| NCC-TU Presents The 2019 Shad Report No. 2 Seven Day Season March 24, 2019 This space is normally about the promise and excitement of springtime on the Potomac so very close to home. Last week we welcomed a perfectly reasonable start to the shad run. The outlook for dry weather, combined with a falling river, was cause for optimism after a year of record rainfall. Then, out of nowhere came a coastal storm with a bulls-eye on the watershed we care most about. Yesterday, a visit to Fletchers Cove at the crest revealed a mad, muddy torrent that could have been a lot worse. We will soldier on. After the first hickory shad was caught on March 15, two buddies throwing fly lines celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in a special way. Alec Hicks and Kevin Eichinger landed the first hickories on a fly and danced a jig. Okay, I made up the last part, but the flat deck on their boat looks like a dance floor. According to Alec, there was singing: “Kevin spilled his Guinness on a gold fly and cast it in the river while singing a little Irish ditty. He was awarded with an 18 1/2 inch hickory!” The story got even more touching when Kevin (in photo) wrote that Alec was just being nice and the first fish actually belonged to him. Apparently, two beautiful shad came one after the other in a spot Kevin picked, so call it a tie and score one for camaraderie. Good beer played a role in another successful outing later in the week. Simo Farouidi doesn’t prep his tackle with ale but he owns a pub near 14 th and U featuring fine craft brews. On Wednesday afternoon he squeezed in a trip to the river before happy hour and departed with a good story for his customers. We couldn’t help but notice that his silver spoon out-performed anything else others were casting along the shore by Gordon’s Rock. Simo favors the simplicity of a single lure with split-shot versus the more popular tandem rig, and he’s passionate about the subject. To find out why you should go visit him soon at Sudhouse . I’ll be in the area on April 11 and hope do the same. Early season fishing is always hit or miss. Our Chapter member Lois Boland put in some good time and had a couple of days with hook-ups in the teens. Shad were higher in the water column than they will be later on, perhaps due to the warming effect of sunshine near the surface. The fish weren’t very aggressive yet but pulled hard and leaped as expected. On Wednesday, Terry Cummings had a nice first outing in his kayak, landing a dozen hickories and losing a few more. Jim Stables was out there that day as well, fishing deep in hopes of finding the first American shad. No such luck but he did have a strong fish break off and suspects a striper. In fact, a few impressive stripers were jigged up this week, one by our fearless leader Chris Wood. But all of that is done for now. Only seven days and back to waiting. Fletcher’s Boathouse made sure that the still unassembled new dock remained safe and sound. They will start the season just like they ended the last one, closed due to high water. There’s a small chance that river levels will be down enough for boat rentals next weekend, but high turbidity may well linger into the first week of April. It’s enough to drive you to drink — another Guinness sounds good. To end on a positive note, the Friends of Fletchers Cove just announced an American shad celebration as part of a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new dock (see below). This special event will be held on Friday, April 12, when the shad season is in full swing. All are invited, but if you are lucky enough to be on the water at noon, we understand. There will be a shad planking by Jim Cummins and demonstrations by kids in the Schools in Schools shad restoration program. Also, whoever catches the first American shad from a Fletcher’s rowboat will receive a new recognition, intended to highlight our region’s 150-year tradition of available public boat access to spectacular fishing on the upper tidal Potomac. Many of you came down to the Cove in January to help clean up flood debris and take a stand. Please come back in three weeks to show park stakeholders your continued support for saving our precious resource. Mark Binsted VP, NCC-TU Last year's NCC-TU Shad Reports are now archived on our website. Check it out! 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 |
This space is normally about the promise and excitement of springtime on the Potomac so very close to home. Last week we welcomed a perfectly reasonable start to the shad run. The outlook for dry weather, combined with a falling river, was cause for optimism after a year of record rainfall. Then, out of nowhere came a coastal storm with a bulls-eye on the watershed we care most about. Yesterday, a visit to Fletchers Cove at the crest revealed a mad, muddy torrent that could have been a lot worse. We will soldier on.
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After the first hickory shad was caught on March 15, two buddies throwing fly lines celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in a special way. Alec Hicks and Kevin Eichinger landed the first hickories on a fly and danced a jig. Okay, I made up the last part, but the flat deck on their boat looks like a dance floor. According to Alec, there was singing: “Kevin spilled his Guinness on a gold fly and cast it in the river while singing a little Irish ditty. He was awarded with an 18 1/2 inch hickory!” The story got even more touching when Kevin (in photo) wrote that Alec was just being nice and the first fish actually belonged to him. Apparently, two beautiful shad came one after the other in a spot Kevin picked, so call it a tie and score one for camaraderie.
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Good beer played a role in another successful outing later in the week. Simo Farouidi doesn’t prep his tackle with ale but he owns a pub near 14th and U featuring fine craft brews. On Wednesday afternoon he squeezed in a trip to the river before happy hour and departed with a good story for his customers. We couldn’t help but notice that his silver spoon out-performed anything else others were casting along the shore by Gordon’s Rock. Simo favors the simplicity of a single lure with split-shot versus the more popular tandem rig, and he’s passionate about the subject. To find out why you should go visit him soon at Sudhouse. I’ll be in the area on April 11 and hope do the same.
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Early season fishing is always hit or miss. Our Chapter member Lois Boland put in some good time and had a couple of days with hook-ups in the teens. Shad were higher in the water column than they will be later on, perhaps due to the warming effect of sunshine near the surface. The fish weren’t very aggressive yet but pulled hard and leaped as expected. On Wednesday, Terry Cummings had a nice first outing in his kayak, landing a dozen hickories and losing a few more. Jim Stables was out there that day as well, fishing deep in hopes of finding the first American shad. No such luck but he did have a strong fish break off and suspects a striper. In fact, a few impressive stripers were jigged up this week, one by our fearless leader Chris Wood.
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But all of that is done for now. Only seven days and back to waiting. Fletcher’s Boathouse made sure that the still unassembled new dock remained safe and sound. They will start the season just like they ended the last one, closed due to high water. There’s a small chance that river levels will be down enough for boat rentals next weekend, but high turbidity may well linger into the first week of April. It’s enough to drive you to drink — another Guinness sounds good. | |
To end on a positive note, the Friends of Fletchers Cove just announced an American shad celebration as part of a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new dock (see below). This special event will be held on Friday, April 12, when the shad season is in full swing. All are invited, but if you are lucky enough to be on the water at noon, we understand. There will be a shad planking by Jim Cummins and demonstrations by kids in the Schools in Schools shad restoration program. Also, whoever catches the first American shad from a Fletcher’s rowboat will receive a new recognition, intended to highlight our region’s 150-year tradition of available public boat access to spectacular fishing on the upper tidal Potomac. Many of you came down to the Cove in January to help clean up flood debris and take a stand. Please come back in three weeks to show park stakeholders your continued support for saving our precious resource. | |
Last year's NCC-TU Shad Reports are now archived on our website. Check it out!
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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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