This shad fly is part of The Pfeiffer Collection.
This is the type of fly that I love for shad. It is really simple and very quick to tie, so you can tie up a mess of them in different color combinations very quickly. The chenille body and kip tail wing are very durable, which means the fly will last catch after catch. I have tied this pattern in the past as shown in the video or with an orange body and white wing and have had a lot of success with it on the St Johns River. I also flip the whole thing over by tying it with an hourglass eye, which makes it even more versatile on my river. Other favorite colors are pink body and white wing and white body with pink wing.
Joe Zimmer’s Shad Fly Pattern:
Hook: Size 6 or 8, 3x Long (I chose 2x)
Body: Chenille in a color of your choice
Wing: Kip Tail in a color of your choice
Note: I often add a little Flashabou to this pattern as well. This is definitely a St Johns River favorite! Here is an example tied “St Johns River Style” with an hourglass eye and some Flashabou:
