Shad in Brandywine Creek

[Wmass]

Fished the Brandywine for a few hours this afternoon. I caught several large shad, DOES BRANDYWINE NORMALLY HAVE SHAD? Anyone have any info?

I also was wondering where all the trout are? I figured that in the three hours I was there that I would atleast catch one trout, but I didn't see a single one. Where are they?

 

[Chaz]

I guess it depends on the species of shad. Grizzard and hickory shad are put in lakes for forage, some may have washed down during floods this year, as for American Shad they could be found just about anywhere in the waters of the Delaware Drainage below the lowest barrier. I don't know if this helps.
As for the trout, I can't answer that question, never fished the Brandywine.

 

[Fredrick]

Wow, shad in the Brandywine thats the the first time I heard that. What flies were they taking and how far up the creek where they...

 

[Wmass]

I was fishing the DHALO section just past the parking lot for the walking trail in Downington (I believe?). I caught my first two on a #16 Soft Hackle beadhead rigged with a strike indicator to float midway in the water column. I then caught three more on a #16 beadhead Copper John rigged the same way. The shad were anywhere from 10-12", and they put up a good fight. I also caught 2-3 small mouth on a #18 Elk hair caddis, they were all about 7".

 

[Philly]

My guess is they're Gizzard shad that were washed down from Marsh Creek, as Chaz suggested, by the high water earlier this year. I wouldn't think they would be American Shad, but you never know. I know they've been stocking American shad fry in the Schuylkill for several years, and just started doing it in Ridley Creek, in anticipation of the dams being removed.

 

[Fredrick]

What parts of ridley creek did they stock the shad ? I fish Ridley and the Brandywine all the time and yet to see a shad ..

 

[Chaz]

OK, I've got to ask, what species?

 

[lestrout]

Wmass - there have been years when a few shad have diverted from running up the Delaware and wandered into the Brandywine down around Wilmington. But this would be a springtime thang.

Might these 10-12" that you caught be the resident, native fallfish (or maybe chubs)? The Brandywine has always had a good pop of these guys - they are pretty game for a coarse fish, and I have had them jump. If the trouts will let them, they will occupy some trouty drift lines and rise. I've even caught them on streamers.

At times with dries, these can be tricky to hook, like the Rocky Mountain whitefish. Both have a somewhat suckery mouth, and they have to maneuver a bit to ingest a dry, so it pays to pause a wee bit before striking.

These are troutlike in silhouette and silvery. I don't recall the scales being as prominent as with shad, which are flatter with a bigger profile from the side - more basslike to me than slim.

tl
les

 

[Philly]

As far as I know they stocked American shad fry in Ridley. I'll check over the weekend to be sure. No mention of where in the stream they stocked them. They just want them to imprint the stream, so when they return in 3 or 4 years to spawn. they'll hang a left at Ridley. So you won't see any shad in Ridley for a couple of years.
There's always been an American shad run on the Schuylkill but Fairmount Dam stopped it dead. I think the stocking was done to try and increase the number of returning shad and have them go further upstream in anticipation of fish ladders being built and dams being removed or breached. It's apparently working, since the opening of the fish ladder at Fairmount Dam I've seen more and more reports of American Shad being caught below Flat Rock Dam. Now that the fish ladder at Flat Rock is operational, it will be interesting to see if any shad move up it next spring.
There probably was and might still be a shad run on the Brandywine, but probably small and any fish are caught by accident.