

[Carl Z.]

Is the boathouse renting boats?  I saw they have boats in the water, but there isn't much room on the dock, so it only looked like a dozen or so boats. 

Little Falls gauge is just above 4ft.

Carl

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Carl Zmola

On Fri, Mar 24, 2017 at 6:57 PM, Terry C <flycs...@gmail.com> wrote:

Spent a few hours at Fletcher's today and managed to catch a dozen.  This was #1 of the season.  

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[Bob Smith]

Yes they are renting boats but only 16 are ready. The last 10 were only sent downriver for repair and paint last week. So it's going to be tight for a few weeks.

I've watched the fleet dwindle from over 50 boats a couple decades ago to less than half that. There was once water at the dock for all 50+ boats. Now there's not even room for all the ones they have left. Your Government at work...

If you haven't donated to Friends Of Fletchers Cove you need to do so. The way I'm feeling about watching Fletchers die slowly; if you don't donate to help save it you shouldn't even fish there.

[Terry C]

On Friday, March 24, 2017 at 6:57:06 PM UTC-4, Terry C wrote:
> Spent a few hours at Fletcher's today and managed to catch a dozen.  This was #1 of the season.  

Spent the afternoon with new friends teaching them the ropes. They were in from Texas to see the cherry blossoms and do a little fishing.

https://www.facebook.com/nguyenfoto/posts/10211019309456270

[Bobby Davis]

Do you need a boat to get to the fish?  I want to go down tomorrow at daybreak and fish but I don't necessarily want to rent a boat.  Also what are the parking lot hours?  Dawn till dusk?   Any advice appreciated, my first shad season.

On Friday, March 24, 2017 at 6:57:06 PM UTC-4, Terry C wrote:

[Yambag Nelson]

You definitely do not need a boat, but it is very helpful. There aren't a ton of places where it is easy to fish from shore, and those that are there are often taken during the prime part of the season, especially on weekends.  Maybe it is just me, but I get snagged a lot more from shore than I do from a boat.  You can have great days from shore, but when you take into account the cost of lost flies (both on the bottom and in the trees), the extra cost for a boat isn't much.   Two handed rods can be useful if you have one.  Bottom line, you don't need a boat, but it is the way to go imo. 

Park closes at sundown, but not sure how much it is enforced.  I run along the towpath at oftentimes after dark and park in the upper lot and haven't had problems as of yet. 

[Terry C]

Some places you may be able to fish from shore

Just below Chain Bridge on the Va . side

Above C B on DC side. Access vis canal toe path. About 1/4 mi north take concrete raceway down to river

South end of Fletcher's. ( Walkers point ). You have to scramble over a lot of river debris to get to it.

[puppydrum]

My first of the season, first of eight for Sunday morning (D.C.side below Chain Bridge).

On Friday, March 24, 2017 at 6:57:06 PM UTC-4, Terry C wrote:

[Jim White]

No clue how to attach pics. Brother in law and I fished Saturday (the heli-pad) and Sunday (boat rental out of Fletcher's). Skunked on Saturday, ten in the boat on Sunday. All in all a great start for us.

[namfos]

[Eric Lowney]

This is my first shad season as well.  Is it safe to wade around Fletcher's or Chain Bridge?  I heard the water can have pretty swift currents and I'm new to wading/fly fishing in general so want to make sure I'm being cautious/safe.

[Yambag Nelson]

I don't believe it is actually legal to wade the Potomac, but people (myself included) certainly do.  As long as you stay in the slack water and don't go past your knees, you are ok.  Stay away from the current though and pay attention to what the tide is doing. 

[Adam Soller]

There are a lot of prior threads about the dangers of wading the Potomac, especially north of Fletcher's towards CB.

I tend to wear a life jacket if I'm in waders are on or I'm wet wading.  Haven't noticed any issue with my spey casting after doing this for a few years now.  

If you're going to wade, be sure you have studs on your treads or that the treads aren't worn out as the rocks can get slippery.  Lots of guys will use a wading staff too at low tide.

Safer bet is to rent a boat.

[Andrew Sarcinello]

Wading is basically impossible at Chain Bridge. The rocks are very slick and at awkward angles. If not wearing a life jacket as someone said above, going in past your knees in that current is a good way to get killed. It drops from ankle deep to who-knows-how-deep instantaneously in a number of places.

Also keep in mind that the river is tidal at Chain Bridge - possible to get stranded on the rocks if you aren't careful.

If anyone is ever unsure about how strong that current really is - notice how wide the river is upriver from Great Falls. It's about 1,500 feet wide up there...at chain bridge, that same volume of water is being funneled through a 120 ft wide channel. The turbulence that causes is pretty insane.

