Location Trifecta

6 May 2013: Scott and I started out at the Occoquan hoping to replicate our recent success, it was dreary and gray and promised (we thought) great fishing.  We canoed to tablerock and began to survey the honey hole, the light didn't allow us to see into the hole, but it was obvious that it was not teeming with shad or carp as it had been recently. Scott caught a shad or two  from the sweep-spot and I worked my way to the upper hole after having been skunked on tablerock.  My move to the upper hole was intended to stake a claim to the hole local-eater was approaching up the north bank pail in hand. He turned out to be sight fishing/snagging for
snakeheads, suffice it to say his family is well fed. I hooked into what we think was a snake in the upper hole and like two days ago he took my fly after a 4-5 minute fight.  My mistake was that I let him get into the current at the front of the hole.  Next time I hook him I'll try to work him and keep him in the back of the pool.  Before we left the honey pool Scott hooked the first
schoolie striper of the year (eureka) and as we floated out of the rockgarden I hooked two nice shad. We paddled into a light but steady rain-cloud and were happy to get warm in Clifford by 1030.

          While we were fishing Scott got an invitation to pre-fish a Chancellorsville lake ahead of his Orvis fly-fishing 201 class this weekend. We swung by Montclair and picked up lighter bass rigs and headed south to the Walter Issacson Sportsmens club off Orange Plank Road.  We found a great track of land with a lovely pond and well laid out firing ranges.  After getting used to sporadic gunfire we fished 1/4 of the lake with poppers and droppers and had steady action from crappie, sunfish and the occasional large-mouth. Scott had fun christening his new Helios 2-wt and pulled in a 3-inch sunfish to break-in the rod!  I fished with a 5-wt given to me by my friend John Caldwell.  John isn't as mobile as he once was and is happy to have me enjoy the rod (thanks John).  The pond should be a great place for the 201 class with plenty of backcast area and plentiful action.
         

Not ready for the day to be done we headed to the the shad hole 300 yards upstream of the Falmouth Bridge and after a few exploratory casts decided that we'd toss the canoe in for 45 minutes. A local schooled us for 30 minutes as we anchored, upstream of the prime spot with only a shad or two between us.  The local left (with a satisfied smirk) and in a driving mist we drifted into the center of the hole and began to hook-up.  Scott caught shad on his Access 6wt with a chartreuse dart and I did the same with my trusty spinning rod and a small yellow and orange.  These shad we several inches bigger that the Occoquan shad and beautiful fighters.  A great day...I hope our wives let us out again! Here's some Video Scott took of a Shad hook-up.