Welcome to the area Brian. I moved down here in may after living in upstate new york and having the ability to slay steelhead and browns from december through may.. .. not to mention the salmon run. As you mentioned it will be a switch for sure but there are plenty of fishing opportunities around. Not sure about rock creek park but probably blue gill.
The 8wt will be perfect for the shad and stripers. Five will be good for the trout (obviously) around here. However, as you get more and more into fishing these creeks/ rivers you will see why it is commonplace to use lighter/shorter rods as some of the water is tight and fish on the smaller side, but still feisty.
Before I go into shad and stripers there are a few excellent resources you can use to learn more about the fishing in the area;
3) This Forum - a lot of threads have been started by guys like us to which a bunch of guys have subsequently responded. Combing through these posts/ previous topics is an easy way to learn a lot.
4) go to local fly shops and talk to the guys .. District angling and orvis are both in Arlington area.
Some quick spots and species off the top of my head would be
- C&O Canal - Carp (what I target), bluegill, and bass. Probably snakehead too but I am not sure?
-Tidal Basin - Bass, Snakehead, Occasional Striper - mixed bag area - never fished it but many do
- Gravelly point - stripers can be caught on the right tides
- 4 mile run - bass, small stripers, - discharge
- various trout streams, in VA/MD (accontink (close) or gunpowder (know it well) )
- Burke Lake - bass, bluegill, Musky, ect. - can rent boats there - this weekend is last weekend until spring.
- turkey run - carp, probably bass.
Never caught shad or stripers in the Potomac, but alot of experience with stripers as I ripped them on Cape Cod for years and subsequently encountered the odd herring here and there. BUT - this is a quick intro to what I have picked up.
Shad run in the springtime and that is the only time they are caught, by my knowledge, in the Potomac. Fishing from fletchers is very popular and row boats can be rented. Many use a sinking line (full or intermediate) and flies called
Shad Darts and other similar patterns. I have also caught them on Clousers and smaller baitfish patterns.
Stripers are a similar situation and do run in the spring, although a population does hold year round, they are smaller than the migratory fish.
thats all i got right now.
Tight Lines !
