The wait was worth it...

     With my wedding less than a week out, saying I've been busy is sort of an understatement. As one might think, I haven't been able to find much time to get the kayak out and wet a line in the past few months, and when I have found a few hours, it was just that, a few hours, so driving to the salt was out of the question. The shad run here in Richmond was late, and a little shorter than normal, but I had been waiting all winter to hook up to a shad on the fly. With a little help from Rob Choi I was rigged up with the right flies and line and catching Hickory Shad in no time.

 
 Man was it worth the wait! There were times when I was hooking up every cast- my 5wt would barely turn the fish and my forearm was sore from spending the afternoon bowed up. Their tenacity and aerobatics never cease to bring a smile to my face, but all good things come to an end, and as the shad finish their spawn and make their way back to coastal waters, we know it'll be another year before we see them in our backyard again.

 Photo Credit: Rob Choi  

If you've never fished for American and Hickory Shad, you don't know what your missing- medium spinning tackle is chosen by most, but if your really looking for some fun, break out the ultralight tackle and give 'em a try. Check out Rob Choi's website for some great info on targeting and identifying the Poor Man's Tarpon. Also the out the MS Shad Shootout - It's a shad tournament open to everyone(kayaks, boats, shore fisherman, etc) that benefits the Nation MS Society.