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Shad Flies?

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I am planning on fishing the Delaware River for shad. Any suggestions for patterns would be appreciated.

 

John

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Nice, I know I can figure out the top fly, the bottom one presents a different dilemma. What sizes should I use? I know shad darts are usually about a size 6 or 8.

 

John

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the bottom fly is

hook tiemco 411 size 4

under body Spirit river ez body slipped over hook tied in at the eye and glued to shape

the tail is arctic fox slipped in to the body and bound down

then cover body with sili skin and apply stick on eyes and black dot

 

for catching shad I like to use crazy charlie type flies tied in flouo color combos like orange floss body with a wing of pink deer hair tips with pink angel hair or green body yellow wing or the old stand by of red and white all small with bead chain eyes

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I've got a page on my website with some Shad flies that I've used for many years.

I tie them on size 6 or 4 hooks, and for big rivers tie them on long shank hooks.

These flies work fine just about anywhere, and I've sold a bunch to folks on the East & West Coasts. In some waters certain colors seem to work better than others, but for the Delaware, they seem to take the same colors as here in the Chesapeake area Rivers & streams.

 

There are two flies in particular, which I call a Deer Creek Special & Susquehanna Special, tied specifically for those locations, and both of which have worked extremely well for me. Both have also been great patterns on other waters, and other species as well, like White & Yellow Perch, and Crappies, which are in the same waters as Shad, during their spring runs.

 

Here the link to my web page of Shad flies.

 

Shad Flies

 

If you need patten recipes, just email me. Most are rather simple, and you should be able to tie them from the pictures.

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John:

I like them bright and flashy, and try to keep them the same colors as the shad darts folks use on the river. Just finished doing one up for a swap.

Hook: Size 4

Weight: large Jiggy head

Tail: White Artic Fox

Body: Pearl Tinsel chenille

Wing: Red Kid Goat.

 

Some other color combinations. Chartreuse/White, Green/Chartreuse, Pink, Chartreuse.

 

The simplest pattern is a flashy tail, with an estaz body and dumbell eyes. You can tie them from size 10 to 2. You've got to weight them as your strike zone is the bottom. If you're not hanging up and losing flies, you're not in the shad's strike zone.

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Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll certainly incorporate them! I can't believe I've lived my whole life near the Delaware and never fished for shad. That changes this year. If I pick up a digital camera, I'll post pictures of my "trophies" (the power of positive thinking!?!).

 

John

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