Shad Run- How far upstream?

[jpbarr]

Even though we're about 10 degrees until the shad run starts, I'm starting to think about plans to harass them again this year. I'm wondering how far upstream they typically get? Like lots (most?) around, I've focussed my efforts around Fletcher's, and I've never gone any further upstream than the Chain Bridge. 

I was wondering if it's worth taking a shot up near Carderock/the Billy Goat trail, but I really have no idea if they make it that far upstream. Has anyone tried that far up?

[Bobby Davis]

My Understanding is that it's pretty difficult for shad to get above great falls, and that it is dangerous to fish in that area anyways because of the river conditions.

[Carl Z.]

The Little Falls Dam has a fish passage barrier on the Virginia side and while shad have been caught above the dam. The shad speaker at the NCC-TU shad night a few years ago mentioned that there was a historically know fishing spot near great falls on the VA side and was waiting to hear about a sport fisherman actually catching them there.

Safety is also a major concern anywhere above the "Helipad".

Carl

--

Carl Zmola

--
http://www.tpfr.org
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tidal-potomac-fly-rodders+unsub...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to tidal-potomac-fly-rodders@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tidal-potomac-fly-rodders/65cb3dcf-ccb7-4df5-b6de-6438b301870a%40googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Yambag Nelson]

They must make it up past the fish passage project.  That said, I've never seen anyone fishing for them up there.  You would think that they might stack up there.

On Thursday, March 15, 2018 at 4:40:59 PM UTC-4, Carl wrote:

The Little Falls Dam has a fish passage barrier on the Virginia side and while shad have been caught above the dam. The shad speaker at the NCC-TU shad night a few years ago mentioned that there was a historically know fishing spot near great falls on the VA side and was waiting to hear about a sport fisherman actually catching them there.

Safety is also a major concern anywhere above the "Helipad".

Carl

--

Carl Zmola

On Thu, Mar 15, 2018 at 3:30 PM, Bobby Davis <robert....@gmail.com> wrote:

My Understanding is that it's pretty difficult for shad to get above great falls, and that it is dangerous to fish in that area anyways because of the river conditions.

On Thursday, March 15, 2018 at 2:57:14 PM UTC-4, jpbarr wrote:

Even though we're about 10 degrees until the shad run starts, I'm starting to think about plans to harass them again this year. I'm wondering how far upstream they typically get? Like lots (most?) around, I've focussed my efforts around Fletcher's, and I've never gone any further upstream than the Chain Bridge. 

I was wondering if it's worth taking a shot up near Carderock/the Billy Goat trail, but I really have no idea if they make it that far upstream. Has anyone tried that far up?

--
http://www.tpfr.org
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tidal-potomac-fly-rodders+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com.

[Andrew Sarcinello]

FWIW, I have read that hickory shad do not utilize certain types of artificial fish passages, though Americans don't seem to have any issues. Don't know what the design is of the passage at that dam, but perhaps it is only somewhat effective for all species. As Carl said, it is quite difficult to access the water between the whitewater rapids of Little Falls and the Little Falls Dam, though I imagine shad can access that stretch.

[Mark Binsted]

Here's a photo of the fishway being constructed and the design revealed. The construction barge is on the left. I was lucky enough go out and see the construction with Bailey and others.

The stretch between Little Falls and the dam is only easy to access when the river is very low. Alex tried it a couple of years ago when the hickory shad run was peaking. Not a single strike from shad but plenty of smallmouths hit his shad darts! Perhaps hickories venture through the falls when flow is normal and the rapids are flatter.

American shad should have no problem with Little Falls but we don't know how well the fishway is working. Funding is no longer available for a survey from "Shad Rock" at Great Falls, VA--see photo. Jim Cummins wants all of us to try up in the Carderock/Stubblefield Falls area or Mather Gorge. We did once but needed a boat. I have never heard of dead shad being spotted along the shore up there like you see on the Delaware in June.

There's plenty of great info on the American Shad Restoration at the ICPRB website, like these photos. Jim's retired now but this was his great work. He'll be at Fletcher's for the event on April 27.

[Carl Z.]

Thanks Mark. 
I was hoping someone would try a fishing trip to Shad rock and confirm that  fish are getting up there.  

Carl

Carl

--

Carl Zmola

--

http://www.tpfr.org
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tidal-potomac-fly-rodders+unsub...@googlegroups.com.

To post to this group, send email to tidal-potomac-fly-rodders@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tidal-potomac-fly-rodders/c4dde434-13bf-41c5-829c-4fbb300d8d57%40googlegroups.com.

[Andrew Sarcinello]

Awesome!!  Thanks for sharing.