TR: Columbia Shad

Well, this was a tough outing. My son Glen and I left home late
morning a couple days ago, and drove to North Bonneville in hopes of
finding some shad. We fumbled around a bit, and then found a local who
was fishing for squawfish. He gets $4 to $6 for these fish, and has
made as much as $600 in a single night a couple years ago. He also
fishes shad, and told us to fish right up at the dam where we'd find
other folks.

Sure enough, they were there. The water was intimidating. No other
fly fishermen in sight, but the spinning gear had brought in great
numbers of shad. Several people left with coolers litterally full of
fish. They's kept 20 or 30 apiece in an afternoon's fishing. All said
the bite was off as it got late, and we didn't manage anything more
than a 10 inch smallie and one long line release of a shad.

That night we tied up some "shad darts" which aren't darts at all, but
a simple fly described on the Game Department webiste:
http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/...d_columbia.htm

In the morning we set out in the rain to try again. The fish were
hitting the spin fishermen's darts, but we couldn't get far enough out,
or deep enough to catch more than 3 shad. I missed a couple, and we
each managed to snag a sturgeon. Those fish are huge, 8 or 9 feet
long, bigger in the belly than me, and not particularly concerned with
a fly stuck in a fin. I managed to thump the rod and pull hard enough
to get the fish's attention, and he turned upstream and wandered out
deep. Once he had a bunch of backing I decided I'd better abandon
this, so I increased the drag and broke him off. I don't know if these
fish can be induced to take an unscented fly, but if they can, I'm sure
this is one use for those 14wt rods.

I really don't know what we were doing wrong. 8wt rods, full sinking or
T200 shooting heads, 3x leaders, many different flies that are called
shad flies. I bet a place with more room for a back cast would help.
I was limited to about 60 feet, and Glen was casting more like 50 into
a fairly stiff wind. We got down fairly well, 10 or 15 feet I imagine,
and near the end of the swing the flies caught in the rocks. All the
takes were about half way through the swing.

Is this what shad fishing is like, or should I try it again in a
different place or with different flies?

Chas
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On Thu, 27 May 2004 22:30:36 GMT, Chas Wade
wrote:

snip

Is this what shad fishing is like, or should I try it again in a
different place or with different flies?

Chas,

Fishing below the dams is real tough for a fly fisherman. The spin
folks are often using a rock as a sinker tied with 1lb leader that
breaks off when they get a fish. That gets them to the bottom & holds
them there until they get a bite. I know of no way to hold your fly
line right next to the bottom for long enough in that current to get
bit.

The Sandy (OR side just west of Troutdale) might be a better stream to
fish for shad with a fly rod since you can get better positioned & the
water is much friendlier. There are a couple WA rivers with shad, but
I don't remember which ones. Been a long time.....


Jim

Padishar Creel wrote:
The mouth of the Washougal River is a great place or so I have heard. I
don't think many folks here fish for Shad...Since Chas has posted this Trip
Report, I am heading up to the mouth of the Washougal and give it a try...

More later, Chris

OK, but just remember. You have to eat 'em. :-)

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

The mouth of the Washougal River is a great place or so I have heard. I
don't think many folks here fish for Shad...Since Chas has posted this Trip
Report, I am heading up to the mouth of the Washougal and give it a try...

More later, Chris

"Jim" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 27 May 2004 22:30:36 GMT, Chas Wade
wrote:

snip

Is this what shad fishing is like, or should I try it again in a
different place or with different flies?

Chas,

Fishing below the dams is real tough for a fly fisherman. The spin
folks are often using a rock as a sinker tied with 1lb leader that
breaks off when they get a fish. That gets them to the bottom & holds
them there until they get a bite. I know of no way to hold your fly
line right next to the bottom for long enough in that current to get
bit.

The Sandy (OR side just west of Troutdale) might be a better stream to
fish for shad with a fly rod since you can get better positioned & the
water is much friendlier. There are a couple WA rivers with shad, but
I don't remember which ones. Been a long time.....


Jim

The mouth of the Washougal River is a great place or so I have heard. I
don't think many folks here fish for Shad...Since Chas has posted this
Trip
Report, I am heading up to the mouth of the Washougal and give it a try...

More later, Chris
----------
As promised a bit of a trip report:

I caught and released 16 shad today (I had suprisingly few long distance
releases today, I credit the offset small Gamakatsu octopus hook - size 6)
using a Clouser tube fly pattern tied with red over white wings (with a bit
of sliver flashabou) on an 8 weight and a fast sinking tip line. This is my
first experience with Shad and they can really put up a fight for their
size...I was very impressed!

I took a little boat over to a small island off the mouth of the Washougal
River...

Shad seem to be an underutilized fishery in our area...

One guy, near me, caught about the same maybe a few more on spinning gear
G; so I felt pretty good. He tried to get me to give him my Shad instead
of releasing them. "Them damn good Sturgeon bait!"

Chris

PS I have been fishing recently with Randy the Roffian bugcaster and I was
hoping he would post a TR for the group (after all he was the host and I
wouldn't presume to address the group on his behalf) It was a grand
float trip and I enjoyed catching and releasing a few nice fat rainbows.

"Padishar Creel" wrote in message
...

The mouth of the Washougal River is a great place or so I have heard. I
don't think many folks here fish for Shad...Since Chas has posted this
Trip
Report, I am heading up to the mouth of the Washougal and give it a
try...

More later, Chris
----------
As promised a bit of a trip report:

I caught and released 16 shad today (I had suprisingly few long distance
releases today, I credit the offset small Gamakatsu octopus hook - size 6)
using a Clouser tube fly pattern tied with red over white wings (with a
bit
of sliver flashabou) on an 8 weight and a fast sinking tip line. This is
my
first experience with Shad and they can really put up a fight for their
size...I was very impressed!

I took a little boat over to a small island off the mouth of the Washougal
River...

Shad seem to be an underutilized fishery in our area...

One guy, near me, caught about the same maybe a few more on spinning gear
G; so I felt pretty good. He tried to get me to give him my Shad
instead
of releasing them. "Them damn good Sturgeon bait!"

Chris

PS I have been fishing recently with Randy the Roffian bugcaster and I
was
hoping he would post a TR for the group (after all he was the host and I
wouldn't presume to address the group on his behalf) It was a grand
float trip and I enjoyed catching and releasing a few nice fat rainbows.

Congratulations on the shad fishing. That sounds like a good time for a
poor man's bonefish.

Chris and I drifted the Santiam river a few weeks ago on our pontoons.
Earlier in the month we did the same section of river in the drift boat with
Chris having a take from a steelhead, but otherwise no fish. The caddis
were thick and we had to concentrate on keeping our mouths shut to avoid the
dull taste of dusty caddis wings. When I dipped the oars into the water, a
raft of caddis would build up on the water.

The second pontoon trip was a chance to work out the rowing kinks and get
ready for using the pontoons on the Western Clave. The water was down a
little from our last outing but we were thinking the caddis might return.
The fish did not cooperate with my offers, but Chris did well with a few
larger trout on the foam seams from islands. The largest fish gave Chris a
battle, and although I was out of range for a photo, the couple in the drift
boat passing seemed to enjoy the splashy release. As Chris caught the most
and largest fish, he kindly offered to buy a round and pizza. Since I had
snacked enough for two weeks, we had one beer and hit the road.

"Padishar Creel" wrote:

The mouth of the Washougal River is a great place or so I have
heard. I
don't think many folks here fish for Shad...Since Chas has posted
this
Trip
Report, I am heading up to the mouth of the Washougal and give it a
try...

More later, Chris
----------
As promised a bit of a trip report:

I caught and released 16 shad today (I had suprisingly few long
distance
releases today, I credit the offset small Gamakatsu octopus hook -
size 6)
using a Clouser tube fly pattern tied with red over white wings (with
a bit
of sliver flashabou) on an 8 weight and a fast sinking tip line. This
is my
first experience with Shad and they can really put up a fight for their
size...I was very impressed!

I took a little boat over to a small island off the mouth of the
Washougal
River...

Shad seem to be an underutilized fishery in our area...

One guy, near me, caught about the same maybe a few more on spinning
gear
G; so I felt pretty good. He tried to get me to give him my Shad
instead
of releasing them. "Them damn good Sturgeon bait!"

Chris

PS I have been fishing recently with Randy the Roffian bugcaster and
I was
hoping he would post a TR for the group (after all he was the host and
I
wouldn't presume to address the group on his behalf) It was a grand
float trip and I enjoyed catching and releasing a few nice fat
rainbows.

Chris,

The boat and a better place seem to have made all the difference. I
wonder of the run will still be on when I get back from Great Slave
Lake on June 8?

Great fishing, I wish I was there,

Chas
remove fly fish to reply
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You got that right! I was fishing in about 10 feet of water, and kept my
fly near the shoreline. Also, I used only abour 4' of leader. I fished
where the Washougal (clearer water) met the Columbia channel. I went to
school on some of the other fisherman. I think I did okay because of three
factors. One, I could keep my fly at the right depth longer than some of
the spin fisherman, two, my hook was RED and I'm guessing that helped in
attracting the Shad and three, the Shad were pretty thick today (or so said
the spin fisherman). I wonder if the rain we just rec'd did anything to
cause more numbers of Shad to be moving????. Maybe the Shad experts will
arise and give their thoughts.

