Yellowsonfly

January 2012 Middle Vaal Report

2012-01-18T07:50:00.001+02:00

Apologies for the hiatus over the December holidays. Work and holiday got in the way of fishing reports, mostly work. I trust you had a good rest and enjoyed fly fishing possibly in some other part of this country covered by the many reports on the FOSAF site.

Sedgefield late afternoon fly fishing

I had one decent session with the Garrick at Sedgefield, small fish but on light tackle it was exiting. For the rest of the holiday success evaded me due to some obscure reason only saltwater fish know about.

Through some cunning planning and negotiation I managed to convince the family to stay over at Rooipoort near Kimberley on the way back home. It has always been on my bucket list to visit this unspoilt part of our country and to fish for the Yellowfish in the Vaal bordering the reserve.

A magnificent Red Hartebeest bull, Rooipoort

We arrived late afternoon on New Year ’s Eve, not enough time to fish but I did get to drive down to the river. This place is big, it’s 7km on a good dirt road to get to the river! I inspected the water in the last rays of 2011 sunlight. It looked promising but I did not see a rapid at this spot.

Petroglyphs, Rooipoort. Glad they're not in the Vaal anymore.

Next day I was back at the spot closest to the house. There were some fishy activity but as far as the eye can see it was flat open water. I walked the banks trying to spot feeding fish, while my efforts was unsuccessful I spotted a new species for me, some very big. Grass carp with their yellowish bodies almost confused with our beloved yellow – a flat head and black markings on the tail showed them up. They also refused the fly. I continued downstream stopping whenever the riverine bush allowed but a walk along the banks proved futile. The only fish I saw were the grass carp cruising and the occasional catfish.

The long flat piece of water continued for at least 5km maybe even longer. Eventually I could spot a change in features downstream – islands with channels and reeds. As I walked out of the bush I could hear the murmur of the river and then the full force of destruction hit me. This whole area was being mined by the “community” bordering the reserve. Full on earth works right in the middle of the stream bed, damming up and channelling the flow and a big 3X2m oil spill left right there. Some very large and powerful machinery was used here. I walked to the spot where I could hear the water, it was gushing through 2 or 3 storm water pipes. I got one yellow there.

I drove further downstream looking for a place that resembled a natural stream bed, something like the middle Vaal. The next drift (shallow section) looked better at least the mining was done on the banks clearly by a large contract mining operation. Being 1 January all looked quiet only a few people moving about and the tell-tale string of 2 litre bottles across the river. Obviously holding up a gill net supplying someone with protein or income. I wish it could selectively catch the hundreds of grass carp that I saw during the day. I got a few consolation yellows from the deeper channels. The river at this place was nice and clear affording me an opportunity to search for feeding yellows but the only fish visible in the shallow water was grass carp. After a disappointing day I called it quits and started the long trip back.

The reports I get to see from the middle Vaal are positive. Beginning December the water was still clear, with the moderate rainfall it should remain like that. If you time your trip with decent flows you will fish one of the best pieces of fly fishing water in the world.

New Year Milkyway

Cheers from

Carl & Keith

December 2011 Middle Vaal Report

2011-11-28T10:19:00.001+02:00

Roadtripping

That is it, it is a month before Christmas and the irritating jingles are playing in the shops so another year is gone. The fishing season since the end of winter is one of the best we’ve experienced in a few years. The fish were eager to take the fly and the water clarity was great. I hope you made the effort to get onto the water.

Panning for gold

I’m so thankful the summer rains has started - in moderation I believe it is good for the fishing. It is a lovely relief from the heat wave and the farmers in the middle Vaal must’ve sighed a sigh of relief. We are still getting reports of trophy kudu bulls dying on the farm in Alldays, the last decent rain was in Febuary this year and therefore I never complain when it rains. The weather forecasters are predicting a wet summer with La Nina conditions, so fishing trips will require good planning, a bit of luck and some weekday sneaking out! Also just remember grass will grow faster if you mow it frequently skipping a Saturday is good for the root system to develop.

The Doctor's medicine

I’m off to the coast in a few weeks, hopefully the Garden Route will heat up and the leeries or skipjack will show themselves. Last year I didn’t even bother to pick up a rod. But knowing the fickle nature of the weather and sea I hedged my bets. I booked a sleepover on the return trip on the Rooipoort Nature Reserve bordering the Vaal near Kimberley.

We wish you and your family a blessed Christmas and a happy new year. Enjoy your break, drive safely, don’t drink and drive, watch out for the lightning and just relax :-)! Seriously just enjoy the fishing!

Cheers

Carl and Keith

November 2011 Middle Vaal Report

2011-10-25T09:27:00.000+03:00

Sunrise on the way to the Vaal

The red-chested cuckoo calling was a sign that the summer rains were on the way. This is the call for all fly fisherman to get to the Vaal and enjoy some of the best fishing we've had in. Kobus and I headed the call, took a Friday off to fish the Vaal far from the maddening crowds, only to run into a Bells festival in full swing at Elgro River Lodge. I was glad for a river and not a dam, we would’ve been stumped, next venue was perfect not another fisherman in sight. Since my previous trip on 1 October clarity improved to a meter, perfect for a bit of sight fishing and I think the limit when it comes to close in fishing. I could cast to feeding fish and watch them react to the fly coming into sight.

The fish get excited and one can clearly see the eager head movement of the take, while there is no sign of movement on the indicator. A timely lift of the rod connects to a very surprised fish shooting off to deeper water. This particular section has one of the prettiest runs on the Vaal and when clear reminds me of famous rivers in Montana.

The channel cuts between 2 islands, long strands of water grass gently undulating in the reduced flow, occasionally opening up to reveal the gold of a yellow. I wish the Vaal could always look like this. This is the 3rd week of October and it certainly feels like summer is here. I’m hearing all the summer migrant birds in the garden – paradise flycatcher, cuckoo and purple-backed starling. We are experiencing a heat wave in Gauteng at the moment, not great for fishing and fisherman. From our previous trip we had one younger member with some serious sunburn, my advice always cover up as much as possible, long-sleeved and legged trousers are the best option. I try to avoid adding sun cream while fishing – some foreign oily substances get onto your flies – opting instead to cover up early in the morning. Baseball caps although they look cool is another thing to avoid, rather get a wide brimmed hat with a dark under brim fabric, makes spotting fish a lot easier. A Buff is a handy sun protection garment, although fairly expensive. I was standing in the queue at Woolies and noticed a similar piece of material at R30, unfortunately in feminine colours. I have a feeling of being ripped off when I paid 5 times that. Next time you see a guy with a mauve buff it might be me☺.

During these hot spells the fish are also at risk. Oxygen levels drop in the warmer water impacting their recovery time after a fight. Make sure you spend more than enough time to revive the fish in the flowing water. If you struggle in finding fish in the regular spots, realise that they do not like the direct harsh sunlight. Find shaded areas under the willows or against the bank undercuts shaded by vegetation. Try fishing in the cooler times of the day, spend the hottest times resting up for the afternoon session. I’m noticing the small black ants are becoming very active, moving nests and collecting food. Although I do not have this down to a science, my experience from previous years is that this indicates the big rain is about 10-14 days away. Get yourself onto the river!

Cheers Carl

There is still plenty of beauty on the Vaal

October 2011 Middle Vaal Report

2011-10-07T13:41:00.000+03:00

After an almost 12 month absence it was absolute bliss getting into the Vaal on Saturday. The weather wasn’t particularly great with a strong upstream wind and with a grumbling cloud cover overhead. The wind was “predicted” to die down towards the afternoon prompting me to swing the boat’s nose upstream. Flows were very low and with the wind in my back I travelled like a Frans Steyn penalty kick, effortlessly with the wind.

The floods have certainly “cleaned” up the river. The substrate is cleared of debris and mud, a few spots even had nice pebble beds. Visibility is not great, I would say 50cm but it is good enough to spot the odd flash of feeding fish when the sun is right. After such a long absence from the river I find it very difficult to fish blind. The mojo of just knowing where a fish lies in any given stretch of water is gone. That is when I spend a few minutes at every rapid or run to scan for fish activity - a head breaking the surface, a tail wagging up in the air or the telltale flash of gold. This also helps to identify any spawning activity, in most cases spawning will be a very visible splashing and trashing.

It took a while before I found the fish. Paddling through the glides normally spook fish and it’s easy to spot the bow wave of a departing fish, but I saw nothing. So the fish were somewhere else, very difficult to see anything in the deeper pools, due to the strong wind there was no surface activity. My gut feel was that they were in the faster rapids, aerated water, with lots of food. I kept on going until I reached the first big rapid above Elgro lodge. Even with the flows around 15 cumecs my unpractised hand could not get the fly into the zone. In the slower water I got strikes on the NZ-rig so I knew the fish were there and active. I removed the strike indicator and with a good mend and control a feisty male grabbed the fly in a pocket. It does help to know the fish are there but when you’re not getting takes the most likely problem is your flies are not in the feeding zone.

The fly that worked for me was this caddis, tungsten bead, but you can use lead in the body.

I recently bought a macro lens and was trying to have a closer look at the naturals in the Vaal’s larder. The photos are not great, I battled without a tripod☺. But the pupa shows nicely what the key triggers would be to include in an imitation-black wing buds, long legs and antennae bright green abdomen.

A great top fly to swing down and across when the big Vaal caddis are emerging. There were plenty mayfly nymphs and these smaller caddis larvae on the rocks.

Earlier in the season a friend reported a buddy and he fished together – he blanked. He made one comment that got me thinking, every time his friend switched to another fly he would get a few fish. My theory is that the fish were feeding higher up in the water column and a new fly sunk slower due to air bubbles trapped in the dry body, this put the fly in the zone for longer. Until it got completely water logged, and sunk out of sight too quickly.

On a sadder note we’ve received reports of some venues along the Vaal allowing jig fisherman to target spawning fish and also killing fish. Unfortunately this is a battle not easily won. Most venues along the Vaal have certainly been approached by us, Yellowfish Working Group and various other conservation bodies. How do we go about solving this? Education does work, there are still people who do not realise the threat faced by yellows in the Vaal some will listen and change their ways. Unfortunately the moral fibre of SA society is shot, on a daily basis I rage against people in Rustenburg driving over stop streets with impunity, but nothing changes. So there will always be people who will ignore your plea to change their ways. Try having a good chat with the venue owner if that fails I would suggest vote with your feet. Just keep in mind money keeps the person in business, their income is not solely from fly fisherman especially in winter!

This is the reason I support Elgro Lodge because they walk the talk when it comes to yellowfish conservation.

The Wylye Monster

2011-10-03T11:53:00.000+03:00

I know this blog is about yellows but if you feel like seeing what I am getting up to on the chalkstreams of Southern England have a read about the 28" brown I got last week
what a day!
Keith

September 2011 Middle Vaal Report

2011-08-30T12:42:00.000+03:00

After a seemingly endless winter, spring has finally arrived and that is all I’m saying for now. There will be a few cold fronts, mostly coinciding with our planned weekend fishing trips until the regular summer rainfall sets in and ….! No I’ll be positive, but if I go by the two preceding years you better be booking time off with the wife, boss or lovers the window may be small to enjoy good fishing. I’ve had one of the most memorable days of fishing on the 24th of September in 2001, 2 weeks before my son was born.
While writing this report I got this question via email “The problem is I have not fished the Vaal nearly enough, I was hoping you could give me some pointers on fly selection and were to find early season fish.” I can admit to not fishing the Vaal often enough, especially this winter. Conditions have just been very tough and travelling 300km when the odds are against you is for the young and foolhardy.

Although the smallies never stop feeding in winter, they do go into a feeding festival in anticipation of the first spawning run. The larval stages of the big Vaal caddis are almost at their biggest, think size 8-10 hook, these will be one of the prime targets of the yellows. Prospect the waters you are about to fish in search of these, especially in the deeper channels the fish will not be in the very shallow riffles yet. Expect to fish water up to your waist in depth and remember to make the required technical adjustments to your approach. Your flies will have to get down to the feeding zone. Correct casting – slack, parachute, upstream mend, tuck cast anything to get slack in the line. And good mending technique to keep your flies at the right depth for as long as possible.
To hedge your bets add a good mayfly imitation to the point, black or GRHE. My preferred method would be a NZ style rig, but you can use whatever you are comfortable with. If the algae becomes too much of a hassle I would switch to dry & dropper approach. Vary the depth of the dropper and work the clearings in between the vegetation. Accurate casting will be the game breaker.

Watch the weather reports for frontal systems, my view is never fish the 1-2 days before the system hits. But you could prove me wrong.

July 2011 Middle Vaal Report

2011-08-30T12:41:00.000+03:00

The few fishing reports I’m seeing on fishing along the middle Vaal, or should I say lack thereof does not make for great reading. Blanking is the common thread and an absolute lack of any surface activity is another. I visited friends at their house next to the Vaal near Bothaville. It is a great spot for largies, big deep pool, a tributary and some large rocky outcrops. Unfortunately I lost inspiration due to the very low visibility. It seems from the Barrage downstream the visibility is around 40cm, good for summer but nothing compared to winters past.

Well with all the doom and gloom I still believe the fish are there and we can catch them. The Vaal experienced severe flooding during the first few months of 2011. I think it will require a “normal” rainfall season to settle things in the river. Some good news is the sun has reached its apex in the northern hemisphere the subtle changes of the season is happening and it may just bring on something on the river. When you do venture out it is vitally important to first find the fish before wasting time flogging a dead beat. I’ve found on multiple trips down the Vaal even in winter the fish do move around the pools. Fishing last Saturday’s productive throat of the pool produced nothing, until I float downstream. Finding a flat rocky section with very little flow in the bend of the river, it seems the water might be a tad warmer here. Standing on the Arc I could just make out the subsurface shapes of fish, moving and feeding. A few minutes later the first yellow was in the net.
When the fish are not on the surface experiment with a team of nymphs fished progressively deeper. Or use longer droppers with your dries, if you battle to cast the set-up just reduce the leader.

I’m off to try the Palala river this weekend, hope I can find a fish or two willing to take a well presented fly.

June 2011 Middle Vaal Report

2011-08-30T12:37:00.000+03:00

I had a look at the 2010 report for June, looking for inspiration. That was the time of the World Cup and we had a massive cold front hitting around mid month. Pretty much the same happened last week but we had a few millimetres of rain. Enough to upset the flows! Added to this there was a mishap at the Barrage, opening of the gates letting out 200 cumecs.

Winter is the time of dry fly and visible fishing on the Vaal. The above sequence of events has put paid to it for a few more weeks. I’m not saying you will not catch on a well presented rig – best a dry and dropper – but when one ventures out in this cold it has to be worth it. The same applies to the largemouth, visibility just make your chances of success so much better.

My suggestion would be to hold out for a few more weeks until you see the DWAF chart flat lining at about 20 cumecs. Tie up some flies, clean the tackle and score some points around the house.

Lucky hunter.

March Middle Vaal Report

2011-03-13T16:51:00.000+02:00

The Vaal is back to safe wadeable and easy fishable flow rates. I’m glad the fish and fisherman got some respite from the severe floods before winter sets in.
Autumn is a great time on the Vaal, the fish will be feeding well to bulk up for winter. Please note they do not hibernate but continue feeding throughout the
cold months – finding them and presenting the right fly is the key to success. With the constant flows clarity should improve during the next few weeks.

The fish will continue feeding in the rapids depending on the water temperatures and time of day. Be prepared to move around if you don’t find them there or see consistent feeding in other areas. You should also make allowance for the time of day. We are all eager to get to the water as early as possible, but I think you’ll have a more enjoyable day if you give your wife breakfast in bed and then head out. The extra brownie points will give you more time on the water in the late afternoon and early evening. This is a special time, the fish get more relaxed as the sun dips below the horizon with the threat of predators diminishing.

They become aggressive feeders moving into the shallow rapids, glides and tail-outs eager to take a well presented dry or hedge your bets with a dropper added.
My suggestion would be to limit casting and rather wait for the right moment, the fish will move closer to you, offering an easier opportunity.

Good luck and enjoy
Carl & Keith

December 2010 Middle Vaal Report

2010-12-11T06:45:00.000+02:00

Another year has flown by at a rapid pace. As a kid I wished away the days between fishing trips, now I never do as the days are too precious, but still the years rush by like the Vaal in flood – classic I know.I was lucky enough to spend some time on the hallowed waters of Sterkfontein. Although the fishing was extremely tough I was rewarded with some great photo opportunities.

The dam has been fishing like a temperamental lady, with a certain amount of tender loving attention something was forthcoming. But the great dry fly action of years gone by has disappeared.

Time has not permitted another foray to the Vaal before our annual seaside holiday, so I will have to let her rest until sometime in 2011. I’ll be crossing over the Vaal a few times this holiday – always casting an eye over to spot a fisherman or the ripples of a rise. If you do get to fish the river this December Herman’s report is as comprehensive a guide as you will find anywhere.
The Actual Vaal Report by Herman Botes
My experience on the Vaal so far this season has been an on-off affair. The unusual weather patterns seems to play a bit of havoc with my fishing outings , or I’m just picking bad days to step onto the water.
Very disappointing for me was the lack of surface activity at dusk (the time of day I look forward to all afternoon) - the fish do move into the thin water at dusk though. When you see fish activity in the thin water at dusk a dry-and dropper approach can be a lot of fun and you do not hang up as you would if you persisted with a standard nymph rig. Also try this same set up smack bang in the middle of the afternoon if the fishing is slow and concentrate on the smoother glides & runs just below some broken water.
Nov / Dec is mostly a caddis affair with the fish concentrating on grubbing on the rocks in the fast aerated riffle& pocket water , especially in low light and overcast weather. The rest of the day the fish hang out below overhanging trees / vegetation and deeper glides. It’s purposeful fishing, but if you get them in hard feeding mode , you will get pockets of full blown action along your beat . Imitations of Macrostemum Capense (green rockworm) & mustard caddis are good bets for control flies and Garth Wellman’s Green Machine as a dropper can be deadly. I also noted a very high percentage of ginger caddis (brown head/thorax ) in # 14 on the rocks at most venues. The interesting thing is that their appearance coincides with the disappearance of the forest green caddis(black head & thorax) # 14 Go figure ….

My pet challenge in summer is also to bump into a Trico mayfly migration which bring its own challenge and variation to the game. Trico Mays are big….. #14 for adult with football humped wing cases. The nymphs are STOUT with olive/brown dorsal side and yellow/cream ventral side -do not confuse them with the black Leptophlioebeadae? Mays of the same size.When these mays are ready to hatch the mature nymphs migrate to the slack water on the sides of the runs and shallow slacks behind big boulders from where they hatch. They do this by simply walking over & under the rocks. Needless to say the fish follow. To establish if a migration is happening or has happened - turn over a couple of the loser rocks on the side of the river. If one of the rocks is crawling with trico’s (looks like a cattle farm) , you could be in for some good fishing by concentrating on the thin water on the sides and using a stealthy approach. In good water clarity and light you can even sight fish to individual fish using a dry-and-dropper setup. Anglers mostly use a brown Mayfly imitation to imitate the nymphs and I had on occasion achieved good results with a brown gold bead may with a golden flashback. However this is not always effective , especially if you are simply covering water. Lately I found the yellow/cream/mustard ventral colour of the nymph to be more of an attraction and definite trigger - combine that with a brown thorax and a gold / copper or orange bead for an effective imitation. And of course a scruffy picked out GRHE will also account for fish.

Late Nov/early Dec is also the time of the second spawn for the fish (depending on flows) so be aware and tread carefully. This is a windfall for those married to the hotspot PTN as this little pattern will once again pull in good numbers of fish together with its fellow orange hotspot cronies. There simply is no denying the effectiveness of orange triggers especially around the time of spawn runs. Herman.

If you are going on holiday, travel safely, switch on those head lights and be more visible. Enjoy the fishing at your destination and spend some time with the significant other unless you’ve already fished yourself single. Have a blessed Christmas and I hope your 2011 will be a great fishing year!

Cheers

Carl and Keith.

October 2010 Middel Vaal Report

2010-11-10T20:31:00.000+02:00

I did get out in September, my first day fishing the Vaal since the river levels got too high in 2009, it wasn't great. I suppose to some extent I was to blame being in a bit of a masochistic dry fly mood. I focused on searching for fish moving on the surface, paddled almost 1km upstream. On some days this works – one will eventually find consistent feeders but on the particular day I blanked. Even in the late afternoon session fish were picky. I tried nymphing the rapids but hooking up with the algae got the better of me.

One bonus for the day was getting close to this juvenile Black Winged Stilt.

The Actual Vaal Report by Herman Botes
The caddis took their good time to do their thing, but boy , when they started the main hatches… it was worth the wait. Strangely this year the daily hatches hit their peaks quite late at dusk. Normally in spring the caddis species are full force anytime after 3 pm in early spring.
Needless to say, dusk is the magic hour, when you would swear you’re in fishing heaven with caddis popping off like popcorn and the yellows rising mad. The low light and drifting buffet results in the fishing pushing right up into the thin water at the pool heads and current breaks(ridges) as well as sitting right back in the tail-outs.
For success only 2 things are required … ultra stealth (don’t move around too much) and a HERMAN-HAMER. This Klinkhamer variant is so effective that if your targeted fish does not eat it , it means you cocked up on your presentation. Sometimes ,out of nowhere a fish would it eat drag-and- all. The pattern is published in Favorite Flies Vol. 4 - named klinkhamer variant. Don’t leave home without it.
On the nymphing front : - the green hydroshycidae larva # 10 are prolific as well as the smaller cream specie #14. The small cream specie is responsible for the current mass hatching. I was lucky last week to capture an actual pupa – at night with my headlamp & seine net. Description ; # 16 / abdomen – bright yellow ! / wing buds – black / thorax & head – ginger brown / antennae & legs – body length and tan. Now I understood why my Plaza Pupa is always a hit.

Cheers

Carl and Keith.

September 2010 Middle Vaal Report

2010-09-16T15:13:00.000+03:00

I got an email from my good mate Dave Weaver - there on the banks of the Wilge river. It was a few photo’s and a brief report back on a fishing trip to Tanzania. I managed to track down the author via the email addresses. It was none other than Ed Truter one of the regular FOSAF Favourite Flies contributors and a well respected fisherman. I particularly liked the photos – clearly an artist at work – and this image of a yellow made my heart jump.

Photo: Leonard Fleming (Tourette Fishing)

Ed shares some more info on it:“The fish, as far as we can ascertain is Labeobarbus mariae, the "Rhino fish", said to grow to at least 58lbs in Kenya with mentions of fish up to 100lb! I have been looking into the yellowfish I caught in the Mnyera Rapids above the 'falls'. As I said, there is a description of a "rhino fish" (Barbus mariae) in an old book, The Game Fishes of Africa, that I have, which matches the fish we caught. Most interesting is that the biggest fish on record at the time of writing was 58 1/2 lb from the Athi River in Kenya on rod and line, and a fish of 100 lb caught on a night line in the Tana River in Kenya!”
I’m off to the river on Saturday for some much needed fishing. Herman’s report looks bullish enough for me to cancel a few appointments and meet up with Zoran.

Photo: Leonard Fleming (Tourette Fishing)

The Actual Vaal Report by Herman Botes
The fronts do cause a hit or miss situation but I’m trying to stay on top of the weather to avoid those “dead” days. The fishing is slow and deliberate, to quote Keith “Tough but rewarding”.
The bigger of the 2 BWO species are now hatching between 2- 3 pm and again at dusk. Nymphs can be imitated up to #14.I like to refer to the adults as PMD’s as they are similar in appearance. The fish love this hatch and you can bet a few would move into the pool heads to feed. If you’re in luck and there’s no wind (hardly ever on the Vaal) they will be feeding on top. Otherwise it’s dry & dropper.
At dusk the wind drops and the low light draws a lot of fish to the surface. There are a lot of cruisers in the slack water sipping cripples & casualties from the day’s hatches and spinner falls or feeding on the sub-surface midge. You can push yourself to the max and fish #20 midge emergers on 7X in very bad light .Pick a particular fish and dual it out until it eventually eats(very rewarding / very stressful) or opt for a dry ( spent/cripple adult) with # 18/20 midge 5 cm below it . This setup can turn an evening rise into a fun affair.
Saw the first early bird caddis fluttering at dusk. Still too few around to capture the fish’s attention. Caught my first bat on fly ---- luckily the little oke didn’t get hooked but ended up in the water. Did you know that bats can swim very well?
Cheers
Carl and Keith.

August Middle Vaal report

2010-08-05T22:10:00.000+03:00

I cannot believe the months are flying by as fast as they are at the moment. I’m turning 40 next month and I think life is picking up speed as we get older. I’m glad to say it’s still cool I’m still enjoying the ride. I still haven’t managed a trip to the Vaal and winter is almost over, it’s certainly shorts & t-shirts weather on the northern side of the Magalies. We spent a weekend in the Pilanesberg, lots of photos again no fishing except for the lady at the top. While out in the bush I could see the signs are there that nature is slowly getting ready for spring.

We got a question on the blog “I just found your blog, awesome stuff, any new stuff happening regarding the vaal system, I am wanting to do a trip there in about a month time, what would you suggest I start tying up?”
I can recommend an old favourite The Adams, one which should always be in your box. Whether fishing for trout or yellows just about anything that would take a fly, I’ve taken a tilapia on it.
http://www.midcurrent.com/video/clips/tying/tightline_adams.aspx

Some fishing news from Herman Botes, one of the best out there!
“Fished yesterday afternoon (landed 6 smallies ).Nymphed the whole water column. Picked fish up close to the bottom , mid water and 2 feet below surface.

Sparse mid afternoon hatch of BWO . Wind pumped so no surface activity.
Midges #20 -22 trickling of during afternoon. No hatch activity at dusk.
Big mature caddis larva( on rocks)-macrostemum capense- First hatches should start in 1 month."

Cheers Carl & Keith

June 2010 Middle Vaal Report

2010-06-24T20:10:00.000+03:00

In proving foresight may be vain:

The best laid schemes of mice and men

Go often askew,

And leave us nothing but grief and pain,

For promised joy!

I had it all planned for the 16th, perfect day in mid week to catch the fish & weather off guard. They are forever watching the weekends conspiring to defeat us in our pursuit. A post on the Blog mustered up some fellow fly fishers with the urge to prospect for winter gold. The weekend before the weather was balmy and we riled the English fans staying at the farm lodge, even our winter weather was better than anything the UK summer could offer.

Well by Tuesday the predicted cold front struck, fierce biting cold, ripping through flesh and bone – why do the SA Weather guys get it right when we go fishing but wrong when we can’t?!? And so I was reminded of the lines from the Robert Burns poem written in 1785. I’m sure he missed out on a Salmon fishing trip due to dodgy weather when he wrote this poem.

The flow rate at the Goose Bay Canyon site has been relatively constant for more than a month now, which bodes well for clarity. Keep an eye on the weather report and if you’re not watching the soccer, get down to the Vaal for some dry fly action. I cannot vouch for the reports personally, but rumours of good largemouth catches are doing the rounds.

The upside of the cancelled fishing trip was that we headed out to Pilanesberg for the day, one of my favourite Game Reserves. We were very lucky to witness a Caracal catching a Natal Francolin and I got a few photo’s to prove it.

The sequence is here - http://picasaweb.google.com/carl.yellowfever/CaracalHunt?feat=directlink

This weekend (26th June 2010) will be our last weekend of hosting visitors at the lodge. The USA vs Ghana match is going to be massive! Hopefully I will then be able to put together another trip for the Vaal.

Cheers

Carl and Keith

ELGRO Y-O-F TRIP

2010-06-01T20:16:00.000+03:00

I'm busy organising a winter trip to Elgro lodge. No guiding just a bit of help, fishing together and photo's. Send me an email if you are interested

carl.yellowfeveratgmail.com (due to spammers just replace the at with @)

Regards

Carl

May 2010 Middle Vaal Report

2010-05-24T11:28:00.000+03:00

Kimberley sunset

BOATS

I received a question on fishing the Vaal in mid winter and thought I would share some of my views for this month’s report.

“Also, do you have to have waders or a boat?”

Boats are great in the sense that they compensate for dodgy casting abilities and the natural movement of feeding fish. When the fish are feeding in a spot, the water level is an inch away from the top of the waders and your cast is dropping 1 meter short it’s not fun. Sometimes fish move around the pool, could be due to sensing the angler or to follow the food. I see this on stillwaters as well as the Vaal and being mobile gives you more options.
At the moment the water temperature is bearable, later in winter the temps get down to the low teens and your legs and feet go numb even with neoprene waders. Standing in cold water for prolonged periods can expose you to hyperthermia especially if you take a dip J.
Fishing pressure is low in winter but a boat can get you to the secluded spots, sometimes just a short paddle away from other fisherman.
There are very few spots along the middle Vaal (especially in the Dome) with clear banks, most of it is tree lined which makes casting difficult. The upper Vaal flows through highveld with clear grass banks, but this area takes longer to clear. A boat will get you away from these obstructions.
Fishing exclusively for smallies is an option on foot. They get onto the surface to feed in the hatches so it’s visible and you can spot them from afar.
I would not consider targeting largemouth without a boat. You need to move around to locate them and also be very flexible in reaching the spots they hold out in. A typical pool they hold in can be 1km by 500m.
Winter fishing for smallmouth is mostly visual. A boat can provide the required elevation in a flat pool to spot fish. Sometimes the smallies hold just below the surface – where they are very visible – but a dimple rise to mayflies can be easily missed on a large pool.
I like getting the sun at the right angle to assist in spotting fish, again mobility makes this possible. Canoes are not stable enough to use as a platform, I use them to get to a rock or island from which I do have a vantage point within casting distance.

The river flow seems to settle, still high for the winter reserve flow but if it remains constant, clarity will improve to good fishable conditions. Let’s hope it does so quickly I need a fix of good dry fly fishing!

April 2010 Middle Vaal Report

2010-04-22T22:18:00.001+03:00

My prediction is for foul weather and flood like conditions to continue for the Vaal. Seems the last few months every time I predicted conditions to change for the better, the reverse happened! We are now yet again seeing reasonable flow levels around Goose Bay Canyon (Schoemansdrift data unavailable). I say reasonable as I’ve heard of people fishing 60 cumecs. To me that is still too high and I’m waiting for the clarity to improve.

The signs of autumn are all round and with it come changes in tactics and approach. The good news is until the spring-summer transition we don’t have to get up as early as we used to. Fish will start to move out of the rapids into the deeper glides and heads of the pools. They will hold here, foraging in the shallower water as day time temperatures increase coinciding with movement of insects. Keep an eye out for activity and target those areas first, with various set-ups. My first choice would be:

· a dry and dropper set-up floated in those glides or flat water
· a team of soft hackle/emerger, nymph and beaded nymph floated across and down stream.
Enjoy this special time on the Vaal and lets hope things clear up before the dead of winter.

Dullstroom - Millstream

2010-04-07T08:53:00.000+03:00

Fly fishing for trout is not my first choice fly fishing, apart from some great venues in the North Eastern Cape, when time permits my preferential target is yellowfish. But I learned the ropes fishing for trout in the Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalanga and I have the utmost respect for the pioneers who brought trout to this country and with it laid the ground for a fly fishing culture. I will always cherish an opportunity to pursue them in that area.

Autumn should be one of the better times to fish for trout before they get otherwise occupied. That is if the weather plays along, we had 4 days of constant change – never a good thing. But I take the cards I’m dealt even if it sees me hiding underneath an upturned boat to escape the deluge of rain. The weekend started well with sunny skies on Saturday, but the fish had a premonition of the impending changes in weather and developed selective lock jaw.

I say selective as the odd fish still came out but I couldn’t attribute my success to one specific fly or technique. On previous visits to Millstream, I would find a fly that worked and when ever experimenting with other flies got boring I would switch and BANG into a fish! On this occasion I was like an out of form batsmen whenever I got into the 30’s I would lose my wicket. I tried most of the flies in my box (no Walkers Killer, although they always work) and got the most takes on GRHE, Black Woolly Bugger and Zak nymph.

Sometimes it’s not the fly, but rather the technique. To me the most important aspect is retrieve rate and how one applies variations to achieve success. I would go slower rather than faster, for this reason I use floating or intermediate lines, preventing snags on the bottom. Most of the dams can be effectively covered with these lines. Yes there are times during the dog days of a hot summer that a sinker will dredge them out of the deep. There is obviously a case in terms of quantity of fish caught for the faithful strip a big fat fly as fast as possible – it’s ugly.

Although I’m not a dry fly purist it is an aspect of fly fishing that has a very special place and stand separate from other approaches due to the visual experience. So to say I was miffed when the fish never really got onto the surface is an understatement. Due to the high rainfall I’m missing out one the autumn dry fly action on the Vaal and now this. The clearing skies brought on the prospect hatching termites and there was a brief period when they took to the air (small #16 body). A #14/16 F-fly produced one fish. These termites land with their wings similar to a caddis, I think the f-fly tied with slightly longer wings and a foam body would be a good imitation. Other patterns like foam and deer hair hoppers failed to produced, I think they just work better on warm windy days, when trout expect them to be active and blown onto the water. I would never go there without them, in fact anywhere in South Africa for that matter.

At least the intermittent fishing gave me opportunity to focus on photography, the two hobbies share the same optimal time of day – early light and afternoon light.

On the last afternoon the rest of the family took up the rods which gave me an opportunity to capture them in action. My dad just gave up on the fish when the kids arrived. I was fishing a realistic brown nymph, another throw of the dice which proved unsuccessful. I gave my rod to my wife but swapped the nymph for something with Bling – an olive tri-phonics. Now picture this – the jetties were loaded mostly guys, all was quite, no screaming reels or woops, then the only lady gets a hook-up. And it’s a big one! Biggest fish in our party for the weekend. I promptly removed the rod from her grasp and proceeded to hook 2 more fish for each of the kids, they landed them with a lot of fanfare!

Apart from the great fishing and the good selection of quality water at Millstream the fact that it is such a great family venue makes this an excellent option now that the Vaal is above 300 cumecs again!! Damn I will never make any predictions again – see my previous report.

March 2010 Middle Vaal Report

2010-03-25T22:05:00.000+02:00

What does this beautiful lady have to do with fishing? Took the photo after sunset, it’s just amazing what can be painted with digital cameras these days.

I have to apologise for the hiatus in reporting but with sub optimal fishing conditions on the Vaal I have just not focussed enough on fishing. I think I may have lost my mojo so I’m off to Dullstroom to get my mojo right. Not my ideal type of fly fishing, rather it is a return to my roots and spend time with my ageing father. I started off fly fishing with my dad in the Machadodorp area about 30 years ago and now it’s the turn of 3 generations to share the pursuit. It also gives my wife the opportunity to practice her casting and out fish me!

Seems the flows are settling on the Vaal, so in the next few weeks we may be in for some typical autumn dry fly action. It is one of my favourite times on the river, before the extreme cold of winter sets in and the fish fattening up on the last of the summer insects.

Catch and Release

Twice in the past week this piece of research was discussed on two different radio stations. The species does not relate to the yellowfish of this report, but I think we can learn a lot from this. In the Vaal the largemouth is one of only 2 apex predators.

Catch and release fishing in the Okavango under the spotlight by Prof Nico Smit

Have you ever wondered why you do not see as many tigerfish in our river systems today as you did in the past and where they have gone?

Have you ever wondered what the possible reasons are for the slow disappearance of tigerfish from our rivers and if we will ever see their numbers restored? Is ‘catch and release’ angling placing undue stress on the tigerfish pollution?

The Centre of Aquatic Research (CAR) of the Department of Zoology at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has researched the decline in numbers of the tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus), which to many anglers is the epitome of Africa’s freshwater game fish species.

“As one of the most important predatory fishes in Africa, tigerfish are found in areas throughout the continent. However, in recent years its numbers have declined in many rivers due to water abstraction, pollution, obstructions such as dams and weirs and fishing pressure,” says Prof Nico Smit, head of the UJ’s CAR. “This has been recognised specifically in South Africa. The tigerfish is now included on the protected species list, together with such marine icons such as the great white shark and the coelacanth, which was once thought to be extinct.”

You can read the rest of the article here.

http://www.uj.ac.za/EN/Newsroom/News/Pages/CatchandreleasefishingintheOkavangounderthespotlight.aspx

Cheers
Carl & Keith

February 2010 Middle Vaal Report

2010-02-09T07:40:00.000+02:00

Vaaldam overflow thanks to Henia for sharing her work.

So what do I tell you about fishing conditions on our favourite section of the river? Not a lot – there is no fishing as the river is in absolute turmoil! Unless you are innovative like these guys.

I’m not making any predictions or forecasts on when you can go out again but we will be extremely lucky to get the river back in fishable condition by April. I’m sure there are some who will not be able to hold out until then, my suggestions would rank:
1. Sterkfontein dam.
2. Vaal tributaries, they clear up quicker and the flow rate is lower. Google Earth can assist you, but access is one of the biggest issues. Keep your own safety in mind.
3. Vaal margins. I’m seeing reports of people fishing in the “new” parts of the river. A very challenging prospect which require you to find the new holding spots and deep holes! Keep in mind that the fish feed differently in these zones as the rocks will be void of any aquatic insects.
4. Start another hobby.

I’m not too keen on 2 & 3 – it is a personal bias don’t discard it. I just prefer clean water or at least a chance to fish to sighted fish close to the surface. The Vaal despite it’s name does offer enough of it to make a worthwhile option.

My other hobby photography is coming in very handy at the moment, it helps me burn the excess cash I’m not spending on fishing equipment and I get to do something over the weekends. Photography forms a great symbiotic relationship with fly fishing – we fish in some of the most scenic places on this planet and what better way to capture it all.

I also enjoy birding when out fishing and now it keeps me busy when the fishing is slow – or non existent. A few years back I decided to progress from just knowing it is a kingfisher to identify it as a half-collard kingfisher. It adds more to the whole purpose of getting out and being in nature.

White-faced duck

Carl & Keith
http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

Vaal Flood situation update

2010-01-28T10:48:00.000+02:00

from Francois van wyk, water quality specialist at Rand Water:

For updated info on the Flood situation, please visit www.reservoir.co.za – Marc has added a lot of info and links to the “home page” . We will update regularly and also add some pictures over the next few hours.

Situation currently: Yesterday (28/01) vaal Dam had 8 sluice gates open by 14:00 (outflow 12 cumec)

This morning (29/01) 2 more gates were opened at 10:00 – 2 more will be opened at 12:00 and another 2 at 14:00 – total 14 gates by this afternoon.

December 2009 Middle Vaal Report

2009-12-07T15:41:00.000+02:00

I do not have a lot to report other than the fish are eating and we are at the mercy of summer rains for good water conditions. Flows have been manageable with a few spikes and the resultant drop in water clarity. In the absence of major frontal systems, like the one we had 2 weeks ago, you will experience Highveld thunderstorms on most afternoons. Not much you can do about that but hunker down and make sure you do not become lightning fodder. Most of these are over within 30 minutes affording you excellent fishing for the rest of the afternoon.
As the daytime and water temperatures increase go look for the fish in the shade. Overhanging trees and undercut banks should be worked thoroughly – do not take no for an answer. At times you have to go in tight against the bank and do a few drifts in the good spots. You will be amazed how a fish will only take after the 4th or 5th drift.

Me? I’m of to Sterkfontein dam to satisfy my insatiable lust for dry fly fishing. If you are on the roads this festive season travel safely.

Blessed Christmas to you and your family. Happy New Year.

Carl & Keith

November Middle Vaal Report

2009-11-02T17:46:00.000+02:00

Road trips I love them (at least till we get to the water)

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Some you can some you can’t. I discovered this on my previous fishing trip, to Sterkfontein dam. Not the middle Vaal I know but fishing for smallmouth none the less. On the Friday we arrived we had to fish on foot – with very strong winds we were forced to fish the accessible sheltered areas. The first spot produced my first largemouth in this dam on a small Zak nymph. It gave me a lovely fight and certainly got our tails up.

A fruitless 30 minutes followed and I moved to higher ground, which revealed very little in terms of fish, we moved on. Another shore access spot was completely blown out, with no fish showing!?!

One last trick up our sleeves; we had a choice of rocky shoreline and open bay with sandy/muddy bottom. The bay was wind swept but a small ridge gave enough protection to make a cast. My mates headed to the rocky shoreline, as this was completely protected, and the in the Manual of Sterkies chapter 4 states this is one of the spots.

The Zak did duty again, the high sun afforded enough visibility in the choppy conditions for me to spot 2 fish following but refusing the fly. I immediately switched to a hopper as the water was shallow about 1-1.5m. A short cast into the wind was all I required, the hopper drifted for 2metres before a big mouth engulfed the fly. WOW! She left the shallow flats like a Tokyo bullet train, trying with all her guile to rid her of the 5X tippet holding her back. I landed and released her taking a few minutes to savour the moment – and decide on continuing fishing or go call my friends – I’m such a good person.

The area they were fishing, a top spot in high summer, was void of fish.

They joined me in the bay and Jaco promptly got his first smallie in Sterkies.

The following 2 hours I experienced some of the most amazing fly fishing for smallies I’ve had in my life. The fish were big and fat, they engulfed the hopper (no missed takes) and they all ran like a bat towards deeper water.

Kobus did not have permission from the wife to go, he wasn’t there.

The one lesson I got ingrained again was to find the fish – the usual spots or some completely new place. At Sterkfontein the clear water makes this easy – if the weather co-operate. The Vaal in summer can become so predictable that our cerebral development in the fly fishing lobe takes a serious knock.

This is further aggravated by fishing the same venue! There are various methods to identify the holding places of the fish on the Vaal.

· Find a bit of high ground and use it to spot the fish flashing as they feed. Even in discoloured water the tell tale flashes are visible.
· Pause to survey the river at water level, you may just notice a tail doing the “overhere” wave. This accounted for my first largemouth, a fish of 4.5kg.
· In the pools and glides, keep an eye open for dark torpedo shapes just sub-surface or the dorsal-tail fins of feeding yellows.
· If you see nothing give the fly in water technique a go, but take a break every so often to check for activity.

Only the clever survive, the stupid catch nothing.

The longer term weather predictions are for this year to be an El Nino year, which translates into low rainfall, especially early season. To date this holds true and has afforded us fairly constant flows over October. The only spike due to a canoe race held over the last weekend.
Good luck tread lightly and avoid the spawning fish!

Carl & Keith
http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

October 2009 Middle Vaal Report

2009-10-01T23:08:00.000+03:00

Every now and again a really good story comes in via e-mail this one I think is worthwhile posting:

Steve and his buddies were hanging out and planning an upcoming fishing trip. Unfortunately, he had to tell them that he couldn't go this time because his wife wouldn't let him. After a lot of teasing and name calling, Steve headed home frustrated.
The following week when Steve's buddies arrived at the lake to set up camp, they were shocked to see Steve. He was already sitting at the campground with a cold beer, swag rolled out, fishing rod in hand, and a camp fire glowing. "How did you talk your missus into letting you go Steve?"
"I didn't have to," Steve replied. Yesterday, when I left work, I went home and slumped down in my chair with a beer to drown my sorrows because I couldn't go fishing. Then the ol' lady snuck up behind me and covered my eyes and said, 'Surprise'."
"When I peeled her hands back, she was standing there in a beautiful see through negligee and she said, ' Carry me into the bedroom, tie me to the bed and you can do whatever you want'.....
So, here I am!"

Anyway I had one of those moments the last weekend in September. Not the see through nightie moment, no I got to go fishing as the family were holidaying in Balito. Man I missed the Vaal – not fishing for the last 5 months - driving there through thick mist really got me searching the memory banks for info on what to do when I get there. But it is like riding bike once you’re on everything just comes back to you.
I read my old reports – I do – there is some good advice stored in there. But every year or season is different, nature just has some things that does not run linear. I still vividly remember 24 September in 2001 fishing a farm called Carryblaire for the first time. I met Chris the owner’s son at a wine tasting and cracked an invite to a then private venue. It was a red letter day we seriously klapped the yellows, in those days I still counted and tallied something like 50 and they were big fat wintered fish. [Nowadays I would call it a day before I get so many in a small area.] The big green rock worms were on every rock you turned over . I have never had a day like that again on all subsequent 24 Septembers.

We arrived at the venue with no other fisherman in sight. Okay a good start and the weather looked promising clear skies with a moderate breeze. The obligatory fish were rising in the pool while we strung up our rods and got the boats ready. Off we went heading upstream stopping at the tail-out of the first big pool. There is a nice high ridge affording a eagle’s eye view of the pool below – which revealed very little apart from some splashy rises. A splashy rise does indicate fish but if you are one-up with a CDC emerger it’s a futile exercise. So I suggested the rapids to my novice fishing buddy while I held just below him in the eye of the pool.

I kept an eye on him and it seems as though his casting was good enough but he had too much distance on his casts. Clearly he’s done some saltwater fishing. My position did not deliver any results so I decided to move through the rapids to a glide. As I got closer I noticed rises along the current line. Perfect head and tail rises clearly indicating surface feeding yellows – bingo! I got a good cast in, the fly landing right in the feeding lane, but it drifted past untouched. Second cast was a better presentation and I added a big upstream mend. A good fish appeared, took a natural and then sip-swallow-ziiiinggg I had my first fish on since 27 April. Damn it felt great.

Unfortunately the moderate wind picked up after that one fish, the hatch petered out and the fish disappeared from the surface. The rest of the day was spent unsuccessfully searching for rising fish and fishing the rapids. I got one brute from a deeper hole in the rapid that gave a good account of her self.

My fishing companion was still fishless at this stage, having tried for the rising fish and then reverting to the rapids again. I noticed that with his long casts he was not in control of his flies and proceeded to show him to fish closer to him. The visibility was around 80cm so there was no reason to fish 15-20m ahead. I had no strike indicator and had to really work the line to stay in touch with the flies. On the second cast a male fish obliged to show that what I suggested makes sense! Heck I love it when they make it look simple. I then lost something unknown, maybe a muddy or a catfish. The fly that produced all these fish was a tan coloured caddis larva.

In the area I fished I could clearly see the muddies spawning along the margins in the shallowest of water. The big pools had massive carp getting amorous. I have also read reports of yellows spawning. PLEASE DO NOT FISH OR WADE AMONGST THESE SPAWNING FISH. Yellows don’t all spawn at the exact same moment, if you hold back and fish the deeper channels and glides away from the riffles you will get feeding fish.

Good luck tread lightly.
Carl & Keith

September 2009 Middle Vaal Report

2009-09-07T21:14:00.000+03:00

Christoff Badenhorst with one solid beauty

Looking back on August and looking forward to spring the conditions for fishing is not perfect but the fish don’t mind – they have to continue eating. The Vaal did not clear up this winter as expected – there are multiple causes and we have experienced this in the past. Very frustrating considering this is the only time the Vaal offers the opportunity to sight fish. But don’t despair, the season is changing and soon we will be in full summer mode.
The first part of the season will bring its own challenges, most notably the curse of the Vaal (spirogyra). The long strands of algae that chokes up the rapids and prevents the nymph fisherman from effectively fishing the shallow areas. It is a growing (excuse the pun) problem exacerbated by the pollution. I have touched on some solutions of how to fish in this water, in previous reports. Best is to approach this with a dry dropper set-up and forget about nymphing until the river gets a good flush to clear the algae.

Although the temperatures are rising don’t neglect the deeper waters below the rapids. At times the bigger fish congregate here (especially during a hatch) and this will give you a shot with dries. Even in low visibility the fish can be sighted if they are holding close to the surface.

On the largemouth front the low visibility did not prevent the guys from having a bumper season. The reports are all from the Middle Vaal and there are plenty of double figure fish in them. It just illustrates that if you spend enough time in the right water with the right techniques you will catch fish – even if conditions are not ideal. If you did put in some face time on the water and remain unsuccessful consider going out with one of the expert guides or sign up for one of the clinics. It can be a bit crowded but you will have the opportunity to mix with some of the notable experts.

Barend Esterhuizen put to work the knowledge gained from fishing with a guide.

Good luck with the spring season.

