Page 4 of 16 FirstFirst 1234567814 ... LastLast
Results 31 to 40 of 156

Thread: Jeff’s 2021 AR Shad Reports

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Fresno, CA
    Posts
    2,749

    Default

    thanks Jeff for sending the information on the flies. All I have to do now is tie some up and head up to the American when I get back from baja in a couple weeks. Hopefully the water level won't be too high for this old man with bad knees to be wading out to far.
    Jay Murakoshi

    Commercial Fly Tier

    Travel Coordinator

    Web site: http://www.fliesunlimited.com/

    Email us at: jaysflies@me.com

    Call us at (831) 809-4221

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    306

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff C. View Post
    Did some scouting mid-river. There were a few shad but only a few were caught by Peter Villarreal and Ben Thompson’s clients. Got 5 to hand with the Ronald.
    It is always a pleasure running into you Jeff!
    ..."I'd rather be fishing..."

    Peter V

  3. #33
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Citrus Heights
    Posts
    2,142

    Default

    Floated this morning with Earle before the wind really blew. It was inconsistent and we only got a dozen.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Highlands, Ca.
    Posts
    2,220

    Default

    OMG! I tied with Jeff!
    I gotta write this down.

    That wind was something else. My first spot was cool, wind blowing left to right kept the line off my head. Then when I moved to the second spot it was reversed. What a fiasco my casting turned into. I still got it done but holy smokes it was difficult.
    I think I LDR'd as many as I caught, weird day that way. Checked my hook, it was ok so I've got no explanation.
    Maybe I'll just blame the Russians.
    Elwood: It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark... and we're wearing sunglasses.

    Jake: Hit it.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Citrus Heights
    Posts
    2,142

    Default

    Fished this morning and only got a handful. They were scattered and were all over the place. Chops was fishing below me and he found a bucket and was consistently hooking them. After he left I moved down and they were gone.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Santa Rosa
    Posts
    108

    Default

    Any ideas on why small flies are the ticket? When I fished the Russian River a lot in the 80's and 90's for shad we all used the Stren and EdgeBrite flies tied on size 6 chrome 3906 hooks...sometimes even size 4. On the AR small bugs are the ticket...10s and 12s on short shank hooks. Were we doing it wrong back then? We used to catch dozens in a morning or evening.

    As I understand it the fish, which are plankton-eaters in the ocean, don't eat when spawning so they go after the fly to get it out of the way. That suggests larger bugs should do better but I can't argue with the success of smaller flies.

    What do you think?

  7. #37
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Citrus Heights
    Posts
    2,142

    Default

    I don’t know why small flies work but my friend Bruce from San Diego was tying smaller shad flies on size 10 hooks around 2007. That’s about when I was working on perfecting the Bloody Maria. Before that all my shad flies were size 4 or 6.

  8. #38
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Citrus Heights
    Posts
    2,142

    Default

    Solo float today and got into some big hens (biggest was 21”). Ronald McDonald got most of my fish today!

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    On the River in Shastanistan
    Posts
    162

    Default

    Small flies do work well for shad, but to suggest that larger flies "don't work any more" is not correct either. I do a lot of shad fishing, and have been for over 30 years, and I went with the small fly phase, and found out that it didn't really significantly impact my catch performance. Nowadays, I simply use a size 6 fly, just like the old days so I don't have to carry a bunch of different size flies in my fly box. But then again, I'm a firm believer in that old saying "it's the shooter and not the arrow" philosophy (of course I changed that old saying to make it politically correct).
    Quote Originally Posted by Sonoman View Post
    Any ideas on why small flies are the ticket? When I fished the Russian River a lot in the 80's and 90's for shad we all used the Stren and EdgeBrite flies tied on size 6 chrome 3906 hooks...sometimes even size 4. On the AR small bugs are the ticket...10s and 12s on short shank hooks. Were we doing it wrong back then? We used to catch dozens in a morning or evening.

    As I understand it the fish, which are plankton-eaters in the ocean, don't eat when spawning so they go after the fly to get it out of the way. That suggests larger bugs should do better but I can't argue with the success of smaller flies.

    What do you think?

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    306

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff C. View Post
    I don’t know why small flies work but my friend Bruce from San Diego was tying smaller shad flies on size 10 hooks around 2007. That’s about when I was working on perfecting the Bloody Maria. Before that all my shad flies were size 4 or 6.
    I made matters easier for myself and have been using size 10s and 12s this season so far. I haven't experienced any issues with this decision.
    ..."I'd rather be fishing..."

    Peter V

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •