From: 11/08/2014
To: 11/27/2014
Type of Water: Freshwater
Species: Rainbow trout
Since I last wrote, we have had pockets of storms here and there, in the normal unpredictable summer way of things. Then on Monday of this week, it seems that just about everyone had a “hum-dinger”. I had seen the Umgeni river on Saturday and it was looking lovely: clear as a bell, but the flow up enough to make it very fishable. By Wednesday a farmer reported to me that it was chocolate brown and going like a steam train.
Every river needs a good flush out in summer, and I guess that for the Umgeni at least, this is the start of it.
I had been on the river on Saturday together with other enthusiastic members of the NFFC, and we were fighting round two against wattles and brambles, that threaten to choke this lovely stream, and others.
The problem with these wattles is that View more...Since I last wrote, we have had pockets of storms here and there, in the normal unpredictable summer way of things. Then on Monday of this week, it seems that just about everyone had a “hum-dinger”. I had seen the Umgeni river on Saturday and it was looking lovely: clear as a bell, but the flow up enough to make it very fishable. By Wednesday a farmer reported to me that it was chocolate brown and going like a steam train.
Every river needs a good flush out in summer, and I guess that for the Umgeni at least, this is the start of it.
I had been on the river on Saturday together with other enthusiastic members of the NFFC, and we were fighting round two against wattles and brambles, that threaten to choke this lovely stream, and others.
The problem with these wattles is that they encroach and hang right over the river, making it heavily shaded, and with their leaves and branches falling in, the tannins leach into the water. To make matters worse, nothing grows under a wattle tree, and it sucks up a lot of water. So we have highly erodible banks, that fail to perform a sponge duty in the wet season, and a river whose winter flows are sometimes critically low.
The other problem with wattles is that they collapse into the river, and as they do so, their roots typically rupture from the earth, leaving a large exposed area of soft bare soil, that collapses into the water. My father taught me to hate the things, and I am on a crusade to subdue them!
If you are ever on a river, fishing your way along, and you spot these tiny little wattle saplings: do me a favor and pull them out by hand while you can. In fact you won’t be doing me a favor : you will be doing fly-fishing in general a great big favor, not to mention water supply and a few other things. Let me assure you that once they weigh a few tons and tower over the river, the job is a great deal more energy sapping.
Last season some friends and I did a recce of the Ncibidwane river in the berg. What brings that to mind, is the discovery that on this stream, there are wattles encroaching high up into the Natural Heritage (Ezimvelo) area, and because it is in a remote and unseen valley, no one is doing anything about it. This is a great pity, because it really is a lovely little stream. Now that we know the lie of the land, I plan to be back to do some more serious fishing there this season.
The Mooi was still running rather low in Mid November, but that didn’t stop one NFFC member catching 17 little browns. Interesting enough, that same stretch of river was booked by an angler who got five fish a month earlier, and those have been the only two bookings for that particular stretch in the last 2 months. On a brilliant stretch lower down, there were just 4 bookings over the same period. Isn’t that astounding! It seems that most fly-fishermen focus on our stillwaters, and that our rivers are underutilized. I suppose I should shut my mouth and continue to enjoy the absolute solitude and privacy that our river fishing in these parts offers.
I really cannot comment on whether the Mooi and the Bushmans and other rivers are clean, full or otherwise. As I sit here typing this, a wild storm is raging outside, and any news I write of the flow, will be obsolete and meaningless within hours anyway.
The stillwaters are a little more predictable, in level and condition, but I suppose the fishing results are just as unpredictable. Club (NFFC) results show me that everyone is busy at home and work. The few who have been out have had a mixed bag. Plenty of blank days, but peppered with days in which some 20 inch fish have come to hand. A few friends of mine had some wonderful fishing at Highmoor recently, with some good size fish in amongst the many smaller stock fish, so as always, Highmoor is worth a visit.
The dams will be filling up fast now. Water temperatures are around 17 to 19 degrees C, and there are likely to be some re-flooded margins, where trout can forage amongst grass and weeds in the evenings and mornings. This can be exciting fishing in which patrolling/hunting fish, are very much “on the prod” as we call it. Don’t forget to explore these areas. Even if you can’t see any trout, fish as though you have just spotted a 10 pounder in there. The stealth and care that this engenders is what it often takes to catch fish in the shallows. So keep low, and make every cast count. Drop a small damsel in tight against the vegetation and tweak it back slowly and expectantly….sort of with your heart in your throat.
This behavior, while it may draw some giggles from your wife, is what sets anglers apart from the “chuck and chance it” brigade.
Go on….give it a try!