July 2009 Middle Vaal Report

2009-07-19T21:53:00.000+03:00

My working life is hectic at the moment not sure if it is a good thing what with this Global meltdown but it does keep me out of the Vaal. Which is a great pity because the fishing is awesome – based on reports I’m getting from friends. There are still some tough days when the weather does its winter thing and goes nasty but this last weekend (18 July) was windless and perfect.

Riaan reported in during the Bulls WP match clearly a contented man – he was fishing in the Vaal Hackle area. The pods of fish were just lying close to the surface looked almost like they were sunning themselves. But of course not, they were eagerly awaiting their next meal. The hatch started and looked like blackfly or very small buzzers interspersed with some mayfly. A number 16 Adams seemed a respectable imitation and produced a 7.5lb beauty amongst several other good fat winter fish.

On the largemouth front the fishing is also good. Gary Botha newly married and with a baby on the way also does not get on the river often enough, yeah wait till the kid is there! But he scraped up some credits for a day’s largemouth fishing. One fish of 6kg and another of 4kg certainly a makes for a satisfactory day.

Make the time to get onto the river for the smallmouth or largemouth action.

Cheers until next month.
Carl & Keith

June 2009 Middle Vaal Report

2009-07-19T21:52:00.000+03:00

I’m going to keep this month’s report short, by excluding the weather section, as it seems we will never get it right again – we got 70mm of rain in June! I spent a few days in Namibia in the Kalahari where the Vaal and everything work related was very far from my mind. It is an absolutely amazing country with wonderful people.
The news from the Vaal is that the fishing is in top nick. The hatches, mostly mayflies, occur daily and bring the fish to the surface in a feeding frenzy. The feeding frenzy was yesterday, courtesy of a call I got from Riaan who fished the Vaal Hackle area. He was ecstatic and justly so the Vaal in good form in the winter is one of the best fishing destinations (Sterkfontein being “closed” in winter mode) available to fly fisherman in this area. The yellows in the Vaal are on average bigger than Sterkies;-) If you get the weather right you will be cruising the river in temperatures around 20C. And of course as a rule we don’t have any cloud cover so the days are sunny and pleasant. Compared to fishing destinations in the Northern hemisphere and some further south from us this is good summer weather. Dress warm in layers and make sure you have a dry box to store all the clothes until you need it when the sun dips.

If you don’t see fish or surface activity, take it slowly and move around the whole pool or pools searching for them. It is critical to find the feeding pods, blind fishing should be your last resort. If you have to start off blind with a nymph don’t stop scanning the water and moving position, the hatch will happen and the fish will come to the surface somewhere in the pool. Unless the weather turns foul with huge frontal systems, but I’m not making any predictions on weather.

Cheers until next month, enjoy the dry fly fishing.

Carl & Keith

May Middle Vaal Report

2009-05-14T21:39:00.000+03:00

“By 2035 SA will need 65-billion cubic kilometres of water and our current national stock stands at 33-billion. Our problem is that we are managing our water resources so badly, and are putting pressure on available fresh water,”. Dr Anthony Turton
*Source: http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A994604
Alarmist some might say but after the Energy crisis of early 2008 I would prefer to err on the side of panic. It is a fact that we, those in Gauteng in close proximity to the Middle Vaal have been blessed with average to above average rainfall in the last 3 seasons. A fact lost on us City slickers used to bottled water and water on tap. We complain about the rising cost and dropping quality of our potable water, but until recently it wasn’t frowned upon for Rand Water to provide strategic water supplies to a mining company. Water was that cheap.
It may also be that we are protected from a severe water shortage experienced by the rest of our arid country because we have large upstream strategic reserves. Unfortunately it will be difficult to avoid the massive influx of refugees fleeing a desolate country side.
We really need to switch on and approach this challenge as a national threat. Do your bit to conserve water – bath with a friend, join an action campaign, make sure the company you work for don’t pollute and get your parents to switch on it’s your future.

Approach and technique

The plethora of April public holidays gave me enough free minutes and I eventually got onto the river. The mornings are crisp with a thick layer of mist drifting off the relatively warm river water. Winter in all her glory is here. There is no need to be on the water at first light, it is certainly a lot more pleasurable to reset the alarm and crawl deeper under the duvet. Unless if you’re into photography, that is the time to get out and experience the light fantastic.
The hatches will only start around 10 am, with sufficient numbers to get the fish onto the surface and feeding. My first day out started at 2 pm and the fish were already locked into a thick hatch of Mayfly. The clarity was around 50 cm but the yellows were able to pick size 16 naturals off with a few obliging to take a well presented dry. When I feel confident I switch flies after every fish, experimenting with different patterns. The naturals (nymphal shucks) were dun to almost black in the water. The flies producing were the f-fly, loopwing emerger, dark klinkhammers and even a CDC ant in size 16-18. The fish refused bigger patterns I used as an indicator.

The next morning the action was slow but it was great to be on the river for the first time with my son. He thoroughly enjoyed it and I was astonished that he persisted and did not head back to his PSP at the lodge. He even paddled me around the pool while I stood up spotting fish.

Again as mentioned in previous reports, first thing is to find the fish. Move around until you see the activity or spot the dark shapes just below the surface. You cannot fish blind in those large pools of the Vaal. On that morning I found the fish in a large pool, just where the water was smoothing out from the turmoil of the rapids. The hatches were sporadic so I reverted to the double burger with extra fries approach. A big hopper cast about 1 metre upstream of the fish was enough to entice my first fish of the morning. Once the hatch started they ignored the large fly again. I switched to small #16 offerings and had some great fun with decent size fish up to 5 pounds.
Insect Activity
The flies are small and sometimes it takes a lot of guts to stick such a small fly out there especially if you are used to lobbing #10 caddis boms in summer.
Believe me it does work. If you tie your own flies and battle to get the mayflies picture perfect don’t despair! I watched and collected a lot of the naturals and they were a sorry bunch.The cripples and emergers are scraggly bits none of the pure lines of the duns floating on the surface. The fish didn’t mind in fact they were the easy pickings.

This little fellow joined me, but mom was close by and she was a monster

Cheers until next month, enjoy the dry fly fishing.

Carl & Keith
http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

April 2009 Middle Vaal Report

2009-04-24T08:58:00.007+03:00

Just got back from a family holiday in the south of Mozambique. First time there and although I saw but a small part of the country what an eye opener. Shocking how war can put a country back and how difficult it is to make a comeback without natural resources. Tourism is great but it’s a fickle business based on seasons and school holidays. The rest of the year there are mouths to feed and it seems the sea as a natural resource is taking the brunt of the demand. Shore fishing was limited especially on fly. It may be seasonal it may be due to my inexperience, but snorkelling the pools did not reveal much more for the fly to entice.
I wish I could make a stop at Horst Filter on the way back. Although the rivers are not optimal it certainly beats sitting in the Easter traffic. Anyway, fishing the Luneburg area during winter is still on my to-do list.
Water and Weather
Joy when I got back and noted that the Vaal is getting back to fishable levels. I know for a fact there will be plenty of people out on the river before winter sets in. Autumn is a very productive time on the river, the fish are still to be found in the faster shallower water for those enjoying wading. There is also the opportunity to fish from a boat in the pools-as the clarity improves you’ll get great dry fly action.
Insect Activity
The archive of reports covers this subject well. If you do fish dry flies it will be mostly mayfly imitations.
A report just in from Gary la Grange is that the fish are certainly on the bite and there a big ones eager to take the fly. The smallies were hesitant to take a dry but obliged to take unweighted sub-surface patterns. Herman Botes reports that the yellows were very eager to take a dry on election day, pale morning duns (Adams) and Blue Winged Olives were hatching.
Largemouth
This is the start of the optimal fishing season for largemouth. Visibility will improve with the absence of rain and flash floods. The very big barbel move into winter mode (bottom of the river) and the largies take up their position as the prime predator in the river. When it comes to flies for the largies you have two choices:
1. Pick an all round fly e.g. MSP or Woolly Bugger in black. Tie it on and stick to it for a full day working all likely spots at all depths.
2. Pick 100 different great attractor patterns for fresh-& saltwater predators. Tie one on and stick to it for a full day working all likely spots at all depths.
You need dedication and perseverance to succeed with largies. It’s not the fish a minute stuff you get with the smallies in a hatch. You can spend a full 10km drift improving your casting and watching smallmouth feeding on #16 MF on the surface. Or you can hook into a 5kg largie at 10am and the day (year) is made.

This is not about fishing. I'm getting more into my photography. Upgraded to DSLR and a new Canon lense.

Carl & Keith

February Middle Vaal Report

2009-03-05T13:47:00.003+02:00

One of my 2009 resolutions is to fish more often at least once a month. January had a trip to kick off the month which was a good start. February 28 I’ll be on the water, seems things are heading in the wrong direction with the gap widening. The increased flows are partly to blame, workflows and water flows. I remember when the urge to fish and get out there into the water got one down to the river at 40 even 60 cumecs with visibility below 20cm. Dangerous but fishable, never really memorable. The days I remember were those when the water looked alive (certainly not muddy and vaal) or the fish were on top and feeding.
Whenever we travel and pass a body of water I will always look at it. A dull suspension of silt doesn’t warrant a second glance. But that lively emerald or blue water immediately switches the mind into evaluating the fly fishing potential. Reminds me of travelling into the North Eastern Cape for the first time, you just want to stop and fish every river you cross. I cannot imagine flying to Auckland New Zealand and then driving to the South Island, with no stopping on the way!!!
If you are lucky enough to have sufficient time to fish the great and the less than perfect days, go for it and enjoy. At some stage in your life you may not be able to.
As I’m writing this we are about to leave for a trip to Sterkfontein dam. I’m taking two friends for their first trip to the real Eldorado of yellowfish, the purest of gold to be found. It is magnificent to experience the youthful enthusiasm it brings to men. Kobus has been tying and tying the last few weeks. I think there is enough flies to feed one to every fish in the dam. Passion and zeal I love it.

Water and Weather / Insect Activity
The change of the season is upon us, I can sense it in the early morning air. The sun is lazy in getting up and has lost some of its intensity. If you turn over rocks or watch the hatching insects closely you’ll note the mayflies becoming the dominate food source.
When the rain tapers of the river will settle down, late showers will rejuvenate flows but won’t turn the river on its head. The clarity will return and yellowfish will be visible and feeding close to the surface. They will start moving out of the rapids, the real shallow sections; into glides and deeper channels just of above the big pools. Don’t forget the tail-outs they get there in numbers towards late afternoon and seem to abandon fear in the gathering dusk.
As always I cannot predict when the flows will settle but we are still thankful for the rains.

Sterkfontein dam trip report
As with all fly fishing adventures we left with the best intentions, a sack full of enthusiasm and some trepidation on the accuracy of the weather forecasters. They got it close to spot on - damn! We had a tough weekend with changing weather patterns, keeping us in raingear and waders or giving us serious sunburn. That is Sterkies for you, always changing never predictable.
The fishing was tough but rewarding. At times “the only thing you heard was the opening and closing of fly boxes” to quote Dave Weaver. The doom and gloom of the weather was lifted on Saturday when nature brought on a smorgasbord of ants and termites. I was prepared for flying ants (size 16 and 18 – see slideshow) as they do occur in numbers and the yellows lock onto the immobile insects on the surface. First up was a natural size 14 ant. The fish got into a feeding frenzy and a big fish turned to take a hopper and head straight down into the depths, popping the tippet after a short battle. Next on was a #16 ant and the fish nailed it. The wind changed direction and the hatch petered out.
We moved to another spot affectionately named Beetle bush and obliged with some large beetle patterns – current theory is that 6 legs are better than 4. The odd fish rolled on the beetle and some got hold of them. Then suddenly the air was filled with small termites. They look exactly the same as the large ones we see on the Highveld but these were size 16. Which was not really covered as I came prepared for the larger insect. These insects land on the water with their wings in different formations, allowing the flytier to tie them with wings facing back. Tying them with spent wings at 90 degrees is going to wreak your tippet into a twisted mess.
I had a fair replica albeit with slightly larger foam body – klipspringer hair wings completed a general profile – by no means an exact replica. Then followed a magic session of 3 fish landed all around 5 lbs and many more dropped or just not connecting on the take. Still exiting stuff just watching the explosive takes.
IF you do venture onto Sterkfontein in the late half of the season, make sure your box is well stocked with ant and termite patterns. I‘ll be adding some of my own efforts to the slide show. You can view photo’s of the ants on Jason’s site
http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/76/Insect-Hymenoptera-Ants-Bees-and-Wasps
or here to see the difference between ants and termites. There are a couple of great triggers to incorporate into your flies.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/johnston/homehort2/termite_v_ant.jpg

Largemouth
Now is the time to prepare for winter!! Tie up the flies and get some special leaders tied with a Bimini knot to join sections. The knot does offer some shock absorption for the fierce take and first run of a largemouth.

Carl & Keith
http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

Flies for Yellowfish

2009-02-03T07:59:00.003+02:00

I have added a few flies to the slideshow on the blog- these are flies that work for me. None of the flies are new inventions, just my way of tying some favourites. Let me know if it works for you! If you require a step-by-step I will add some later, time permitting. If you want more details on materials send me an email or leave a comment.

Ps. Most of the flies are tied for Sterkfontein dam as this is now the prime season, Autumn and winter is around the corner. That is when the Vaal can (weather and water behaving) turn into one of the best dry fly rivers in South Africa. If it was in a pristine wilderness area without pollution, this would be one of the best in the world!!

Knots

2009-01-29T07:24:00.002+02:00

I've been fishing for almost 30 years (EEEK!) and one thing that still fascinates me and which I still try to improve is KNOTS.

I've been using the Eugene Bend knot for a few years and I'm very happy with the strength. But when I fish 5X at Sterkies I find it puts curls in the tippet, even on fluorocarbon. So I'm always on the lookout for new and better knots.

Midcurrent published this article today. Have a read, it is thought provoking.

http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/knots/scheck_lastlink_1.aspx

Middle Vaal Report

2009-01-26T21:31:00.011+02:00

Pristine drinkable and fishable

According to The Blacksmith Institute the World’s Ten Worst pollutants are:
1. Artisanal Gold Mining
2. Contaminated Surface Water
3. Indoor Air Pollution
4. Industrial Mining Activities
5. Groundwater Contamination
6. Metals Smelting and Processing
7. Radioactive Waste and Uranium Mining
8. Untreated Sewage
9. Urban Air Quality
10. Used Lead Acid Battery Recycling

Six of which pose a direct threat to the Vaal and number 8 stands out as the current media reporting focuses again on the troubles of municipalities on the south of the Witwatersrand watershed. Don’t be misled this is not the only problem and may not be the one that tips the scale. Some of the others are remnants of a previous generation who took what they could and left. Reading more on sewage takes you back in history through the serious problems Londoners suffered including a few cholera epidemics – back in 1860’s! It seems history repeats itself, it is so sad that we cannot or do not want to learn from it.
Sewerage is front of mind in summer, it’s the peak of the fishing season and reading about spills leaves one with trepidation every time you plan a trip to the Vaal, in winter we forget it exist. What can one do about it? We cannot get involved in cleaning up, no seriously you don’t want to get involved it is specialised business. It’s not like the Cubs outing picking up paper and plastic around the local park. But as with most things in life we can actually do our bit.
• Report sightings of spillages. FOSAF produced a brochure, which is posted to our Blog with contact details for reporting pollution. Reporting to the press helps in creating awareness but does not solve the problem.
• Join an action group like SAVE.
• Don’t dump non-biodegradable waste down the sewer system. Report companies who do.
• Reduce you consumption of water and production of waste water.

• Take appropriate measures when you answer the call of nature! During our rafting trip through the Richtersveld, I was shocked by the visible signs of human excreta and toilet paper at the popular camping sites. The visitors are mostly affluent people who can afford a 4x4 and fuel to get there- boggles the mind. But I suppose the “Not In My BackYard” principle apply.
o Dig a deep hole 60cm plus.
o Burn the toilet paper.
o Cover up the hole.
Enough of this and back to the fishing.

Water and Weather
December was incredibly hot north of the Magalies, no complaints the rain is here and we are glad for the life giving blessing. It does interfere with the fishing though but you just have to learn to live with it and plan around it. Option one is to fish on Wednesdays, the flows seem to remain constant until then. By Thursday the thunderstorms move in and the heavens dump cubic tons of water onto the paved and tarred wetlands, sending most of it down to the Vaal. Weekend is stuffed!
But there are opportunities when flows remain at fishable levels and the reports I’m seeing are very good. Keep an eye on the weather reports and check the flows! Best to keep all equipment ready and packed for a quick getaway at short notice (make sure you have blanket amnesty with the significant other)!
Weather wise you’ll have regular afternoon thunderstorms to contend with, sometimes worth sitting out as the period afterwards can bring on some of the best fishing of the day.

Insect Activity
It is mostly still caddis patterns bringing home the bacon, with hotspot and flashback nymphs the other favourites. I’m a big advocate for alternative methods, which may not produce the large numbers of fish, but add a new dimension to your fishing. OK you get tough days when the only dimension you want to add is a curved arch into a rod with screeming reel - clearly not conducive to testing new flies or fancy techniques. But one of the followers of the blog Barend sent in this photo of a fish caught in January on a dry. What more do you want????

Klinkhammer from Europe to Africa what a great fly.

Approach and Technique
There is nothing new I can add, I have described every technique I know in the previous reports. I have to confess that I haven’t been to the Vaal in weeks!!! If only I fished more often maybe then I can finally piece together the puzzle of catching 50 5kg smallmouth in a day.
I mentioned earlier about being packed and ready to go fish. Get into the habit of sorting through all the stuff after every trip. Clean the tackle bag, remember to trash the salami sandwich you did not eat, dispose of tippet and recycle all the rubbish you took in. Why leave it there to create a headache for the resort owner! Clean and dry wading boots somewhere out of the sun. Put all the things together and check and check again. On a recent Sterkfontein trip I left my favourite rod and brought an empty rod tube. Fix broken equipment – which reminds me I have to attach a heel on one of my wading boots.
Largemouth
Fish are being caught in good size and quantities, downstream from Orkney area towards Christiana.
News
The FOSAF sustainable yellowfish pamphlets should be out there at shops and regular venues. If you don’t see it there get into contact with FOSAF or me to request some.

Remember to revive fish before releasing

I have added a slideshow of my popular flies. Most of the current ones are for Sterkfontein dam, but some like the F-fly does work on the Vaal. I will add more when time permit. You can also link to Keith’s site for more advanced stuff, but he is becoming very Eurocentric and I’m not sure his flies will stand up to African conditions ;-)
Our family started recycling most of our household waste. We are going through a learning curve, and there is extra effort involved but at least we are doing something for the planet which our kids will inherit. Are you doing it?

Cheers
Carl & Keith

SUSTAINABLE YELLOWFISHING

2009-01-06T13:53:00.003+02:00

Keith and I made a contribution for the new FOSAF pamphlet on ethical fly fishing. These will be distributed to venues on the Vaal and major tackles shops. There were other people involved, especially Trevor Babich (http://www.fishingowl.co.za/) sponsored the printing of 10,000 copies. This is an online version, so has a much smaller carbon footprint. Which is one of my 2009 and beyond resolutions.

BASIC FLYFISHING ETIQUETTE ON THE VAAL

Do not enter the river immediately upstream of other anglers; this is extremely rude. Most flyfishers will be wading slowly upstream and therefore climbing into the river immediately upstream is very bad manners. If you have to enter upstream of people do so at least 60 metres ahead and first request permission either by hand signal or your voice if shouting is not required.
Give fellow anglers space. Allow at least 2 line lengths (60 metres) between you and a fellow angler. If there are few anglers at the venue stay even further away. This will allow everyone the opportunity to target fish that have not been spooked or affected by fellow anglers. Do not crowd anglers who appear to be in a “hot spot” catching lots of fish. Most anglers will respond kindly to polite requests to understand what tactics they are employing so successfully. Ask what they are doing, do not wade over and start casting into the area the angler is fishing. Best to do this when the angler takes a break or makes eye contact.
Boats: If you do access the river with a boat please note that shore based anglers take preference over you. They cannot cover the same amount of water and are
limited in their movement by deep, unwadeable water. Please float past them giving
them a wide berth.
All anglers are equal: Respect and learn from fellow anglers, regardless of their chosen techniques and tackle. If they are behaving poorly towards fish, the environment or fellow anglers politely point this out to them. Do not assume an arrogant attitude because you are a flyfisher. Flyfishers probably impact the river ecosystem morethan other anglers, especially during spawning periods.

CATCH AND RELEASE OF YELLOWFISH
Catch and release of yellows has become an accepted practice amongst the flyfishing fraternity. This has ensured that despite heavy fishing pressure sufficient adult fish of breeding age are released to maintain a healthy population.
However, a few basic rules apply to Catch & Release.

Use only barbless or de-barbed hooks.
Do not play fish to exhaustion. Use side strain to get the fish out of the flowing water to bring it in as quickly as possible. This also lessens the chance of losing it.
Try and unhook the fish without removing it from the water. If you use a net do not remove it to weigh and measure it. Rather use a net with a scale on the handle and place a tape or measurements on your rod to record the length.
ever hold it with dry hands.
Hold it firmly but gently and do not squeeze it.
If the fish is exhausted hold it upright in well-oxygenated water pointing upstream until it has recovered. If necessary push it forwards but not backwards and forwards.
If you use a net make sure the netting is a soft, knotless and not abrasive, synthetic material, which removes the protective slime.
All fish stress during capture and this is particularly marked in polluted, warm water with low levels of dissolved oxygen. Limit the number of fish you catch especially when they are prone to stress.

POLLUTION OF THE VAAL: A HUGE PROBLEM
Pollution is a major problem in South Africa and the Vaal itself has been particularly badly affected. In fact pollution is by far the most important threat to what is still a world-class fly fishing resource. Unfortunately, with each year that passes this threat increases with the main culprits being malfunctioning and overflowing sewage plants. These are mainly in the Gauteng area but many other municipal water treatment plants in the catchment area contribute
to this scourge. Other major pollution threats come from the heavy metals and acid mine drainage from the mining industry while many other industries and farming operations must take a share of the blame.
If you have evidence of this please contact the following Department of Water Affairs offices:
• Above the Barrage: Gauteng office at 012-3921306 & 392-1300
• Barrage to Bloemhof Dam: Bloemfontein office at 051-4059000
• Downstream of Bloemhof Dam: Kimberley office at 053-8308800
You should also contact your local conservation office or conservancy if you see fish with cuts, abrasions or sores.

Lastly, kindly develop a sense of responsibility towards the river. If there is the litter which is
washed into the river or which irresponsible anglers and picnickers leave on the riverbank, pick it up on the way back to your car.

2008-12-23T10:19:00.008+02:00

Roll on December and 2009, it has been a hectic year and although some may say there’s not a lot to be happy and relaxed about with the tough economic reality facing us everyday, I’m still glad to be alive and well enough to fish. I like getting away on holiday before the mad rush and the total chaos arrives at the coast. There is something special about the Garden Route, it looks like Europe but the weather is South African – I like it the quiet way before it becomes a mini Joburg. This report is not much about the Vaal again, I did cross the Vaal twice and it’s always with much sadness if I cannot stop to throw a line. More so when the water is clear and looking very fishy.
I was on my way to visit an untested venue with sketchy information on the fishing. Planning and preparing to fish a new spot is always filled with fun and excitement. Dreams are filled with the possibility of a great find of gold bars rolling on the surface yet to be introduced to an artificial fly. In many respects I wasn’t disappointed.
This was the first time I fished in the Karoo, the magnificent beauty and quiet solitude in that part of the country is addictive. We were staying on a game farm bordering the Vanderkloof dam near the town of Philippolis. (http://www.vanderkloofdam.co.za/)
Water and Weather
As this was a stopover on the way to Sedgefield, the weather wasn’t going to make the trip happen or not. I was just hoping for something decent. First day was overcast with some serious thunderstorm activity sending the barometer all over the place. The fish were absent, but for a few carp for which I tried without enthusiasm or success. This being the Karoo I did not complain the farmers need rain more than I need another yellow.
But if you go fishing you want to catch fish, in my case at least one. I suppose I have reached a level of contentment in my fishing where sometimes one fish is proof enough. Then again when they’re on the bite and on the surface especially; one cannot offend by saying no thank you!
Fishing for yellowfish in stillwater is a summer sport in South Africa. The winter frontier is pretty much Star Trek territory – where no man (person) has been before, there is of course mystery dam X with good winter fishing. You want the fish up and close to the surface which allows for the visual pursuit of your quarry. It then becomes more like hunting than fishing - I drop my voice, walk softly and try to stay out of sight as if I’m after that elusive eland bul. Yellowfish come to the surface and shallows in warmer constant temperatures – it’s where the food is and of course where the girls hang out.
The VanderKloof dam shares the same yellowfish species with Sterkfontein dam, but does not have the same clarity. If you are expecting to see fish down to 3m or more than a decent cast away you will be disappointed. The shoreline is completely different, strewn with big boulders and guarded by Wag-‘n-Bietjie (Buffalo thorn) and Acacia Karoo. There are beautiful gravel beds for spawning, but I saw none of it – I cannot imagine all the fish migrate to the river to procreate. Yes that’s something else to keep in mind the dam is fed by the Gariep river, laden with silt, so pick your fishing spots away from the main river inlet. There’s also multiple streams feeding the dam from rain swept plains, good fishing spots, but can be discoloured overnight.

