[Image: Barred Surf Perch]It is the middle of May in California’s Central Valley and the temperatures have been breaking into the triple digits for the last week. The crop dusters are busily buzzing I5 and the cotton has begun to fall from the trees as a little blue truck pulls up to a secluded gravel bar along side the lower reaches of the golden state’s largest river.

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad]

The door opens, the tailgate drops, and a stack of ridiculously long fly rods are drawn from their silk sheaths as a pile of equally ridiculously expensive classic fly reels are carefully mounted.

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad]

Line is drawn through snake guides, tapered leaders are constructed with precision, and eventually, like the cherry topping on the perfect ice cream sundae, the final touches are attached to the tippet: possibly the most hideously flamboyant pink ensemble of synthetic fly tying material to ever attempt to pass as a fly.

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad]

[Image: Spey Fishing Rods and Classic Reels]

Look out American Shad, here we come!

[Image: Spey Casting for California's American Shad]

[Image: Spey Casting for Shad]

[Image: Spey Casting for Shad]

[Image: Fly Fishing for shad with spey fishing rods]

[Image: Spey Rod American Shad Hook-up]
Fish On!

[Image: Fly Fishing for Shad]

[Image: Shad Fly Fishing]

[Image: Sacramento River American Shad 2008]

[Image: Full Moon over the Sacramento River]

[Image: Shad Bucket]

[Image: American Shad Tail-walking]

[Image: CND Spey Rod American Shad]

–~~~~~~~~~~~~–

[Image: Sacramento River Sunset through tree]

[Image: Dave Fulthorpe Shad Fishing]
Dave Hooked Up

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad]

[Image: Shad Fishing Trip Camp Site]
Far from an “early-morning” start the next day

[Image: Sacramento River Fly Fishing Gravel Bar]

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad, Hooked-up]

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad]

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad]

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad]

[Image: Fly Fishing for American Shad]

[Image: Dave Fulthorpe fighting American Shad with spey rod]

[Image: Sacramento River

[Image: Sacramento River Golden]
Sacramento Gold!

[Image: It's Hot!]
As the cool morning temperature became, well, less cool… we packed it up, cranked the AC, and headed home.

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