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6/3/2014

District dawg days.

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Last weekend I teamed up with Urban Angler for the second annual Potomac Snakehead Tournament which is held at Smallwood State Park in Southern Maryland. With a bevvy of cool sponsors - Urban Angler, Alewife Annapolis, Profish, Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders, and Flying Dog Brewing Company - how the hell could this not be a fly time? Factor in the post-tournament free Flying Dog Snakedog IPAs and fried snakehead tacos and you could say the time spent getting laughed at by snakeheads most of Saturday and Sunday was well worth it. Props to the @MDVASnakeheadSlayer, Austin Murphy, for putting together one hell of an event. I'm sure it will only get bigger in the coming years. Additionally, mega props to Urban Angler owner Richard Farino for sponsoring our kayak team of degenerate fly fishermen. It was a fantastic time. Not sure there is anyone on the river trying to figure these things out harder on fly tactics than Austin and the Urban Angler crew of Richie, Grizz, and Ivan. While the bow fishermen out fished us fly rodders by about 1,050lbs of snakehead to none - the challenge is still out there. Who will bring the first snakehead Next year these fish are seriously f*cked. Now on to some fishing reports, eh?

With Memorial Day in the rear view mirror and the shad run almost officially flat-lined, the Potomac is ready to change gears as we transition from spring to summer here on our Nation’s River.

 For fly anglers in and around the District, this means a few things to look forward to as the thermometer gets all uppity:

1)      No more shad until next April – sorry dudes, all good things must come to an end. Expand your mind, man.

2)      Stripers? The big boys are deep and down river but there are some bigger fish still around. Expect them to move shallow again come Fall (60 degree water). Schoolie action becomes hot n heavy.

3)      Poppers, poppers, poppers (give J&M a call!)

4)      BASS SEASON (Smallies, schoolie stripers and largemouth)

5)      Snakeheads…..everywhere…take your shots…check out the Tidal Basin if you want to see one

6)      C&O Carp (Mulberries in Georgetown, sight fishing at Locks 7&8)

7)      Rope flies and gar

8)      Dry flies for rising trout (SNP and spring creeks)

9)      Fishing at low light hours (sun up, sun down…night)

10)   WET WADING! (lose the waders and hop in….unless you’re in the Potomac...safe flows for wet wading Tidal Potomac up to Harper's Ferry are generally when the gauge at Little Falls reads 3-4ft)

So…that’s a bunch of random words and vague fishing references in list form – but you catch my drift, the waters in and around the District pose a multitude of options this time of year for those with fish on the brain. The show isn’t going anywhere either.

Right now, local options for fly fishermen are very, very good.  Spots such as Rock Creek Park,  C&O Canal,  Tidal Basin, Four Mile Run, and the outflows of Little Hunting Creek and Gravelly Point are all offering up shots at bass (smallmouth, largemouth, schoolies), carp, snakehead, catfish, gar, and panfish while also producing some pretty darned, impressive catches. The spring creeks and mountain trout water are also fishing very well right now according to my sources.

Since our last update (sorry for the delay in posting some new info, shad run is pretty much the same fishing report for a month or so and then I got lost in the siren’s song that is Florida saltwater fly fishing for two weeks…but we’re back!) – we’ve fished Shenandoah National Park, Rock Creek Park, Dyke Marsh, Gravelly Point, C&O Canal, Four Mile Run, and Little Hunting Creek.

Dry fly action for native brook trout is on fire right now In Shenandoah National Park and really, all throughout the valley, as fish are gorging on drakes (think sizes 12-10 to ward off smaller fish). In particular, the Dry River outside of Harrisonburg has been producing some really nice specimens but most of the blue line streams are giving it up to those willing to hike in a little bit. Study a map, pick a line, bring out your Tenkara stick or 2-4wt fly rod, and your favorite dries/terrestrials and have a blast.

