Calling the Fly fishing manne

[Josh0]

Directly South of Dwesa is the Nqabara (pronounced Nxabaga, with the X a click and the g a gggg like in Afrikaans) river and estuary. It is a great spot for any of the usual salt water suspects. I haven't fished it for at least 5 years, so cannot give specific advice, other than I would definitely give it a try. I found a kayak very useful to extand the range of possible spots. DeanBean would most likely have better advice as that is his backyard. Perhaps send him a PM? In the mean time, here's a link you'll enjoy.

 

http://www.nqabara-eco-river-lodge.co.za/transkei-fishing-lodge/

Thank you DJR, I will check it out. It will also PM DeanBean for further info.

 

I wish to join you someday in your valley for some trout fishing. You seem to know your stuff.

[deanbean]

Thank you DJR, I will check it out. It will also PM DeanBean for further info.

 

I wish to join you someday in your valley for some trout fishing. You seem to know your stuff.

Sorry Josh, I know nothing about the Nxabara. I've only crossed it while racing bikes. Beautiful estuary, from pics I took. It's one of the big rivers of the Transkei, so better fished from a boat. You'll probably get snapper, Springer and Leeries. And grunter on the flats.

Beyond that I won't be able to help.

[Josh0]

Sorry Josh, I know nothing about the Nxabara. I've only crossed it while racing bikes. Beautiful estuary, from pics I took. It's one of the big rivers of the Transkei, so better fished from a boat. You'll probably get snapper, Springer and Leeries. And grunter on the flats.

Beyond that I won't be able to help.

Cool man no worries. This will be my first time in that area, but at least I can prepare for those kinds of predators. I have experience catching leeries and spingies at least. Looking forward!

 

Cheers!

[Dusty]

Got this fat fellow on the Vaal last weekend(7kg on the nose)

[Guest notmyname]

Got this fat fellow on the Vaal last weekend(7kg on the nose)

Nice dude. What weight tackle were you using?

[Dusty]

#6 weight and it ate a green rock worm size12

Edited October 7, 2015 by Dusty

[Pappa Roach]

Hi guys, i currently fish the vaal river and thinking of getting a 10 footer 5 weight, any options/reccomendations for a rod decent rod under R2k? I tried my mates Stealth bomber but felt it too stiff for my liking. Thx

[rouxtjie]

Hi guys, i currently fish the vaal river and thinking of getting a 10 footer 5 weight, any options/reccomendations for a rod decent rod under R2k? I tried my mates Stealth bomber but felt it too stiff for my liking. Thx

Stealth magnum 10 ft 5wt is my go to for the vaal....http://stealth.co.za/magnum/

 

I paired it with this...http://stealth.co.za/stealth-reels/bluewater/ again good quality reel with proper drag that you WILL need for yellows.

 

Its long enough, good enough(ito weight and quality) and most importantly cheap enough. I aint bringing my sage rods and reels near the vaal...its simply to heavy(wear and tear) for them.

[Guest notmyname]

its simply to heavy(wear and tear) for them.

 

This????

[Rocket-Boy]

Stealth magnum 10 ft 5wt is my go to for the vaal....http://stealth.co.za/magnum/

 

I paired it with this...http://stealth.co.za/stealth-reels/bluewater/ again good quality reel with proper drag that you WILL need for yellows.

 

Its long enough, good enough(ito weight and quality) and most importantly cheap enough. I aint bringing my sage rods and reels near the vaal...its simply to heavy(wear and tear) for them.

Never fished the Vaal before, what makes it heavy?

Getting to and from spots? 

[rouxtjie]

Never fished the Vaal before, what makes it heavy?

Getting to and from spots? 

you wade in the vaal(knee to waist deep)....you dont fish from the bank. So its you and all your kit in the water for about 6-7 hours. The kit will get wet dunked, scraped on rocks, hit branches the whole day. There will be lots as in LOTS of hookups on rocks putting lots of strain on the equipment....remember you are nymphing / hi sticking and not casting, hence the 10ft is a non neg for the vaal.

 

My beautifull sage stuff stays locked for small stream fishing...like the witte in the photos from the previous page.

 

PS also you are hooking seriously strong fish....SM and LM yellows rev...and rev for long. 

Edited October 8, 2015 by rouxtjie

[DJR]

you wade in the vaal(knee to waist deep)....you dont fish from the bank. So its you and all your kit in the water for about 6-7 hours. The kit will get wet dunked, scraped on rocks, hit branches the whole day. There will be lots as in LOTS of hookups on rocks putting lots of strain on the equipment...................

That sounds just the same as 1500 km further downstream on the Lower Orange. You forgot to add scraped knees and knuckles, twisted ankles and getting washed down the rapids.  

[rouxtjie]

That sounds just the same as 1500 km further downstream on the Lower Orange. You forgot to add scraped knees and knuckles, twisted ankles and getting washed down the rapids.  

oh of course, you not a FF if you havent done the vaal shuffle....the only difference is you will live if you get a mouth full of orange, verdict is still out on vaal. some nasties in there lately

[DJR]

oh of course, you not a FF if you havent done the vaal shuffle....the only difference is you will live if you get a mouth full of orange, verdict is still out on vaal. some nasties in there lately

To be totally honest, there is only 1 Cape stream left that I fish and drink from - the Witte. 

[bertusras]

 The Witte is temperamental at any time, but even more so in the December heat and Southeaster. I like fishing it in September and October, perhaps early November also if we had good rains and the flow is good. From December onwards the stream gets very low and warm and the fishing gets very difficult. I don't even bother to get up if there is a cold front approaching . Otherwise, for me anyway, it tends to be just a very long strenuous hike to be skunked by the brownies.

 

The very uppermost beats are the best and that means getting up real early, start your 2 hour hike in the dark to get there as the sun hits the water. (Get up at 3am, drive there, start hiking at 4am, start fishing at 6am.) The browns are few and far between and are seriously full of nonsense. One little movement, noise, flash, ripple, and they disappear like ghosts in the sunshine. By mid morning the activity often tapers sharply and the Southeaster picks up and blows your fly straight back in your face. Waiting for the early evening activity is also tricky, because it stays light till 8pm and you then have another 2hr hike back to the car. I know it is not about catching fish, but I get grumpy if I catch nothing!

 

If you are limited for time, I would rather try one of the other streams is December. Having said that, it is a beautiful stream, almost entirely untouched by man and as pristine as they come. And those browns are sooo handsome! If you have a few days available, then do go and give it your best! If you do have one of those incredible days when the browns are easy and you catch a dozen of them, I'll gladly eat my words, but I'll need pictures as proof!

 

Btw, the picture was taken last December, so even I do stuff that I warn others about!

 

Oh yeah no I know, I was down there in September last year. It's tough, very tough, but so rewarding. Also one of the most beautiful locations out

 

http://i.imgur.com/DjMqiCf.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/qtaAW6A.jpg

[rouxtjie]

To be totally honest, there is only 1 Cape stream left that I fish and drink from - the Witte. 

nice....ja look the vaal is lekker, well any river / stream fishing makes you a complete FF imo. its not just casting a wooly bugger and retrieve stuff. What makes these small stream in the cape so cool is that they are quite lightweight ito biomass, so topwater is where its at I assume?