Insect Activity
A new venue 400km from my much loved Vaal or favourite Sterkfontein, what to expect? With Sterkfontein well fished/covered by Dave Weaver, it’s a matter of one phone call to ascertain what was the go to fly last week (which is completely refused this week). I had zero intelligence and military guys will tell you it’s not the best way to start, but I had nothing to lose only to gain in experience and meeting people.
What to tie? It’s after all in a very arid part of our country so how much will be blown out from the surrounding bush? Well the mayfly nymphs are there, tiny fellows, in black and brown (nothing new) they will always be there in clean water. Size 16 or 18 in your favourite nymph pattern would do it. I didn’t see the caddis hatching, but in summer they hatch early morning and late afternoon. Being the 1st day of my holiday I didn’t have the energy to get up before dawn, besides it took another 30 minutes in a 4x4 to drive to the water’s edge.
These are still yellowfish I was after and they certainly love grasshoppers and foam beetles, just like some of the bank side vegetation – tie up enough patterns! I saw and heard the cicadas, if you’re willing to tie them, certainly a worthwhile pattern to have – works well in certain parts of New Zealand.
I did not fish with nymphs or any other subsurface patterns, except for tying on a dropper. There was enough fish on the surface to hold my interest, and when that is the situation I cannot switch. It would be like refusing a glass of 1947 Château Petrus for a demijohn of Tassenberg.
The yellows were not cruising in the quantities we are used to on Sterkfontein, these were individual fish or 3-4 in a pod. It may be that the visibility prevented the full display of what was beneath the surface. One needs to fish this venue more to become an expert even just for a day.
Approach and Technique
When visiting a new spot, even targeting a familiar species a professional guide is worth the money charged. My guide had local knowledge (which was good) but zero fishing knowledge. He certainly got me to the fish on the second day. The sun was up and the skies clear, as far as you can see and in the Karoo that is far.
I was fishing an inlet where the previous day’s rain washed in a bit of discolouration. The cliffs locked us in for the day, creating a buffer or a channel for the wind and it was hot very hot.
Even with low visibility I took my chances on a proven Sterkfontein technique, I rigged up my S3 with double taper floating line and 15 foot 5X leader. And waited or walked the bank looking for a cruiser. The remoteness of this spot and the towering cliffs closed out all sound – it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop a fish rise, a good sign at least they are feeding!
That’s when I saw the fish tight against the bank cruising straight towards me. Suddenly yellowfever took over, I didn’t wait for it to turn or go past to get an unseen cast in from behind. The fish disappeared and I casually threw the line and hopper out away from the bank. The fly was out there for a few minutes Wham! The fish was on and I was frantically trying to get line onto the reel. The fish gave a good account of itself with strong runs close to and out of the surface. I was ecstatic to have it to hand a solid beauty of gold scales.
The rest of the day the modus operandi remained the same. Get some vantage, stay low and spot a cruiser. The fly can be left drifting on the surface or next to a scum line and invariably a fish would go for it even before you spot one. The easiest was to target the fish cruising close to or parallel with the bank, getting a very long cast out straight in front is difficult unless you are adept at something fancy like a steeple cast.
Fish were holding around the few bits of vegetation, cruising along the banks about 10-30cm away and feeding in the open water (5 to 20m). In the open water you can only realistically target those fish porpoising or head & tail rise(you’ll see the head dorsal and tail when they feed) as they follow a route and you can present in front of them; a big splashy rise indicate fish but is not worthwhile covering. A lot of those fish are deep and follow caddis emergers, grabbing them just before they depart. If you do observe them constantly splashing around a weed patch, try dropping a single nymph or tandem rig of nymph and diving caddis over the weeds. Leave it to sink, BUT stay in constant contact with the flies, retrieve very slowly.
There were plenty of barbel/catfish about, and some very big ones too. A large attractor fly presented 1m in front or smack on top should get you a response and a tired arm. I did not want to test the abilities of my 5 weight, best to use an 8 or 9 weight for these bruisers.
Last Cast for 2008
Another year is gone in a flash. The news turned very bad towards the end, not so much for the fishing but certainly for the business and livelihood of so many people living off our beloved sport. I believe it’s a natural correction and we need it, I hope it will be painless for you. My only fear is that with less money around, less will be spent on and doing environmentally sound business. There is again a lot in the press about the pollution on the Vaal, same story as rainy season 2007, lack of experience or funds cannot be blamed.
The energy crisis is out of our immediate thoughts, what with petrol cheaper we can even fish more often, don’t let the pending water crisis ever be out of your mind. Do your bit to conserve and protect our water resources. I challenge you to do one environmentally positive thing everyday – even making the right choice when shopping.
Enjoy your break and festive season! I hope you and your family have a blessed Christmas and have a totally fishing filled 2009! Be responsible when driving.

the state of South Africa's water resources- the CSIR report

2008-11-30T18:12:00.005+02:00

most South Africans will be aware of the presentation authored by Dr Andrew Turton in November. Subsequently we understand Dr Turton has resigned from the CSIR.
I have spent years working to communicate with government regards the state of the water resources (especially in the Vaal) in South Africa... with very mixed results... well done to Dr Turton for standing up and being counted.

if you've not read the document let me know and I'll email it to you... it's worth a read and I can't seem to post documents to the blog.

November 2008 Middle Vaal Report

2008-11-12T21:43:00.007+02:00

Just when you think you have seen it all on the internet … in terms of fishing and related stuff of course, you somehow happen upon another website bursting with photos and information useful to the fly angler. This is a local site and if you’re into dragons and local damsels (no rugby cheerleaders) it should be your first reference http://www.warwicktarboton.co.za/index.html. My experience is that as one progress along the fly fishing evolution scale you start to appreciate more and more on an outing. It’s not just about the fishing and suddenly you start questioning what all these wonderful things you see are. On a recent trip to the upper Vaal I was fortunate enough to flush an owl. But what was it a Spotted Eagle owl or Cape Eagle owl? Returning along a different path I flushed the whole brood of 4 chicks and mom. The one owl turning in flight to display the bright yellow eyes of the Spotted Eagle owl.
Do you fancy adding another dimension to your fly tying? How is this for a departure from the mundane two dimensional stuff we usually see http://www.flytyingclips.com/index.html.

Water and Weather forecast
While mentioning websites, the Weather SA guys have gone interactive with great new functionality on their new site. It will require proper broadband but there are cool features like Google Earth with various weather overlays. I really like the one with a graphic of the previous 24 hour lightning strikes displayed – certainly a handy bit of info when you’re planning to wave a 9’conductor around the next day.
“The rain is here good and proper, the flows are already up and the visibility is shot until autumn. Sad, but a dimension of the Vaal that makes it true to its name. Keep an eye on the flow data I find the DWAF site reliable at the moment, with the Randwater information very erratic. You decide for your own safety, but I don’t like fishing over 30 cubic metres per second.
Insect Activity
Flows and visibility means that it would be pretty much heavy caddis larvae (rockworms) and hotspots for most people. Minor flooding should scour out some atomic or San Juan worms. Over simplification maybe but if you can get these flies into the ZONE you will catch fish.

Approach and Technique
I don’t profess to catch a fish on every cast but I really believe we have covered all the bases in previous reports. I recently picked up some great advice from two members of the Sexyloops community. One from New Zealand another from Obama country.
The thread centres on fighting big fish in moving water. You can follow the whole bit here:http://www.sexyloops.co.uk/cgi-bin/theboard_07/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=4;t=9615;&#top
Neil (NZ)
“Bob you could add to that, when fishing in flowing water the use of the current.
Getting the fishes head moving across the flow and closing its gill cover (with the water pressure) tires them quicker than anything I know. It may sound terrible that your trying to suffocate the fish, but hey we fight them into exhaustion letting them sit in the current with their mouths open is just like reviving them and can only prolong the fight
On rivers with a wide bed that can contain a flood, with beach areas, fish can be subdued quickly by holding a steady rod position then walking down stream slightly and away from the water. Pulling the fish back and into shallow water.”
And from the States
Matt Klara
“Some engineering to think of regarding reel start-up inertia and rod angle and tippet protection. Someone posted recently that start-up inertia has more to do with line friction in the guides than on the reel. Static friction is much higher than dynamic friction. And the friction on the guides increases the deeper you candycane the rod. So, a strong tippet, very low rod angle (less than 45 degrees), and a silky smooth reel is a good combo.”
A lot to think about when that big one does eventually take. You should be playing the two scenarios in your head when the fishing is slow. Stay sharp!

LARGEMOUTH
I think the time is over to exclusively fish for them. Unless you head West and follow the river until the flow drop and the clarity improves. Carl Nel has posted some great photo’s of superb clarity below Kimberley. The other option is to go Stillwater like Sterkfontein. Alternatively target them when fishing the deeper channels in the rapids, by using bigger flies and crab imitations.

News
FOSAF with the help of Keith and I will be publishing an information pamphlet for Vaal venues, tackle shops and other important distribution points. Fishing Owl, Trevor Babich contributed and sponsored the first print. Please take one, give to your mates and take to heart what is written - the future is in all our hands.

The fourth edition of the FOSAF favourite flies are out and ready to fill the Christmas stocking. This is really a top quality local product worth the support.
The year is rapidly running out, I’m not sure there will be another update on the Vaal. The next one might contain more holiday ramblings of the yellows near Calitzdorp or the possibilities of a new venue near Philippolis

Carl & Keith

October 2008 Middle Vaal Report

2008-10-17T08:46:00.016+03:00

Don’t be misled by the heading of this report there’s not a lot about the Vaal in here. What I can tell you is that the Vaal is in great shape. Reports of big fish and great dry fly action are pouring in. Riaan Fourie took time out to get away from the financial markets and found some stability in the Vaal Hackle area. Large fish were cruising clear pools (up to 2 meter viz) and were eagerly taking flies. Another group of friends fished the Orkney area where they got stuck into a lot of +3kg fish with some PB and improvement on that on consecutive weekends.
Some people are complaining about the clarity which is plain dumb – like complaining when a super model brings her twin sister on a date! Maybe it’s just me but it’s the best kind of fishing the Vaal can offer, walking and stalking large fish almost New Zealand style – it’s just the lack of William Ellis silverware that reminds one you are in Africa, or is it the Netstar chopper overhead.
Enough of that and more on our fishing and rafting trip to the Richtersveld. It was actually a lot more than that and words even photo’s cannot capture the feeling and happenings of such an amazing excursion. It’s truly God’s own country – staggeringly beautiful and so quiet! No quad bikes or alarms ;-).
Traveling 1300 km to a new destination through a part of the country I’ve never visited was to be part of the fun – there’s not a lot happening on sections of the N14. We had a good steak in Vryburg the Texas of SA but the best rump was at Bi Lo restaurant in Upington. The Camping next to the river in Kakamas gave me an early shot at Northern Cape yellows but it was a fat 4kg carp that ended my hiatus of the previous two months. Damn foreigner but still flyfishing at least. If only the other fish of 7kg plus took the fly.

Water and Weather forecast
Looks like we are in for more hot and dry weather up here which should be good for fishing and the first spawning – reports of which are coming in. Please avoid these fish they are very easy to catch if you are willing to toss ethics aside. If someone does confront you on the river, take the reprimand on the chin, it’s done in the spirit of conservation.
Long range forecasts and long range trips go hand in hand. Daily checks are done with the websites but you know it’s only an impending disaster that will cancel the trip.

“Die Mas” Kakamas

Cold fronts were still buffeting the Cape and we woke to a crisp clear morning below zero in Kakamas – we don’t camp….often….. at all. It took a while to thaw out, which only really happened after the first cappuccino at the Springbok Lodge in Springbok. After that I gallantly gave up my down sleeping bag to my wife – if you want to be warm go goose down. (If you want a trip to succeed keep the wife comfortable.)
Crossing the border was easy enough. Our border posts certainly beat theirs hands down but they had better roads in that part of southern Namibia.
Once on the river we lost contact with websites and weather reports the only reminder of frontal systems was a chilly head wind making progress downstream a mental battle. The 13 km paddle at Elgro is a walk in the park!

Insect Activity
Being part of the same water system meant that on the insect front there wasn’t too much that can change from Parys to Pofadder. And it was the case where mayfly and caddis presented in pretty much the same shape and size as on the Vaal if not a little smaller. With all its faults on the pollution side the Vaal certainly does have much larger biomass per rock than the Richtersveld. Great for big fat yellowfish – then again I would rather drink Gariep water straight from the river. What was lacking was the really large Hydro caddis, but crabs and baitfish were more prevalent as large protein items on the menu. I covered all the bases with a good selection of flies.

Worm, crabs and nymphs

Approach and Technique
The Vaal caddis is hatching and the whole life cycle of the insect is on the menu. If you appreciate some of the finer nuances of fly fishing on the Vaal consider fishing the stages. This pupa Caddis pupa on a top fly with a larva fished in the glides or just below the rapids –swing the flies and use the Leisenring lift. Then switch to a Hydrolater towards evening, with the pupa on a dropper.
In the Richtersveld the approach was to complete a day’s paddling, find a camping spot, pitch a tent (get’s easier), fetch water, boil it, make a fire, cook food and sleep. Wake up repeat the previous in reverse order until the afternoon…………. I would be lying if I said that. This was never intended to be a fishing only trip. If that is your intention then get a 4x4 and camp in the Richtersveld nature reserve. Or travel along the Gariep on the Namibian side in a 4x2. Norotshama Lodge at Aussenkehr is a great base to explore from.
We had one really tough day of paddling 23km with the aforementioned head wind. But after that had two day’s rest (fishing) while a group went hiking into the mountains of the Richtersveld. That’s when my wife developed the visible symptoms of Chickenpox and I lost my photographer. Fishing was good but somewhat disappointing on size. There were plenty of small fish (cast-a-fish stuff) in the rapids but getting the bigger fish one had to explore the pools. I did a lot of walking and spotting without success. Even with good clarity I did not spot fish in the same lies I’m used to on the Vaal. Surface activity was limited to splashy rises; I did not see fish porpoise/head & tail rise, which is the trigger to switch to dry fly.
The two bait fisherman in our group got some excellent smallmouth specimens in the deeper pools. One fish exceeded 4kg with a few of 3.5kg.
LARGEMOUTH
I really battled to get my largie in the Gariep. There is plenty of water perfectly suited to hosting them, lots of bait fish (tilapia) and crabs, and very little fishing pressure. I got my first one on the last day at the Fish river confluence. Even the guys with Rapalas got nothing. I blame the weather.

Been there …….got the picture

Carl & Keith

GONE FISHINNG

2008-09-26T08:41:00.002+03:00

I'll be fishing the Gariep river from 28 September to 5 October. Report to follow

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=richtersveld&sll=-28.579604,16.530004&sspn=0.008875,0.019226&ie=UTF8&ll=-28.127706,16.958771&spn=0.570432,1.230469&t=h&z=10

September Update

2008-09-18T17:16:00.002+03:00

Report and some evidence just in. Clarity is absolutely great at the moment! With fairly constant flows the conditions should remain for another week-end. PTN hotspots and cream caddis produced for them.

September 2008 Middle Vaal Report

2008-09-11T22:43:00.010+03:00

When not fishing you meet interesting people photographing interesting subject - Bengt von Veh Magaliesberg

I have NOT spent any time on the river in the last two months hence the hiatus in reporting and my somewhat crappy mood. It’s an absolute disgrace! Such is life and as we evolve from single men to married with kids our disposable time diminishes. Choices we make, I’m glad I made mine.
Another choice I made is to join my uncle and friends on an upcoming 5 day raft through the Richtersveld. Part of the group is going on a two day hike, which leaves us two solid days of fishing. So I’ll get some sanity back.
For those of you with less interference in your fishing diaries get to the water. I’ve received some great reports in the last fortnight. Herman Botes has time to fish in the week and he had a magnificent day on Tuesday. All fish caught on the dry, some over 3kg, a final count of 30 plus and I must agree with the man that the Vaal is one of the best tail water fisheries in the world.
Water and Weather forecast
We’ve had steady flows in the last month – I watch the rates daily thinking that I may end up fishing the next weekend. I’ve been wrong on that. Clarity is good but with changes in temperature, wind and possible rain we may get some algae bloom, just like a pool going green round about now.
Weather is great and we’ve said goodbye to winter with some soaring 30C+ days in September.
Windguru at http://www.windfinder.com/forecast/vaal_dam gives good indication of wind and weather conditions in the Vaaldam area, good enough for Parys and a fair indicator for the Potch area. Looking at this you can expect wind North and North East.

With the high pressure south of the Cape it’s keeping the frontal systems away – clear skies for the next few days – looks like a fishing weekend.

Insect Activity
Reports coming in from the first weekend in September indicated that the hatches are thick- with some mayflies but already dominated by the caddis species. The odd Vaal caddis showed themselves over the weekend. You will do well imitating the large larvae – sometimes up to #8 hook. Check the rocks in the rapids to appreciate their size and prevalence in Spring.

Pupa for colour – note eyes and antennae

Approach and Technique
The Vaal is as we all know the dumping ground for a lot of nutrients, more than the system require and can handle. This combined with some other factors creates one of the scourges of the Vaal massive spirogyra growth– fortunately limited to this period. These long strings of algae clog up the prime fishing areas especially the rapids. I have experienced it so thick it makes wading impossible.
What to do when your favourite venue suffers? You can wait for summer rains to wash it away, but that is not an option when the urge to fish is there.
I have two options:
Get away from the stuff, the fish are still cruising the pools and are not exclusively feeding in the rapids. Target them with normal open water tactics. Mayfly nymphs on a slow retrieve or the surface flies.
Try a dry and dropper approach to targeted fish, fishing the clear lanes in-between the veg. Not an easy task but at times the choice between fish and driving home early.
A mate of mine had a great day in the Dome fishing a holding pool just above and below the rapids. He got plenty of fish and some whoppers amongst them! He lost plenty, almost all of them because of rusted hooks – from a waterproof box. He lost all his flies and had a very frustrating and disappointing day. Avoid this by taking these precautions.
· Invest in a good waterproof box.
· Leave all flies outside the box or the box open to dry. Often forgotten when racing back from a long day and you still have to take the significant other out at 19:30 and it’s 18:45 with Gasmere 50 km’s to go.
· Check flies before the trip using needle nose pliers to check them. Rusted flies break off at the tail where the dubbing ends.

Bertu and Tinus teamed up to produce this one and the next

LARGEMOUTH
While the rain remains absent the clarity should be good. Dedicate some time to pursuing these great game fish now before the summer rains reduce visibility. Fishing has been good to excellent from Parys to Prieska actually I’m only reporting up to Nkolo Spa/Christiana.

Average size fish for these chaps

News
The guys in the Western Cape are relaunching the Yellowfish Working Group. You can contact them here if you are interested :
http://www.flytalk.co.za/forum/showthread.php?t=4696
Northern Cape Bells is happening in October and there may be some slots available.
I’ve received some worrying news from the headwaters of the Vaal. Dave Weaver reported a possible new trout farming venture at Sterkfontein dam. I’m all for people earning a living but I see absolutely no reason why another person must enrich themselves buy stuffing-up (is the nice word) another pristine environment. We’ve had a lot of that in South Africa and are reading about the effects weekly – Wonderfonteinspruit, Sterkfontein caves, Loskop dam, Northern Cape diamond mining etc. etc.

FOSAF reports Yellowfish September 2008

Horrors of horrors, I see in the chronicle this week a small notice that there is a planned trout farming operation earmarked for Sterkies. I have registered myself as an interested and affected (I+A) party. At this stage I have no further information regards this proposal but I will keep you informed as and when I get more info. I sent the notice out to a number of people on my e-mailing list so hopefully the word has got around. Should you wish to be listed as an I+A party please e-mail, Mr E Hinrichsen at aquaeco@telkomsa.net. You can also go and view their activities at www.aquaeco.co.za.

Joy when a mate scores in Seychelles! Well done Theo

Carl & Keith

August report delayed- Carl disgusted with himself ;-)

2008-08-19T18:05:00.002+03:00

We've not posted the August report yet because Carl claims to be so under the whip in his day job he's not had time to blog... he disgusts me and apparently himself. Hopefully we'll hear from him before the end of the month.

Have you been on the Vaal recently? please post a comment and let us know what you've been up to.

I am off to Scotland next for a few days fishing the Tweed and its tributaries for browns and grayling... and maybe some sea trout! watch my blog "flies and stuff" for more.

July 2008 Middle Vaal Report

2008-07-01T23:28:00.016+03:00

A few weeks ago I was fortunate to enjoy a day’s great fishing on the drift at Elgro Lodge. They run a professional operation, safe & clean facilities, boats in perfect condition and the trip gives access to some of the best sections of the Middle Vaal. We were rewarded with world-class fishing – I nailed the smallies on dry and my mate got stuck into the largies and bigger smallmouth.
A group from the Flytalk.co.za forum got together for a trip on the 28th and they more or less blanked. I won’t mention anything about their abilities with a fly rod ;-). Jokes aside it certainly highlights the true nature of the river in winter. If you blank you may give up on it, if you get into the fish you are forever converted to the supreme fishing experience of the Vaal river.

Water and Weather forecast
Flows are still basically a gamble, I mention a number and the next day it is up by 10. Monitor the flows on the two sites. Rand Water and DWAF or contact a reliable landowner. It seems Goose Bay and Schoemansdrift are producing data, but neither of them tie up or reconcile back to the Barrage. That said the flow is certainly fishable and the latest report on visibility is from 100-150cm in the Dome.
Winter solstice is behind us so the days are getting longer but alas not warmer. The next two months will be the coldest but the fish will still eat!! Our recent trip coincided with the antitheses of the Perfect Storm – the perfect fishing weekend. On the Saturday the high pressure system remained over the centre of the country, it was balmy 20C and we had no wind.

Insect Activity
Looking back at the archives of Middle Vaal reports for winter it’s fairly obvious that mayflies are the main food source you need to imitate now. Mayflies hatch in the rapids or in the open water of the large pools – but fish will feed for several metres below these spots. Be vigilant and you’ll notice the little sail boats on the water or in the air (too late for the fish, for now). The water flowing past you will be a soup of nymphs, shucks, spent, hatching and trapped adults, giving a clear indication of what must be imitated. I would err on the small size when tying or buying flies.

Caddis imitations in smaller sizes are also important the adults and pupae more than the larvae. I haven’t fished midges/buzzers/chronomids but these insects are abundant in the Vaal during winter and do form a large part of the diet of smallmouth. They hatch in very slow moving water, where the larva lives in the muddy substrate.

I tend to have cover for every insect on the Vaal and Sterkfontein dam in my flybox. Before every trip I add to it and after the trip new patterns and shared ideas find slots.

Approach and Technique
As mentioned earlier we picked a good weekend for the last trip – I guess the more you go out the luckier you get.
I started the morning searching for largemouth but when I noticed the first signs of surface feeding smallmouth I switched. I always take two rods on the boat both loaded and ready. The dry fly rod had an indicator dry with a small mayfly emerger on the dropper. I battle to keep track of size 18 dries at 30 yards. This “indicator” was a Vaal caddis tied with a thick stack of white CDC.
I prefer to use my own boat, it allows for 2 rods and going solo allows one to stand on the pontoons of the boat. There’s only one captain and you can go where you want to – plus you get all the exercise of rowing.

