Big Doings on the Shad Run

Lifetime memories made on the Shad Run

It's a treat to introduce someone you care about to one of your favorite fishing experiences, and so it was for Henry and I, after a monster day on the shad run on Saturday, to bring Izzy to the rodeo on Sunday. 

Hen points from casting rock to the strike zone

The Shad weren't as aggressive, but they were still running by our feet in untold multitudes as we pushed into the current on slippery rock-perches leaning from Fredericksburg toward eagles nests and osprey perches on the Falmouth side.    

Early sun rise over Falmouth, VA

The streamer of choice was a Fritz-inspired #6 streamer 1x hook w a short white maribou tail, a body of red chenille, heavy dumbbell eyes w a bit of flash worked into the body.  




Izzy, perched mid-flow on our casting rock hooked 8-10 shad before she got the rhythm of hookset and retrieve and had a wide and warm Ritchie smile on her bright face as she brought to hand her first unassisted Shad.  

Izzy backs and glory (and dries off) after her first shad

What a treat for Henry and I. Interspersed with Izzy refining her technique  were moments of wonder and humor.  When rays of sun peaked through the clouds they illuminated swarms of shad right at our feet staging in holding water before racing up the next chute.   For anyone, but for Izzy in particular, it was amazing to see the shad massed inside her pole tip.  

 This shad video is amazing

Dad-help-sacrifice led to great humor as Hen, in an attempt to free Izzy's snag, tipped off the casting rock and like batman diving off a Gotham skyscraper plunged into the main channel up to his neck no doubt concerning the shad as well.  Heroically holding Izzy's 50.00 rod high and safe he lost his grip on his expensive Sage-Orvis outfit into the swift flow as his waders filled and he was swept toward the rapids.  After choice exclamations commingled with nervous laughter from Izzy and I (and shouts of worry from an upstream angler) his toes found purchase on hidden rocks and he angled his way to safety.   Once we knew all were safe and we couldn't get any wetter :-) we saw Henry's fluorescent yellow line glistening in the black water and were able to catch the line with a boot toe and pull line, rod and reel back to safety.  Rod recovery compete, we made our way back to dry rocks to regroup and only then as Hen started to emerge from the water did we realize that his waders keep water in as well as they keep water out!  Picture a water balloon filled to its max.   Hen + water must have weighted +600 lbs and he needed to flip onto his back on a rock and raise his legs to allow the trapped water to gush out and lighten the load.   What a day and memories.

Our kit needed a bit of drying out once home!