Evolution of Shad flys?

[Matt Z.]

As recent as 5 years ago it seems like most Shad flies were bigger and more towards, chartreuse, green, pink... etc... and now the flies fished with greater success are smaller with a bead head with an emphasis on red along the lines of the Mahalo or Albino Wino used at Pyramid Lake (Credit/Tip of the hat to Jeff C.!) Why the change? Shad diets or "just" innovation by Jeff c. or ?

[MHeuch]

Obviously I cannot speak to Jeff's intent, but when i searched for the foods that Shad eat, I found Mysida; a shrimp-like crustaceans on the list. These are small 0.2 - 1 inches and their general shape is much closer to Jeff's flies than other common shad patterns.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysida#Distribution

[Jeff C.]

The Maria style flies were cooked up by me mashing up a whole lots of different flies. Serendipitously, they turned out to be in the shape of Mysis shrimp which is part of shad diet. It was not my intent to tie a mysis shrimp pattern. Dumb luck I guess!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

My brother Dick and I started fly fishing for Shad in the 1960s at upper Goethe Park / River Bend Park way before the bridge was built.

Shad flies then were huge by today's standards......tied in size 4 and 6 on a 1x long nickel platted Eagle Claw 1197 hook.

I think they worked pretty well because there will "trillions" of Shad back then. Maybe thousands?


Over the years they started getting smaller and smaller.

[MHeuch]

I found the rough comparison of these images interesting.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Every river you go to on the East Coast or West Coast the popular Shad flies or jigs are slightly different.