Shad are running heavy enough to target on the fly this week, expectations for more fish over the next few weeks are high. The last two weeks saw high numbers of shad moving through the water gap, and with water temps above 55 degree they are eager to hit. The boats up and down the river have been reporting pink flutter spoons have been the "hot" color right now. The water levels have finally dropped below 6000 cfm which is the magic number to allow for good access for anglers wading. Fishing full sink lines and weighted flies has been the only way fly anglers are able to get down to the shad this spring. With in the next week expect to see the river dropping enough to fish sink tips and even floating lines during low light time when the fish are higher in the water column. Crazy Charlies, Comets, and Palmer River Darts in Chartreuse/white, Pink and silver, and Chartreuse/silver in size 6-8 have been producing consistently. As the river is dropping and clearing don't be afraid to switch to smaller flies and lighter tippet.
Tight loops
Adam Hoelper