March was, I think, a little warmer and arguably wetter than is often the case. I hesitate to say that because like comments on global warming, these things are often our interpretation and are not borne out by the facts. Suffice it to say that in the first week of the month (in fact I think I mentioned it in my report on the last day of Feb), we heard of water temperatures up at Highmoor of 17 degrees C, but as late as last week-end, I recorded 20.5 degrees in a high berg stream. Of the 5 river trips I undertook in March, one was a washout due to high dirty water, and two involved fishing in water that was faster and more coloured than I like. All involved warm and fairly humid conditions. But on the Umkhomazi we measured 20 degrees one day, and 16 the next, after a mild front passed thro Ver más...March was, I think, a little warmer and arguably wetter than is often the case. I hesitate to say that because like comments on global warming, these things are often our interpretation and are not borne out by the facts. Suffice it to say that in the first week of the month (in fact I think I mentioned it in my report on the last day of Feb), we heard of water temperatures up at Highmoor of 17 degrees C, but as late as last week-end, I recorded 20.5 degrees in a high berg stream. Of the 5 river trips I undertook in March, one was a washout due to high dirty water, and two involved fishing in water that was faster and more coloured than I like. All involved warm and fairly humid conditions. But on the Umkhomazi we measured 20 degrees one day, and 16 the next, after a mild front passed through overnight!
But as of about 3 days ago, I can confidently say that there is a pleasant autumn freshness in the morning air. So don’t get me wrong, we haven’t had a bizarre heatwave, or even a delayed season, we have just been in that March to April transition of seasons. Having said that, and I am adding this sentence after having completed this report, I just got an sms from a buddy on a Stillwater in the Dargle saying “Still and hot as February here”. That aside, it is my favourite time of year, and I pack it with as much fishing as my good wife and my career will permit. Sometimes I pack it with a little more than that!
I personally have had a river month. So I have none of my own info on the stillwaters. Wayne Stegen and friends have however been reporting some really good Stillwater fishing on the waters of the NFFC and Wildfly. The NFFC club stats show 59 individual bookings over the last 5 weeks, standardized down to 32 “5 hr fishing days” (to exclude nil hours fished, by guys who didn’t actually fish). Those 32 days produced 52 fish reported so far (more catch returns to come). 6 of those fish were over four pounds, the largest of which was six to eight pounds, caught by a certain fellow often referred to as “the Cormorant” !.
Of the above stats for the NFFC only 3 days fishing were undertaken on rivers (several cancelled on the Umgeni due to dirty water). Boy did you guys miss out. Maybe you were fishing some public waters like I was? Either way, the Bushmans has been fishing exceptionally well, even when it has been full, and slate grey colour. I fished it on two occasions with Roy Ward and then with Mike Smith. Jan Korrubel took a client there yesterday. All those trips, and others I have heard about, yielded plenty of fish (Browns).
The Lotheni yielded some good fish, as did the Umkhomzi. Not lots of fish mind you, but a high percentage of those that came out were fifteen inches or better. Those are good river fish, and let me tell you, when they get below you and turn side on to the current, they put your 5X or 6X tippet to the test!
That happened with 2 of the fish I caught. Both saw me running downstream to land them in the pool below, which is about all you can do. It makes for exciting stuff. One of my better fish tried that, and I rushed to get below him, tripping on an underwater obstacle as I did so, and VERY narrowly avoiding a complete dunking of my camera.
Right now the rivers are looking a little better than perfect. As I remarked to Graeme Steart the other day as we came upon a pool new to both of us, high up a berg stream: “God didn’t need to make it this beautiful. He has over-done it !” It was a deep pool of perfectly clean water, with a mildly glacial look to it, running over a pied bed of golden gravel and a pale blue soapstone. The northern bank was in shade, and the high mountains of the Drakensberg stood majestically over the scene, across folds of dense and verdant grasslands. Do you want to experience that? If so, head up to any of the KZN wildlife resorts in the Drakensberg with a tent, and help yourself, for the price of a cappuccino and few donuts. Really….it’s that easy . And if my description above hasn’t got your pulse racing, have a look at Peter Brigg’s book “Call of the Stream”…that will surely do the trick.
While you are up there in April, strap on a hopper. Everyone seems to be going hopper mad at the moment. Myself included. It is not difficult to see why. At this time of year, as you stroll along a river bank, nervous jumpy hoppers explode erratically in every direction. Little ones. Green ones. Brown ones. Big ones. As Jan Korrubel says: “Its hopper time!”. Plop them in the runs unceremoniously and let them drift, sink, even drag, and the fish take them. Go on give it a try. It is not a refined thing, but in its own raw simplicity, it is a delight.
If they are not taking off the top, try a dark weighted nymph. I have done well on a V-rib bodied nymph that I call the “Troglodyte”. But by the way: all the fish we have caught on dries were taken when there was no hatch, and no sign of rising fish. Create your own rise!