Once you clear a rapid and the major rocks it’s fairly safe to stand up on the pontoons, which gives you the required elevation for spotting fish (don’t forget the hat & Polaroids).
Keep an eye IN the water, a bump against a rock can send you into the 10C water! Follow the main flow and scan the eddies or quieter water for rising fish or the dark shapes holding or moving just below the surface. Yellowfish on the Vaal do not present as the golden beauties you see in Sterkies or held up for photo’s.
When entering a new pool it is a good idea just to pull over and spent a few minutes resting while scouting the surface. It is amazing how a barren stretch of water comes alive. If you are familiar with hunting or game viewing you’ll know how rewarding it can be just to sit on a kopje and scan the bush.

LARGEMOUTH
Bertu landed and released this beauty first thing in the morning around 9 am. This after three boats passed thru the pool. Flies that worked for him were all dark coloured which made sense considering the low visibility – black provides a better contrast.

Barend also used a dark coloured fly to contribute this beauty to the Largiebase

– plus he threw some cash at the problem and made use of the guiding services of Ian Couryer. The money spent on a good guide is an investment in your future fishing pleasure. Even if you hit a bad day in terms of weather etc. you will learn so much that will stay you in good stead for the future.
Unless you can get onto the river with a very knowledgeable buddy who is willing to forgo some fishing time and show you the ropes (NOT!) a guide is the only option. Of course there are some dodgy guides out there, but in general if you go with a word of mouth recommendation you are safe.

News
Keith is launching a new Blog sharing his experiences in the UK http://fliesandstuff.blogspot.com/. I’m sure it will be filled with his passion for fly fishing and great new fly patterns to inspire us.

Cheers got to go fishing!

Carl & Keith

Flies and Stuff- keith blogs his UK flyfishing

2008-06-21T10:16:00.003+03:00

finally, after 16 months of living in South England I have started blogging some of the amazing fishing I have had. Come over and have a read and if you have mates in the UK (or are considering visiting or moving to the UK) let them know too, I'd be happy to offer help based on what I've learnt so far

June 2008 Middle Vaal Report

2008-06-08T21:51:00.016+03:00

Winter has well and truly arrived, although living on the northern side of the Magalies I only notice it when I visit the Vaal. I spent a day out on the river the last weekend of May and the water was only just bearable in neoprene waders. That said if you manage to stay out of it you can easily still fish with only longs. We are so blessed with temperate days of clear blue skies.

Water and Weather forecast
Planning a trip should centre on the major frontal systems. If it’s big it will sweep the country and you’ll be better off tying flies or cleaning the garage. I thought this would be a very cold winter but on the odd hunting trip the campfire was a pleasant experience.
Flows have been erratic up to 25 cumecs in the last two weeks (up to 30 from the 8th), which is above the winter flow regime. Hopefully we can get some low constant flows, which should contribute to increased visibility.

Insect Activity

In winter the main focus will be on mayflies. Some of the readers have sent me questions in the past on what are meant by all the terms used when describing the various stages of the mayflies. For those who still have questions have a look at this great article on Hatches magazine - http://hatchesmagazine.com/page/january2006/86
I do not think we need to be able to define between male and female to be successful on the Vaal. Heck I cannot find any plausible reason why a fish would pick a male over female. I may be wrong;-)
There are some new updates at http://www.danica.com/flytier. Note how many tiers use CDC, especially when tying grayling flies. Don’t overlook this aspect as there are similarities in the way these fish feed.

Approach and Technique
The last trip was always going to be tough. I did not have a boat only my float tube, which hasn’t been used for 5 years and which I have never used on the Vaal. In short it wasn’t the perfect tool for the job. I prefer to use the two-man inflatable used by the rafting fraternity. From a fishing point of view they are perfect. The inflated pontoons offer a stable platform allowing the angler to fish and spot from a standing position.
The visibility is still not optimal but if you know where to look you will find the smallmouth. I fished a likely looking pool but there were no takers. I then decided to walk the bank for approximately 1km up and down stream. I was looking for the tell tale sign of consistent risers and I found them at the head and eye of the pool.

The channel was split by a small island joining up at the head of a long pool- see photo above . The fish were holding (blue circles) out of the main current (green line) occasionally sipping insects off the surface.
The key to success in winter is searching the pools for feeding fish. Some pools are really big and you tend to get “lost” and cannot decide where to fish. You can start by fishing the likely areas blind, constantly watching the water for signs of activity. Here I would target the head or throat of the pool as long as it’s deep enough. Tail-outs are always good, especially if you have a deep drop-off. Calm or protected bays with minimal flow can warm up and I have seen pods of fish holding fairly close to the surface in such places.

If you do strike it lucky and find a feeding pod I trust your casting will be up to it because you won’t get within 10 metres without spooking them.

LARGEMOUTH
Focus your attention in the tail-outs close to quieter water with protected bays, hyacinth beds and rocky outcrops. Juvenile fish hang around these rocks and occasionally venture out to far. Fish the imitation all the way back to the rod, lifting the leader and then fly clear of the water. Don’t commence casting with 3-meters of fly line out the tip, it is easier to load the rod but you will miss takes. Stand back from the edge at least until you have covered the drop-off with a few casts.

My personal preference is to use natural colours.

Work pressure kept me away from the Bells Largemouth festival. These two flies were tied specifically for the festival. I like the push of water generated by the woolheads – which should register on the lateral line even in lower visibility. The foam popper can be fished top water or below the surface – it is obvious why a surface running fly would be appealing!

Thanks for the contributions for the Largiebase. Unfortunately we do not have enough information to publish – only about ten submissions – crap fisherman I tell you ;-).

Good luck

Carl & Keith

May 2008 Middle Vaal Report

2008-05-06T09:02:00.019+03:00

It’s time to confess: “Hi my name is Carl and I fished for stocked trout at a lodge in Mpumalanga.” Everyone: “Hi Carl!” Ok it’s not really a sin and heck it’s not always that easy, I blanked on the Monday morning. We certainly do have some great rivers and stillwaters and the most beautiful scenery in that province. It is also where I started my love for fly fishing on a syndicate farm on the Slaaihoek road. There are just a few aspects of it that I don’t enjoy that much now that I have seen the light.
Before you send me hate mail I do not include fishing for wild trout under the vices of the dark side of fly fisher folk. Keith is actually fishing for them, using his great imitations of these: http://www.hatches.tv/play.php?vid=258 That is when spring does arrive in the Northern Hemisphere. The weather has been all over the place in the States, a friend in Seattle was complaining about the snow in April. So don’t complain about our early winter, at least we have clear skies on most winter days.

I enjoy following various international fly fishing forums and visiting the websites. It fuels new ideas in fly tying and reminds me of old trout techniques to try out on yellows. What does strike me is their dependence on the arrival of spring, apart from the obvious opening of the season, at times it’s downright impossible to fish due to the weather.

Water and Weather forecast

Free rising wild trout on light tackle

On the topic of weather we have now (hopefully) seen the end of the rainy (I was writing this before 1 May!) season. Planning a trip is not so much dependant on the rain as on frontal systems bringing cold and drastic changes in pressure which is not conducive to good fishing. Have you ever used this synoptic chart which is available here http://www.weathersa.co.za/ship/ship.gif?

I’m not a meteorologist but the line with the shark teeth ;-) = Cold Front. The jury is still out over the effects of High pressure vs Low pressure on fishing. A quick Google will give you the two sides of the story. I certainly don’t like fishing a day before a major frontal system hits, thereafter it is back to normal.
Flows should have settled into the winter reserve regime, they have been fairly constant for the last 2 weeks. Temperatures are dropping steadily hovering around 15C – time for the waders unless you managed to stay dry all day. On that keep some warm dry clothing stashed if you do get dunked, something windproof and some polar fleece.
Visibility is improving and in the region of 100cm which should increase if all the variables remain constant. But being variables they don’t so like predicting weather I’ll stick to ball park predictions and reserve the right to cock-up occasionally. But the nice thing is you do get days when smallies are 30cm below the surface and very visible from afar-so rather perfect your casting and presentation skills than worry about clarity.

Insect Activity
The mayflies are starting to dominate in terms of hatches- baetis species should be the dominate fly. But you don’t need to worry about the Latin or counting the tails to catch fish. Be prepared with the right size and colour fly. On a recent trip I was catching them on an ant imitation because it resembled the size and colour of the spent naturals. The smaller caddis species will be present in sizes from 12 down to 20. Keep in mind the wing versus body ratio of the caddis when choosing your flies.
As mentioned earlier there is so much we can learn from other fly fishing people. John Gordon developed and tie some amazing small patterns to fool the very elusive fish of the San Juan river in New Mexico. http://www.danica.com/flytier. Some of those patterns will work for selective smallies. Don’t be fooled into thinking a yellow won’t see those small flies, soon the water will be clear and if you present the fly to a pod of them good fun will be had. Now to find a hook that will keep a fat winter smallmouth.

Approach and Technique
Following on with the April theme we will stick to slow fishing. My last outing to Elgro Lodge the fishing in the rapids was very slow. I decided to take the boat downstream to locate the fish as the estate agents say: “Location, location!” I found pods of them feeding on a smorgasbord of nymphs, emergers and spent adult mayflies. The fish weren’t big but they were eager to take a well presented fly and that ladies and gentleman is the most enjoyable part of our sport!

The flies used were all tied with CDC.

1 F-fly

2 Loopwing CDC emerger
3 CDC spent wing
4 Vaal caddis
5 CDC ant

LARGEMOUTH
Pick up a current edition of a local FF magazine and you will see an article on fishing for Largemouth – the best time to fish is now. You cannot get better advice from this section than what Ian Couryer is writing. He has a wealth of experience pursuing these fish as an angler and guide.

A mate reported seeing a lot of largemouth feeding activity in the pools while out fishing over the long weekend. The smallmouth where feeding on the surface in the bigger deeper pools. Other smaller fish could be warming themselves in the warmer top layers during the day. This explains the visible feeding on the surface.

A good option is to fish baitfish imitations on or near the surface. Especially in the tail-outs close to quieter water with protected bays, hyacinth beds and rocky outcrops. Juvenile fish hang around these rocks and occasionally venture out to far. Fish the imitation all the way back to the rod, lifting the leader and then fly clear of the water. Don’t commence casting with 3meters of fly line out the tip, it is easier to load the rod but you will miss takes. Stand back from the edge at least until you have covered the drop-off with a few casts.

Cheers

Carl & Keith
mailto:carl.yellowfeverat@gmail.com remove the (at) to mail
mailto:keithat@yellowsonfly.com remove the (at) to mail

2008-03-29T15:02:00.012+02:00

April 2008 Middle Vaal Report
(March not published due to bloggers block)

Fast food is part of today’s scourge of instant gratification proliferating society – I hate it. It’s all about doing as little as possible and getting satisfied in a short period of time. When the golden arches first arrived in Rome in 1989 the Italian response was to start what has now become the Slowfood movement. A return to traditional methods and ingredients served to the whole family or friends allowing for plenty of time for conversation and enjoying the food.
Fishing in summer can be fast food like in its approach and gratification. During the summer everyone is queuing up at the drive thru section of the rapids when large schools of smallies congregate to feed and breed. The ethics with regards to targeting the spawners are well published with another great article in the March TCFF. I’m not trying to be a purist saying that fishing in the rapids for feeding fish is wrong or unsporting. At times it’s the only spot to target smallmouth unless you want to spend a frustrating fruitless day on the river. That is certainly not the purpose of our pursuit.
This late part of summer and autumn is the return to slow fishing. It takes us back to a traditional steady approach with long leader and dry fly or maybe a single nymph. Walking the bank searching for the telltale flash of gold visible in the clearing waters of the Vaal. I love just standing observing the surface until you see those lips breaking the surface and the dorsal fin following to confirm a rising feeder.

Water and Weather forecast
The March weather predictions were for higher than expected rainfall. I thought we were in the clear towards the end of March. Flows were settling in the early twenties perfect for late season fishing. Then we had higher than normal rainfall just before the Easter weekend pushing the flow up to 170 cumecs. This left me with a weekend booked in Parys with flows just not breaking below the 60 mark. It was a great family weekend, we had some magnificent wines and lovely food at the local restaurants.

The predictions for April look to be just as dodgy with higher than normal rainfall forecast. The gamble is again to hit the rainfall right for that big weekend.
Insect Activity
The mayflies are starting to dominate in terms of hatches. Easter weekend they were hatching from small #16 to large #12 in colours ranging from cream to black. The odd Vaal caddis was still skating over the surface eliciting splashy takes from eager fish.
I would suggest arming yourself with a variety of nymphs, patterns of which there are hundreds to choose from, in varying sizes, weights and colours. Take a selection of small dries to simulate the adults. Don’t forget to include the odd large attractor dry. It can produce even in hatches of smaller insects. Plus it’s the only option to float a weighted nymph through the glides.
Here is another pattern I came across that is so simple to tie yet will produce plenty of fish in summer when the caddis reigns supreme.
http://www.danica.com/flytier/mlibertone/rubber_band_worm.htm

Approach and Technique
My suggestion for the month – get back into some slowfishing. April 2007 I enjoyed amazing dry fly fishing getting 6-10 fish above 5 pounds on some days.

LARGEMOUTH
“The time is near” not of the second coming like in Lord of the Rings, but rather of the main season for largemouth yellowfish. If you can’t get out onto the river go to a park or another open area to practice accurate long range casting. Work with longer leaders as this is required when targeting largemouth. Soon the practice will pay dividends.

If you do tie flies get into the archives of flies or favourite sites to brush up and get tying. Hatches magazine had this great fly under their warm water section, nothing new but there are elements that appeal to me. Dark back white belly, classic baitfish triggers.

NEWS
Do you enjoy photography especially when fly fishing? Have a look at the Zen Photography Hints at www.troutunderground.com there are some tips that should help to improve the shots you take.

Ed Hall is also running a blog it is really worth a read and to give your support for his conservation efforts.

I have started a general blog titled SAVING OUR AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS
(www.indigenousvaal1.blogspot.com ). I'd like this blog page to act as a gateway (HOME PAGE OF SORTS) to other blogs and web pages dealing with aquatic conservation in SA. I am still learning about the whole blogging thing so any suggestion on content, layout etc., would be greatly appreciated.

So far I have one link on the 'HOMEPAGE' to another blog page I created - CONSERVATION OF VAAL RIVER AND OF ITS FISHES (www.indigenousvaal.blogspot.com ). I'd also like this site to act as a general discussion page for fishermen to post there comments on conservation and possibly submit information for display on the blog spot.

Cheers

Carl & Keith
carl.yellowfever@gmail.com
keith@yellowsonfly.com
http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

February 2008 Middle Vaal Report

2008-02-17T12:40:00.011+02:00

For those of you who believe bad things only happen in Africa. Here is an account of Trout on the menu that turned out well. I suppose what we lack is a well funded and staffed Fish and Game department outside of the game reserves.
The last two months has not been great on the fishing side. It seems as though the rain arrives on a Thursday to push the flows up for the weekend. Have you been lucky enough to get onto the river? I do get reports of guys catching during the week or even in the high flows. That is a bit of a gamble, but not much more than the daily challenges facing the citizens of South Africa.
I remember those days when I still went fishing come hell or high water. Now a sense of balance has returned and family take precedence over a below par day on the river.

Water and Weather forecast

Well I can say that the weather guys did get a decent prediction in for last month’s report – lots of rain. If they are correct again March is going to be testy in terms of flows and weather.

Model forecasts are favouring the central parts for above-normal rainfall totals. The remainder of the country seems more likely to be dry. The entire country is expected to experience above normal temperatures, excluding the far southern and south-eastern parts.

There has been some bad press recently covering the pollution in the Vaal. It obviously raises the question of:”How safe is it to wade in the river?” I cannot give any assurance but the Randwater website does publish accurate reports like these.

http://www.reservoir.co.za/catchments/vaal%20barrage/barrage%20reservoir%20forum/barrage%20recreation%202008/barrage_recreation_15jan2008.pdf

http://www.reservoir.co.za/catchments/vaal%20barrage/barrage%20reservoir%20forum/barrage%20microbiology%202008/barrage_micro_jan2008.pdf

Also consider chatting with your GP about the benefits of a Hepatitis shot.

Insect Activity

The hatches are thick this time of the year, usually towards late afternoon when the day visitors who arrived at 5:30 are knackered and heading home. It’s really worthwhile booking an overnight stay once in a while and getting into the early evening action.
Partaking in international forums (like www.sexyloops.com) gives you exposure to a multitude of styles of fly tying and design. How about this for a super buoyant caddis-mayfly imitation? It looks easy to tie and incorporates CDC, nice clear hook gape for good hook-up on smallies. Thanks Per-Anders Nilsson for allowing me to use it. You can find his and many other designs on Sexyloops.

Approach and Technique

The approach would be to find the days when the flows are within fishing range 35 cumecs max and go fish. There are exceptions but that would depend on your urge to fish. If you do end up with time on your hands have look at this great popper. In smaller sizes it will work well for Largemouth and even the odd smallmouth. Popper!

When I see a fly like this CDC Comparadun I can’t wait for autumn to roll on. It is such a special time of the year and if the weather and flows play along the Vaal is transformed into one of the best fisheries in the World. Fishing is not easy but becomes technically challenging with all the aspects I enjoy about it.

LARGEMOUTH

The database is growing, albeit slowly (would help if I contribute). If any of you catch a largemouth please send us a brief email with the following details:
· Fly, size, colour.
· Date, time.
· Area, general, no need to divulge secret spots.
· Tactics, line, depth, retrieve.

This should benefit fellow anglers and could also provide valuable information to the conservation and research people.

NEWS

I came across this interesting article on the lifestyle changes in the US Great Outdoors .I immediately thought that there’s some benefit in this. Peaceful days on the Vaal with not another person in sightJ. But reading the article highlights the dangers of such a selfish assumption. There is actually strength in numbers and if all the users of the Vaal (and other water resources) can pull together we can put pressure on the governmental agencies to manage the resource properly.

We are all affected by the electricity crisis at the moment and suddenly there is emphasis on saving and not wasting. What worries me is that we (us and the Government) do not have the same attitude towards water. This year has seen good rainfall over most parts of the country, especially over the Vaal catchment. But when are we going to wake up to the fact that South Africa is an arid country with limited water resources. Will it be when they drain the last bit of water from a strategic resource like Sterkies and the subsistence guys move in to scoop up what was once a world class fishery?

Do your bit to save and conserve for our children’s children.

I would love some feed back from everyone out there on new items or points of interest you want to see on the blog. Tackle reviews comes to mind – that way I get to test new tackle for free – Patagonia, Sage etc.

Cheers

Carl & Keith
carl.yellowfever@gmail.com
keith@yellowsonfly.com

January 2008 Middle Vaal Report

2008-01-16T08:17:00.000+02:00

At Sterkies it’s not just about the fish. Photo Dave Weaver

It was a tough December for me on a personal level. We lost a dear friend and two of her kids in a car accident. When such an event happens it tends disappear among the crime and politics of the newspaper. When it comes close like this it shocks you into your soul and made me think again about priorities and life.

I was due to go on a weekend to Sterkfontein dam when I got the news the Friday morning. It really cast a dark cloud over the trip. But getting there and meeting up with friends, making new friends and being out in that magnificent place made me appreciate life so much. Just feeling the wind on my face knowing my mate was still in ICU, recovering to face an incredible loss gave me such a crazy rush of emotion.

It was a tough weekend, the fish were still sulking due to a lack of summer up there, but al the events leading up to and during that weekend just made me realise it’s not just about the fish. It is about getting out there and doing the fishing thing, but we have to enjoy more of the fishing than just catching fish. It would certainly have rated as a very miserable fishing trip because on days we worked hard to bring in 6-7 yellows.

Learning the ropes at dad’s feet.

Water and Weather forecast

The Middle Vaal had a good dry spell over the holidays affording us a shot at some decent fishing. I’ve received reports of guy’s sight fishing at spots on the Vaal. Not sight fishing as in Sterkfontein dam, but a flash of yellow or a tail waving around. I remember a day when nothing happened and I sat down to survey the battlefield – 1 against 200 scenario. Suddenly I noticed movement amongst the rocks, a tell tale (or tail) sign of a feeding fish. One of my first and very ugly crab imitations found the mark and after a hectic battle I released a good Largemouth.

The two week forecast is predicting high rainfall over the fishing and catchment area of the Middle Vaal. It’s always a good idea to check the weekly weather reports leading up to the weekend. The usual conundrum is what to do if you’ve revved yourself into total fishing mode and Simon says on Friday night it is looking bleak for the weekend.

Windguru is a new website I use (Dave Weaver the guru of Sterkfontein uses it). It provides very accurate information for the Vaaldam. www.windguru.com

Insect Activity

The hatches are thick this time of the year, usually towards late afternoon when the day visitors who arrived at 5:30 are knackered and heading home. It’s really worthwhile booking an overnight once in a while and getting into the early evening action.

Black fly should be present on most days, remember to add a good quality insect repellent. This is one instance when going eco-friendly is not going to cut it, treat the inside of your shirt as well as your skin.

Approach and Technique
I can honestly say that I am at a loss for words at the moment. We have covered everything in previous reports. I’m not seeing anything new in reports or the forums – or the guys are keeping it close. If you do experience tough conditions or blank on more than one occasion you’re probably a crap fisherman. Hahaha, no please send us an email and we will gladly give advice based on our experiences.

LARGEMOUTH
Summer is not traditionally a great time to target these fish but they obviously still feed. A friend of mine in Bothaville has received reports of big fish being caught. Which has galvanised him into action to search for a good largie.

The initial feedback from the telemetry study (non scientific) is that they do enter the rapids and shallower areas to feed. This measured against the winter haunts of 2-5 meters.

The database is growing albeit slowly (would help if I contribute). If any of you catch a largemouth please send us a brief email with the following details:
· Fly, size, colour.
· Date, time.
· Area, general, no need to divulge secret spots.
· Tactics, line, depth, retrieve.

This should benefit fellow anglers and could also provide valuable information to the conservation and research people.

NEWS
We are getting reports and emails of fly fisherman becoming a nuisance on the Vaal. Absolute poppycock you would say we are after all the eco-friendly gentleman of the fishing world. We don’t leave campsites in a mess of rubbish and booze bottles.

Unfortunately we do have the same problem as all other fisherman – limited access to the river. Please keep in mind if you are canoeing on the Vaal you cannot merely stop and fish with no regard for the bank angler or the property owner, same goes for accessing the river at a point and then wading onto another “property”. Yes the resource belongs to all the people but please show the necessary respect and courtesy towards the other users. More on this subject to follow!

I would love some feed back from everyone out there on new items or points of interest you want to see on the blog. Tackle reviews comes to mind – that way I get to test new tackle for free – Patagonia, Sage etc.

Cheers

Carl & Keith
carl.yellowfever@gmail.com
keith@yellowsonfly.com
http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

December 2007 Middle Vaal Report

2007-12-10T07:50:00.000+02:00

Dirk Human with one of his hand reared Smallmouth – he feeds them too much.

Occasionally a non-fisherman would comment on a trip that was less “successful” in terms of numbers of fish caught, saying: “that was a long distance to travel for 3 fish!” How do you explain to such a person that there is so much more to our pursuit than just the actual catching of fish? Yes it is magnificent when you do get a new record number or that big one, but surely there are more ingredients to the Bouillabaisse than just fish.

Preparing for trips must be a ritual that all of us partake in – invariably starting with a visit to your favourite fly shop, buying new gear (new C&F medium box for Sterkies) or tying various new or old successful flies. I always tie flies before a big trip even if my fly boxes are full, it gets me into the right frame of mind. That’s why I end up with so many unused patterns. I’m tying for Sterkfontein at the moment, enjoying the paradigm shift between the Vaal and Sterkies although we are fishing for the same species. Time to get out the #14 and smaller hooks as anything on a #10 looks gigantic.

