The American gizzard shad is a fish of the herring family Clupeidae, native to fresh and salt waters of eastern North America.
Like other gizzard shads, the body is deep somewhat forward of the middle. It is a grayish or silvery blue above, becoming silver on the sides and white below. The caudal fin is deeply forked. They can reach a length of 22.5 inches, and weigh up to 4.37 lbs.
American gizzard shad begin life feeding on zooplankton, using their teeth to catch them. At about 1 inch in length, they lose the teeth, become deeper-bodied, develop the muscular gizzard, and become filter feeders, consuming both small invertebrates and phytoplankton, as well as some sand for the gizzard.
They live in a variety of open waters, both clear and silty, including rivers, swamps, lakes, and bays, typically near the surface.
They avoid fast-moving water.
All the more reason to drift your shad fly through the seams.
You'll need supplies.
It goes without saying, a good hook's a must.
I recommend the 811S, or a 600SP.
The 811S offers little by way of weight, so for bigger flies I use the 600SP to control sink rate & rip through the lips of whatever bites it.
Take a moment to appreciate it.
Don't run it through your palm, now or later.
Wrap mono even to the point, dub with antron.
There, that's nice. A little pillow.
Select some short bucktail, tie it in with that straight 45 degree old school wrap yo.
Cinch that shit down. If you're impatient, whip finish & hit the water, it will fish.
Select slightly longer bucktail, flip the fly and we've another straight tie.
Satiate yourself.
A lot of completely useless steps that matter.
Another pillow, this time flashy.
Get into that salt grade tail. Even longer this time, up top.
Backwards.
Pull it to the rear.
Line tight, 3 wraps over & a few in front.
It's called hollow.
Get some flash. Longer still.
Get used to this.
Make it pretty. Pretty hollow.
A clump of antron.
You've paid attention.
A clump of flash dubbing.
Top & bottom.
A straight tie of even longer bucktail up top.
More antron belly.
Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
Flash dub, top & bottom.
You tired of this shit yet? Go tie a clouser.
The Ron Jeremy of bucktail, Rocky mountain goat ass. Get some.
Tie that shit in backwards fool.
Too pretty.
Cyanoacrylate insurance.
Antron belly madness.
Even wraps, crucial. Bout outta shank yo.
BAM! Flash dub top & bottom, out of nowhere.
Got that good flash.
No he didn't?!
Yes he did.
Herly.
Hollow tie, proper.
3 even light wraps & finish up front.
Hit it with this.
Super glue, eye, turn over, super glue...eye.
Kill it with that UV acrylic.
Thin & spread all over.. just like I like my...UV acrylic. Make sure to catch that front edge of the eye.
Then blast it. Stare right at it the whole time.
Now go make magic happen.