Rock Creek Park is starting to come back to life after a slow start to the season. Morning sessions last week produced the standard mixed-bag that one would come to expect from this dynamic little urban fishery. Although we’ve yet to pull out our first bronzeback of the season, it is only a matter of time until these fishy footballs move into the creek for the summer with some fish being true trophies pushing 20+”. Right now the creek is mostly largemouth bass, panfish, catfish, and the odd snakehead/carp here and there. 4-6wt fly rods with 7.5ft 3x leaders for streamers and 9-11ft 4x leaders for poppers/terrestrials have been working well. I’ll typically sight fish particular holes when the water clarity is good enough from high up on the trail. Look for dark objects contrasting against the sandy bottom. More often than not, these are big catfish but you’ll find nice bass and carp mixed with them. Some flies that are getting it done right now are clawdads (size #2 or #6) in tan, olive or black bounced on the bottom close to structure. Size #6 clousers in black and olive/white, starfoxxes, and size #4-6 kreelex for stained/murky water swung through the deeper pools and channel ledges also produced well. If you’re dying for some topwater, a well-placed popper or froggy Dahlberg diver on the bank is hard to beat.

Dyke Marsh/Belle Haven Marina/Mt. Vernon, albeit only accessible by boat, yak, or paddleboard, was OK on Connor and I’s snakehead scouting trip over Memorial Day weekend. Although we didn’t see any snakeheads, the gar spawn is ON, SON! So many gar…..everwhere…..but that didn’t stop us from hooking into a few nefarious characters in the form of a couple chunky dock bass and panfish.  Flipping docks on incoming tides with Hawkins hat tricks and clawdads will produce this time of year but a specific fly isn’t really getting it done in particular. When flipping docks or heavy structure with the ole fly rod, it’s all about presentation. Be sure to use flies that maintain a big profile and solid drop/sink rate. Think spin-fishing with plastic Kreature baits but with feathers and fur. More often than not, you’ll get bit on the initial drop so make sure to watch your line as the fly sinks. Topwater early in the day and at low tides has been producing well as the less water between your fly and the fish, the more likely they are to whack it.

Four Mile Run is doing what it normally does – offering up perfect spawning habitat for panfish and bass. This past weekend while fishing the Snakehead Tournament, I was able to stick a few chunky bass and slab panfish on Dahlberg Divers and starfoxxes upstream of the Mt. Vernon Ave bridge on high tide. The water up this way is generally too skinny on low tides but when the tide comes up there’s a substantial drop off and cover on the far bank that will hold fish. Also saw a monster snakehead in the 30-36” range….One day…..If possible, try not to walk in the stream in this section – you’ll miss/spook more fish than you’ll catch. On low tides, fish downstream. Throw poppers to the bank and underneath the trees for feisty panfish, bass, and if you’re lucky, a northern snakehead taco night might be in your future. Don’t be afraid to use a damselfly nymph as a dropper either – truly one of the more versatile flies on this entire river system. Outside of those techniques, you’re liable to do pretty well on any given day fishing standard clouser minnows in baitfish patterns (olive/white, black, brown/red, etc) on moving tides. There are a ton of white perch in the creeks right now…ringing the dinner bell for pig largemouth bass (5lbs+). Don’t be afraid to throw big flies.

The C&O Canal is in its heyday right now. Although the C&O plays home to everything in the river, with several nice largemouth, smallmouth, and a handful of snakeheads landed each year – I will always think of this failed engineering endeavor as a carp fishery (a "Wild Carp Conservation Area" if you will). Depending on where you’re fishing on the canal, the game can be radically different. Down in Georgetown (locks 1-4), you can fish where the canal dumps into Rock Creek and find the same mixed bag variety we spoke of earlier or you can target the Mulberry Trees. When you find a tree, scope it out for a minute or two—more than likely there are a few carp mulling around underneath it crushing berries. Flies for these fish are relatively simple. Personally, I use a size 10 egg hook with purple grande estaz and chartreuse thread. Think of it as a glorified egg pattern. But anything resembling a berry in either purple, green, or greenish-white will get the job done. If worse comes to worse, bring a small circle hook and pick up a berry. I won't tell. As you move on up the trail through Georgetown away from the Mulberries, keep an eye out for actively feeding fish along the banks…and tourists in your back cast….

