Jeff’s 2020 AR Shad Reports

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Aron....that sound like the "One Fly Shad Challenge"?

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I was in Missoula, Montana a few years back with CA transplant David Armocido, wade fishing the famous Rock Creek.

I used one dry fly all day, a #14 Royal Trude rubber legs, to land 67 nice wild trout.

Without David's guidance I would probably landed half that amount.

[winxp_man]

Bill, we can call it that haha. The 8 lb Maxima Ultra Green leader sure is something else to!

[Pvillarr]

So decided to use one fly to see if it can be done. And a no leader swap. Ended up with 130 fish landed, and 4 knots in the leader and still fishable. I bent the hook back 6-7 times in the process. Fished the same setup for 5 days. Might retire the leader and fly and frame it! Hahaha!

You and Jeff need to save some fish for the rest of us......jeez lol

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

"90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the fishermen."........sadly, I am not in the 10%.

In my lifetime I have fished with a handful of guys who are so much better than I am at fly fishing.


Joe Shirshac, Walt Bennett, Joe Patterson, George Innes, Chris Pasley, Hal Janssen, Al Perryman, Mike McCune, Craig Ziegler, Bob

Giannoni, Fred Gordon, Andy Guibord, David Armocido, Keith Kaneko, Jeff Putnam, Dave Howard, Jeff Ching, Kevin Doran, Charlie

Bisharat, Alan Barnard and Bob Quigley come to mind. I might think of a few more later........I am 75.


I fished with all of them and it was a treat every time.


A few of the American and Third World guides I fished with are in this group.


These are people who's life is fly fishing and I have learned some from them, but never enough.


I always know that when I fish with them they will do better than I do.


I think it is a special sense or a gift from the Fish God?

[Jeff C.]

Got out early to beat the heat. It was one here and there all morning. Had lunch and then I found a bucket and got around 10-15 before they moved. Tried a bunch of flies today but the ones that hooked shad were: the Ronald McDonald, Firecracker, G3, Red Lipstick, Black Pearl and my Chameleon (which changes color depending on the viewing angle).

[Chasin Fin]

Do you ever swing two flies at once?

[Jeff C.]

I always did until recently. I just wanted to use single flies to see what they really want. With a 2 fly rig the dropper gets 90% of the hook ups.

[EricO]

So decided to use one fly to see if it can be done. And a no leader swap. Ended up with 130 fish landed, and 4 knots in the leader and still fishable. I bent the hook back 6-7 times in the process. Fished the same setup for 5 days. Might retire the leader and fly and frame it! Hahaha!

That's badass Aron. By all means, sign it, then frame the fly and leader!

Eric

[Jeff C.]

Got out early before the sun got on the water. Got a handful right off the bat but when the sunlight hit the water it shutdown. For the next two hours I only had one grab. Stuck it out until mid-day and got into double digits. Today’s flies: Bloody Maria, Red Headlight, Ronald McDonald and G3.

[BradW]

Fished all day yesterday going 10 for 12. All but one on a well loved Bloody Maria. Caught my smallest shad ever in the afternoon, it was only 8-10 inches. The fish I got in the evening were all really big and strong, especially the one I lost!