[Evan D]

Words of wisdom from Andrew there. Please don't wade at Chain Bridge, unless you can see exactly where your next step will be. Plenty of rocks to fish from without even getting wet.

[Eric Lowney]

Thanks everyone for the guidance on wading.  I will be going either there or fletcher's cove to do some shore fishing after work and plan to not wade and wear my pfd just to be safe as well.  If you see an idiot out there wearing a blaze orange pfd struggling to cast past 30 feet, that's me!  Feel free to say hi.  

[Yambag Nelson]

If it makes you feel safe, go for it but it is totally unnecessary IMO.

[Evan D]

Yea, no need for the PFD just fishing from rocks, unless you want it.  However, if you're planning to push the limits with wading, a PFD certainly can't hurt.  Good luck!

[Rusty Shackleford]

I fished Chain Bridge this afternoon.  Cast out a chinelle body fly a bunch, switched to a snowhite damsel, then a shad puff.  Finally hooked into one little guy with the shad puff after about 1.5 hours of casting.  It was pretty crowded down there, and I couldn't find a good place to get a decent backcast to hit the seam.  Plus I had my 5wt out there, which I can't get out much more than 40 feet or so due to my limited casting skills.  I moved over to a rock closer to the seam the last 20 minutes I was there (because the guy on it just left), and thats when I finally landed a fish.  Cast out about 40+ feet to a seam, let it drift down (sinking line) about 20 seconds, then stripped in pretty quickly and got the hit.  

There sure were a lot of fish trying to get up into Pimmit.  So many that it was hard not to foul hook one when stripping the end of your line back in.  Even so, I almost got skunked.  Hard to say if I wasn't quite getting out to the seam, or the run isn't quite going gangbusters yet, but the spincasters didn't seem to be doing a whole lot better.  I only saw maybe 7 fish landed the two or so hours I was down there.

[Richard Farino]

The fish you see in Pimmit Run tend to be river herring, most likely bluebacks.

Try a 6-7 weight if you’re fishing from shore, and make sure your line sinks well, and vary the retrieve.

You’ll get it eventually.

R

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[Eric Lowney]

I was able to nab 2 yesterday in about an hour (5:30-6:30pm) using a shad dart and a full sinking line with an extra fast sinking leader.  Casted out about 45 degrees as far as I could (not very far) and let the current drag the fly into the seam, I'd sometimes let out even more line before beginning to strip the fly in to cover more water.  I think the run is just starting so hoping I can catch a bunch on Sunday.  This is my first Shad run and using an 8 weight those fish feel like monsters on the end of the line!

On Friday, March 24, 2017 at 6:57:06 PM UTC-4, Terry C wrote:

[Jim White]

Pimmit Run?

On Friday, March 24, 2017 at 6:57:06 PM UTC-4, Terry C wrote:

[robert mills]

Hi Guys, 

I have to be in the georgetown area and you've inspired me to practice with my new switch rod, I've got a 8ips sink tip head and some streamers but what leaders are you using for shad, I was just gonna use a 4ft of 0X I have laying around, should I use something lighter? how are these fish on an 8wt rod, should I just bring my 5wt?

On Friday, March 24, 2017 at 6:57:06 PM UTC-4, Terry C wrote:

[Yambag Nelson]

You could use either rod. The 8 weight switch is a bit much, 5 weight ( assuming single hander) might be a tad light. I wouldnt use a leader quite that long and 0x is a tad heavy but will probably be fine. I would invest in some shad flies. Throwing random streamers could work, but most guys are throwing small bright colored flies (chartreuse, pink, red, etc).

[robert mills]

Thanks, Orvis kinda sorta on my way to fletchers from work so maybe I'll swing in and get some flies and something between 0x and 5x tippet. I have a Single hand 8wt I'll bring as well then, I really do want to practice some spey casting though so its a good excuse even if the rod is overpowered.

[robert mills]

ended up heading out today, caught a few decent fish with my switch rod from shore right at fletcher's.

[MikeV]

Looks like rain most days over the next several days....

Would it still be practical to go shad fishing... using rain gear.... or would water conditions pretty much prevent safe and productive fishing?

If not, what locations would be most advisable in rainy weather?

[Dalton Terrell]

Mike,

Keep your eyes on the NWS prediction of river height at Little Falls: http://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?gage=brkm2&wfo=lwx

This generally will overestimate future spikes a little, but it's useful. If it the gauge goes over 5 ft, Fletcher's won't rent boats.

From my experience, if the gauge is over 5 ft, is that the seem and fish move a little closer to shore--the shore casting is still limited but is easier under these conditions.

This is covered a bit in this thread--wading is of dubious legality (there are divergent rules in the National Park Service compendiums governing this area) and it is generally not safe at all in this area, but it is especially unsafe during high water.

