| NCC-TU Presents The 2019 Shad Report No. 1 A Return to Normalcy March 16, 2019 After a year of record rainfall, high flow and many lost opportunities along the Potomac, area anglers are particularly anxious this month. Unusually warm weather on Thursday and Friday helped lift the spirits of early visitors to Fletcher’s Cove. The river remained high but the latest monster storm was expected to pass well north of the watershed. Out in the swift currents and soaring above, the return of cormorants and ospreys signaled the arrival of river herring, right on schedule. The first shad would surely be taken soon. And that’s exactly what happened. Alex Binsted, the Fletchers Boathouse manager, watched as others tried, then claimed the rights to the first hickory shad of the season on Friday evening. Let the healing begin. That smile on my son’s face has been missing ever since the Potomac became so unruly last May. I had returned from the shoreline, rod in hand, when Alex was rigging up for the first time this year – never has it felt so satisfying to get skunked. Boathouse staffers Chris Campo and Sam Cohen went along for the ride after waiting patiently for the chance. Each caught a shad, but wisely, not before the boss. Are three fish enough to constitute a shad run? Absolutely! Sam is home from Pitt for spring break and expects to be back for the best fishing by the end of April. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Hickory shad fishing normally gets going when water temperatures approach fifty degrees. That threshold was crossed on Thursday but the river remains high and murky. In recent years the first American shad has trailed the first hickory by only a few days, and twice appeared on the same day. Someone braving the elements this weekend could seal the deal. Please help us recognize the first catch of DC’s Official Fish , the American shad, by taking a photo of your earliest landing and marking the time. A witness schooled in shad identification might suffice. This year we begin a new tradition for honoring the lucky angler – details to follow. With the Potomac dropping steadily and dry weather ahead, it now appears likely that Fletcher’s Boathouse will be able to launch its small fleet of wooden rowboats when it opens next Saturday. (Whenever possible this season, share a boat with a friend so more anglers can experience the wonders of the shad run.) Work on the new dock has progressed nicely and a ribbon cutting ceremony is being planned for early April. Most of you will be hearing about this soon from Friends of Fletchers Cove , and if you haven’t signed up for their updates yet, do it now! The National Park Service will bring in contractors to spruce up the park and haul away the piles of flood debris gathered by volunteers in January. Please be especially careful on the Potomac when the current is so strong. River flow has been above average for nearly a year and we can expect more of the same. Be aware of the USGS real-time data for flow, level, temperature and turbidity at Little Falls. The National Weather Service offers predictions for future river levels, useful when storms are in the forecast. The level must be below five feet for boat rentals at Fletcher’s. Finally, thanks to everyone who joined in the record turnout at our annual Shad Night meeting on February 27th. The participating fly tiers, vendors and shad experts all offered great information, after which we screened the new documentary film, Shad Run . If you missed this beautiful story about the revival of our local American shad fishery, you’ll have another chance to see it at the Environmental Film Festival. The film is included in the Local Waterways program on March 23rd at the Carnegie Institution for Science. Mark Binsted 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 first 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 Sweetwater Brewing, RepYourWater, Costa Sunglasses, District Angling and Engel Coolers, 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 |
After a year of record rainfall, high flow and many lost opportunities along the Potomac, area anglers are particularly anxious this month. Unusually warm weather on Thursday and Friday helped lift the spirits of early visitors to Fletcher’s Cove. The river remained high but the latest monster storm was expected to pass well north of the watershed. Out in the swift currents and soaring above, the return of cormorants and ospreys signaled the arrival of river herring, right on schedule. The first shad would surely be taken soon.
| |
And that’s exactly what happened. Alex Binsted, the Fletchers Boathouse manager, watched as others tried, then claimed the rights to the first hickory shad of the season on Friday evening. Let the healing begin. That smile on my son’s face has been missing ever since the Potomac became so unruly last May. I had returned from the shoreline, rod in hand, when Alex was rigging up for the first time this year – never has it felt so satisfying to get skunked. | |
Boathouse staffers Chris Campo and Sam Cohen went along for the ride after waiting patiently for the chance. Each caught a shad, but wisely, not before the boss. Are three fish enough to constitute a shad run? Absolutely! Sam is home from Pitt for spring break and expects to be back for the best fishing by the end of April. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
| |
Hickory shad fishing normally gets going when water temperatures approach fifty degrees. That threshold was crossed on Thursday but the river remains high and murky. In recent years the first American shad has trailed the first hickory by only a few days, and twice appeared on the same day. Someone braving the elements this weekend could seal the deal. Please help us recognize the first catch of DC’s Official Fish, the American shad, by taking a photo of your earliest landing and marking the time. A witness schooled in shad identification might suffice. This year we begin a new tradition for honoring the lucky angler – details to follow. | |
With the Potomac dropping steadily and dry weather ahead, it now appears likely that Fletcher’s Boathouse will be able to launch its small fleet of wooden rowboats when it opens next Saturday. (Whenever possible this season, share a boat with a friend so more anglers can experience the wonders of the shad run.) Work on the new dock has progressed nicely and a ribbon cutting ceremony is being planned for early April. Most of you will be hearing about this soon from Friends of Fletchers Cove, and if you haven’t signed up for their updates yet, do it now! The National Park Service will bring in contractors to spruce up the park and haul away the piles of flood debris gathered by volunteers in January. | |
Please be especially careful on the Potomac when the current is so strong. River flow has been above average for nearly a year and we can expect more of the same. Be aware of the USGS real-time data for flow, level, temperature and turbidity at Little Falls. The National Weather Service offers predictions for future river levels, useful when storms are in the forecast. The level must be below five feet for boat rentals at Fletcher’s. | |
Finally, thanks to everyone who joined in the record turnout at our annual Shad Night meeting on February 27th. The participating fly tiers, vendors and shad experts all offered great information, after which we screened the new documentary film, Shad Run. If you missed this beautiful story about the revival of our local American shad fishery, you’ll have another chance to see it at the Environmental Film Festival. The film is included in the Local Waterways program on March 23rd at the Carnegie Institution for Science. | |
|
|
The National Capital Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders and CCA Maryland's Greater Washington Chapter are proud to present the first 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 Sweetwater Brewing, RepYourWater, Costa Sunglasses, District Angling and Engel Coolers, 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!
| |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