The canal up in Glen Echo around Locks 7&8 is a much different fishery- albeit your swapping out shoppers and yogies for swarms of cyclists. On this water the carp fishing remains a sight fishing game but one in which you’re throwing more standard carp flies in slightly larger water. For me, I’ve done very well with damselfly nymphs in size 14-16 when it’s presented stealthily on a mudding fish. More often than not these casts are no longer than 10-15 feet. When I spot a mudding fish on the far bank, I’ll often switch over a something a little more bulky. Size 6 woollybuggers or small crayfish patterns do the trick nicely. Black, brown, or olive are all good colors. Slowly strip the fly through the mud cloud with short, two-inch strips every 4-5 seconds until your fly is clear of the danger zone or you’ve hooked up with king goldfish.  Don’t be disheartened if they won’t cooperate at first, this is not an easy game but one of the more rewarding and challenging fisheries in the District due to the extremely limited casting room, pedestrian foot traffic, and the fickle nature of carp. Be sure to bring a big enough net.

Both the outflows of Little Hunting Creek and Gravelly Point are playing home to schoolie stripers and gar right now. The gar are spawning, blowing up mud and grassflats on the regular in an epic display of sexual frustration. Once they’re done spawning you can catch these strong fighters on rope flies (no hooks, their teeth get tangled in the rope=”hookset”) in Roaches Run and the mud/grassflats on the main river. Right now though, they are a snagging hazard – especially when drifting big baitfish patterns on sinking or intermediate lines for stripers. Schoolies (12-20”) should be around for the summer. Low light hours and darkness will bring them shallow to crush the ever so abundant forage fishes that pour out of the Duck Pond during the summer months. Be sure to not play these fish too hard or keep them out of the water longer than you need to as the warm water temps of the Potomac put a fair amount of stress on these fish before they’ve even reached the net.

As the season progresses we’ll start branching out to the spring creeks and smallmouth water for our typical brand of summer fun. Harper’s Ferry, the North Fork of the Shenandoah, the James, the Confluence, and the Upper Potomac all will produce quality bronzebacks as the days get longer. Poppers (blue, black/red, yellow), clawdads, hellgrammites (see: Chuck Kraft's crittermite fly), and baitfish patterns like clousers, kreelexs, starfoxxes, and large woollybuggers are all good bets as well if you’re looking to swing streamers. 

For spring creek trout, terrestrials will soon be the name of the game. My personal favorites for summer are large stimulators in orange or olive and anything with foam whether it be a Chernobyl ant, tarantula, hopper, or fat albert – there is nothing better than seeing a big trout destroy a terrestrial drifting along the bank. That said, bring some smaller stuff as well. There are days when they’ll smash a size 8 beetle and others where they won’t look at anything but a size 24 BWO. Hopper dropper set ups will do work.

Stay fly.

If you’ve got a fly story to tell, technical tip, or fishing report you’d like to share on the site – reach out to Remick at flytimesdc@gmail.com. We’re looking for more content contributors.


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4/7/2014

Here we go again.

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Well….they are here…….lots of fish caught up at Fletcher’s this past weekend.

QUEUE SHADNESS MADNESS!!!!

With water temps now in the low-mid 50s, expect action on our Nation’s River to really pick up in a big way….and fast. After one of the worst winters I’ve ever experienced up this way, life is returning to the water in the form of the season’s first big push of shad and striped bass from the Chesapeake.

Along with the anadromous fishes (those who make the great journey from the sea to the river to spawn), largemouth and smallmouth bass are starting to perk up after a winter of lethargy and sketchiness. Creeks should start holding some impressive specimens here once the water calms down after Monday’s rain.

Snakeheads and gar won’t be too far behind the bass as water temps keep climbing north of 55 degrees.

Carp are a year-round option, albeit the canal is no place for the weary kind (tight casting space, pedestrian traffic, and sight fishing carp in general being a war of attrition), but even these finicky bulldogs make horrible life choices once the mulberries start popping off the bank in the next few weeks.

 In other words, there is a lot to look forward to as the early spring weather continues to make us forget winter….and we haven’t even started talking trout water…..