Dalton

[Andrew Sarcinello]

Sorry, had the wrong link, reposting.

I've found it's also helpful to look at the upstream gage at Point of Rocks - if you see a huge spike on this gage, it will hit Chain Bridge about 6 hours later. Can help you pick up on an incoming flood that was caused by rain hundreds of miles away from where you will actually be fishing.

https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?01638500

[namfos]

Adding to Andrew's post re Point of Rocks - that's the one to watch for fishing Harpers and below on the Potomac. Safe at 2 ft and drpping, usually best ~ 1.75 or less.

Mark 

[Andrew Sarcinello]

One more gage to watch - the Monocacy River in Frederick. For those who don't know, this is a major tributary river entering the Potomac upriver from Great Falls.

Yesterday's storms and heavy rain mostly stayed east of the blue ridge - so in this case, the Point of Rocks gage is not showing much of a spike, because not much rain fell upriver from that point.

However, the Monocacy drainage took the brunt of the rain, and the gage is showing a 10,000 cfs spike. If you planned to fish chain bridge today, that extra 10,000 cfs is heading your way.

Here's the link: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?01643000

[Patrick Reilly]

Just got down here. You're not fishing chain bridge today.

[Patrick Reilly]

I ended up giving it a shot for about an hour. It's running really high, really fast and really muddy. The trees that used to be 10-15 feet up from the shoreline, now are in the water. Made casting and retreating through them a bit tough and I lost 2 flies that way. About 100-150 yards down from the helipad I found a spot with an eddy I could cast through and around some of the now in the water trees. Saw a ton of shad. Foul hooked 7 or 8 over the course of an hour before giving up. Will try to upload my pics of the Potomac when I get home (I can't figure out how to do it on mobile).

[tsm...@gmail.com]

Thanks for all of the info. I'm a newbee with a fly rod. I spent two hours this morning casting from the rocks between chain bridge and the c&o lock #5. When the sun started to hit the water.....about 8:45, the river absolutly began to boil with shad.....witnessing that migration first hand and landing a dozen shad was solid and humbling. had the place to myself.....
Careful out there.....that water is moving!
Oh, i caught two or three on a fly that i tied at the February
meeting.
Great fun!

[Rusty Shackleford]

I went out to the VA side of Chain Bridge on my lunch break today.  Snagged my line (not leader) on the second cast.  Its still out there.  Can someone remind me why I think fly fishing is fun?

[namfos]

So who was out in a kayak around 7pm at Fletchers last night? I could spot your orange sleeves from up at the scenic overlook up above on the other side of the river. ;-) My binocs are not powerful enough to ID faces from the distance.

Mark 

[Andrew Sarcinello]

My dad and I tried yesterday afternoon, we must have fished every seam from Chain Bridge to the big sandy areas upriver from Fletchers. Two foul-hooked gizzard shad to show for it. Near the end of the day, I was retrieving an orange shad dart near a rock ledge in a slow eddy, about to pick up to cast again. Got snagged maybe 15 feet out...then the snag started swimming downstream. WTF. Had this fish on for about 30 seconds, it just made this slow, lazy run downstream and then the hook pulled out. I never saw it...guessing it was a catfish??

[Andrew Sarcinello]

Also saw a snakehead sunning itself in the canal right next to the parking lot on the DC side.

[Michael Vance]

---

From: Andrew Sarcinello <andy...@gmail.com>

To: Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Monday, April 10, 2017 4:20 PM

Subject: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: 2017 shad season has begun

My dad and I tried yesterday afternoon, we must have fished every seam from Chain Bridge to the big sandy areas upriver from Fletchers.  Two foul-hooked gizzard shad to show for it.  Near the end of the day, I was retrieving an orange shad dart near a rock ledge in a slow eddy, about to pick up to cast again. Got snagged maybe 15 feet out...then the snag started swimming downstream.  WTF.  Had this fish on for about 30 seconds, it just made this slow, lazy run downstream and then the hook pulled out. I never saw it...guessing it was a catfish??

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[Beck Harlan]

Hi There, 

I posted a request like this last year and got a lot of great responses, so I thought I'd try it again. 

I'm working on a short film about American shad in this region. In order to illustrate people's love for shad fishing, we're hoping to include a montage of photos of people with American shad they've caught. 

So, if you have a photo of yourself, your kids, your friends, etc. with an American shad you've caught please send it to me at beckh...@gmail.com with the location of where it was caught and your name. Oh and it does not need to be taken this year, but could be from any time! 

Thanks so much and happy fishing! 

[namfos]

Some ink for Fletchers in the Baltimore Sun thanks to Mike Bailey http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/ph-ac-cs-outdoors-column0416-20170415-story.html

Mark