During the winter months, the James River below the fall line in Richmond is relatively devoid of life. But beginning in March the river starts to awaken. As the photo period lengthens and the water starts to warm the primordial drive to procreate begins urging the anadromous species of fish to ascend their natal rivers. By Mid-Spring the river is alive with bright silver fish.

Shad are the first to arrive. The James hosts both the hickory, which looks exactly like a miniature tarpon, and its' larger cousin the white, or American shad. Shad are called "poor man's salmon" in the Northeast and "poor man's tarpon" in the Southeast. Whether you are rich or poor the shad run is not to be missed. Shad are a great light tackle gamefish. Fresh from the Atlantic they are bright silver, full of fight; make strong runs and spectacular leaps. Hickories sometimes spend more time out of the water than in.

Devastated by commercial overfishing in the past, the numbers of returning fish are increasing every year. Protective regulations and the removal of manmade barriers are providing the shad the opportunity to rebound. A fish ladder at Bosher's Dam has opened up hundreds of miles of historic spawning grounds. Stockings of White Shad fingerlings above the dam are starting to show results and if Mother Nature blesses us with good weather this should be a very good year.

Fly fishing for shad is the most effective (and the most fun) technique. A 6-weight rod matched with a 200 grain sinking line with a three to four foot leader is the favored tackle. Eight-pound test fluorocarbon leader material seems to strike the balance between strength and invisibility. Shad will sometimes strike at most anything, but small bright flies of pink, orange, or chartreuse seem to work the best. The Tommy's Torpedo, tied locally by Captain Tommy Mattioli, has proven to be very effective. With its epoxy head it is extremely durable, a trait you will appreciate when you consider that one hundred fish days are common at the peak of the run.

White perch usually arrive in the James several weeks behind the shad. While not as glamorous as the shad, and sometimes a nuisance to the serious shad fishermen, the perch are a great fish in their on right. A willing taker of flies, the larger specimens will approach the magic one pound weight and put up quite a good fight. Unfortunately most of them will be of the six ounce variety. Small Clouser Minnow type flies are extremely effective. Again a 6 weight outfit will work perfectly. If you are looking for some fish to eat, then perch are for you. They have a delicious white flaky meat. Just remember that it is a little bit of a chore to clean them so don't keep more than you are willing to clean.

Although they are the last to arrive, the striped bass are the most eagerly anticipated. Everyone wants to catch a striper. Whereas other fish strike a fly, a striper will try to annihilate it. If you don't have a good grip on your rod you might have it taken right out of your hands. While most will be in the two to four pound class there are enough in the ten to fifteen pound class to keep things interesting. Striped bass are voracious feeders. A twenty four inch one thinks nothing about gobbling down a twelve inch herring. I once saw one caught on a six-inch Clouser that had the tail of a ten inch alewife sticking out of his mouth.

An 8 weight system is the outfit of choice for stripers. It will have plenty of backbone to fight the bigger fish and will cast the large flies that the stripers prefer. On occasion the stripers will show a fondness for surface poppers so try to have both a floating and sinking line available. The new multi-tip lines work great for this fishery. It only takes a minute to change from one tip to another so very little fishing time is lost.

Stripers will take a variety of flies. Clouser Minnows, Lefty's Deceivers, Half & Halfs, and Bunker Flies are the most popular, but almost any baitfish imitation will work fine. For the topwater action Bob's Bangers, Pearly Poppers, Mr. Bob's Poppers, and Crease Flies will all bring explosive strikes. An active retrieve with lots of noisy pops will get their attention. Stripers are most active during low light levels but they can be caught anytime.

All too soon these marvelous fish complete their spring ritual and return to the ocean. So unlimber those flyrods and join in on this annual "Rite of Spring". Guide service is available for those who would like a little help. This is tidal water so a USCG Captain's License is required of all guides. Contact Capt. Capt. Mike Ostrander at (804) 938-2350, or Capt. Ronnie Sides at (804) 276-5985. These guys will provide you with a great experience and the knowledge you gain is more than worth the guide fee. If you local fishing shop doesn't have the flies or equipment you need contact me at Fly Fish the World in Richmond at (804) 282-5527. I also get daily reports from the guys out on the water so I usually have the latest information on the state of the run.