Of course our ill-timed rains have synced up with the weekends to keep water relatively high and unfishable to start the season but if you’re down to explore – options abound.

Sinking lines in the 250-300gr variety are a must on the main river up at Fletcher’s with an intermediate being my preferred weapon of choice when fishing the slower water and tidal tributaries downstream from the cove in Alexandria.

Having not yet made the trek to Fletcher’s to swing for shad; I’ve made stops at Gravelly Point and the C&O Canal in recent days. I’ll be making my shad debut sometime next week.

Gravelly is still slow, a few resident stripers here and there but nothing too crazy to report just yet. Saw my first surface activity this weekend so that’s a good sign that bait is starting to be flushed out of the Duck Pond. Expect action to really heat up in a week or so once the river comes back down.

Even though the rest of it hasn’t been filled yet (to the chagrin of my buddy Connor), the C&O around Lock 7 is loaded with carp right now. On a recent trip with a buddy we had legit shots at half a dozen fish, saw close to 20-25 over the course of a few hours, and even managed to move a few. A #8 black bead head bugger got the most love out of any our offerings. It’s always nice seeing these fickle beats react to the fly, but we ultimately couldn’t come tight and bring a fish to the net. Oh well – like I said earlier, it’s a war of attrition. Sometimes you make a perfect presentation and it’s ignored and at other times you make a loud, reckless presentation that for sure should spook the fish and it gets clobbered…go figure. You’ve just to keep your head in the game and try to make EVERY cast count for something. Expect the game to become less difficult once the mulberries become ripe.

After today’s half inch of rain the river is supposed to crest on Thursday at 6.1 feet, essentially right back to where we were mid-week last week with angry, high water and no boating opportunities. If you’re itching to get out, Monday afternoon (today) and Tuesday morning should provide decent shots at fish before the water gauges shoot above 5ft for the rest of the week. Fishing from shore at Fletcher’s should be solid despite the increased flows. If you venture down that way, please BE AWARE OF THE DANGER. Unless you’re Michael Phelps, you’re most likely done if you fall in that current.

And with each passing second, the river is rising……

Stay fly. 


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11/18/2013

we're not done yet!

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Nation's River

PictureSwing your favorite streamer and hold on!
After a mild weekend, the Nation’s River is back around the 50 degree mark (after spending most of last week in the mid-40s). Despite the colder water temps last week, feeding fish could still be found in areas with depth variation, current, and bait. With temps on the rise this week, look for the bite to pick up a bit.

Albeit sluggish, the resident striped bass bite remained a strong option for those willing to brave the wintry weather at places like Gravelly Point and the outflows of Little Hunting Creek and Pentagon Marina. Swinging streamers and clouser minnows to these fish on sinking lines and a few feet of 0-3x tippet remains the go-to technique for this time of year. But if stripers aren’t your thing you have a couple other options!

Look for largemouth bass to move shallow on sunny days and to hold in areas with dark bottom or hard cover (both will warm faster than surrounding areas and thus, hold more bass in winter). Think areas near deep water close to shallow water. Tidal creeks can also be a great place to find bass this time of year with Four Mile Run, its warm water discharge, and an outgoing tide the prime place to be. For flies, think like a spin-fisherman (who are almost exclusively using soft plastics, slow-rolling spinnerbaits, or jerkbaits this time of year) and bring out your deadliest baitfish imitations or clawdads. FISH SLOW…..or throw small woolybuggers, crazy charlies,  and big nymphs to panfish/carp/whatever you find in there…..There are few places with a more eccentric fishery than 4MR….especially in the winter.....

Carp on the C&O remains a strong option as well…..

Hotspotting

With ideal tides last week, I ended up getting to fish Gravelly Point a few times before and after work. Fish were hanging slightly deeper than normal but that’s to be expected when the river dips into the mid-40s and it's dark out. Despite these less-than-ideal conditions, I was able to land a dozen or so stripers up to 18” over the course of a couple trips.  Swing streamers on sinking lines…nothing really too new to report here!

Stay fly.


Trout water

PictureThis 18" WV bow munched a sz20 zebra midge
With most of the leaves gone, now is the time to start thinking micro-midges and dries or swing for the fences with streamers and CHUCK THE MEAT for that fish of your life. 

