Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: Shad Run newby looking for advice

I've fished to those gizzard shad and had the same luck.  If you were out at the "helipad" and see a bunch of shad backs, it's probably gizzard shad and they don't seem to take a fly.  I have foul hooked a few when my heavily weighted fly went over their backs. 

It's the TPFR version of Snipe hunting: "Hey go over there and see if you can catch one of those Shad".

Carl

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Carl Zmola

On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 2:55 PM, Yambag Nelson <northstreetwreckingcrew@gmail.com> wrote:

My guess is those weren't shad you were casting at. 

On Monday, April 18, 2016 at 1:25:30 PM UTC-4, Patrick Reilly wrote:

Happy Monday to everybody! Hope you all got a chance to get out on the water this weekend.

I was looking for the collective advice and wisdom of the board. Relatively new at this whole fly-fishing thing. I have a 4 weight Orvis Clearwater with a 5 wt sink/float line and a sinking leader. My experience is limited to catching random things in the tidal basin fishing along the wall, 3-4 inch sunfish at the outflow in 4 mile run and chain bridge from the VA side with Rob's very kind guidance.

I got my first day out on the water this year n Saturday. I showed up to late to get a boat from Fletchers, so headed up to fish north of chain bridge from the Maryland side. I caught a few tiny sun fish in the canal on my way down to the Potomac. Those were sadly the only fish I caught all day. Down at the Potomac, found a great little eddy just south of the Helipad. I could see 20-30 shad just hanging out in the current. Occasionally they would all bolt and do circles around a rock for 3 or 4 minutes, then come back.  I spent 3 hours throwing every fly in my box - green, pink and white shad darts, closuers, orange and green pipe cleaner darts, tiny nymphs, giant red eyes, even the green one that is gimp wrapped around the hook and didn't get a nibble. I put tin weights on the line, then 3 tin weights. I tried double flys. I let it run down stream and then pulled back through. I tried fast strip, slow strip, nothing, not even a nibble. 

I want to go back out Wednesday after work. Any advice? Both fly's, techniques, locations? This might be my last shot before the kid comes, so want to catch at least one shad this year!

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
Patrick

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