The Other Anadromous
With the steelhead season finished for me, I had a chance to get out and pursue some other anadromous species: shad in the Potomac and stripers in the Chesapeake Bay.
For the shad, we launched right next to Reagan National Airport. Pretty cool to see the big planes taking off right over head. Went up river to Fletchers Landing. Used a five weight with sinking line and shad darts and caught shad one right after the other all day long.
These were hickory shad, not Americans, so they were a little smaller. Still, they hit hard, fought well, and generally put on a good show. A good day.
A couple days later we headed out into the bay for stripers. The baits were practically as big as the shad we had been catching a few days before.
The fish fought much harder than any stripers I've caught before. This one was 44 inches long and fought like a beast. Interestingly, she had already spawned, so instead of going 35 pounds or better, she was only in the low 20s.
Big fish of the day--47 inches. Too heavy for him to hold out at arms length--and big enough he didn't have to.
Two big fish, two big smiles.
Heading back in. Managed 17 fish, 5 of which were over 40 inches, in an afternoon's fishing. One of those perfect days when everything comes together and you go home with the sure knowledge that you are deeply blessed.