Connecticut River Shad

Did you know there is a commercial fishery for shad on the Connecticut River? Seasonal, small-scale, and often hidden from view, the fishery goes largely unnoticed with the exception of a random shad bake. American shad normally return to the Connecticut River sometime in late April and continue through June. Once the river warms up, the shad spawn, and the season comes to an end.


Tucked away on the river's bank near the Rocky Hill Ferry is Hale's Shad. It's an unassuming type of place,to say the least: just a bare counter-top, a list of prices, and some photocopied recipes taped to the wall. Hale's stays open during the spring run, selling nothing but shad, roe, and something called shad milt.
"Marketed" as an aphrodisiac, every customer at Hale's got a sales pitch for shad milt while I was there. Having already eaten six oysters for lunch, I didn't want to get carried away, so I politely said "no thanks".

Wikipedia: American Shad
UMassEdu: Poor Man's Salmon
Map: Hale's Shad