| NCC-TU Presents The 2019 Shad Report No. 3 The Last of the Firsts April 1, 2019 When warm weather was predicted for this past weekend, I felt certain that the first American shad of the season would be caught on Saturday when so many lines would be in the water. Instead, Jim Stables jumped the gun and took one from his kayak on Thursday, March 28. Congratulations to Jim for securing the first catch two years in a row! He works hard at this and knows how to target Americans, so the honor is well deserved. The arrival of DC’s Official Fish by late March has become the norm in recent years. Decades ago in a previous climate and state of mind, we associated the start of the run with the dogwood bloom. On my tree some of the buds have just begun to spread. The best fishing will come in the weeks ahead when these enchanting flowers are fully open. On Friday, Chad Tokowicz (above) followed Jim with the first American shad taken on a fly rod. The small buck grabbed Chad’s fly before any of the more plentiful hickory shad could react to his cast. Some of this year's larger roe hickories have been similar in size but this was a no-doubter. Friday was the first day this season that river conditions were safe enough for boat rentals out of the new dock at Fletchers Cove, and Chad was among the first to hit the water. He will now be recognized by Friends of Fletchers Cove as the first person to land an American shad from a traditional wooden rowboat this year. Not a bad morning for the young man who once interned with Trout Unlimited and now works with the American Sportfishing Association. Despite seventy-degree weather and beautiful river conditions, the fishing on Saturday regressed from the previous few days. Perhaps this was due to those otherwise pleasing south winds, which pushed higher tides and stymied outgoing flow. A shift in wind direction with the cold front on Sunday solved that problem but created another. Hickory shad fishing along the shore picked up nicely but the north winds were so strong that it became a chore to cast. Fletcher’s Boathouse suspended boat rentals after several customers became stranded downstream. Today, the strong winds continued and the Cove was isolated from the river at low tide. Most of the boats were still floating with nowhere to go. Windy weather on Sunday didn’t deter the St. Patrick’s Day boys ( Shad Report #2 ), who were back on their aluminum fishing craft to catch plenty of hickory shad on the fly. This time they stepped up their game: Both anglers nabbed a nice female American shad, the first two roes I have heard about this year. It’s only fair that we show Alec Hicks with his catch (above) after his friend Kevin Eichinger was pictured last time. Today, it was surprising to discover on the USGS site that the Potomac is at normal flow for the first time since last May. Timing is everything. The river is in pristine condition and water temperatures are rising again. The coastal storm tomorrow is expected to brush our region with a few showers and spare the upper watershed. Some rain later in the week may actually be productive by maintaining a good flow. If all goes well, fabulous fishing awaits. Mark Binsted VP, NCC-TU Sign Up Join Us! The National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders and CCA Maryland's Greater Washington Chapter are proud to present the second annual Tidal Potomac Slam fishing tournament. A multi-week event, compete for great prizes and bragging rights, while helping to support Friends of Fletcher’s Cove in its quest to restore the Cove and protect this unique urban fishing resource for generations to come. Sponsored by District Angling, Traeger Grills, RepYourWater, Speedwell Law, Computer Showcase, and the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership , the Tidal Potomac Slam is a celebration of the arrival of Spring and all of the migratory species that return each year to our Nation’s River! So join the fun and get in on this year’s Shadness Madness! Visit our website |
When warm weather was predicted for this past weekend, I felt certain that the first American shad of the season would be caught on Saturday when so many lines would be in the water. Instead, Jim Stables jumped the gun and took one from his kayak on Thursday, March 28. Congratulations to Jim for securing the first catch two years in a row! He works hard at this and knows how to target Americans, so the honor is well deserved. The arrival of DC’s Official Fish by late March has become the norm in recent years. Decades ago in a previous climate and state of mind, we associated the start of the run with the dogwood bloom. On my tree some of the buds have just begun to spread. The best fishing will come in the weeks ahead when these enchanting flowers are fully open.
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On Friday, Chad Tokowicz (above) followed Jim with the first American shad taken on a fly rod. The small buck grabbed Chad’s fly before any of the more plentiful hickory shad could react to his cast. Some of this year's larger roe hickories have been similar in size but this was a no-doubter. Friday was the first day this season that river conditions were safe enough for boat rentals out of the new dock at Fletchers Cove, and Chad was among the first to hit the water. He will now be recognized by Friends of Fletchers Cove as the first person to land an American shad from a traditional wooden rowboat this year. Not a bad morning for the young man who once interned with Trout Unlimited and now works with the American Sportfishing Association. | |
Despite seventy-degree weather and beautiful river conditions, the fishing on Saturday regressed from the previous few days. Perhaps this was due to those otherwise pleasing south winds, which pushed higher tides and stymied outgoing flow. A shift in wind direction with the cold front on Sunday solved that problem but created another. Hickory shad fishing along the shore picked up nicely but the north winds were so strong that it became a chore to cast. Fletcher’s Boathouse suspended boat rentals after several customers became stranded downstream. Today, the strong winds continued and the Cove was isolated from the river at low tide. Most of the boats were still floating with nowhere to go.
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Windy weather on Sunday didn’t deter the St. Patrick’s Day boys (Shad Report #2), who were back on their aluminum fishing craft to catch plenty of hickory shad on the fly. This time they stepped up their game: Both anglers nabbed a nice female American shad, the first two roes I have heard about this year. It’s only fair that we show Alec Hicks with his catch (above) after his friend Kevin Eichinger was pictured last time. | |
Today, it was surprising to discover on the USGS site that the Potomac is at normal flow for the first time since last May. Timing is everything. The river is in pristine condition and water temperatures are rising again. The coastal storm tomorrow is expected to brush our region with a few showers and spare the upper watershed. Some rain later in the week may actually be productive by maintaining a good flow. If all goes well, fabulous fishing awaits. | |
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The National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders and CCA Maryland's Greater Washington Chapter are proud to present the second annual Tidal Potomac Slam fishing tournament. A multi-week event, compete for great prizes and bragging rights, while helping to support Friends of Fletcher’s Cove in its quest to restore the Cove and protect this unique urban fishing resource for generations to come.
Sponsored by District Angling, Traeger Grills, RepYourWater, Speedwell Law, Computer Showcase, and the Anacostia Watershed Restoration Partnership , the Tidal Potomac Slam is a celebration of the arrival of Spring and all of the migratory species that return each year to our Nation’s River! So join the fun and get in on this year’s Shadness Madness!
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