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Flyfishing  for Shad 
in North Carolina Rivers

      North Carolina has many rivers and creeks that have fair to excellent shad runs.  Some areas receive little or no angling pressure.   Other locations like the Roanoke River @ Weldon, or Lock # 1 on the Cape Fear River can be crowded especially on weekends.  Proliferation varies from year to year, depending upon many factors that affect previous spawning success,  juvenile mortality, and adult survival in the open ocean.

      American White shad run in sufficient numbers to attract anglers on the Cape Fear River, the North East Cape Fear River,  the Nuse River, Tar River, Fishing Creek, and the Chowan River up into the Nottoway River in Virginia. 

      Hickory shad have strong runs in the Nuse River, Contentnea Creek, Tar River, Roanoke River, Cashie River, and the Chowan River.

      There are many more waterways in North Carolina that have both American and Hickory shad runs.  The river and creeks listed above have historically produced the strongest runs.

      American White shad are normally in the mouths of North Carolina rivers by the full moon in March, and Hickory shad will normally be well up these rivers by that date.  With a mild winter you may find American shad in the mouth of the Cape Fear River and well up the Northeast Cape Fear by the full moon in February.  Hickory shad will normally reach the fall line before the third week of March, and spawn when the water reaches 50 to 52 degrees.  American shad runs usually peak in mid-April, but occasionally the run will linger into May on some creeks.

Roanoke River

      The Hickory shad run in the Roanoke River up in the Weldon area has in the last few years (in my opinion) been the most prolific shad run on the East Coast.  At the peak of the run anglers will hook Hickories on almost every cast.  The best action will be from below Weldon up to the base of the dam.

      Keep in mind that the upper Roanoke is a tailwater.   When the generators are running,  water level at the Weldon boat ramp can rise five foot or more in an hour.  Fishing is generally poor with rapidly rising water.  By running downstream during generation periods it is often possible to find a few responsive fish.

      There is little or no access for the shorebound (or wadding) fly angler on the upper Roanoke except during periods of low water.  If you are adventurous and athletic it may be possible to fly fish from a few locations between the US 158 bridge and the Weldon boat ramp.  Check dam release schedule, do not risk being trapped by rising water.

      The upper Roanoke, upstream of the US 258 bridge has barbless hook regulations in the spring.

     more on Roanoke River >>

      North Carolina Division of Inland Fisheries has initiated a stocking program for American shad on the Roanoke River.  Adult shad are captured in the Nuse, Tar, and Meherrian Rivers and transported to the Watha Hatchery.  Spawning is induced with hormones.  Two weeks after hatching the fry are chemically marked by staining their otoliths.  In a few years, biologist will begin sampling for the return of these marked shad to the Roanoke.    

Spin fishermen will flock to the banks of
the Roanoke when shad are running.

Cashie River      

       The Cashie is a small slow lowland river that terminates in the Roanoke River delta.  The Cashie has an excellent run of Hickory shad that should be of particular interest to fly anglers.  Heavy sinking lines are not required in the slower waters of the Cashie.  Hickory shad can be very acrobatic when not encumbered by a heavy fly line.  A three or four weight rod, a floating line, and a few weighted shad flies will produce plenty of action on this small river.

      There is a WRC boat ramp in Windsor.  Some of the best action is often up near the US 17 bridge.  The Cashie is suitable for canoes and other small boats.  Best of all, when boat ramp at Weldon is overflowing there will still be very few anglers on the Cashie.

Tar River

      Just below the fall line at Rocky Mount the Tar River has an American shad run followed by a run of Hickory shad.  I have never been there, nor received reports describing the White shad action on the Tar river as "hot and heavy".  On the best days I might be characterized  it as "steady".

      There is a boat ramp just below the fall line in Rocky Mount, in Battle Park.  The park is just off US 64.  From Benvenue Road turn on to Battle Park Road.  There is some limited access in the park for the shorebound fly angler, although most is limited to roll casting from the shoreline.  The Tar River is conducive to canoe and small boat angling.  You can float the river from the Park and takeout at one of several bridge crossings down stream.

      East of town along Rt. 97 is an outflow pipe from the regional waste water treatment facility.  For some reason the American shad have a particular affinity for this outflow pipe.  If there are many American shad in the upper river, it is a safe bet that some of them will be congregated around this discharge pipe.  When the shad are running there will almost always be a few spinfishing anglers fishing from the shore around this pipe.  This is always a good place to stop to collect information as to how good or bad the fishing has been over the last few days.

Cape Fear River

      If I had to recommend a spot to someone who was dead set on catching American White shad in North Carolina it would have to be the Cape Fear River.  The area just down stream of the lock & dam #1 is a dependable hot spot for White shad action.  However, the number of shad that return to the river varies greatly from year to year. 

      The Corps of Engineers which operates the locks & dams on the Cape Fear River open and close the locks on a regular schedule during shad season.  This effort to "lock up" shad into the upper reaches of the Cape Fear may not be the most ideal situation, but it does work.  I had always been skeptical of this operation.    Upon investigation, I was pleased to learn just how much effort was given to monitor the progress of White Shad up through the locks & dams of the Cape Fear.

Shad Flies

      I have tied dozens of different shad patterns.  From very traditional patterns developed by Tom Loving over 60 years ago, to very contemporary colored monofilament body flies developed by Floyd Frankie.  I have used small bonefish patterns.  In a pinch, I have even trimmed the bucktail just behind the hook bend of a small chartreuse Clouser.  They all work !!!  During the early weeks of the striped bass run on the Roanoke River I am always amazed as to how many hickory shad will strike a 4 inch long Clouser or a 2/0 Deceiver. 

      I will suggest that a very simple patters seem to be just as effective as the most complicated ones.  Additionally I recommend investing your tying time in producing varied combinations of colors on simple patterns rather than making complicated ties.  Simple, bright, sparse, not too flash, and not too long; and you can hardly go wrong when choosing shad flies. Two of my favorite patterns are Crazy Charlie's with bright yellow or chartreuse wings, and a very simple streamer that is nothing more than a red chenille body with a short yellow hair wing.   On the Roanoke many accomplished anglers only use small blue, chartreuse, or pink Closures.     

     When searching for shad, especially in more open waters (like the Chowan), I will use a fairly heavy rod to fish 4 or 5 different colored flies tied on droppers along a 60 inch section of tippet.  I will work this "cast" of shad flies on a sinking or sink tip line of appropriate density to present these flies close to the bottom.    The majority of the time, shad will strike almost any small bright fly.  At other time they can be very size and color selective. 

      Flies that move up stream or across stream are often the best presentation.  It is important that you are presenting your flies at the level where the shad are active. 

      Shad will strike flies that are simply tailing downstream.  I generally prefer a more active approach.  I casting down and across,  and then will gently twitch the fly as it swings downstream .  At some point in the drift (not always at the lowest point) I will begin striping the fly back to the boat.  Vary you retrieve until you find a cadence that produces.  Slow to moderate six inch strips often produce fish.  Keep in mind that these are impulse strikes, and that shad do not feed when migrating upstream to spawn.  

Tied in size from # 6 to #1 this simple shad fly will readily take
both white and hickory shad up and down the coast. 
Tied with or without underwraps of weight.

 

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Harry Hall    sefly.com   

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