Fishing The Fly Scotland
Index => Main Discussion Area => Topic started by: Noel Kelly on 23/12/2008 at 11:40
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Greetings guys from sunny S Africa or Howzit brus :z4
Got here a few days ago for 3 weeks hols. Have been spending a bit of time on an excellent SA ff forum http://www.flytalk.co.za/ prior to coming here trying to make some fishing contacts, well yesterday it all paid off.
Was taken to fish a few beats on The Smalblaar owned and ran by http://www.piscator.co.za/. Mountain stream about an hour and a half from cape town.
These were stocked many years ago with rainbows but have long been self sustaining c&r fisheries.
Typically found my camera to be dead as a dodo eventhough i checked it the night before :z8 so sadly no pics. Will make sure to take plenty the next time.
Long story longer it was stunning, amazing and tough!!! High sticking nymphs in the runs, flicking nymphs upstream with maybe a foot or 2 flyline out, fishing pretty much always within a few meters and stumbling over huge smooth rocks into deep fast pools :z4 Crazy stuff and pretty steep learning curve for a typical drifting boat wet fly man like myself.
My fishing companion for the day was brilliant, very switched on experienced guy and his prime objective was to get me a decent fish. He even tied on my flys and sorted my tangles which kept him busy :z4
I quickly discovered these trout dont hook themselves, lightning fast responses required so that was a bit of a problem :oops
Ended the day with 2 small mouth bass, new species to me :cool: and 1 rainbow of about half lb for my mate. Unseasonal rain had coloured the water and apparently it was the toughest day my guide had seen on that water in 18 years. Sounds like he was making excuses for me but i did say he was a nice guy :z4
Couple more trips planned after i get this xmas stuff out of the way plus hopefully a day or two in the surf so pics and more will follow.
Merry xmas all.
Noel.
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Merry Christmas Noel,
It's about 90 here too ! Get that camera working :grin
:z18
Paul.
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Grand stuff Noel :z16 All the best when it comes.
:z18
Jim
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Great stuff Noel :z16
Enjoy yerself ...... and yes, I'd love to see some photos too :wink
Best wishes
Mike
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Had a great morning on The Smalblarr today, the rainbows were looking up :grin Had about 10 on dries mostly Henrys game spiders so thanks Henry :z18, biggest 40cm which is as big as they get in these rivers apparently so i was delighted with that one. He took in fast water and straight over rapids into a deep pool below with me plunging after. Using very fine tippet in the crystal clear water so no palming the reel here :z4 Probably my best fish of the morning though was one we sighted in a very deep pool and my mate guided my nymphs into his feeding zone. It worked first time :cool: Lots of photos taken so will add some when i can. Prob not until i get home next weekend.
Hopefully i will get some salty critters to add also.
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Hi Noel :cool:
Awesome! It is great fun reading about your adventures ..... as they happen :z16
Can't wait to see the photos
Best wishes
Mike
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Hi Noel,
Great stuff. There's nothing like good fishing abroad ,fantastic .
Well done .
Paul.
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Here the pics, hope ye enjoy
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww179/noel0065/DSC02086.jpg)
Dawn on the Smalblaar
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww179/noel0065/DSC02089-1.jpg)
Success :grin
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww179/noel0065/DSC02084.jpg)
Sun just coming onto the water, just like a whistle blowing for the fish i was told.
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww179/noel0065/DSC02093.jpg)
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww179/noel0065/DSC02114.jpg)
Check that clarity :z7
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip1.jpg)
Lots more to come..
(edit = resize a photo to suit forum width. Cheers, Mike)
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Hi Noel
Now that looks a place to be :z16
Fantastic surroundings, thought you might have caught something a bit bigger than the usual :z7
:z4 :z4
I look forward to seeing more when you get back :z12
Sandy
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Well my mate was right, once the sun hit the water you just couldnt go wrong, nearly every run held a fish or two or three
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip2.jpg)
A little beauty
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip3.jpg)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip4.jpg)
Sun well up now and the warmth was welcome at first, within two hours i was starting to melt though
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww179/noel0065/DSC02097.jpg)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip5.jpg)
The best is yet to come..... :cool:
(edit = resize a photo to suit forum width. Cheers, Mike)
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Hi Noel
Cracking photos ...... keep them coming :z16
Cheers
Mike
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I was fishing drys, my mate nymphs. We spotted a stonking fish of 2 or 3 lbs feeding deep in this pool
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip6.jpg)
I tried him with the drys but he held deep, my mate offered me his nymphing rod and kept watch as i went upstream and across to get into a position where i could drift them down to him in the current. Just as i flicked them out he called that there were two fish feeding.
