27.April:
4:15-5:15 pm, CT River at the Bissell boat launch at E. Barber St. The water was very low, below the last cleat on the ramp, with a poor current, tubid dirty water, and ~56º F. The wind was whipping up from Hartford, making casting a chore. Three were working the bank, including Dylan, and Radio, and there were no shad on the shore. I stuck it out an hour but had to quit it: too windy, and too many snags. I was re-rigging every 5 or 6 casts. It was an expensive hour, I figure a minimum of $.25/cast, might have been a hair more.

~5:45-7:pm, Ferry Park in RH. The wind was no better, beating up from Cromwell/Middletown, but the water was deeper, the current was better, and there are far less snags. Six, including Bill C were working the three docks, and there were shad. Miguel lost one, then caught one before he left, he released it after a Kodak moment, but Bill C struck out this afternoon. I had a hook set on my 3rd cast, and thought it was an alewife, but it turned out to be a small buck shad. He didn't put up much of a fight until he got close to the dock, then he ran deep. He self-released just as I got him out from under the dock.

A couple of more regulars joined us, including Dylan who caught a nice big buck. Except for a couple of short strikes, that was about all she wrote. It was getting cold in the wind, and since the shad weren't playing anymore, my supper started calling louder. No Fish Today.

Terminal tackle: At the Bissell I down-sized from 1 oz, to a 5/8 oz drail, over a 3' 8# flouro leader, and hammered silver leaves in blue/white w/black dot, Jamaican, reverse lady bug, and orange/yellow w/black dot.
At the Ferry I up-sized the drail to 1 oz, over a 3' 8# flouro leader, and hammered silver leaves in orange/yellow w/black dot, and green/pink w/glitter & black dot. My hit came on the orange/yellow leaf, while Dylan landed his with a hot pink w/black dot.

Tomorrow RH will be the place to be for me. Tight lines!

George Darrell ...

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