Alosa Sapidissima Multi-cache

Alosa Sapidissima (to 30 in.)

First time I ever saw one of these beauties was the Spring of 2003, when I helped with the herring count then being conducted by the Charles River Watershed Association, for whom I am a long-time volunteer. The job consisted of sitting on top of a fish ladder and counting the number of little silver herring that came upstream in a given period. One time I counted over 500 fish in one hour. The Charles really is getting cleaner. Just ask the fish!

But no one told me about the possibility of seeing other species. So you can imagine my surprise when, in the middle of counting all these tiny herring—basically just overgrown sardines—this mammoth 2-foot-plus behemoth came busting through the fish ladder. I nearly fell into the water. Since then I have learned about Alosa sapidissima, AKA the American Shad, and he is impressive.

Alosa Pseudoharengus, AKA "alewife" (3 to 10 in.)

Shad can reach 30 inches in length. They are normally a shiny blue-green color, with black spots on the shoulder, but they turn a dull brown when they enter fresh water. There were three of them at the top of the fish ladder when I set up this cache, so I took that as a sign of what the theme of the cache should be.

During the Spring migration, you can get a good look at them (along with alewives and stripers, among other species) by checking out the Shad Cam:

Shad Cam

Dam Breach

If you are hoping to see migrating fish in the Charles, I recommend going on a sunny Spring day between mid-April and mid-May. Best viewing happens in places where (a) the sun is shining directly on the water and (b) the bottom is relatively light in color. This latter can be tough to find. It is also suggested that you wear polarized sunglasses. Please note that fishing near fish ladders is restricted during migration periods, and even licensed fishermen will be fined for taking fish on the wrong day of the week.

The cache is an offset that will allow you to hang around this neat spot for a while. You could bring a picnic lunch if you want. To find it take the following numbers with you to the starting coords:

293239

229065

Parking can be tricky, as the private lots in the area are all posted. The starting coords are for on-street parking. Look around nearby for a telephone pole with a large metal box up high. You’ll see a 2-digit number followed by a letter “B.” Divide the numbers 293239 & 229065 by the 2-digit number to get the location for a micro. The micro will give you coords for the final, which is an ammo box.

There’s a fair bit of foot traffic here, especially on weekdays during lunch. Be discreet.

There are several unusual trade items in the cache, including a couple of interesting examples of foreign currency (a 50 Colones note from Costa Rica and a 10 New Pence bill in British military scrip). FTF gets a Starbucks card with twenty bucks on it. (There happens to be a Starbucks nearby.) FTF also receives a 1-year membership in the Charles River Watershed Association. (This prize was officially claimed by Loch Cache. See logs.) I’m also placing some fishing-related items in there.