# The Mad Hatters First Shad On Fly



## pitpok (Jan 29, 2008)

Thanks for inviting me to tackle a fly fishing goal of mine.  Great report!
Here are some of my pics!


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

Thanks for posting the pics!


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Tom,
I passed by you and pitpok in the curve, I was in the green maverick. I headed up to the no wake zone a mile up and lost a nice shad at the side of the boat on my microlight setup. Only fish for the day. I was tempted to bring the flyrod out but when I saw the wind I left it at home. Nice work on the fish, I'm jealous. Maybe next weekend I can manage one.

Sorry to run up on you out in front of the boat ramp. I didn't see that you had a line out trolling. I figured you were idiling into the boat ramp so I figured I would idle in behind you instead of flying past you. Once i got close enough I was like Oh crap he's trolling and I'm probably running over his line 

Good pictures!


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## JaredFacemyer (Jul 29, 2009)

Great report, I'll have to try and catch some next time I hit the St. Johns.


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

> Tom,
> I passed by you and pitpok in the curve, I was in the green maverick.


Cool! Good to know there are other forum members out there.  ;D 

That's a sweet Maverick. Trust me you did not run up on us at all. The St. Johns, especially in the curves and near the ramp can be pretty crazy. I have seen all kind of stuff. One guy I know who trolls a lot complains all the time about getting his lines run over and losing plugs regularly. Pitpok and I were anchored on the far side about a 1/8 mile from the ramp when a 20+ ft. center console ran within 20 -30 ft of us. There was no reason to run right next to us other than he wanted to swing into the ramp WOT    I had my head down tying on a new fly and missed most of it other than the wake. If I had seen him coming I probably would have lost it.  [smiley=greenchainsaw.gif] 

I will be out there next weekend too with the Backcountry Flyfishing Association of Orlando which is the local fly fishing club. Make sure to stop by and chat a little longer if you see me.


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Yeah I will try and make it out there again. I caught some on fly a couple years ago there but havn't had much luck last year or this yr so far. Have you tried fishing for shad out of the 46 bridge?


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

Yes, I will be down there next weekend. I like fishing the Econ. Especially if the wind is up.


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

That is really neat stuff! [smiley=1-beer.gif] Very cool pictures too! Congrats on making a great day out of miserable conditions. Sometime I've gotta give that a try, it would make a great story...


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

ok i give up   whats the appeal to this shad fishing you guys speak of? i guess i must be spoiled by my big reds i've tamed up here but guess it must be a heck of a fight on a ultralight setup to want to even mess with those things : i guess now your going to tell me they're good to eat too :-? :-/ ;D


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

> ok i give up   whats the appeal to this shad fishing you guys speak of? i guess i must be spoiled by my big reds i've tamed up here but guess it must be a heck of a fight on a ultralight setup to want to even mess with those things : i guess now your going to tell me they're good to eat too :-? :-/ ;D


If you are spoiled by big reds then you have an excellent point there is nothing special about shad. The fight is about average for fish that size. They are not good to eat. You have to deal with boat traffic while fishing. 

Most of us are going out there to enjoy the St. Johns and the friends we have out there. For us shad is a seasonal fishery that is part of the overall experience.


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## pitpok (Jan 29, 2008)

> ok i give up  Shocked whats the appeal to this shad fishing you guys speak of? i guess i must be spoiled by my big reds i've tamed up here but guess it must be a heck of a fight on a ultralight setup to want to even mess with those things Roll Eyes i guess now your going to tell me they're good to eat too Huh Undecided Grin


I have caught plenty plenty of reds.  They are my favorite fish to target but having the opportunity to catch these fish isa rarity.  You can only target them only few months of the year and only in the central florida area.  In addition, with my 6wt, this lil shad (1.5lbs) put up a fight harder then expected.  

Oh yeah...I have been told that Shad row taste great in bacon fat 

One more species check off on the fly!


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## Captain_Shane (Mar 27, 2007)

Thats cool fellas. Great photos! Tom do you eat them?


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## pitpok (Jan 29, 2008)

HEY TOM....I just realized that you are making fun of my beanie! ;D


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## dacuban1 (Sep 9, 2008)

great report and nice pix! thnx for sharing. gotta try them shads on fly one day.


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

well as long as your having fun and staying out of trouble thats all that matters  ;D


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## Canoeman (Jul 23, 2008)

Good goin' there Andrew, and BTW that first pic with the engine is really an interesting shot.


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## SOBX (Sep 29, 2009)

> ok i give up   whats the appeal to this shad fishing you guys speak of? i guess i must be spoiled by my big reds i've tamed up here but guess it must be a heck of a fight on a ultralight setup to want to even mess with those things : i guess now your going to tell me they're good to eat too :-? :-/ ;D


Such a cool little fish and the true harbinger of Spring (here in NC anyway) and on a nice half day you can catch a hundred or so on 4/5wts.  They should start eating flies in 3/4 weeks, I hope!   This is a little slide show from the Roanoke River (at times they are so thick you could walk on em) and all the folks in the pics from the young to the old spent the day bowed up, bent, and laughing like 10 year olds that just found their first Playboy magazine! ;D  Just click on the pic.




What size are those big reds in Jacksonville anyway?  










We enjoy the smaller ones too! [smiley=cheers.gif]
Happiness is finding out just how small a fish you can catch on a flyrod and still be really happy!  I'm good right on down to tiny bones and 12 inch bluefish as long as they'll eat some feathers!!! 

Good Fishing!!!


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## Strike_III (Mar 21, 2007)

Did ya' get a bowl of soup with that hat?


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

> What size are those big reds in Jacksonville anyway?


Up here in NE Florida, when we're talking about a 12 inch red...
That's the measurement from eye to eye.

[smiley=1-biggrin.gif]


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## SOBX (Sep 29, 2009)

Man, if that's true, screw Stuart for spanish and the Miami Boat Show, I'm stopping in Jacksonville!!! ;D

Good Fishing!!!


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

It is the closest thing we get to a Salmon run which is interesting. Also you can catch fish all day long if you are in the right spot which is always cool. Maybe its the appeal of getting to use a light weight fly rod since we don't have a trout fishery here in FL. Just something different I suppose.


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## pitpok (Jan 29, 2008)

> Up here in NE Florida, when we're talking about a 12 inch red...
> That's the measurement from eye to eye.


Living in Jville for 6-7years and fishing this area the whole time, I can say the only way to do this is bottom fishing for them with bait...boring! 

Nice pic SOBX...I am hoping to get one like that on fly some day!


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## mark_gardner (Mar 18, 2009)

heres a small one i put my brother on recently [smiley=1-biggrin.gif]








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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

Nice slideshow SOBX!  Was there a carp mixed in there?


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## SOBX (Sep 29, 2009)

Horsefish or red sucker, they come up river to spawn too and also eat the eggs of some of the other spawning fish, I'm told. It is a fun time of year and will be especially fun this year after all the cold weather and fish kills/cold stuns!

Good Fishing!!!


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