Fletchers, 4-22-05 - Just like all my other trips except more so. Steady hickory action from shore held good from 6:30am to 11:00am when I couldn't stans it no more and threw in the towel. Nice mix of sizes. Nothing but silver spoons all day. Used up to 3/8oz bullet weight to get deep and so I could retrieve mod to fast (and hunt for Americans). Started 1/4 mile above Fletchers and hit several points almost to Chain Bridge. Hickories caught at all locations. First time up that far. Lots of good fly fishing access areas starting about 1/2 mile up to 3/4 mile above Fletchers Point. But tide needs to be about 1/2 way out in order to wade out to several of the good casting positions. Must wade thru shallows filled with difficult rocks at some locations but the positions are well worth it... 75 feet of backcast room at many location and excellent holding water in front of you... can't miss. Might almost be easier to walk downstream from CB, never done that though so can't say for sure.

No Americans caught, no herring seen. Water in excellent condition, unusually clear. Heavy overcast all morning with periods of rain earlier in the morning. Frequently I could watch a hooked hickory being followed by several other hickories. The followers would hit the sinker repeatedly. Had I been using a tandem rig I would have caught doubles most of the time. IMHO, doubles are just a big PITA. Shore fishing pressure was just me and two others on 1/2 mile of shoreline. For a while it was just me... lonely place sometimes.

The spoons Fletchers are selling are the size 0000 & 000 Nungessers pre-rigged with a shad dart. I've used the bigger 000 Nungessers the last two trips to Fletchers. Today I tried the 1/16oz silver Hildebrandt Shad King. Worked just as good as the Nungesser.

Saturday should be great conditions unless severe T-storms hit tonight. A big tent was being set up at Fletchers for the Congessional Casting Session scheduled for most of the day on Monday. Maybe a good day to avoid Fletchers.