Author: Gareth George (Page 2 of 2)

What to throw at the problem is the @#$%&$! problem. That fish are fussy, no frustrated angler will argue about and when it comes to fly fishing for Trout the debate quickly devolves into fly patterns? It is a question more worn than a green and gold jersey when the Boks are playing. A process of elimination would seem a sensible strategy, but if you have a fly box of Liquorice Allsorts, then you’re likely to freeze your proverbial nuts off before you get lucky. Winter at least narrows down your selection as the larger insects and terrestrials in particular are absent, but what you use also depends on your style of fishing. Most casual enthusiasts, due to limited time, favour a float tube and a sinking line of sorts, which means that your fly will, for the most part, be travelling more horizontally through the water column….Rip and Strip Streamer Fishing.

So we’re talking about attracting a fish as opposed to fooling it into thinking what you’re stripping is a real insect. Now whatever I suggest in size, shape, materials or colour will spawn a boring debate and every fly fisher has a valid opinion based on their personal experience. But, most would agree as the Trout start to fixate on each other, water temperature fuelling their urge to breed, of all the triggers, colour is the key. Hence, in the height of Winter, you can use any colour as long as it’s Orange. Now I also like natural movement in my flies, so it’s open season on Turkey’s ( Marabou) and Bugs Bunny (Zonker strip). Add to this some weight, ala tungsten beads, to ensure my fly on the pause will also drop and can be stripped more vertically and I’m covering most basis. Some rubber legs have also been known to materialise after a few single malts. Now this might not resemble any earthly creature, but I choose function over form and you tend to stop asking why when your reel is singing.

If you think it might be too bright, then tone it down in which case you can never go wrong with an Olive contrast. It’s important that you have confidence in your fly, so you’re not changing too often and spend more time retrieving. Remember this is just one simple fly strategy applicable to Winter streamer fishing and by no means the only successful one.

The beauty of hunting still water Trout in Winter is that the water clarity affords you a visual. We tend to start casting or launch a tube before we think (which is just plain lazy) and the best advice any guide will give you is to find the fish before you start treating the water like a misbehaved puppy. All fish gravitate towards structure and in a dam Trout will move in a circuit or pattern, so take the time to observe surface movement or sight your target with any decent polarised glasses.

Naturally, you only need a floating line and generally due to water quality opt for a small fly. This is not a party you can crash, it requires a subtle invitation, so try not to spook them with your cast……a longer leader helps. And most importantly don’t cast at the fish, pick the direction and lead it by a couple of rod lengths. The trick is to either let it find your fly by forward-thinking / casting or get its attention with a tap on the door, loud knocking will get you nowhere. Any nymph might do, but I’m a fan of Peacock’s and their hurl, so I don’t experiment much with anything else. My only variation would be a gaudy attractor above the little nymph, just in case a horny cock fish is spoiling for a fight.

I’m not a big believer in having to go down to ultra-light tippet when Trout are in spawning mode, just concentrate on minimal and gentle casts, no slapping the water! Aside from these two Winter fishing options, I always carry a bastardised version of a Dragon, to work any weed beds as well as a white fly for the early evening. So you don’t have to pack the kitchen sink and if I had to pack only five flies for a Winter fishing excursion, they would be -: – The Alien Bugger – Psychedelic Blob – Peacock Nymph – Red-eyed Roach – White Death And remember, sight casting is infinitely more satisfying than blindly chucking a line, hoping that something will swim by.

More often than not our motivation for travelling to any fishing destination is the size of the fish, our desire to hold a trophy aloft being the underlying driving force.Yet the fight in any fish will always trump girth and this is generally dictated by it’s environment, so finding the wilderness areas that are blessed with a clean, pure water source is invariably our primary focus.

Hence, hunting wild fish is without fail our ongoing quest.

And when it comes to Trout, this is a tall order. There are thousands of man made impoundments in South Africa that house these fish, but few allow them to grow naturally, less are fed by a pristine catchment and non allow natural selection to dictate the quality of the fishery…..that is to say that no stocking at all takes place and every Trout you encounter is truly wild spawned.

That is except the haven of Giants Cup Wilderness Reserve.

