Photo by Vic Attardo

Even though recent shad runs have not produced the numbers and size of fish that were seen during the mid-'90s, anglers are still walking away from the Delaware River happy and satisfied after doing battle with one of these great, silvery scrappers.

Despite poor returns over the last three seasons, biologists are hopeful that a five-year phase-out of commercial fishing, put in place by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, will have a positive effect on this important fishery. The total closure of the ocean intercept enterprise occurred in December (2004).

Anyone who fished for shad on the upper Delaware last season knows that spawning schools were relatively scarce, but that the density of the fish within individual schools was at normal numbers, most likely owing to the shad's need to gather in sufficient strength for the spawning ritual. What was a surprise to many river watchers later in the season was the number of dead shad -- a normal occurrence of the spawning run -- seen lying along the riverbanks. Certainly there were more of these spent fish than most anglers expected, alluding to the possibility that, perhaps, anglers are giving up on the migratory run way too early. Last year, fishable schools of shad were still in the upper Delaware at Damascus on June 20 -- a pleasant surprise.

The upper Delaware is generally considered to be the area above Matamoras, Pennsylvania, and Port Jervis, New Jersey. The federal government has defined much of the river north of this point, a stretch of nearly 74 miles, as the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreation River.

A key to catching shad on the upper Delaware is to find the "pinch points." These are places where the river channel narrows and forms a kind of funnel through which the anadromous fish must travel to continue their upstream migration. Another key location, particularly when the shad are performing their nightly spawning dance, is large mid-depth pools in which they transcribe continuous circles.

When you combine these sites with public access spots, you should find some of the best shad fishing in the upper river.

PORT JERVIS TO LACKAWAXEN
The first thing that visitors to the upper Delaware should be aware of is that there are important access points on both the Pennsylvania and New York sides of the river. Fortunately, both states recognize each other's fishing licenses on the Delaware River, so an angler can go from shore to shore with impunity.

Access from either side of the river between Matamoras and Shohola is limited. There is one boat ramp on the Pennsylvania side, the Matamoras ramp on Delaware Drive (Route 549), about one mile north of the Route 209 bridge. There is no easy access on the Pennsylvania side and much of the riverbank along state Route 1017 is posted. However, some adventurous anglers will use the parking areas in Pennsylvania's State Game Lands 209 and hike down Pond Eddy Creek to the river.