By Wright Montague

Each year, when the mornings are still cold and the dogwoods start to bloom, American and hickory shad migrate through a historic urban fishery in our very own James River. For many Richmonders, this is the annual shad run. During a small window of time in the early spring, people are lined up, fishing shoulder-to-shoulder, while boats fill the river as fishermen experience what the river has to offer.

An American shad. Photo credit: User USFWS via Wikimedia Commons.

Both American and hickory shad return to the James and other freshwater tributaries to reproduce. According to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources  both hickory and American shad are anadromous, meaning they live along the Atlantic coast and in the Chesapeake Bay but return to both tidal and non-tidal freshwater tributaries to reproduce. 

A man fishing on the James River. Photo credit: @rvajamesriverfishreport via Instagram.

Since early European colonization, shad fishing has been a staple fishery both economically and culturally in Virginia. Due to overfishing, habitat destruction, and competitive non-native species, the shad population was at a low in the 1980s and 90s. Nevertheless, shad remained a staple in Virginia. They were considered a fish that helped early colonizers survive after long winters, and were written about in author John McPhee’s novel The Founding Fish. Organizations such as the James River Association and other groups have been working to conserve the habitat and ecological systems that are native to the river. 

Going to fish in the heart of downtown Richmond much different from other types of fishing. Freddie Reed (‘27), a passionate fisherman, stated that, “The love for shad fishing is like nothing else. They aren’t considered some extravagant trophy fish, but all the little characteristics of the fishery make it something so remarkable.” For many fishermen, the appeal is in the experience of fishing the James this time of year. 

The urban location of the shad run truly shapes the fishing experience. One could launch a boat from Ancarrow’s Landing, and once out on the river see hundreds of people sharing time on the water, or only a few dedicated souls. Typically, people in boats are fishing all the way from Rocketts Landing to the 14th Street Mayo Bridge. Fishing off the banks and along the rocks by the flood wall also commonly takes place. Some fishermen will wade in the water to fish further up the river. The popularity of the migration has turned the few weeks when the shad run into a community event. After a long winter, the shad migration serves as a symbol of nature awakening.

A fisherman on the rocks near the Mayo Bridge. Photo credit: @rvajamesriverfishreport via Instagram.

Avid fisherman and Collegiate parent Cheairs Porter believes that these events in nature are significant because, “it’s a natural cycle that signifies the changing of seasons; the shad run is one of several things that happens to kick off springtime in Richmond. First, the herring come up the rivers, then the eagles and herons follow them in, and then the shad arrive before the rockfish come.” While on the river, you can witness wildlife returning to the James after a long winter, while still being surrounded by the urban environment of buildings and towers looking over the river. It is truly a remarkable feeling watching waterfowl, eagles, and herons work the water while fishing in a pocket of nature that exists downtown. 

The community aspect of shad fishing seems to draw in a large crowd year after year. Porter appreciates that, “every year, people gather for the experience, and you get to know who people are just from seeing their boat at the ramp.” As unusual as it is, in this season of fishing there don’t seem to be any secret spots that people hide for themselves. 

Common methods of catching shad are using spoons, shad darts, small grubs, and flies for fly fishing. While shad are traveling through the river, they are not actively feeding. Instead they are traveling in schools to reproduce. Instead of biting lures in a search for prey, they tend to bite lures in a frenzy due to territorial reflexes, the light and vibration of the lures, and schooling reflexes. This makes shad a fun and easy species to catch. Shad have historically been a staple food in Virginia, but the popularity of eating them has decreased. Many people will eat shad roe, but shad are not eaten quite as often as they used to be due to environmental concerns. The Virginia Department of Health regularly updates fish consumption advisories for general guidelines while navigating eating fish. 

One of my fondest memories of fishing around this time of year on the James is from late March 2019. Schools of shad were coming through the river in massive swarms just downriver of the Mayo Bridge. While the river was full of boats, and people were lined up along the rocks in front of the Southern States factory, only a few people were catching fish. At this moment, an older man in the boat next to us lent a few of his personal shad darts for us to use, as he was having the most success out of everyone. 

Other fishermen seem to feel the same community sense, as Porter shared, “it is a fish that anyone can go out and catch, whether a beginner or with experience. They will bite a spoon, shad dart, or fly.” Reed added that, “no kid says, ‘I want to go catch the biggest shad.’ They go and fish because it’s part of the community, it’s history, and something you do with your family and people you are close with.” 

Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons user WeaponizingArchitecture.