The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-07-12
ExTRAORpINKRY.EPuRT.
FIy.FIshlug for shad.

IS Like many anglers, | had read briei
newspaper paragraphs which have from
time TO time appeared, stating that shad
had been taken with the fly in the Con-
necliCut river, but l have been unable TO
meet with any oneWho could speak onthe
subject from experience, Accordingly l
determined to settle the question for my
sell, whether shad will take fly, by going
un 10 HOlyoke and making few casts.
The ATst day Of July was dark aud
threatened rain. LEFT Hartford in com.
pany with Q friend In the76.A. NJ. train for
Springfield, and reached Holyokc at about
81 o'clock. AS the place was new to US,
and the shad question one on which we
had NO information whatever, we sought
SOME one TO direct Us, and were shown
the road which led to the river with the
bare statement from several persons that
though shad were taken with the fly, It
was only in the early morning and late
evening that they would rise, and we
would be sure to get none in the middle Of
the day.
A walk oil fourth OF q mile brought US
to the river bank at the point where long
bridge, for wagons and foot passengers,
crosses. This bridge Is elevated fully
twenty-five feet above the river bed. a
fourth Of q mile above the bridge Is the
lofty sheet fall of the Holyoke Dam. The
water, after descending the fall, plunges
down rocky slope, then passes under the
bridge in Rswilt current, tending toward
the eastern bank as 1t leaves the bridge,
and making a broad bay on the South
Hadley side opposite to HOlyOke.
You will please bear In mind, then,
that the place TO take the shad Is below
the bridge, IN the rapids or at the tall oil
the rapids in the bay.
\ We found several boats on the bank Of
the river, and despatched a bare.iooted
boy 10 find an owner and>oars. Several
men came along with rods, and all agreed
in telling us that the shad would not rise
TO q fly at midday. So uniform wss thisyI
assurance that we began to think vel
should 60 home with the shad question as
unsettled as ever, but l put my rod to-
gether and made some casts over the rap.
ids, bringing up nothing,
at length We were in the boat, with Q
rope and stone Tor anchor, and were of on
a voyage OF discovery. 1t was, on the
whole, about as odd q fishing adventure
as one could have. To be frank, l had
little faith in the idea oftaking many shAd
with fly. have often taken herring on
Q fly rod, and shad are herring, bat why
had no one learned the TACT belore2 Here |
we were, two fishermen with fly rods
about 10 whip river four hundred yards
wide without the slightest information as
to the habits of the fish VIC sought, or
what part OF tho river they could be found |
10. But we had come TO solve doubt,
and we went TO work.
"What flies do shad take"
E That was the grand question. Ono |
man had said they would only take
white moth. Another had shown US q
nondescript fly with dark woodcock |
wings, and oil tOlerably large body, black,
with black nackle and tail. Another
had shown US a fly with a dark yellow
body and golden pheasant wings. All
these were large flies, and each oil our in
had said was the only fly 10 be
used. - N.,.t.tl .....
| had flies similar 10 each, and | made
lp a cast of three, and having crossed
he river toward the South Hadley side,
and anchored the boat in the tail OF the |
rapid west ofan old bridge pier, l began |
casting. 1t was OF no use. We
saw breaks Of large fish In the rapid, but
we could not touch them. changed my
lies again and again, going through
well stocked book. We changed our po-
litiOn, fishing various rapids, Tor the river
was low and flowed under the bridge in
several distinct channels. The day wore
N, dark and cloudy, and in every way
Juited for angling, but at one o'clock
lad not seen q chad, and T had only
aiken black bass and large dace.
And now l noticed singular occur.
,ence, which I am persuaded will seem TO
IL fishermen as ludicrous as 1t did TO me.
Several persons came out on the lofty
bridge twenty-five or thirty feet above the
water and lowered their lines to the rap,
ds, which carried them down stream, so
hat they were actually fishing with hand
ines two hundred feet long, each line
With flies on the end. Think Of I'll Fly
lshing with hand line two hundred feet
ong. But this gave me hint, II they
axe SHE'D in that way may as well save
ny arms and stop casting. So l said to
myself, II will charge the flies once more,
md now try very small flies, and let them
rail down and across the current" lac-
put on for the first bobber q
'ery small fly, pure lemon color, body aud
wings and tail; for second bobber, green
lrake Of the same size; for tail fly, dark
)ody with dun wings, same size. These
we're oil trout flies, oil very small, and
led on tbes most delicate gut As l |
brew Tie cast down the stream, jnSt 10
he tail Of the rapid, the first bobber was
truck with a sharp rush by heavy fish.
10 die not show above water, but took
be fly head on, and went away with a
,entle swing. The question was answer.
d. l had seen it with my own eyes, ielt
/ with my own hands, and-as said
his to myseli-he made long swift rush,
md then up into the air he went gleam-
ng in the silver and purple, a noble shad.
Then ensued one Of the most beautiful
Iruggles ! have ever known with fish.
lie was full Of lie, rushed up against the
down stream with It, now across
md back, now diving for deep water,
always on the move, now and then out Of
water showing his broad white side as he
Iwerved and swung around the boat on
lily feet Of line, coming in with great I'm.
and yielding only after fifteen
minutes Of fair fight,
Do you know the beauty Of the shSd
when fresh caughtH This my first shsd
aiken on q fly, as l lifted him in the land.
ng net, seemed TO mo the most gorgeous
ish I had ever SEEM, His back was irri.
descent with every. color known 10 the
,ye, and his sides white as snow.
/ cast again and let the limo pay out
ifty or sixty feet, and moved the rod
yently from side to side to give the flies a
amt across the current In less than
hree minutes l had a gentle touch, not
mike the nibble Of q fish, and a short
,ut easy stroke instantly hooked him. BE
ook the tail fly, the black and blue. He