Jeff's 2017 AR Shad Reports

[Carl Blackledge]

Alosa,

When I was watching the Shad eat off the surface the fisherman were using standard shad flies in vary fast water right below the summer crossing. a bunch of us guys were standing on higher ground looking down, the fisherman would cast out and as soon the fly hit the water a Shad would "flash" on it. Another time I was at "Burke's canoes" and it was almost dark and a caddis hatch came off and the Shad were all over them.....Don't get confused when you watch the Shad spawning in the late evening cause at that time they are all shooting across the surface doing their mating thing, not eating flies on surface, however if you use a floating shooting head and a non-weighted fly they will eat it during this time....My 2 cents

Carl

[Alosa]

Alosa,

When I was watching the Shad eat off the surface the fisherman were using standard shad flies in vary fast water right below the summer crossing. a bunch of us guys were standing on higher ground looking down, the fisherman would cast out and as soon the fly hit the water a Shad would "flash" on it. Another time I was at "Burke's canoes" and it was almost dark and a caddis hatch came off and the Shad were all over them.....Don't get confused when you watch the Shad spawning in the late evening cause at that time they are all shooting across the surface doing their mating thing, not eating flies on surface, however if you use a floating shooting head and a non-weighted fly they will eat it during this time....My 2 cents

Carl

Very cool. Thanks for the info.

[Jeff C.]

I've seen shad rise for caddis after the sun goes down. There is a 20 minute window when that happens and the rises stop when it gets too dark. A size 12 EHC or Prince on a floating line is the ticket. Andy likes a Nitro caddis with an intermediate line for the magic hour.

[Garrett S]

We had a day last year on the boat where we found a large pod of shad rising in a tailout during the middle of the day. We only got 2 on dries but swinging a tan fox pupah on a full floating line was absolutely dynamite for these fish.

[Jeff C.]

Erin B. with the USFWS just told me that they are seeing shad every day down in the Pittsburg area. They are coming our way!!

[hwchubb]

Been catching them on top for 20+ years, always the last hour of light. Very few the last 2 years, though - noticeably fewer fish on top

[Jeff C.]

I've noticed the same thing the last couple of years. Haven't gone to a floating line for the magic hour for a number of years but have switched to a slower sinking tip because they do move up in the water column when the sun gets off the water.

[Mr.Matt]

Today I shot video of a huge sea lion at Harrington following up possibly a school.. he was in the correct slot and stayed down most the time.

[FattMerro]

This thread makes me so happy. Time to brush up on the high water skills! See ya on the river.

[Jeff C.]

Think fast sinking lines and heavily weighted flies. We might be fishing with high flows the whole run. Only for the hardcore to wade at 10+K flows. Might be wise to wear a PDF if you do. Most don't come out until the flows drop below 8K. The river has changed a lot due the extreme flows we had during the storms so there will be new places to fish!