Water and Weather forecast

This must be one of the wettest summers we’ve had in a couple of seasons. Keith it’s almost like in the UK, rain every day, I’m thinking of getting a brolly. It would be advisable to monitor the dam release as well as the Barrage reservoir release before venturing to the river. Some of the lodges like Elgro can give you accurate reports on the visibility.

For those remaining at home or visiting the Middle Vaal during the holidays the medium term forecast is for warmer and drier conditions. That should give you ample opportunity to explore the river.

Insect Activity

It is mid summer, the predominate hatches will be caddis – small dark brown to tan al the way to the big Vaal caddis. With the lower visibility you may have to concentrate your efforts subsurface where the larva can be imitated with everything form natural latex to the various shades of the green for the Vaal caddis.

Mayfly hatches occur, mostly late afternoon into the night. Once it starts getting dark I find a big attractor dry to be a better option than matching the hatch. The fish are very aggressive and will take anything that lands on the water. Nymphs can still be imitated with GRHE and darker brown/black patterns. If you are into imitative tying have a look at the clinging mayfly naturals, there are some distinct features to build into your patterns.

Black fly should be present on most days, remember to add a good quality insect repellent. This is one instance where going eco-friendly is not going to cut it, treat the inside of your shirt as well as your skin.

Approach and Technique

The different styles of Czech nymphing would be the bread and butter technique when the flows do pick up. With lower summer viz you’ll have the benefit of being less visible to the fish as long as you adopt a careful noiseless wading style. This style of fishing can give you the edge when the flows are up at 25-30 cumecs.
There is obviously still place for regular nymphing and the other techniques discussed in these reports.
Black coloured flies do give better contrast in low visibility and don’t forget to try one of the many bloodworm imitations. Changes in flows wash these residents of the muddy substrate into the main current.

LARGEMOUTH

Summer is not traditionally a great time to target these fish but they obviously still feed. You can try fishing a large crab pattern while targeting smallies. You’ll be surprised how many smallies you pick up with the benefit of offering a more substantial meal to suite the appetite of a big largie. My first largie of over 70cm was caught on a crab pattern, in the rapids in February.

Another option is to wait until sunset and then to target the tail outs of large pools with big bulky flies – either surface or sub surface. I’ve seen big largies move into the shallower water, one memorable fish at Wag ‘n Bietjie effortlessly popped a 2X tippet. Best to go 1X or even 0X and have more than memories.

If any of you catch a largemouth please send us a brief email with the following details:
· Fly, size, colour.
· Date, time.
· Area, general, no need to divulge secret spots.
· Tactics, line, depth, retrieve.

This should benefit fellow anglers and could also provide valuable information to the conservation and research people.

NEWS

My holiday did not produce the fishing opportunities dreamed up in preparation of the trip. Instead we unfortunately witnessed the severe flooding and extensive damage and loss experienced by the people of the Western Cape. I did get 4 small Garrick on a Flipper it’s a good fly that – certainly one I will adopt for Largies.

FOSAF recognised the contribution we make and sent me the latest edition of Favourite Flies (Keith it’s in the library) – great book with interesting contributions from great fly fisherman around the country.
I found a dead Cape Gannet on the beach which was ringed (dead ringer?). A quick Google put me in touch with the avian demography unit at UCT http://www.birds.sanbi.org/safring/safring.php. or safring@adu.uct.ac.za or safring@gmail.com
If you do find or see ringed birds and can get the ring number please forward to them, they certainly do respond and appreciate the feedback.

Cheers
Carl

November 2007 Middle Vaal Report

2007-11-05T08:53:00.000+02:00

It’s not easy turning out these reports with something new and interesting every month. I occasionally read through the back copies of the reports and they contain a multitude of information on catching the two Vaal river yellowfish species, in all conditions bar the 1300 cumecs we had in April 2006. We have covered all the angles in these reports and I believe there is scope to explore various new alternatives going forward.

Keith sent me a link on Spiders not these http://www.sexyloops.co.uk/cgi-bin/theboard_07/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=4;t=3034;st=1980 rather this http://www.spidersplus.co.uk/home.html. I thought the man’s gone all traditional, he’s lived in the UK for 10 months and he is already becoming a crusty Brit. Soon we’ll see photo’s of him in tweeds, tie and deerstalker on a chalk stream or heaven forbid leaving a pub in an English rugby sweater. Not! Keith’s always been the thinker and, innovator. If it wasn’t for that one article of him and Garth in TCFF I would most probably still be pursuing only trout on fly. There is nothing wrong with trout, it’s just that I live in a province with summer temps around the mid 30’s, which is not conducive to happy Salmonidae.

Water and Weather forecast

It seems as though this half of summer will be fairly normal as far as Highveld summers go. We’ve had good rains across the area and the Vaal dam is already at 70%. It would be advisable to monitor the dam release as well as the Barrage reservoir release before venturing to the river.

Afternoon thunder storms are a typical feature of summer, I may sound like a typical father figure but working for a mining company I’ve had exposure to the methodology of safety systems and understanding why people get killed. It would be prudent to take head of the threat the accompanying lighting strikes do pose for us on the river. There is no 2nd chance no life time guarantee - get off the water in time!

Insect Activity

I was privileged to be invited to partake in the Northern Cape Bells and met some very interesting fly fisherman and whiskey (apologies Derek) drinkers. It was great to fish different water to what we call home. The aquatic insect life was different, I saw no sign of the Vaal caddis (Hydropsychidae) and most rocks had 75% mayfly nymphs on them.

The area had a lot of spirogyra (rocksnot etc) so Czech nymphing was frustrating. But I managed to get a few fish by swinging a team of flies in the deeper sections. This diving caddis produced two in quick succession - http://www.danica.com/flytier/steps/diving_cdcelk/diving_cdcelk.htm

The best moment of the trip was Saturday evening catching a smallmouth on dry with the lions roaring their greeting at the encroaching darkness.

I can recommend a visit to Nkolo and the Northern Cape waters, with the right planning around the flows etc you will experience the magic of a different Vaal river. You may even be rewarded with some big smallies and in winter excellent largemouth. Believe me I saw the photo’s in Jacques Marais’s presentation, they make you very-very envious.

Approach and Technique

Yellows eat mulberries floating on the surface, tie up some patterns!

If you’ve been fishing for as long as I have you get to a stage in your fly fishing career when it’s not just about the fish and the quantity you catch. A good friend of mine, Zoran eluded to the stages of fly fishing in his front page http://www.sexyloops.com/2007.shtml?1026 . These philosophical prophecies are usually brought on by the wisdom of age or when you blank on the water. I have experienced it, it is a humbling experience and very necessary. If it was all too easy we would not grow as Fly Fishers. I certainly take stock after such an event and revaluate my options – throw money at the problem, new fly, new materials etc.

There certainly is opportunity to try these different techniques on the Vaal. Be it now or when the seasons change, bringing on more challenging conditions for the traditional Vaal techniques. People would say that to consistently catch smallies you have to get down in the zone with big heavy bombs – that’s the only way. Yeah right like catching trout consistently on a Mrs Simpson and sinking line - it works but is it really fun? Don’t get me wrong I’m not advocating that these techniques are the purist form of fly fishing and that anything else is akin to coarse fishing.
Don’t go to the river and frustrate yourself to a stage where you’re not enjoying it anymore. The point of our pursuit is still to catch fish and release them unharmed back into their environment. I’m just asking you to get out there and experiment to broaden your horizon.

A good large-scale yellow caught in stillwater - small peacock bugger

LARGEMOUTH

There aren’t a lot of new fly patterns developed these days, most are just variations of tried and tested patterns. Sometimes you come across a pattern that just begs: “Take me for a swim in Largie infested water!” The meat-wagon certainly does have most elements I would want in a Largemouth fly - bulk, movement, flash. I’m tying some on SS hooks for the small leeries of Swartvlei and the smallmouth bass.

http://www.wayupstream.com/2007/10/meat-wagon.html

I received 2 emails for the Largiebase. I believe there are more successful fisherman out there, they either believe in the conspiracy theory (of us trying to steal their secret spot) or don’t have access to email ;-)
If any of you catch a largemouth please send us a brief email with the following details:
· Fly, size, colour.
· Date, time.
· Area, general, no need to divulge secret spots.
· Tactics, line, depth, retrieve.

This should benefit fellow anglers and could also provide valuable information to the conservation and research people.

NEWS

I’m off to the Knysna area and will give the Gouritz a go when I’m down there. I may be able to teach those “illegal” Smallmouths to eat a dry fly or 2. On the way down there, I’ll be fishing a mystery dam in the Free State – hopefully the water is clear and the fish are head up and feeding.

Cheers
Carl & Keith
carl.yellowfever@gmail.com
keith@yellowsonfly.com
http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

October 2007 Middle Vaal Update

2007-10-02T08:16:00.001+03:00

October 2007 Middle Vaal Report

I’m doing a presentation at the Northern Cape Bells, on the threats facing our yellowfish. A quick bit of research on the internet revealed a multitude of major threats facing trout and therefore by deduction yellowfish. There are loads of information available on US rivers and lakes – the typical problems we experience are not limited to South Africa.

Water and Weather forecast

Summer has come and gone, we have spring and a normal season again. The rain was very welcome especially for the farmers, but I’m sure a good flush of the river will help the fishing. Although these days we’re not so sure what is flushing into the river.

The flow data available here http://www.reservoir.co.za/flow.htm would assist when planning a trip but watch the rainfall figures for the Barrage catchment area. That is everything south of the mountains you drive through on the N1. Water clarity has dropped due to the rain to about 30-50 cm.

With respect to temperatures during the week in question, it seems likely that somewhat elevated temperatures should continue to persist in the northern interior but maximum temperatures over the remainder of the country more or less normal for this time of the year.
In terms of rainfall, several upper troughs moves across the country during this outlook period an rainfall probability remain good for the central and eastern parts of the country. www.weathersa.co.za

Insect Activity

I spent the long weekend fishing the Parys area and managed to get a few photos of the food items on the Vaal menu. Apologies for the quality but macro photography doesn’t work from a bobbing boat. Email me if you want the better quality photo’s.

2 stages of Hydropsychidae

The same pupa removed from the larval shuck

Note the key triggers – black eyes, long antennae and gills

Adult Hydropsychidae – those wings are almost 2/3 of the body.

Brown damsel nymph

There are a lot of the Vaal caddis about. I have watched the adults, they certainly don’t present an easy meal when in flight touching the water occasionally. I believe a reasonable imitation of the emerging pupa above and of course the larva will be your best bet. That said I did get 2 good fish over 5lb on the now famous Hydrolater. There are also hatches of small 16-18 chocolate and black caddis.

The summer mayfly hatches will be interspersed with the caddis, size and colour of the adults should be covered by generic patterns – nymphs are predominately brown to black and adults cream to black.

Approach and Technique

As already mentioned I got two fish on the dry. I’m at that stage of my fishing where 2 fish on a dry makes my day and I’m a content fisherman – and I didn’t get anything else on the upstream nymphing or CZ nymphing. The latter 2 methods will certainly be your bread and butter techniques for the rest of summer. You will only rarely be afforded the opportunity to fish dry or dry & dropper.

Heres some advice for those of you looking for something different to lobbing heavy control flies around. The guys at Midcurrent has this interesting extract from Ed’s book. “This week we offer Ed's advice on freestyle nymphing with small flies that is, nymphing without split shot or indicators. As Ed notes, choosing your casting position, fishing a short, drag-free line, and having a keen eye for potential takes are all essential ingredients. http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/books/engle_smallflies.aspx
ED ENGLE'S home water is the South Platte River in Colorado, where he guides and instructs fly fishers on the finer points of fishing tiny flies to overstuffed and finicky rainbows and browns. Not surprisingly, he is a recognized expert on the subject, and in the past three years he's penned two books on the subject of small flies and trout.”
There certainly is a case for fishing small nymphs especially if you have a look at the naturals underneath a rock in the river.

LARGEMOUTH

To date we have not received any reports of largemouth caught – I assume you are all bum fly fishers who cannot catch any. If any of you catch a largemouth please send us a brief email with the following details:
· Fly, size, colour.
· Date, time.
· Area, general, no need to divulge secret spots.
· Tactics, line, depth, retrieve.

This should benefit fellow anglers and could also provide valuable information to the conservation and research people.

NEWS

I walked past this critter. Please be on the look out for snakes when walking outside the river. This night adder (identified by the black V on the head) is poisonous but you are unlikely to die from the bite.

Cheers
Carl & Keith
carl.yellowfever@gmail.com
keith@yellowsonfly.com

Vaal Flows : 14-16 September

2007-09-14T10:12:00.000+03:00

There were rumours going around of release flows from the Barrage of 60 cumecs planned for the weekend. Randwater confirmed the plan is to maintain it at 15 cumecs.

September 2007 Middle Vaal Report

2007-09-05T06:11:00.000+03:00

Summer is just around the corner and for many flyfishers the hiatus is over. But it’s also the time of the year when our beloved yellowfish spawn. Please take the time to read through Keith’s excellent advice
http://www.fosaf.co.za/fosafs/images/Wading%20impact%20Wallington.doc.

We do have an impact but must try to keep it to a minimum. There really is no achievement in catching huge quantities of spawning adults. Send us an email if you do see fish spawning.

And please send us photographs of people targeting spawning fish... we'll post the images on a "name and shame blog"

Water and Weather forecast

I don’t know about the weather in your area but on this side of the Magalies mountains winter has vaporised in the +30C day time temperatures. The normal summer fishing conditions that bring the crowds back to the Vaal is around the corner. The gamble the next few weeks would be to get the inevitable cold front during the week with warm pleasant weather over the weekends.

The water temperature at the Barrage is +/- 14C, this is at 7am, so depending where you are fishing in the Dome you will get water that’s above 16C in the afternoon. This may be sufficient to bring the smallies right up or into the rapids – but more on that later.

The flow data available here http://www.reservoir.co.za/flow.htm will be accurate and sufficient to plan a trip until the summer rains come. Water clarity is still good at around 100cm.

Bad news at this stage for those people living off the land is that the rainfall forecast is below average for September. So that’s just about every one of us as Woolies get their food off the land as well.

Insect Activity

Reports coming in from the weekend indicate that the compound insect hatches have started.

At this stage the caddis are small, #14-16 light brown adults (Elk Hair Caddis, Kaufmann’s stimulator), subsurface these would be represented by tan/cream larvae. Get ready for the appearance of the large Vaal caddis, don’t arrive without the range of patterns to imitate them. The larvae spend all winter fattening up to a size 10 even 8 hook. http://www.yellowsonfly.com/Fly_Patterns.html

The summer mayfly hatches will be interspersed with the caddis, size and colour of the adults will vary, but a friend had great success on an Adams recently. Unless you are a prodigious flytyer who enjoy tying different colour variations of the patterns it will be safe to take the generic patterns readily available in the shops – nymphs are predominately brown to black and adults cream to black.

The hatches will last much later in the afternoon, even after sunset. You’ll have enough time to fish the hatch and drive back for the 22:00 kick off of the World Cup matches – before inevitably falling asleep in a one sided Bokke vs USA mismatch.

The blackfly are out as well, “Peaceful Sleep” helps for the adults, these help for the larvae http://www.yellowsonfly.com/Fly_Patterns__Other.html .

Approach and Technique

We still have a window of opportunity for some good dry fly fishing to sighted fish. The fish have not entered the rapids yet, but should be congregated just below them. This area can be very productive during hatches, as all the cripples and other easy meals end up here. It’s like drive-thru with the cars parked and the burgers floating to the windows.

Fishing a dry as indicator can make your day so much more interesting. I’ve had evenings on the Vaal with fish hitting a Hydrolater, in a blanket hatch of mayfly and small caddis. Phew what more do you want??? The larger flies are certainly easier to follow in the low light.

This time of the year the algae (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirogyra) becomes a serious problem on the Vaal. It has always been there, but it is particularly bad in places. This is due to the increase in nutrients (untreated sewerage, fertilizer and feedlots on the river banks) coupled with the clarity allowing more sunlight to penetrate. Reports from Bothaville area is that the rapids are unfishable. If your approach is limited to the conventional summer nymphing tactics you are in for a very frustrating day. My suggestion is:
• Investigate different venues and also areas at the same venue. The growth of algae and other vegetation varies in severity along the Middle Vaal.
• As mentioned earlier the fish will be poised to move up into the fast broken water. Target them in the eye or throat of the pools just below the rapid were the water is deeper. A dry & dropper drifted in the channels between the algae and water grass will limit foul ups. Up your tippet to 3X to give you the ability to turn fish away from the thick grass.
• If you have access to a boat prospect until you find fish actively feeding. There are still pods of fish holding in water too deep for any vegetation to grow. You can target these with long casts (to avoid spooking them) and a dry & dropper rig.

MidCurrent has compiled a list of 42 Fly Fishing Strategy Tips have a look through them in preparation for the summer trips. http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=8jwwzdcab.0.5hcy9dcab.9qa5g8n6.2806&ts=S0272&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.midcurrent.com%2Farticles%2Ftips%2Ftips_strategy.aspx

LARGEMOUTH

To date we have not received any reports of largemouth caught – I assume you are all bum fly fishers who cannot catch any. If any of you catch a largemouth please send us a brief email with the following details:
• Fly, size, colour.
• Date, time.
• Area, general, no need to divulge secret spots.
• Tactics, line, depth, retrieve.

This should benefit fellow anglers and could also provide valuable information to the conservation and research people.

NEWS

The Northern Cape Bells festival will be held at Nkolo Spa from 4 to 7 October. It’s a great venue and the event is always well organised. More info can be found here:
Drie Provinsies Vlieghengel Klub & Northern Cape Yellowfish Working Group
http://flyfish.kimvertise.co.za/

I have received isolated reports and photo’s of injured fish, please be on the look out for yellows with injuries and send us a brief email with details even photo’s. On the other hand a friend fished below Parys on the weekend and he reported fat good conditioned fish that put up a serious fight!

I found this bit of disturbing news on the Reservoir site.

Scientist Warns of Typhoid Time-Bomb
At one point the Franschhoek sewerage works linked to the Berg River were running at 200% capacity but without any chlorine for two months "someone forgot to order it". In June, the Wellington municipality dumped "an enormous heap" from a bucket latrine system onto the banks of the Berg River. Barnes took water samples from the river nearby and found an E. coli count of 216 000. The E.coli bacterium is used as an international standard to measure water pollution. The European Union standard for avoiding contact with water when it is polluted is just 1 000 E.coli to 100ml of water, while South Africa's standard the responsibility of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is 2000. "I notified all the authorities possible. Nothing was done." Referring to a Boland township, Barnes said a sewer there had overflowed for six months. "I couldn't get the municipality to come in and clean it up they said they couldn't find it. But the school was just nearby and every child coming to school went right past it. Also, it was running straight into a water course." Despite this year's extremely good rainfall, Barnes has found E. coli counts in the Berg River that were way over the safety standard.

Our rainy season is about to start and this threat will again rear its ugly head. Please report incidents to us or use the Water Crime link on the FOSAF site.

On a lighter note….

Cheers
Carl & Keith
carl.yellowfever@gmail.com
keith@yellowsonfly.com

MIDDLE VAAL RIVER UPDATE AUGUST 2007

2007-08-03T11:55:00.000+03:00

Flat clear and calm

WATER AND WEATHER FORECAST

August is the windy month, frontal systems will carry remnants of the Southeaster which will test the ability of a 5 weight and your perseverance. In fact wind will be a factor on most days, adapt and use the wind to your advantage – the ripple will give cover against observant yellows in clear water. Staying away from the river because of wind, would be like the All Blacks not touring because Schalk is playing. Day time temperatures are slowly increasing and the peach

blossoms are out in the Magaliesberg.

www.weathersa.co.za

The water temperature at the Barrage is doing its utmost to breach the 10 degree mark, almost in the range were the Capies would take to the water at Clifton in December. I fished the Parys area 3 weekends ago without waders, if you don’t enter the water or fish after sunset waders aren’t essential.

Flows are constant at what I would assume to be the winter reserve flow: providing for low and very clear water.

INSECT ACTIVITY

Mayflies are the dominant emerging insects. Be on the lookout for drifting nymphs, emerging adults or the returned spent adults. Try to spot the adult naturals and imitate them - colours range from cream to black, combined with a dark brown or hare’s ear nymph you should cover the surface and sub-surface cycle. The mayflies hatch anytime during the day but the best time is between 10am to 3pm.

APPROACH AND TECHNIQUE

Drifting a team of nymphs

There is one aspect of fishing for yellows on the Vaal which is extremely frustrating but keeps me coming back for more. Those days when I don’t catch anything, blank, zip, no takes no knocks just nothing. Three weeks ago we fished the Parys area on an absolutely perfect Saturday; apart from the fact that the All Blacks gave us another clap. There was little to no wind, the flow was right and the visibility up to 2 meters. There was a good hatch of #14 Mayfly
coming off, but no regular feeders. The best I could do for the day was photographing this porcupine feeding on an island.

The next day was another absolute beauty. I dropped into a few venues and walked the bank looking for action. The whole pool at Dimalachite was void of any rises or cruising fish. I decided to turn back and head to the previous day’s venue, at least we had seen some movement there.

Fishing deep on an intermediate line, I picked up the first fish 30 minutes into the session on a squirrel Zonker nymph (tungsten bead). The line was left to drift through the deepest part of the pool and then retrieved as the flies approached the base of a rocky outcrop. The fish took on the retrieve.

I moved on; upstream to a bigger pool with a rocky ledge that affords a great vantage point over the tail-out. I spotted a good 7lb fish in the tail-out but not much else in the pool or along the ledge. By the way I stuffed up by throwing the weighted zonker to the fish in the tail out, I should have switched to a smaller weighted nymph.

I worked the rest of the pool all the way to the head, just below the rapid. The swallows were feeding on hatching Mayfly (#14 brown) in the rapid which was a good sign but the fish stayed down. I allowed the current to take me into an eddy and then I spotted pods of 5-10 fish
cruising lazily; 30cm below the surface. I switched to a brown CDC emerger with an unweighted nymph on the dropper, which they refused. I tried everything in the C&F box, stepped down on the tippet, super sized the meal to a large foam beetle – nothing!

In hindsight I should have tried ultra small flies (#18's maybe). The tactic might work but the only way of knowing is to go back to the river and try that. If you find those flies or hooks too small, try tying smaller nymphs on bigger hooks like these demi-nymphs http://www.danica.com/flytier/bharang/bwo_demi_nymph.htm .

LARGEMOUTH

I’ve had very little success this winter but Grant got this solid fish in the Parys area.

"Fast retrieve, fished deep, fished close to edge/structure, big flashy fly".

I’ve heard good reports of decent largies taken in the Northern Cape, one of 7kg, unfortunately not on fly.

Keith suggested we get a largemouth catch database going.

This should benefit fellow anglers and could also provide valuable information to the conservation and research people in time when we have built up enough data.

If any of you catch a largemouth please send us a brief email with the following details:

Dimensions (fork length, girth) and notes on condition
Fly, size, colour
Date, time.
Area, general, no need to divulge secret spots.
Tactics, line, depth, retrieve.
Photographs
Weather conditions

NEWS

The Proceedings of the Yellowfish Working Group Conference is available on the FOSAF website. A word of thanks to Peter Arderne who edited the document.

Melissa Brand is from the University of Johannesburg, undertaking a study which is aimed at determining the social and economic value of the yellowfish in the Vaal River as a targeted angling species. If we can prove that this resource has a value then the Government will support the industry by managing the Vaal River. Please visit the website and complete the questionnaire. The students at UJ (see Linda Nel’s telemetry study on the same website) are doing valuable work to raise the status of yellowfish as a flagship species. What is a Flagship species? Think Black rhino, the general public, NGOs and Government can identify with a rhino better than the Lessor Spotted Tree Toad. Once the rhino reserve is proclaimed and funded, the above mentioned LSTT will benefit as well.

Our UK correspondent (at large) has recently been published on one of Fly Tying’s premier websites - http://www.danica.com/flytier/kwallington/kwallington.htm This site has an absolute treasure of fly patterns and ideas for the fly tier, many which can be used or adapted for our beloved yellowfish.

