Spring 2024 Shad and Striped Bass

Shad are also known as the "Poor Man's Tarpon," because fishing for them is affordable and they jump like tarpon! We offer $300 half-day (4 hours) wade-fishing tours on the Rappahannock Fall Line in Fredericksburg. Acrobatic Hickory Shad stack up in the rapids beginning in early March. Striped Bass soon follow, their run peaking in late May. It's the perfect time of year to sharpen your skills while wade fishing shallow water with an abundance of fish.  Our Fall Line fishing adventures are customized for beginners, families, young people, and old hats who just want a refresher lesson.

We specialize in welcoming clients of all ages to the joys - and challenges - of angling with a fly. Our 3-hour, $300 Fly Fishing 101 class for up to 2 clients is an introduction to the gear and casting techniques of fly fishing.

We can vary the location for this. Most of our classes are done on the Middle Peninsula, Fredericksburg, and Richmond.

Learning to cast a fly is like learning to play guitar. You can learn three chords in an hour and play your favorite song, then spend the rest of your life improving and playing it better. We love working with young people. Introducing them to nature is central to our mission at Rappahannock Adventures. Our fishing resume includes fresh and salt water from Virginia and West Virginia, to New York, Colorado, Wyoming, and Alaska.

For spring shad and stripers, 5-8 weight rods are preferable, rigged with a sink-tip fly line. Floating lines will work, but sink tips are great for streamer fishing in fast current. Check out this Orvis line as one example. This sink tip is versatile, and you'll use it under many circumstances.

The water is cold until early May, so wade fishing in the spring for shad & stripers calls for hip or chest waders. By mid-May you can wet-wade in river shoes like Chacos and wear shorts & a t-shirt. That's good gear through the summer months, too, when we are targeting Smallmouth Bass and sunfish.

A hat and polarized sunglasses are game-changers! You want to see your fly and the fish.