The waters of Giants Cup would make any gin look turbid and if you think that ripping and stripping is going to yield a dividend then think again. These fish are a little more discerning than what you’ll find in your average Trout dam, so attention to detail at the vise is required if you want to convert more of your casts

But there’s no shortage of healthy weed beds in this magnificent water, that support a wonderful population of wild Rainbows. Finding the channel fed by the river flowing out of the cup is the key to unlocking this dam and it is where you will find  the fish congregating.

This vital catchment in the Southern Drakensberg also feeds one of the finest freestone rivers to be found in KwaZulu-Natal Natal giving you an option on your visit of stalking the banks of the Umzimkulu.

Now I find river fishing a lot easier than still water for the simple reason that from the bank you can often sight your target, but at the very least the structure and flow of the water will always indicate where the fishing should be holding, taking the question of.  ‘Am I casting where the fish are?’ out of the equation.

There’s all manner of techniques for catching river Trout, but next to dry fly, my preference is swinging a good streamer and provided you focus your efforts in the right areas (wherever there’s a break from the current), all it requires is adding a little pace to your strip.

In the slower moving water, it’s all about putting your fly right up against the overhanging structure, letting it sink into the zone and then being aggressive with that strip.

The Southern Drakensberg from vantage point of the Giants Cup Wilderness reserve is a gem that every fly fisher should be inking into their calendar. It stands head and shoulders above any other self proclaimed wild fishery and with the spectacular river of the Umzimkulu on it’s doorstep you get to experience wild Rainbow Trout fishing at it’s finest.

You just won’t find a better setting in which to throw a line and although no fly fisher would admit being content without some fish action, the surrounds are capable of making you forget Trout for a while.

When to throw a line?

“Whenever I get a chance!” is a knee jerk response and only too true ,as we very often don’t have the luxury of choosing our leisure windows.

But urban schedules notwithstanding, few would argue that our limited fishing time should be calculated to provide maximum enjoyment. Whether this satisfaction is merely spending time at the waters edge, unwinding or having your fly abused by obscenely large fish, when to spend your precious fishing time should be the first consideration.

And if it’s river Trout that you’re chasing then April is the prime month to set a play date.
 
Brown Trout are as a fussy fish as you’re likely to find in South African rivers. Their legendary eyesight and stealthy ability to remain undetected in gin clear water make them a formidable opponent, so picking the right time to target this finicky fish will determine whether you whittle hours away, changing flies, perfecting your presentation and drag free drift or wrestling with hungry fish.

At this time of year, the catchment rains have hopefully abated, allowing the KZN rivers to clean, water temperatures are dropping appreciably and this combined with the good flow rate has the Trout moving upstream, still feeding until the overwhelming urge to procreate has them settling into suitable spawning areas.
 
However, this fish is wary enough not to make an appearance as the sun peaks, so choosing the right time of day is paramount. The golden hour just post dawn and pre dusk is ideal when looking for surface action, but a cloudy day can reward you throughout, if you’re happy to resort to nymphing or stripping a very imitative streamer.

You always hear the stories about days gone past where the Browns were bigger and the fishing better, but quite frankly living in the past bares no fruit that you get to enjoy and let me tell you this week, myself and Jeremy Rochester enjoyed the finest river Brown Trout fishing session that either of us have ever experienced at home or abroad! The Brown Trout of KZN are alive and kicking! Talk of the drought devastating populations, I would debate when it comes to Salmo Trutta, as it would seem that the larger specimens have lived up to their reputation as survivors. 


We’ll reserve judgement on our fisheries, until the catch records reveal the level of recruitment in terms of the younger populations, but the upper reaches are recording equally as good catch numbers albeit smaller in stature.
 
Where and what fly is the age old question.
 
I am a self confessed fly fishing heathen, so on landing my first good Brown Trout on a #6 Zonker Minnow, you stood more chance of knocking me out than getting me to change fly. But we also nymphed with large Caddis patterns, although I would argue that it was the induced take through the vertical hanging of the fly that was more the catalyst than the actual pattern.

The dry fly stayed that way. Where else but on the finest Brown Trout fishery in South Africa…..dis Mooi!