Cheers

Carl (& Keith)

JULY 2007 Middle Vaal report

2007-07-05T08:33:00.000+03:00

A crisp clear morning on the Vaal

Water and Weather forecast

http://www.weathersa.co.za/

Technically speaking summer is on the way, the daylight units are increasing although the temperatures are certainly not. It is still damn cold even on this side of the Magalies. The key to success is to fish the weekend following a few days of mild temperatures - in the low 20’s. The forces of nature don’t always coincide with our schedule of Saturday and Sunday fishing, so take leave in the week. You want to avoid fishing with an approaching frontal system over the Southern parts of the country.

As we approach August the incidences of windy days increase. Excessive wind is always a problem for the fly fisherman, whether it’s 6 guys in a small cabin or the force of nature making life hell on the water. It makes casting harder, reduces the visibility, stops insects hatching and creates windknots (not my casting). The graph below is for the town of Potchefstroom, but should be a good indication of conditions on the water. The timing would vary but bargain on having wind from 10 am to 3 pm. Prime fishing time.

http://www.weathersa.co.za/

The flow rates are down to a constant 11 cumecs (23-29 June) a perfect rate for winter fishing. No data available from the Barrage at the moment. Clarity still varies but in general it is great – over 100cm in most areas.

Insect Activity

Mayflies are the dominant emerging insects. Be on the lookout for drifting nymphs, emerging adults or the returned spent adults. Try to spot the adult naturals and imitate them - colours range from cream to black, combined with a dark brown or hare’s ear nymph you should cover the surface and sub-surface cycle. The mayflies hatch anytime during the day but the best time being 10 am to 3 pm (Predominately windy!?).

Approach and Technique

My last trip out was to Elgro lodge, we fished in fairly high flows of +30 cumecs (peak of 70). This made for tough fishing and easy paddling. Clarity wasn’t great and the fish were unsettled by the unseasonal flows. The first fish we found were holding over rocky flats in the large pools, but these weren’t keen to take the fly. It was late afternoon before we spotted the first consistent surface feeders. I took my first fish of the day with the sun and moon setting almost simultaneously. One more fish followed on a CDC emerger before it became to dark to fish.

A Great Egret warming up in the first rays.

Somewhere there must be written – in Chinese – “Man can row all day only to catch fish at end of day, be patient!”

Although the fishing wasn’t great on the numbers side it was a wonderful day out. Just that one fish on the CDC fly made it for me – it’s an addictive experience seeing a smallie sipping in a dry fly. I’ll be happy to be Bill Murray in Groundhog Day waking up every morning, going to the Vaal and watch those lips break the surface sipping in the #14 MF.

I did learn one valuable lesson; don’t try to catch both species of Vaal yellowfish on one day, it’s an exercise in frustration. Or at least during the same session. Try to focus on the largies (this will be tough when there is no takes) and only switch to the small stuff when you spot pods of actively feeding smallies.

The action can be slow when fishing exclusively for Largies, you can get some takes from smallmouth by fishing smaller attractor patterns or a tandem rig with one being a mayfly/dragon nymph.

NEWS

Reading the State of Yellowfish Report kept me up till 23:00 last night, it is scary stuff. If we (that’s you and me) maintain status quo our kids will have very few if any options to fish for yellows. Get involved and do your bit for saving the environment by reducing you ecological footprint http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecological_footprint.

If the weather is bad this weekend take out Groundhog Day and tie some flies.

Cheers
Carl & Keith
carl.yellowfever@gmail.com
keith@yellowsonfly.com
http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

MIDDLE VAAL RIVER REPORT June 2007

2007-06-08T00:05:00.000+03:00

Old picture, but it says it all on Largie fishing!

Water and Weather forecast

Map courtesy of the SABC

We are now entering mid winter, short days, very low temperatures, regular cold fronts and very dry conditions. Okay so it rained 34mm over the Barrage catchment area during the week - forecasting is not an exact science. I’m looking forward to the 21st of June, winter solstice in our hemisphere and optimistically the start of summer. Days are getting longer, not warmer, so more fishing time!

There are unconfirmed reports that the level of the Barrage will be dropped on 11 June and the flow stopped returning to normal on 22 June. Looking at the irregular flow pattern in the first week of June this seems to be the case. Visit www.reservoir.co.za for updates.

Insect Activity

Mayflies are the dominant emerging insects. Be on the lookout for drifting nymphs, emerging adults or the returned spent adults. Try to spot the adult naturals and imitate them - colours range from cream to black, combined with a dark brown or hare’s ear nymph you should cover the surface and sub-surface cycle. The mayflies hatch anytime during the day but the best time being 10am to 3pm.

Please keep in mind the mayfly is not the only food source available and utilised by yellowfish in winter. Damsel larvae, dragon fly larvae, small fish and chironomidae/bloodworm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chironomidae (larvae, pupa, adults). Do a Google on Brian Chan or read the books he has written, he is one of the leading experts on the subject of chironomid fly fishing. http://www.chironomid.com/articles/chan_bio.html

Approach and Technique

Sakkie Bezuidenhout wet wading for Largies

The water clarity is great, I’m getting reports of 1-1.5m visibility in some areas. So this month I’m not going to mention smallmouth yellowfish. They are feeding and eagerly awaiting your flies but we have covered the approach and technique over the last 3 years I cannot say anymore.

Find a venue with boats for hire and a large slow flowing pool. Forget the rapids we are entering the slow tedious world of the master chess player. Your adversary will be sly and calculated in a very familiar environment. Smallmouth are like teenage girls at the backstage exit of a Robbie Williams concert, the fly hitting the water is like RW walking out the door! Largies are not present in the same numbers so you need a different approach.

A 6 or 7 weight rod is perfect but a 5 weight will do. I prefer to use an intermediate line because you can cover the surface and deeper water with it alternatively increase the leader length. Tippet strength should be 3X (8lb) or heavier anything lighter is unfair to the fish. It will be near impossible to throw a #6 fly on 4X anyway.

Watch the weather and if possible pick a warm day – maximum in the low 20’s makes for a comfortable day out. Depending on the venue you don’t need an early start, unless you have to paddle a fair amount to get to the right spot. Optimum time is 10am to 3pm, the angle of the sun will offer the best visibility into the water.

The action can be slow when fishing exclusively for Largies, but you may get some action on the side as the larger smallmouth move into generally the same holding area. Smaller attractor patterns or a tandem rig with one being a mayfly/dragon nymph will give you a shot at both species.

Those large pools will appear flat and void of any structure on the first attempt. I can guarantee you none of the substrate look like a Freestate mielie field, the carp wish it did. Familiarity with a venue will soon reveal all the intricate subsurface structure which is the key to success. Search for the Largies around structure, deeper holes/channels, undercuts or in the tail outs just above the rapids. Use a stealthy approach as these fish are very sensitive and will disappear or get lock jaw if you get this wrong. Boats are a great aid but paddling and the pressure wave created by a rocking boat will alert fish. Try to anchor casting distance above a spot and then drift closer by releasing the anchor rope – make sure the end is attached to the boat!

The tail out is a great place to prospect if you are on foot. Wade in carefully, start searching the drop off even before entering the water. Fish move in and out of the tail out so return to the spot after a rest.

Flies to use vary from imitative patterns to any large attractor pattern like zonkers, MSPs, woolly buggers, clousers and deerhair poppers or divers. I prefer natural colours- black, brown, olive with lots of movement from marabou or rabbit zonker. Make sure you can cast the flies on the rod and line you have. Choose large bulky deer hair flies in the low light conditions. They create a lot of disturbance, which register on the fish’s lateral line.

NEWS

Please make the effort to complete the questionnaire either on the FOSAF website or emailed to you. Neil is doing research that will benefit us the fly fishing community.

Hi Keith,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for participating in my questionnaire on the aesthetic carrying capacity of fly-fishing for yellow fish on the Vaal River. Hopefully some one can use the research that I am doing here and integrate it with some more scientific research. The further I go with this line of research, the more important I realise aesthetics is.

I have not yet reached my pre-determined amount of questionnaires. I have re-attached the questionnaire and urge you to forward it to someone you know who fly-fishers along the Vaal River. My thesis is currently in the preliminary report stage and is aimed to be finished by November 2007. After is has been reviewed by a panel of experts, I will forward the results to the Yellow Fish Working Group.

Yours in conservation

Neale Harman

If you’re not fishing this winter but prefer to clean & repair tackle and get brownie points enjoy. Here is a good article on manners to read before the summer crowd descends on the river http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/journal/part43.html

Cheers
Carl and Keith (lucky bugger, it’s summer there and he just returned from fishing in Italy.)

MIDDLE VAAL UPDATE MAY 2007

2007-05-07T08:40:00.000+03:00

Living in Rustenburg north of the Magalies mountains does mean that winter arrives only in June. Spending the last weekend of April in Parys certainly made me realise winter is already on the Highveld. We fished the Saturday with a frontal system making the day on the river very uncomfortable. An ice-cold “gale force” wind was driving the clouds over at regular intervals. More on the fishing later.

During April I attended the Yellowfish Working Group AGM at Elgro Lodge. The presentations were of a very high quality and very informative. It certainly is heart warming to see and hear the enthusiasm with which people are committed to the conservation of yellowfish in South Africa. A full report will soon be available on the FOSAF site.

Most of us do not have the time to get actively involved in conservation. We can certainly help the cause by becoming more aware of the impact we have on the environment. It’s not just the informal settlements with their rudimentary sewerage systems polluting our rivers. Every time you have a 30-minute shower or flush the toilet you have an effect on the river system, in fact the environmental footprint of us affluent citizens is much bigger.

Take the time to complete the questionnaire posted by the Zoology Department of University of Johannesburg http://www.uj.ac.za/zoology/index.asp?page=detail&id=3080 available at www.fosaf.co.za or drop me a mail and I will forward a copy. These guys and girls are doing amazing research which will benefit us all please give them your support.

WEATHER AND WATER

The Vaal is in magnificent condition, visibility is great and improving with the constant flow. You really have to get on to the river this winter it is a rare opportunity to experience the river in such great form. Fishing for winter yellowfish is not much different to trout fishing but it’s a whole lot more exiting.

The long term forecast looks great for fishing, have a closer look at the shorter term forecast especially if you want to avoid fishing just before or during winter frontal systems.

INSECT ACTIVITY

The caddis hatches are all but over until Spring, although the larvae are still present on the rocks which may tempt you into imitating them. You may even be successful if you fish caddis patterns in the deeper glides and channels.

From a fishing angle the most important insect on the Vaal in winter is the mayfly. You can expect to see a few different species of mayfly over the following months:

#15 rust dun with clear wings
#14 cream dun with straw wings
#16-18 straw dun with straw wings
#18 medium dun dun with medium dun wings

These adults were photographed on the walls of our accommodation in Parys.

The emerging nymph is easy to imitate as they are either brown or a dirty olive brown and in roughly corresponding sizes to the adult (sometimes the nymph is a size larger). I do not believe yellowfish are very selective feeders so any close colour representation should work.

APPROACH AND TECHNIQUE

Back to the fishing - although sight fishing should be the order of the day the inclement weather made it impossible. I eventually had success when I swung a team of mayfly imitations across current. I was anchored in water 2m+ deep in the belly of the pool where the flow was slowing down. The only activity was a few splashy rises of fish coming out of their deeper holding spots. I was casting up and across, mending to get the flies down and then leaving the line to slowly drag downstream, forming a semi-circle belly and occasional twitch helped to keep good contact. I took 3 good fish in quick succession, al of them hooked themselves as the tension in the line was enough.

We’ve been catching on #10-16GRHEs and #14-16 black flashguns. I believe any combination of light and dark mayfly should produce fish.

This is an excerpt from Keith’s report for June 2006. There’s not much more I can add, this is what is required to be successful.

The fish will be firmly entrenched in their winter habitat now, in the throats and bellies of the deeper pools with occasional forays into the eyes and tail-outs when foraging between 10am and 3pm (give or take an hour or two).

While there is fishing to be had early and late in the day (especially if you are into deep water nymphing) there is no need to get out of bed early, if you’re on the water at 9:30 and off at 3:30 you should be present for the hatches.

When you arrive at the water it is critical that you spend a good few minutes assessing the situation before rigging up, never select a fly before having spent time watching the water. This may sound simple and obvious but it is also critical to setting up for a successful day’s fishing.

Find high vantage points from which you can scan the pool you are going to fish (avoid the rapids at this time of year and focus on the eyes and tail-outs of the pools). If you are to fish a smallish pool of 200m or less in length you may be able to walk its length once or twice and watch for signs of a feeding school of smallmouth yellowfish. Rise forms are ideally what you are looking for, the more consistent, prolific and subtler rises are what you want…this indicates a school of fish have settled into a feeding pattern on a specific stage of a hatch. Watch the rise form in an attempt to figure out if the fish are eating an emerger, dun or spinner. If you see the mouth partially break the surface they are on duns or spinners, if the mouth does not break the surface but rather the top of the head does, then they are on emerging nymphs a centimetre or 2 below the surface.
Fish a long leader of 12 to 16 feet and 4-6lb tippet. For the adults you can use any mayfly pattern dressed in the appropriate size and colours.

LARGEMOUTH UPDATE

The visibility is up to 100cm in the Dome area, which makes prospecting for Largemouth a definite option. It can at times be very slow and tedious work to fish for these large predators. Try to alternate between hunting for smallies and casting large attractors on heavier tackle. Waiting for the hatch to come on can be a good opportunity to pick up the other rod. For that reason I carry two fully rigged rods in the boat - one with a floater and one with intermediate line.

Hedge your bets by fishing a small mayfly nymph on the dropper (50-100cm) behind a large attractor. Some say the attractor should chase the nymph, I cannot believe the fish do math on that one. It’s also better to have the largie fly on the 3X or 2X with the dropper on 4X.

I’ve caught good size Largemouth from 9:45 to very late afternoon.

Learn to tie the best knots, check your knots and tippets and use the best possible terminal tackle.

If I haven’t said this before – you really have to get on the water, fishing the Vaal in such good condition is not something we will be privileged to experience a lot in the future. Forget about the summer venues with rapids and riffles rather rub shoulders with the baities at the spots with the large deep pools. You’ll find the venues empty the next few Saturdays as all the Bulls supporters follow the rugby;-)

Carl & Keith

carl.yellowfever@gmail.com
http://www.yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

APRIL 2007 Middle Vaal Report

2007-04-03T07:05:00.000+03:00

Let me start with the good news. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is conducting an environmental study on the impact of flow rates on fish survival. We all prefer a fishable rate in summer and think nothing of the flows in winter. But flow rates certainly do have an effect on yellowfish – the condition of the fish this year is much better than last autumn when flows were in excess of 500 m3/s. This is a simple example, there certainly are wider ramifications on the food source and breeding habits of yellowfish in particular. We will keep you up to date with reports and progress of the study.

Water and Weather

The long-term forecast is still predicting lower than normal rainfall. With the natural tapering off of the rainy season flow rates should remain at safe and pleasant levels for fishing.

We all must have noticed the change in season, since the cold front two weekends ago. The days are shorter and the minimum maximum temperatures have dropped considerably. The water temperature at the Barrage is still around 20 C, downstream it’s colder - not bone jarring yet, then again you don’t actually have to wet wade to catch fish at the moment.

Insect Activity

The caddis hatches are certainly tapering off, although the egg laying flights after dusk is something to behold. The odd Vaal caddis will still be fluttering around during the day announced by big splashy rises by chasing fish.

Mayflies are the dominant emerging insects from now right throughout winter. Be on the lookout for drifting nymphs, emerging adults or the returned spent adults. Try to spot the adult naturals and imitate them- colours range from cream to black, combined with a dark brown or hare’s ear nymph you should cover the surface and sub-surface cycle. The mayflies hatch anytime during the day; be on the look out there’s lots of fun to be had.

Approach and Technique

The water clarity is great up to 100cm visibility in some areas. It’s not Sterkfontein but then the average size of fish is much bigger. If you want to catch your first Vaal river smallmouth on dry now is the time. Those guys looking for the constant intravenous flow of adrenaline offered by high summer in the rapids better stay home to earn brownie points. The action is slower but the visual aspect and at times the quality of the fish makes this the ultimate chase on the Vaal.

We all do go through various stages of fishing – starting off with “please can I catch just something” to nailing 50+ plus in the rapids or looking for the next biggest mark. Dry fly fishing in the right conditions on the Vaal is the most exiting thing you can do with your waders on. Think about it, it actually is!

I was fortunate enough to enjoy two sleepovers at two different venues in the last three weeks. First trip was to Elgro, the water was flat and clear and we battled to locate fish. I knew the key to success was to find them first. We waded 500m upstream and crossed several islands before spotting a pod holding around a rock. The fish show up as dark grey shapes, only revealing the telltale golden flash when feeding. A dry (Hydrolater) and dropper approach produced this fish.

Late afternoon we explored the glides and pockets just above the rapids. I was casting a large deer hair popper and getting explosive takes from the smallmouth. The Sunday morning I was working the same area with a Hydrolater and Klinkhammer. The fish were actively rising but very spooky. It required long and accurate casts. Do some casting practice during the week it will make your day more enjoyable on the water.

The weekend of 31 March/1 April we fished a venue close to Parys. We paddled upstream in search of the fish. I cannot emphasise this enough, don’t just walk up to the nearest rapid and start plugging away. From around 9:00am to 15:00pm the clarity affords you the opportunity to find the fish even when they’re not rising. My buddy landed the first fish on an Elk Hair Caddis, which I let him do. This was in a glide with deep channels cutting through.

The next stop was the belly of a large pool, I was standing upright on the inflatable when I spotted the dark grey shapes of 2 fish holding just below the surface. The lead fish took the dry without hesitation. The extra elevation does give you a better chance at spotting it also require balance and sobriety. Fishing blind with a team of nymphs produced in the same area, so there were fish holding deeper.

The Sunday morning I “discovered” a tail-out in the smaller channel created by a very big island. The fish were head up on the surface feeding hard on #16 spent mayflies. As an April Fools joke they decided to take the #10 Hydrolater with gusto. I also had a dun coloured dropper of this fly on http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesA/au-graylingspaleeveningemerger.htm and a diving CDC caddis http://www.danica.com/flytier/hweilenmann/hweilenmann.htm on the dropper. I wasn’t wearing waders but the 6 fish over 5lb on dry was a magnificent experience.

Presentation again required long accurate casts, on most casts I had only a few turns of fly line on the reel. That said I took a beauty of a fish cruising 12 feet away from me.

I like to use Keith's Hydrolater because it’s such a big visible fly that floats really well (it's also his blog so I have to say this ;-). Have a look at this style for a variation to tie the Hydrolater –
http://www.danica.com/flytier/aconba/aconba.htm Just substitute the materials of the Foamback Sedge. To view the Hydrolater have a look at the fly patterns here www.yellowsonfly.com

If I can give you one bit advice to take to the river: “get out of the rut, try something new.” Here is a great article by Philip Monahan “Think Outside the Swing”. http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/techniques/monahan_swing.aspx

Largemouth

The improved clarity and fairly warm weather is an opportunity to target largemouth yellowfish without donning neoprene’s. Fishing exclusively for Largies is slow and tedious, but the movement of larger smallmouth into generally the same holding area can break the spell. Smaller attractor patterns or a tandem rig with one being a mayfly nymph will give you a shot at both.

These fish do use sight to hunt coupled with the other senses, their large upward facing eyes always scanning the water in front and above for prey. Find them around structure, deeper holes/channels, undercuts or in the tail outs just above the rapids.

The tail out is a great place to prospect after sunset. Choose large bulky flies like zonker muddlers in the low light conditions. They create a lot of disturbance, which registers on the fish’s lateral line. This also translates into a careful approach by the angler.

I prefer to use an intermediate line because you can cover the surface and deeper water with it.

NEWS

During the weekend of 13-15 April 2007 the annual Yellowfish Working Group will be held at Elgro River Lodge. More details are available at http://www.fosaf.co.za/ .

MARCH 2007 MIDDLE VAAL REPORT

2007-03-08T07:45:00.000+02:00

Water and Weather

The heat wave we experienced does make one think twice about the global warming debate. The low rainfall has certainly dealt a major financial blow to the crop farmers, spare a thought for the landowners whose land you are accessing - it’s not just great weather for fishing when it doesn’t rain. Flow rates should remain at safe and pleasant levels for fishing.

On these extremely hot days it will pay dividends to get out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. Relax in the shade, assess the morning’s action or lack there of, retie leaders and replenish the fluid levels in your body. That will see you rested and ready for the late afternoon to dusk session, which should be the most productive. This is also the time of day the bigger fish will be feeding more aggressively.

March is the beginning of autumn; with a drop in morning temperatures and a shortening in daylight hours. The fish will certainly stop spawning by now. They will drop out of the shallowest of water unless large hatches bring them into the shallows.

The water temperature at the Barrage is currently around 23 C. Please fight fish quickly and keep them in the water to minimise stress on the fish. Make sure you revive the fish properly before releasing.

Insect Activity

The predominant caddis larvae on the rocks are the smaller tan ones – almost a “natural” latex colour, but all the usual patterns like mustard, tan, cream (#12-16) should work well. The caddis’s hatching are small size 14-16 with brown or light brown wings and lime or tan abdomens.

Mayflies, the clingers are all over the rocks in the rapids in various shades and sizes. Any decent imitation in dark brown, black and Hare’s ear will produce#12-16. They will become the dominant emerging insect from now on right through winter.

Approach and Technique

Water clarity is certainly better than mid summer therefore a stealthy approach will pay dividends. This makes dry fly fishing more of an option. Two friends landed their 1st Vaal Smallies on the dry in February, one going on to take another 9. It’s a great dimension of Smallmouth fishing which everyone should try when conditions are optimal like now.

Some guys are complaining that regular spots are not fishing well at the moment. I believe that we tend to get stuck in a rut especially in summer. We fish the same riffle and seam every weekend because the fish are always there. When things change you need to stay ahead of the game. Try to tune into the environment when you get to the river things are changing, daylight hours, temperatures and rainfall (flow rates) are all adjusting to the coming season. It is difficult if one spends 8 hours a day in air-conditioned offices to be aware of what is transgressing on and in the river, you need to get into the habitat of analysing the situation on arrival rather than rushing at the water.

With the spawn over the fish will disperse somewhat and take up positions where they can get the best possible access to food. They are now improving their conditioning in anticipation of winter – please note they will continue feeding through winter.
Start prospecting the deeper water just below the rapids, be aware that although the flow is slower the depth will require proper presentation techniques to get the flies in the zone.

Glides; the slow, smooth surfaced areas between rapids are a great spot to prospect for the larger specimens. This water has an even depth around 1m deep. It is ideal dry fly water, wait until you notice fish feeding on the surface (head and tail rise) before switching to the dry. The glides can be fished successfully with a normal NZ rig but with less weight on the flies. Tail-outs; the end of the pool just above the rapid, will be another great spot for big fish especially in the late afternoon or early morning.

Largemouth

The improved clarity is great news for those looking to get hooked into their first largemouth yellowfish. If you’re not yet into winter fishing now is the time to give it a go. Just remember fishing exclusively for Largies is sometimes slow and tedious.

These fish do use sight to hunt coupled with the other senses, their large upward facing eyes always scanning the water in front and above for prey. Find them around structure, deeper holes/channels, undercuts or in the tail outs just above the rapids. Crab imitations like this one http://www.danica.com/flytier/sstisser/scotts_crabby_patty.htm in various weights or the regular large attractor flies will work.

The tail out is a great place to prospect after sunset. Choose large bulky flies like zonker muddlers in these low light conditions. They create a lot of disturbance which registers on the fish’s lateral line. For more heart stopping action throw a small popper (10-15mm head) – cast and leave to drift or swing across current. Best to use 2X or stronger tippets in these low light situations!

NEWS

During the weekend of 13-15 April 2007 the Yellowfish Working Group Annual General Meeting will be held at Elgro River Lodge. More details are available at http://www.fosaf.co.za/ .

MIDDLE VAAL UPDATE FEBRUARY

2007-02-06T10:11:00.000+02:00

Nice fish that fell to the "Dry and Dropper" method

Hi all,

I am off to the UK today, for how long I do not know. Carl Nicholson will be assisting with the monthly reports from this month. Carl is one of the most versatile flyfishers I've had the pleasure of spending time with on the Vaal, and he is a pleasant guy on the water too. Thanks for agreeing to make the effort with these reports Carl, the Vaal will be better off for it. Welcome...

