Shad on floating line

This week is probably the best opportunity, so far this season, to catch a shad on a floating line. Its nice to feel the fight of a shad without the intrusive weight of a sinking line or tip weighing 120 to 300 grains, taking away from the feeling of every head shake and tail pump they have to offer.
The temps are warming up and the shad are becoming more active (from 56/58 to 60 degrees)... this evening at Rossmore Access a few shad were on the surface around 7pm. This behavior should continue as the temps warm up this week. I'd hit the river around 7:45pm-8pm and watch for shad rising in slow moving water (moving as fast as you can walk, no riffles) about 3-6 feet deep. Their rise form can be very subtle so watch and observe closely. Tie on a #12 olive caddis pupa or comparable (stout, strong hook) to a 9' 8-10lb tapered mono leader. Position yourself at a 45 degree angle above the fish/rise form and aim your cast slightly upstream (approximately 5 feet) from where you saw the rise form on the water, then keep your rod tip low, let the fly slowly swing and hold on. How great is it to have the American River in our backyard? Good luck-JP

It’s definitely that time! Got a few to eat a skated hopper pattern the other night, all takes on top came after 8:45

I like a very small (#10) surf-candie type bug for this application.....
....lee s.

Andy told use Prince nymphs years ago. Now I use Nitro caddis!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeff Putnam

This week is probably the best opportunity, so far this season, to catch a shad on a floating line. Its nice to feel the fight of a shad without the intrusive weight of a sinking line or tip weighing 120 to 300 grains, taking away from the feeling of every head shake and tail pump they have to offer.
The temps are warming up and the shad are becoming more active (from 56/58 to 60 degrees)... this evening at Rossmore Access a few shad were on the surface around 7pm. This behavior should continue as the temps warm up this week. I'd hit the river around 7:45pm-8pm and watch for shad rising in slow moving water (moving as fast as you can walk, no riffles) about 3-6 feet deep. Their rise form can be very subtle so watch and observe closely. Tie on a #12 olive caddis pupa or comparable (stout, strong hook) to a 9' 8-10lb tapered mono leader. Position yourself at a 45 degree angle above the fish/rise form and aim your cast slightly upstream (approximately 5 feet) from where you saw the rise form on the water, then keep your rod tip low, let the fly slowly swing and hold on. How great is it to have the American River in our backyard? Good luck-JP

---

Hey Jeff,

A floating line and a sinking line weight the same, the floating line is on top and the sinking line is just deeper.

CB

Some years ago we were out with Jeff Putnam at Gristmill and he was showing us how he skates dry flies in the tail outs for Shad.

________________________________

Probably 40 years ago I was out with Jimmy Potter, one of the top lower American river fly fishers back in the day.

He was using a floating line or a really slow sinking line with an unweighted black fly right at sunset when the Shad came up off the

bottom and swirled around on the surface.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired

Some years ago we were out with Jeff Putnam at Gristmill and he was showing us how he skates dry flies in the tail outs for Shad.

________________________________

Probably 40 years ago I was out with Jimmy Potter, one of the top lower American river fly fishers back in the day.

He was using a floating line or a really slow sinking line with an unweighted black fly right at sunset when the Shad came up off the

bottom and swirled around on the surface.

---

Also a good way to have a fun half pounder encounter