BWOs, zebra midges, and sculpin patterns are all solid bets as far as flies go this time of year on the wild trout streams in our region. 

Flashier attractor nymphs and woolybuggers remain the go-to on local DH streams. Just remember to taper your expectations. While fantastic fishing days certainly still exist, it’s still the early stages of winter. Things are starting to slow down and food is generally smaller in size……

After travelling for most of October, I finally had time to fish one of my favorite trout waters in the region this past weekend—West Virginia’s Smoke Hole canyon. 

Fishing the C&R section on Saturday with my buddy Andrew, we managed to get on the water at 10am and fished all day until a 4:30 sunset pushed us off the water and back onto the road.

Having last fished Smoke Hole in the midst of September, I was accustomed to hungry, aggressive trout that were looking up for food and asking few questions about what drifted in front of their fezzes… What I found on Saturday was the exact opposite of those trout.

Arriving around 10am, the sun was just starting to peak over the canyon walls and shine on the cold, crystal clear water. From the get go, I could tell this was going to be a game of light line and small nymphs.

After cleaning up on egg patterns, stimulators, and terrestrials earlier in the fall, I did not find a single taker on any of those patterns Saturday. Instead, most of the action came on the zebra midge trailing said egg….which despite the refusals  still worked well in tandem as an attractor fly.

 On top of the midge takes, there were a few monster blow ups and a snapped line on both a dead drifted and swung #Runwayspecial. Always cool to see a new pattern get some love and that fish were still aggressive enough to commit – but by far, the fly of choice on Saturday was a size 20-22 zebra midge.  

Expect the pattern of smaller nymphs, midges, and dries to continue as water temps keep dropping….and remember—streamers will find your active fish.


Stay fly.


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11/4/2013

Harvest time

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Nation's River

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We are in the midst of an awesome schoolie striper bite right now, people!

 Fish are definitely around and feeding when the opportunities present themselves (low light, moving water, and bait in the water). That said— get out while you can. All good things eventually come to an end.  

With water temps in the low-mid 50s and nighttime lows bound to push temps lower later on in the week, now is the time to swing often and furiously.  Just because it’s 45 degrees out today doesn’t mean we’re done just yet. Got the tide? Let it ride...at least for the next few weeks….

With ideal, low light conditions on the outgoing tides last week, I was lucky enough to get on the water a couple times to take advantage of my favorite fall pastime on the Nation’s River—swinging streamers for stripers.

 Hitting Gravelly Point for a morning session last Tuesday with Orvis Bethesda Fishing Manager, Trent Jones, we proceeded to hook into a few decent schoolies in the 14-16” range before work beckoned us back to the real world. While the fishing certainly wasn’t dynamite (fish were holding deep and acting sluggishly), we managed to stick a few in the deeper water and garnered a few empty handed-whacks by getting our flies down in the water column with intermediate and full grain sink lines. Even though the action wasn’t fast and furious, the presence of chunky schoolies more than inspired a return trip….

So naturally, after helping my saintly mother hand candy out to the myriad of monsters, ghouls, and miniature pop culture icons that visited our home Thursday night – I hopped in Buffy and made the short jaunt over to Gravelly for a little trick or treating.

With the vast majority of New Columbians exercising their right to dress in silly garb, get weird, and instagram the shit out of themselves, I knew the outgoing tide at GP would be all mine.  Donning the waders and making my way to the inlet that quiet night, conditions…well…they couldn’t have been better.

A new moon kept the sky dark. The air temp was in the upper 60s. The tide was flowing out of Duck Pond at a solid pace. From the moment I got there at 8pm until I left the park around 10, fish were popping off in a big way. By working my way down the inlet, casting to the bank, and letting the fly swing through the main current – I managed to pick off a dozen or so stripers up to 20” with the majority of schoolies playing a size or two up from their usual variety (14-18”).



