Delaware River Shad . . . continued

---

Since shad do not eat while they are in the river, they are not striking the fly in order to feed. Is it that they are so tempted that they forget NOT to strike? Are they annoyed? Curious? My guess is that they are simply aggressive and confused and probably peck at each other and whatever flotsam catches their attention, annoys them, or piques their curiosity. The secret is to combine the most whimsically dressed fly with the most erratic retrieve. If that doesn't work, change both early and often until your offering's appeal overcomes the shad's caprice and your reel sings.

The flies I had tied to fool shad this year resembled modified bonefish flies, dressed on freshwater #4 and #6 hooks. For shad, I tend to combine bright tidbits from the corners of my fly fishing bag and the outcome is rarely the same twice. Virtually all flies include either bead chain or chrome weighted eyes to sink the fly in a fast current.

Throughout the day the feisty smallmouth bass and fat healthy fallfish which inhaled our flies were constant reminders of the health and diversity of the ecosystem gliding silently beneath us for mile after glassy mile. Long slow pools were punctuated by the riffles which we fished for shad. The banks were lined with rich, green grass often over three feet deep and stands of drooping willow trees. The richness of the river is not lost on the local bird population, and we paused often during our float to observe a kingfishers, a blue heron, Mergansers, and even a bald eagles along the way.

Only in the late afternoon did the shad begin to turn on when John positioned us straddling a long riffle that carved a gradual turn into the Pennsylvania bank. We soon began to connect with bright, fresh shad which spit our flies in seconds as often as they remained hooked long enough to dance on the surface for us. We managed to land several small male, or buck fish, as well as a five pound roe, before abandoning the hunt for the day.

If your fly fishing taste runs to the exotic and May and June find you pining for action, chasing shad in the shallow riffles of the Delaware may be the tonic your soul needs. The greatest hurdle is understanding the idiosyncrasies of how shad choose holding water, experienced fishermen who understand a shad's mindset will have little trouble. If like me, you have discovered a new species to worry about every spring, share your insights gererously.