SCUDS TALK AT GRR JAN 11, 2022 WEEKLY MEETING
BY MEMBER MIKE CORRY
Notes by John Pierce
• Scuds are sometimes called freshwater shrimp.
• Often see in bottom of lake, but fisherpersons rarely use as flies. Have tried with scud pattern fly on size 18 hooks, but fish straightened hook and lost fish.
• Some lakes that have big trout are ones that don't have water draining, and lots of scuds from higher Calcium content / alkaline lakes. Can use a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) Meter to determine how productive a lake might be.
• When come to new lake, minimal fishing on first day, turn over weeds, rocks, wood to determine food. Best scuds are light-dark blue large 1" scuds, blue colour is from molting.
• If see lots of birds diving into lakes, they are eating weeds and scuds in weeds.
• When sample stomachs of trophy fish, filled with a lot of scuds especially pregnant and parasitized scuds.
• Many trophy lakes have blue-green algae.
• Some scuds have orange blob in middle, they are not pregnant as no two bumps under tail, but orange blob is from a spiney headed worm parasite. The parasite affects the scuds' nervous system, such that light-dark sense is reversed, and the infected scud instead of hiding swims along surface.
• If see scud swimming, it is straight not curved, so try scud pattern on straight hook.
• Good scud lake examples are local Cowichan Lake, and lakes in N Van Isle.
• Summary: In trophy lakes, try blue coloured scud patterns.