Fish were caught on a few different streamers I’ve been tying up recently, but for the most part any baitfish pattern or clouser minnow in sizes 2-6 will get the job done. It’s more a matter of getting the fly down at this point.


trout Water

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Haven’t gotten a chance to play in the wild trout streams recently, but Delayed Harvest trout streams have received their first stockings of the season. Time to bring out your attractor nymphs (flashback pheasant tails, hare’s ear, etc), Y2Ks, and olive or black woolybuggers. Accotink, Holmes Run, Passage Creek, and Stony Mill should all be fishing well right now. 

Get out there before the fish are poached out. 


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5/28/2013

Memorial Day monster mash

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Last week I fished Gravelly Point, the Tidal Basin, and Chain Bridge. The Potomac River continues to provide action to those seeking it. Snakehead, Gar, Carp, Striped Bass, Largemouth, Smallmouth, and pan fish action are all heating up as the Shadams family starts wrapping it up before their migration back towards the Ocean.  Look for LMB and panfish on shallow spawning beds (hard bottom, shallow water) until the end of the June. Also – CICADA action. Tie em up and get em wet.

 Recently, I’ve been night fishing the outgoing tides in areas where bait is concentrated. In these areas, striped bass, walleye, LMB , smallmouth, and crappie have all been the usual suspects with a few random catfish mixed in. Until this weekend, a 6-7 wt rod has been the perfect amount of backbone for most of these fish.

On Sunday night, albeit a full moon and slightly off color water, the conditions were right to find some stripers around Reagan Airport. There were some fish around ( a few pops on top but not a ton), but none fell for the size 6 baitfish imitation I was throwing. However, where the stripers failed me – big gar and catfish did not. Attempting to find some deeper water in the current, I ended up getting dragged into my backing 4 times in one night and crossing two species off my list. Considering this a hiccup – the Potomac’s version of a practical joke – I left the 8wt in the car and ventured out into the darkness the next night with my 7wt again. Big mistake.

 Immediately I was into something big that took me into the backing (5 fish, 5 backing runs). After a ten minute struggle, I brought my first golden of the night to the net. After snapping a few pics, I went back to my spot and gave it a few more casts by the outflow before venturing off to fish the deeper bowls.  It was a good call. Although bites were spread out over 15-20 minute periods, I managed to hook into another large blue cat (27”, 8lbs), my second big ghost of the night (33”, 15lbs), and a mystery fish (which took me 15 yards into my backing). After the second ghost of the night and the clock approaching 3:30am I decided to call it quits. In two nights of hunting for stripers there were a total of 7 bites, 7 runs into the backing, and 0 striped bass caught.  Talk about getting weird.


Stay fly.

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5/6/2013

Swing for the fences

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Last week I fished Gravelly Point, the Duck Pond, Tidal Basin, Rock Creek Park, and Fletcher’s Cove via boat.

Action continues to be hot on the Tidal Potomac. Our run of larger striped bass (measured in lbs not inches) is underway at Fletcher’s Cove/Chain Bridge along with white perch, river herring, and the entire Shadams family (Gizzards, Hickories, and Americans). Fishing big clousers and streamers on full sink lines deep and jigging the fly back up through the water column has been an effective method for getting to these larger stripers.

To get as deep as possible, make your initial cast and mend/strip out line until you start seeing your backing. Once your line straightens out behind the boat, you’ve reached your max depth. If this still isn’t deep enough, try lifting the rod tip up and slapping the line down on the water to get the fly sinking again. The stripers won’t come on every cast, but for those willing to put in the time – the reward is certainly worth the effort.  If schoolies are more of your thing, check out Gravelly Point on an outgoing night or early morning tide.

It seems like everywhere I’ve checked out recently has some combination of herring, shad, or perch. Any place with a tide swing seems to be housing shad - the outflow at Gravelly Point/Duck Pond, Rock Creek Park, and Tidal Basin are a few of such places. Gar are also starting to become active again in the Duck Pond as they prepare to get their spawn on as well – start tying up rope flies.

Rain is in the forecast for Tuesday this week. Be sure to check the little falls gauge before heading out. I'll probably take a break from the Shadness Madness and pursue some trout this week.

The world is your oyster this time of year – shuck it.

Stay fly.

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4/29/2013

AMericans, stripers, and Snakeheads -  oh my.

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What a glorious weekend to get on the water. With air temps in the low 70s to mid-60s, fish were doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing this weekend – spawning or gorging. Not a bad time to be a fish...or a fisherman for that matter.

Shad (Hickory, Gizzard, and Americans) are thick up at Chain Bridge/Fletcher’s Cove. More Americans and Striped Bass have moved into the river offering anglers a shot at larger Instagram trophies. As noted last week, shad have sworn off the pink stuff. Hit them hard with CHARTREUSE darts, torpedoes, or any other small fly with that color incorporated on sinking line and you should be in the game.  For stripers, throw larger herring pattern streamers or big clousers on sinking lines to get down in the water column through all the shad. Vary your retrieve until you start connecting (FYI - you may snag a gizzard shad or two…just roll with it).

For fishermen targeting largemouth bass in the more tidal section (below Three Sisters), continue to look for structure on hard bottom in shallow water that’s close to deeper water.  

Hotspotting:

The night bite at Gravelly Point has been consistently productive thus far in the early season. I’ve been hooking into schoolie stripers, pre-spawn largemouth, smallmouth bass, crappie, white perch, and even a walleye (or three) in the past couple weeks on Sex Panthers and similarly themed clousers. About an hour and a half to two hours after the tide drop have been the most productive times.  Try fishing the Duck Pond flats for largemouth and other typical mixed bag action on the incoming tide.

Rock Creek Park is flush with shad, bass, sunfish, and carp right now. For those wishing to catch shad or bass on lighter gear, this is your opportunity.

The Tidal Basin snakehead population continues to show off. After hooking one fish in the mouth last week, I was skunked this week…but saw plenty of fish.  Shad, white perch, and blue gill are all over the sea wall here as well. I’m not sure if stripers have gotten thick in here just yet. I did see/hear some suspiciously striper-esque pops under the Ohio Drive bridge. Try an incoming tide or the early stages of an outgoing tide (easier to land fish - less space between you, fish, and sea wall).

Tight lines this week and enjoy the spring time – it only happens once a year.


Stay fly.

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4/23/2013

washout: Big Storms muddy water, slow down bite

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Last Friday’s rain storm sure messed a lot of things up. The hot shad bite we had been experiencing cooled down with the rain and muddied water…..the shore bite disappearing altogether on Monday. The striped bass and largemouth bite also cooled significantly with the rain and subsequent post front conditions. But fish can still be caught dragging big, dark flies in and around structure. Water temps dropping from 70 degrees to 60 in the course of a week didn’t help things either. However, this shouldn’t come as a surprise –the Potomac and its tributaries are adversely affected by big rains. That’s not to say that fish were not caught this weekend. When big rains effect the Potomac - community ponds, public lakes, and other areas without extreme runoff become hot spots. The infusion of fresh oxygen into the water usually ignites the bite in a big way.  But muddy water and blue bird skies don’t make things easier. Period.

Unfortunately for fishermen this past weekend, the big storm happened on Friday – leaving the river a muddied wasteland for most of the fishable weekend. High skies and zero cloud cover didn’t help ignite the bite as much as squash it. Even hitting the water on Monday, there were noticeable mud lines and very few patches of “clean” water. Knowing that the shad bite would significantly cool down at Fletcher’s in addition to the largemouth and striper bite – I decided to check out some areas for Snakeheads down river.

I chose the Tidal Basin not only for its somewhat robust snakehead population, but also because the snakeheads in the lower part of the river do not have lock jaw (unlike the spawners upriver at Chain Bridge). In what I like to call, “Urban Whale Watching” – snakeheads will come up to breathe air every 20 minutes or so, giving away their position with a telltale boil – I waited to see if any fish were around…and were they.

In my experience, the tidal outlet on Ohio Drive holds good numbers of these fish.  There are some monsters in there too (3.5ft+) so be prepared for anything and everything.  I found fish on the incoming tide nearest the inflow on Ohio Drive.  I worked the gate for about an hour or so with no luck. Every pattern I tried failed. Including the Sex Panther…..I then walked the sea wall for a few hundred yards covering all water between Ohio Drive and the FDR Memorial. Still, nothing. Somewhat tired and defeated (beautiful weather, ugly water) I decided to give it one more shot at the bridge. I’m glad I did.

