MIDDLE VAAL UPDATE MAY 2007

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

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

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

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!

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

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
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email: keith@yellowsonfly.com
web: http://www.yellowsonfly.com/
blog: http://yellowsonfly.blogspot.com/
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MIDDLE VAAL RIVER UPDATE DECEMBER

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

(C) 082-809-5727.

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

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email: keith@yellowsonfly.com

web: www.yellowsonfly.com

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

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