The February report:

“Reading a stream" is a term used to describe the act of studying the structure and mood of a stream where fish are more likely to be at a certain time.”
Harry P. Davis © 2003 Guerrilla flyfishing.

Your first reaction will be to say, “the Vaal is not a stream, how do I apply this quote to a big river?”, that can be a daunting prospect at times. Next time you get to the Vaal stop and observe the river, it’s actually a multitude of small streams. Yes there are venues on the Vaal where it’s just one big, flat open river: no islands or big rocks, but if you look closer you will notice individual currents in this mass of water.

How many of you do the above BEFORE going onto the river. I know the usual routine: Pull into parking slot; Start stringing up your rod; miss an eye; pull up the handbrake; tie on flies; leave fly box on the roof; head to the river; once there, cross the 1st and 2nd channel until you get to the hole you fished last week.

Fellow fly fisherman, there certainly is more to the gentle pursuit of fly-fishing than this. We are after all doing this to get away from our hectic lifestyles.

Dave Weaver (http://www.fishingowl.co.za/fosafs/fosaregyeastfree.html ) always says “get your fishing karma right, the relaxed guys are successful on Sterkies”. Take some time to study the river and the movements therein. You may notice spawning activity to avoid, or a large fish feeding in the margins right there where you normally enter the water.

Water and Weather

The long range forecast for February is of above normal temperatures and normal to above normal rainfall. The flow rates are perfect at the moment enjoy the fishing.

The water temperature at the Barrage is currently at 250C: How does this and higher temperatures affect the fish? They certainly do move into the shady spots, especially on the bright sunshine days. Do they look for cooler water or does the reduced oxygen level force them into the rapids? I believe they would prefer the O2 of the broken water as this coincides with most of the summer food items.

I remember one particularly hot December day in 2004 we were taking a breather on an island. Leaning against a Willow trunk I saw a fish in the shadows, closer inspection showed up 5 or 6 fish. We finished lunch, accessed the water away from the fish and worked our way into casting distance. It took a few drifts and then the action started. Hook-up, put pressure on and get the fish away from the others. The rest of the afternoon we continued to pick up fish in the shadows and undercuts.

Insect Activity

On my last visit to the Vaal I hooked into a crevice, when I removed the hook, a caddis larva in the process of pupating was impaled on the end of the hook. This larva was big enough to bait a size 8 caddis hook, big and fat. The big hydropsychidae (http://www.troutnut.com/hatch/1717/Caddisfly-Hydropsychidae) are still around but in less numbers than Spring. The predominant caddis larvae on the rocks are the tan ones – almost a “natural” latex colour, but all the usual patterns like mustard, tan, cream (#12-16) should work well. Mayflies, the clingers are all over the rocks in the rapids in various shades and sizes. Any decent imitation in dark brown, black and at times Hare’s ear will produce#12-16. They seem to go lighter just prior to hatching.

Those of you more interested in tying realistic patterns based on the naturals can have a look at the magnificent photographs Jason Newswanger has on his website – http://www.troutnut.com/. It’s not always easy remembering detail of insects observed on the river, especially by Wednesday night when replenishing the box for Saturday. Although this is a US site most are good enough to cover the bases on the Vaal.

Approach and Technique

With the fish in the rapids and actively feeding most of the fishing techniques will work. If you are new to the game and not having success make sure you get your flies in the zone and stay there for as long as possible. The zone is where the fish are feeding now, closer to the bottom structure, but they can move higher in the column when there’s a big hatch coming off. The flows in the rapids are less forgiving than the glides, innovative use of split shot or heavier flies and the right mending techniques will get you there. There are numerous articles on mending published on the internet one being this one http://www.midcurrent.com/articles/techniques/monahan_mending.aspx

Largemouth

In some parts of the Vaal these guys are hanging out in the same spots frequented by the Smallmouth. Being sensitive by nature they are less inclined to be at the 30 anglers per day venues. Find them around structure, deeper holes, undercuts or in the tail outs just above the rapids. Crab imitations or flashy nymphs and the regular large attractor flies teamed with small nymphs gets you a shot at both species. The tail out is a great place to prospect after sunset. Use a nymph and crab or other large attractor. For more heart stopping action throw a small popper (10-15mm head) – cast and leave to drift or swing across current. Best to use 2X tippets in these situations!

Please email me at Keith@yellowsonfly.com and Carl and I will help with your query, in due course we'll set Carl up with a "yellowsonfly" email address.

be nice to the fish,
Carl and Keith

Spawning alert!

2007-01-11T06:38:00.000+02:00

On Tuesday I noted significant numbers of smallmouth yellows spawning in the shallow fast water in the middle Vaal. This spawning should continue in the area for the next week at least. Please don't disturb these fish. Don't attempt to catch them, don't walk over their spawning habitat...stay away!!

I have heard disturbing reports of a number of SA's better known "top flyfishermen" knowingly casting at spawning fish at a recent event on the middle Vaal River near the Vredefort dome, you know who you are, cut it out!!

If you notice people casting at spawners please approach them and explain the fish are spawning and that they should not be targeted by anglers, if the angler continues after your polite intervention please photohraph the idiot and send the images to me. I will post the images to this blog and publicly shame the individual: remember the Vaal flyfishing community is a small one... these people's faces will be recognised by friends, work colleagues etc.

We spent some time finding non spawning fish and casting to sited fish with dries and emergers. Bruce got a 4.5kg fish on a dry at midday in 12 inches of water :-)

MIDDLE VAAL RIVER UPDATE JANUARY 2007

2007-01-02T10:06:00.000+02:00

Once again I am a few days late with this report… apologies. I am writing this report from the South Coast of Natal while on a beach holiday with the family. As has a lot of South Africa, we’ve had a lot of rain here. Because I have been away from the Vaal for a while this month’s report is assembled out of feedback from readers and from my experience of the River over the past 20 years.

WATER AND WEATHER

With the significant rains experienced over the past few weeks flows have been a little up and down, significantly limiting the number of fishable days in December…we’ll be very lucky if January is any better.

It seems that the heavy rains have not yet overpowered the sewage works resulting in fish kills: Of course fish kills may have occurred but not come to our knowledge, if you see dead fish in any numbers or smell sewage in the water please email me soonest.

I suppose an upside to the rains is it offers the fish some respite from very high water temperatures typical of this part of summer.

The high flows have brought the seasonal dirty water: Fishermen seem to go through a process of adjustment through the summer where in early spring water temperature is the primary catalyst to stir fishermen from the couch; by late spring it is about clarity, fishermen want to know the visibility in the water is pretty good; by mid summer it’s all about flows, if the flow rate is below 40 cumecs any other conditions are manageable. That’s where we are right now. The water is largely dirty and that can be a turn off for many, hey I don’t enjoy fishing in dirty water much at all! Regardless of your tastes it is worth noting that the Vaal is called the “Vaal” because it is a key characteristic of this river to be discoloured: this means that yellowfish are adapted to this water clarity, the largemouth yellows have eyes toward the top of their heads to allow them to lurk on the bottom and scan for prey by looking upward toward the sun, giving them significantly better visibility than if looking down into the depths as fishermen have to.

Bottom line is that the fish are happy in dirty water; I’ve caught both species of yellow in visibility under a single centimetre, and lots of them!

INSECT ACTIVITY

As per December:
Mayfly species: Large cream and tan clinger nymphs in and around the rapids (#14-16) and darker clingers (#16-18) in chocolate and dark coal/black.

Caddis species: Pupae “in drift” 24/7 and hatches occurring mainly from late afternoon and into darkness (especially on the hotter days). Big cream caddis adults (#8-12) and little tan/slate caddis adults (#12-16) are very prolific. The larvae are typically bright green or dirty olive with some exceptions in brown and cream.

Blackfly are very common now, small black and olive larvae (#16-18) can be very effective in the rapids and slower water. Remember not to wear blue if you want to avoid the itchy bite of the blackfly!

APPROACH AND TECHNIQUE

Flashy and black patterns work well in dirty water, as do red worms and bright orange nymphs.

These higher flows are a good time to hone your short line and Czech nymphing technique. These techniques both offer better contact with your flies than upstream nymphing, a critical factor in high dirty water.

Remember to protect yourself from the sun with appropriate clothing and make sure none of your clothing is blue or you will become a major target for adult blackfly.

If you don’t want to be in the sun at midday (as I often don’t on hotter days) get onto the water at about 4pm and enjoy the late afternoon and evening caddis hatches. Fishing from 6 until 7:30 should require no more than a single large dry fly on a long leader. Watch for rises in rapids and where the water enters the head of the pool.

MOVING ON

My family and I are relocating to the UK around the end of January 2007. We’ve decided it is time for a change of scenery and I have a significant business opportunity I wish to pursue. This decision has NOTHING to do with my severe addiction to grayling!

Moving away from my beloved Vaal River, my “home water” for 20 years this year, has not been an easy decision but I look forward to developing relationships with new rivers in the UK and Europe over the coming years.

I intend to remain involved in these reports and in the conservation of the Vaal River for as long as I bring value. I will guide a few close friends while they take over the role of penning these monthly reports and contributing to the yellowsonfly blog and website. You will meet these guys over the next month as we prepare the February report.

My email address will remain the same and I will be back in SA regularly to work, visit and fish. Thanks for all of your feedback over the years and to FOSAF for its ongoing commitment to yellowfish conservation.

I wish the fishermen, the fish and the River good fortunes for 2007,
Keith
--------------------------------------------------------
email: keith@yellowsonfly.com
web: http://www.yellowsonfly.com/
blog: http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/
--------------------------------------------------------

MIDDLE VAAL RIVER UPDATE DECEMBER

2006-12-04T09:04:00.000+02:00

I’ve not been on the Vaal a lot the past few weeks: I’ve been focusing on other locations more and flow rates have not been agreeable when I wanted to get on the Vaal. It seems quite a number of you have done pretty well over the past month, thanks for the feedback on what’s been working for you.

SPAWNING ALERT

The fish have been spawning on and off for the past month in their second spawning session for the summer: the rest period between the 1^st and 2^nd spawns seemed almost nonexistent in some areas of the river. I don’t know if this is due to global warming, pollution, shifting natural cycles or something else, but this year the timing of the spawning events are very different from those of the past 19 years I’ve been in amongst the yellows of the Vaal.

Remember to avoid spawners, if you see people casting at spawners and they don’t respond to your requests for them to stop, please email a photograph of the culprits to me, try and get a few shots of them in the spawning habitat and a few close-ups of the angler’s face. I intend building a “name and shame” blog where we can expose the idiots to a large audience.

WATER AND WEATHER

How and wet… well hot for sure, and a little wet with some good rains and 1 or 2 periods of high flows induced by rains. The long range forecast suggests a summer that will be hotter and wetter than average. For the angler this means being very aware of flows is key not only to knowing when the fishing will be at its best but also to avoid potentially life threatening situations: standing in the middle of the main current within 10kms of the Barrage outflow can be very dangerous if officials increase flows quickly to accommodate large volumes of storm water run off from the Barrage feeders. Watch the DWAF flows website at:

http://www.dwaf.gov.za/Hydrology/rtmain.aspx

This page can be viewed by most mobile phones with access to the internet, very convenient if you are away from your PC and want an update.

If you encounter any pollution along the Gauteng portion of the Vaal River and tributaries (sewage spills, dumping, mine waste water, anything that seems suspicious), please report the incident to the Department of Water and Affairs and Forestry. The contact person is Ephraim Matseba and his contact details are as follows:

(W) (012) 392-1371

(F) (012) 392-1359/1453

If you notice anything in other provinces (Free State and North West) contact me and I will connect you to the appropriate official.

I expected water quality to take a nose dive moving into summer due to the increase in storm water flushing the sewage treatment plants due to illegal storm water ingress, the heavy rains have not come yet; hopefully the municipal officials are prepared.

Water visibility has varied quite a lot over the past few weeks from as much as 75cms to as little as 5cms, the primary cause of reduced “vis” being silt from rainwater ingress (and erosion) and increased flows through the Vaal system (brown water) and from increased water and air temperatures boosting algal growth (green water). Visibility is remarkable changeable over relatively short stretches of water with it poor in 1 location and twice as good just 10kms up or downstream…. Sometimes worth moving around a little if the vis is poor where you are and there’s been know singular large event like big rains that will have dirtied the river over a large area.

INSECT ACTIVITY

It’s all happening, loads of mayfly species are coming off still (normally they being to slow toward mid summer and pick up again in autumn and winter). Size and colour seems to be ranging from large cream and tan clinger nymphs in and around the rapids (#14-16) down to smaller, darker clingers (#16-18) in chocolate and dark coal/black.

The caddis are really in full hatching mode with pupae “in drift” 24/7 and hatches occurring mainly from late afternoon and into darkness (especially on the hotter days). Big cream caddis adults (#8-12) and little tan/slate caddis adults (#12-16) are very prolific. The larvae are typically bright green or dirty olive with some exceptions in brown and cream.

Blackfly are very common now, small black and olive larvae (#16-18) can be very effective in the rapids and slower water. Remember not to wear blue if you want to avoid the itchy bite of the blackfly!

APPROACH AND TECHNIQUE

As per October, you can catch ‘em anyway you want to really, they’ll eat most appropriate patterns presented reasonably well (make sure you are connected to your flies via a straight leader or you will miss many takes): Czech nymph, New Zealand style upstream nymphing with an indicator, “dry and dropper”, traditional wet fly, leisinring style swings and lifts, even Stillwater retrieves in the slower pools, dries and emergers in the surface film… really, this is the time of the year to catch them on your terms. In winter you will need to conform to their requirements so make hay while the sun shines.

The fishing is so easy this time of year that many anglers over do it, in my view, by catch and releasing 40, 50 sometimes 100 fish in a day, that’s a lot of fish with holes in their mouths. Please consider trying something new when the fishing is really easy, move to another spot, see if you can get them on dries, do some bird-watching, do something to drop your catch rate. It is not difficult to catch lots of yellows in summer, you don’t need to prove anything to anyone, least of all at the expense of the fish that you “love” so much… let’s walk it like we talk it and be the conservators and stewards of the river we claim to be.

I will be out of range of the Vaal a few times over the next few weeks, out of the country a few times and then down on the KZN South Coast staring at the sea over my belly for a while. I won’t be focusing on the Vaal but will post a report at the end of December.

Feel free to email me over December and let me know how’re you doing on the water, we all learn from each other.

Happy happy,

Keith

--------------------------------------------------------

email: keith@yellowsonfly.com

web: www.yellowsonfly.com

blog: http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

--------------------------------------------------------

MIDDLE VAAL RIVER UPDATE NOVEMBER

2006-11-06T20:33:00.000+02:00

I’m a little late with my monthly report…sorry… I’ve been away on business in the UK and Zimbabwe: I got some nice grayling and browns in the UK, no fishing in Zimbabwe.

SPAWNING ALERT

Seems some yellows have already started their 2^nd spawn for the summer in the Vredefort dome area, boy this season is getting weirder and weirder! So once again, please try and avoid these fish and abide by a few basic principles of respect as outlined here:

http://www.yellowsonfly.com/uploads/Guide_to_safe_catch_and_release.pdf

WATER AND WEATHER

I’ve not been on the river much this past month. It seems the flows have been a little up and down but largely fishable. This time of the year the Vaal dam and Barrage will both increase flows to coincide with canoe races, be aware of these releases in advance to avoid disappointment on arrival to find your favourite piece of water flooding.

Visibility is averaging around 25cms at the moment, better in some areas, worse in others dependant on local rains and discharges (sewage, industrial effluent, fertilizers etc) which often add silt or create algal blooms.

Flows will probably go up over the next few months given the long range forecast suggests above average rains: also the Vaal Dam is sitting at virtually full so there is no buffer to absorb run off from rains.

Make hay while the sun shines and monitor flows over summer to take advantage of low flows as they occur.

Of course the increased rains will result in raw sewage discharges as most of the sewage works around the Middle Vaal (and the rest of the country for that matter) are already at or above capacity and moves to fix the problem are in the “tool little too late category” on the whole… is this sewage contaminated water harmful? You buys your day ticket, you takes your chances.

INSECT ACTIVITY

Hot weather has brought on dense mayfly (mainly clingers with a few swimmers) and caddis hatches (the little tan ones and big cream ones): hotter weather, later hatches and vice versa… don’t leave the water before the fat lady has sung [in the dark].

Small caddis pupae are thick in the water column this time of year… capitalise on this.

APPROACH AND TECHNIQUE

The fishing is typically so easy this time of year and the fish so forgiving you can pretty much apply the technique that appeals to you on the day. Last few weeks I have heard from guys who are upset because their fishing “buddy” against which they were competing on the water got 56 fish and they only got 49! This would be impressive in mid winter, this time of year it is gluttony, proving nothing but a desire to swell the ego with little regard for the fish or a real desire to grow as fly fishermen. When the fishing is that easy try changing techniques, see if you can get them onto dries, go super small, experiment with swinging flies, try anything to increase the degree of the challenge! Hey, stop and have a cold beer.

There are 2 types of fishing condition that are best suited to thinking out of the box: when the fishing is really difficult and when the fishing is really easy… enjoy the latter because before you know it you will be faced with the former

Thanks to all the guys that kept me up to speed on my favourite river while abroad,

Keith

more on spawning: Identifying spawning habitat and fish

2006-10-02T17:21:00.000+03:00

Thanks for the post Steven,

Good question, how do you recognise spawning fish and spawning habitat?

smallmouth yellowfish spawn where their eggs are exposed to well oxygenated water, typically this is up in the fast water at the eye of a pool or in long stretches of rapids. This water is usually shallow (less than 30cms). The fish will often not spook until you are right on top of them. They will probably be rubbing against each other (unless they have dropped back a little to rest): the males use their rough textured gill covers to stimulate the females to release eggs. When the female releases her eggs this is often done with a wild thrashing sometimes sending water spraying a meter into the air.

bottom line: when in doubt, relocate.

respect the fish,
keith

MIDDLE VAAL RIVER UPDATE OCTOBER

2006-09-30T14:09:00.000+03:00

Spring has sprung and the spawning’s begun!

SPAWNING ALERT

The fish started spawning on many parts of the middle Vaal around 20 September, in many places they have already finished their first spawn of the season, expect the second spawn around mid summer in December and the third spawn normally at last summer rains in late Jan early Feb. typically the first spawn occurs in early October so this year they’ve spawned a little early relative to the calendar we humans follow. Also the various species normally don’t spawn simultaneously in the spring spawn. The normal sequence is carp, smallmouth yellows, mudfish and barbel last: this spring the yellows jumped the queue and went first. Also I have noted yellows and muddies spawning simultaneously in separate rapids this past week: this is not natural, fish tend to avoid spawning at the same time as other species to avoid potential cross-breeding. I’m not sure why the confusion has occurred this year and hope it is not a sign of the river and its inhabitants swinging even further out of balance.

Please avoid the spawning fish. I write about this every year and I still see guys sneaking into a spawning bed for a few easy fish… you know who you are. I think I’ll buy a high powered paint ball gun with a permanent bright pink ink. I’ll stalk around the better know spawning grounds and fire upon you idiots…

Please respect the fish and treat them carefully, here’s a brief guide to how to effectively catch and release, these principles apply even more strongly at spawning time! http://www.yellowsonfly.com/uploads/Guide_to_safe_catch_and_release.pdf

WATER AND WEATHER

Weather and flow rates are pretty much as good as it gets for this time of year: flows are averaging between 15 and 22 m^3/s and the water temperatures are already averaging around 19-20 degrees (dawn minimum).

Looks pretty rosy doesn’t it?

I’ve received a lot of email requesting my views on the Vaal river water quality situation especially in response to the article in the October issue of The Complete Flyfisherman (TCFF) magazine. Those of you that have been visiting my website for a while will know that I am quite involved in understanding and remedying the water quality issues surrounding the Middle and Upper Vaal River and its tributaries. By reading through previous monthly reports on www.yellowsonfly.com you’ll see regular mention of water quality issues.

The TCFF article is fundamentally correct in its analysis of the water quality situation on the Midddle Vaal River by stating that the recent fish kills earlier this year were the result of large amounts of partly decomposed matter being lifted off of the river bed and into the water column by high flows. However, organic matter moving off of the substrate and into the water column and thereby trapping the available dissolved oxygen is only half of the story, raw sewage entering the river system is also a massive factor, read the press release I posted at the time of the fish kills here http://www.yellowsonfly.com/uploads/YWG_release_Vaalpollution_250106.pdf.

I am concerned that the sewage treatment plants that contributed to the disaster in January are still operating at above capacity (>100%) and the first major rains will force huge volumes of raw sewage into the Middle Vaal once again.

Driving over the Klip River on the N1 traveling to the Vaal is becoming extremely unpleasant as the amount of untreated and partially treated sewage entering the river at this point is so large that I smell the sewage through closed windows… I believe we are a few weeks from a major disaster.

INSECT ACTIVITY

It’s really all happening at the moment: almost every time I’ve been on the water in the past few weeks I’ve experienced strong hatches of a variety of caddis (Hydropsychidae) ranging from the big cream adults to the small dirty grey/tan chaps. The spring mayfly hatches are in full force with the overlapping activity of the winter Baetis species (swimmer crawlers), that have emerged a little later this year than normal, and the spring and summer Heptagenidae (clingers). Also the blackfly are emerging in large volumes (and biting in larger volumes). Remember to avoid blackfly bites (the nasty itch that last for days) avoid wearing anything blue, natural tones such as olive, tan and brown tend to keep the blackfly off of your back.

APPROACH AND TECHNIQUE

With the weather as hot as it is the caddis are emerging into the evening quite often now so don’t leave the water at dark, hang around the river bank in casting range of a tongue of current entering a pool: as the dusk descends drift large adult caddis patterns across the surface and be ready to give line when the big ones bite. Mayfly emergers are also very effective at dusk, try to get the fly within a foot of the fish’s nose as it rises… I know this sounds difficult; you just need to practice a little… a good reason to go fishing more!

I’ve had a lot of fun swinging soft hackles (flymphs) with my 10’ 4 wt Greys Streamflex this spring, what a magical way to fish: this technique is extremely effective now with all the insect activity in the water column at the moment. If you are new to this technique may I suggest you visit www.flymph.com for a little background info? There is a huge amount of info on the internet about soft hackles and techniques to tie and fish them and it is an absolutely brilliant way to catch yellows and muddies. You’ll never tie on an indicator again!

I have had a lot of email from guys new to the world of throwing fake flies at creatures with tiny brains: To assist you in getting started I have posted a piece on my website that I wrote for the FOSAF/Nedbank guide to fly-fishing venues of Southern Africa: this was the chapter on the Middle Vaal. I would strongly recommend buying the guide if you are in search of new waters and species, you can find the piece here http://yellowsonfly.com/uploads/Middle_Vaal_a_worldclass_fishery_rev_2_010404.pdf

I think that’s all I had to say this month (I lost my notes in migrating between laptops). Please feel welcome to email me if you require assistance, information or just want to talk about fishing, or you could post a comment on my blog site and throw the conversation a little wider so all of us can join in.

Enjoy the next few weeks, they could be the best of the summer,

Keith

--------------------------------------------------------

email: keith@yellowsonfly.com

web: www.yellowsonfly.com

blog: http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/

--------------------------------------------------------

Spring is in the air and the fish are spawning!

2006-09-22T17:06:00.000+03:00

Hi guys,

The smallmouth yellows have spawned early (even earlier than last year's early spawn). They should normally spawn on 1st rains in early October when water temps hit a dawn minimum of 20-21 degrees (in my experience). Well we saw them start spawning in early evening a week ago in the Vredefort dome so they should be almost finished by now in that area.

Please be nice to the spawners and their eggs by not walking through shallow riffles and thereby trampling eggs.

With summer upon us your catch rate will probably increase massively, please check out this brief guide to safely catching and releasing fish.

I've managed to get on the water a few times in the past week or 2 and the fish have obliged nicely from the bottom of the deep runs, to the shallows to the surface on dries in the evening...get out there and have some fun!

keith (remember to post your comments)