On the second cast, I felt a big bump and strip set hard on what I figured to be a catfish or bass. Snakeheads are too smart, too finick,  I thought to myself. Man, do I need to keep the faith more. My rod doubled over, a monster snakehead erupted from the water, and my adrenaline started flowing. After a spectacular display of brutish strength, I got the fish to the wall….only to realize that A) the tide was still too low for me to boga grip it and B) my net was too small. A good problem to have I guess….until I got the fish’s head in the net, the fish slid backwards out of said net, and the hook dislodged from its toothy gullet. I’ve never come closer to snapping my rod.

So…. sorry for being long winded, just thought I’d share that moment of truth.….

Water will clear up by today or Wednesday with a return to fishing normal spring patterns. Chartreuse has been the color for shad recently as they’ve collectively decided to swear off the pink stuff. For stripers look for current and bait (incoming, outgoing tides at creek mouths) and for largemouth, look for fish holding on shallow structure.

Stay fly. 

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4/16/2013

A river full of life: pick your poison

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The shad run is in full swing from Fletcher's Cove to Chain Bridge. Fishing the incoming tides with any sort of pink shad treat has been the ticket. Full grain sink tips and a foot or two of 0x-3x tippet tied directly to the leader loop is my preferred set up. It keeps the fly down in the water column and you don't burn through your good trout/bass leaders in the process.

 Fishing from shore has led to mixed results. Low tide offers ideal maneuvering room and current but also boasts the least productive fishing. Finding a rock near a good current seam is key at low tide. If you're fishing too shallow, you'll be losing a lot of flies. If you're fishing deep, stay in that spot. Don't jump the gun at the first rock you find, look for the perfect rock (my perfect rock is one near a point on the main current...so I can get my fly deep without having to make a long cast). It makes all the difference.

 If you're interested in fishing from a boat, be sure to get to the boathouse BEFORE 6am on the weekends - there is a shortage of boats and they tend to go quickly this time of year due to demand. As for fishing- reports of American Shad catches have become more frequent as the water warms up. Additionally snakeheads, smallmouth, and stripers are starting to become more frequent by-catches (bonuses) on that stretch of river. Expect action to stay hot for the next couple weeks and into mid/late-May if water temps don't rise too quickly.

Stay fly.

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Largemouth bass and crappie are going fat kid right now in preparation for their spawn. Look for fish staging near their eventual spawning homes (think hard bottom - i.e. gravel, rocks, etc). Areas like the slack water at Gravelly Point and Little Hunting Creek, rip rap at Four Mile Run and Rock Creek Park, and shoreline at Duck Pond are ideal spawning habitat and thus - should be avoided as far as wading goes for the next few weeks as to not disturb spawning beds. Pursuing these fish from shore or boat is the ethical way to fly fish for bass in these next few weeks. If you must wade, be careful to not walk through beds. This river's bass fishery is one of the best in country and as a local - something I take immense pride in as a DC native. Help keep it that way by being aware on the water and not wading in places like this.

Striped bass are starting to come back to Gravelly Point (if they ever left) and areas with good amounts of bait and current. Fishing the outgoing tides at night or in low-light hours has produced several good fish (14-17") this past week. Fly selection is fairly standard this time of year as the river is flush with Herring. Throwing clouser minnows or streamers that imitate this protein rich forage on intermediate streamer lines will do you right. Olive and white clouser minnows, puglisi streamers, and my new creation - The Sex Panther - are solid options. This time of year is simple - don't try to out think yourself. Just think: Bait fish, bait fish, bait fish......

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    Wordsmith

    Remick Smothers is a native son of the District of Columbia and the founder of FlyTimesDC. 

    A self taught fly fisherman and fly tier, Rem graduated from Rhodes College with a double major in fly fishing and English in 2012. He has been celebrating the fly life ever since. Just remember, if it's dark out, there's a shark out. Above all else, stay fly. #flytimesdc

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