I let the nymphs swing down and across, lifted them when told by my spotter and
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip7.jpg)
Ya you guessed it, the smaller fish
I was still quiet pleased though :grin
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip8.jpg)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip9.jpg)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip10.jpg)
His reel was set up right hand which caused a few moments of panic but all ended well.
Shortly after that i connected with the biggest fish of the morn, this time on a dry :grin.....
(edit = resize a photo to suit forum width. Cheers, Mike)
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No picture story this time....well actually there is, but quiet enough pics of my ugly mug for one night i reckon. Suffice to stay i was fishing 8x tippet and had been broken off earlier in a good fish so this guy was played out quiet a lot. Quick pic and back.
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip11.jpg)
He was 39.5cm and a right angry beauty.
After this we fished on for another 20 mins or so, had a few more fish but to be honest i was sated. It had been a brilliant morning, well beyond my expectations for what i had read and heard about that river. One thing for sure is, i will be back inshallah.
Few pics of the Du Toitskloof mountains
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww179/noel0065/DSC02168.jpg)
(http://i717.photobucket.com/albums/ww179/noel0065/DSC02166.jpg)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip12.jpg)
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/znoeltrip13.jpg)
(edit = resize a photo to suit forum width. Cheers, Mike)
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Awesome Noel ..... Thanks for posting them :z16
Love the scenery, a bit like some parts of northern Spain.
Cheers
Mike
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Hi Noel
Now that looks a place to be :z16
Fantastic surroundings, thought you might have caught something a bit bigger than the usual :z7
I look forward to seeing more when you get back :z12
Sandy
Been back since saturday, took today off to assemble a replacement shed for the one that was blown all over Kintore the day after we left! Didnt go very well, the struggle continues tomorrow :cry
Would rather be at work, believe that or not :z7
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Hi Noel,
Great stuff, thanks for that . Nothing Watten sized yet ! ? :z4 Lovely wee troots .
Paul.
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Hi Noel,
Great stuff, thanks for that . Nothing Watten sized yet ! ? :z4 Lovely wee troots .
Paul.
No Paul, a trout like that would be a serious monster in the cape streams. The club do stock a few dams with fingerling bows which grow to several lbs in a few years. Go like express trains apparently, but it was 2 far for a day trip. Maybe next time :z7. Never got to have a cast in the salt either, just didnt work out what with peoples xmas plans etc. Wanted to have a go myself but fishing alone in SA is a no no for safety reasons unfortunately :shock. Must say i was very impressed with the dedication and organisation of the few club members i met but then again thats prob why i as a tourist got to meet those particular guys. Roll on april.
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Fantastic surroundings, thanks for the photos.
//Harri
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Hi Noel,
Those pictures are just the thing to stir the loins at this time of year - very envious.
I've said before that pictures added to a post really enhance things .....well done.
Iain
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Hi Noel,
Never got to have a cast in the salt either,
That's a shame . Never mind , now you,ve got a great excuse (would one were needed !) to go back. I hear the Swff is something else .
Is the trout fishing all small upland stream stuff or do they have bigger fly fishing rivers with trout in them ? I presume that they have lough ( :wink) fishing too.
Cheers for the noo,
Paul.
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Hi Noel,
That's a shame . Never mind , now you,ve got a great excuse (would one were needed !) to go back. I hear the Swff is something else .
Is the trout fishing all small upland stream stuff or do they have bigger fly fishing rivers with trout in them ? I presume that they have lough ( :wink) fishing too.
Cheers for the noo,
Paul.
Will def be going back, planning it already :z4. SA is a huge place, we stay in Cape town as have free use of a place there. Had a beer with a guy who planned on taking me out on the salt but he couldnt get his boat out due to tidal conditions, never the less he was full of info. The salt water scene near cape town depends on sandbars, these can build up at the mouth of eastury's trapping predators inside, that come in to feed on baitfish etc.
This year there were huge floods a few months ago which blasted the sandbars and has screwed up the fishing. He reckoned the local guys were doing well to connect with .7 fish/day :shock
He had a sad tale to tell of commercial over fishing and dwindling stocks though. Four or five hours west of CPT the fishing is supposed to be much better. I had planned to go out with a guide in that region but we never made it up there, this time....
Its all small upland streams in the western cape yes. Not sure about loughs never heard mention of any ??? Lots and lots of reserviors everywhere and they all got fish in, mostly bass which i would love to try but thats a winter persuit there. I believe they fish the large reserviors loch style from boats and tubes, again a winter persuit. Lucky buggers can fish all year round in decent weather conditions.
If you want to go offshore deepsea stuff you can connect with some serious game fish, but thats not my scene at all.
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Incredible scenery and cracking photographs. You must have felt absolutely dwarfed by those mountains. Wading in a mountain river in your shorts - the stuff dreams are made of. You're a lucky bloke !!
:z18
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Cheers Noel,
Sounds like lots of new fishing adventures to look forward to !
Paul.