The car top boat thing was actually in reaction to your TR on Shad. I saw
your link and decided to try the Washougal based upon the info contained
there. By the way, I got mud on everything I took today, so I had a major
mess to clean up -- there must be better places to fish for these guys. I
wonder if they run up the Washougal. That would be more fun and less mud.
As to if the Shad stay around, you got me there...Lets have a TR from the
Great Slave Lake when you get back...

Disclaimer *** what I know about shad would rattle in a thimble *** Hell I
don't even have a single shad fly in my entire collection....

Chris


..
"Chas Wade" wrote in message
news:Ftfuc.12898$3x.6041@attbi_s54...
Chris,

The boat and a better place seem to have made all the difference. I
wonder of the run will still be on when I get back from Great Slave
Lake on June 8?

Great fishing, I wish I was there,

Chas
remove fly fish to reply
http://home.comcast.net/~chas.wade/w...ome.html-.html
San Juan Pictures at:
http://home.comcast.net/~chasepike/wsb/index.html

"Padishar Creel" wrote:
You got that right! I was fishing in about 10 feet of water, and kept
my
fly near the shoreline. Also, I used only abour 4' of leader. I
fished
where the Washougal (clearer water) met the Columbia channel. I went
to
school on some of the other fisherman. I think I did okay because of
three
factors. One, I could keep my fly at the right depth longer than some
of
the spin fisherman, two, my hook was RED and I'm guessing that helped
in
attracting the Shad and three, the Shad were pretty thick today (or
so said
the spin fisherman). I wonder if the rain we just rec'd did anything
to
cause more numbers of Shad to be moving????. Maybe the Shad experts
will
arise and give their thoughts.

The car top boat thing was actually in reaction to your TR on Shad. I
saw
your link and decided to try the Washougal based upon the info
contained
there. By the way, I got mud on everything I took today, so I had a
major
mess to clean up -- there must be better places to fish for these
guys. I
wonder if they run up the Washougal. That would be more fun and less
mud.
As to if the Shad stay around, you got me there...Lets have a TR from
the
Great Slave Lake when you get back...

Disclaimer *** what I know about shad would rattle in a thimble ***
Hell I
don't even have a single shad fly in my entire collection....

Chris


I'll definitely be posting a TR. I leave in the morning, pictures from
Friday show ice everywhere, so it's going to be tough to find some
edges that are melted out. Maybe ice fishing will be the whole deal?

As for not having a shad fly, you proved you do when you found
something that would catch 16 of the buggers.

Thanks for the info,

Chas
remove fly fish to reply
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According to this report, I am above average G Shad - Lower Columbia below
Bonneville Dam - Boat anglers in the Camas/Washougal area averaged nearly 7
shad kept per rod last week. Shad are also being caught in the
Kalama/Longview area. No report on angling success just below Bonneville
Dam.
Over this past weekend (May 22-23), daily counts were 10,400-12,600 fish
at Bonneville Dam and 30,900-46,000 fish at The Dalles Dam. Through May 23,
nearly a quarter million shad had been counted at The Dalles Dam and 78,400
at Bonneville Dam. A lot of fish swim through the locks at Bonneville Dam,
thereby creating the difference in the counts between the two dams.

"Chas Wade" wrote in message
news:Ftfuc.12898$3x.6041@attbi_s54...
"Padishar Creel" wrote:

The mouth of the Washougal River is a great place or so I have
heard. I
don't think many folks here fish for Shad...Since Chas has posted
this
Trip
Report, I am heading up to the mouth of the Washougal and give it a
try...

More later, Chris
----------
As promised a bit of a trip report:

I caught and released 16 shad today (I had suprisingly few long
distance
releases today, I credit the offset small Gamakatsu octopus hook -
size 6)
using a Clouser tube fly pattern tied with red over white wings (with
a bit
of sliver flashabou) on an 8 weight and a fast sinking tip line. This
is my
first experience with Shad and they can really put up a fight for their
size...I was very impressed!

I took a little boat over to a small island off the mouth of the
Washougal
River...

Shad seem to be an underutilized fishery in our area...

One guy, near me, caught about the same maybe a few more on spinning
gear
G; so I felt pretty good. He tried to get me to give him my Shad
instead
of releasing them. "Them damn good Sturgeon bait!"

Chris

PS I have been fishing recently with Randy the Roffian bugcaster and
I was
hoping he would post a TR for the group (after all he was the host and
I
wouldn't presume to address the group on his behalf) It was a grand
float trip and I enjoyed catching and releasing a few nice fat
rainbows.

Chris,

The boat and a better place seem to have made all the difference. I
wonder of the run will still be on when I get back from Great Slave
Lake on June 8?

Great fishing, I wish I was there,

Chas
remove fly fish to reply
http://home.comcast.net/~chas.wade/w...ome.html-.html
San Juan Pictures at:
http://home.comcast.net/~chasepike/wsb/index.html