Author Topic: Vaal River Update (Read 566935 times)

icstuff · « **Reply #740 on:** November 18, 2012, 12:25:32 PM »

It was plenty fun, and I think luck was on my side as well.
Herman from next weekend I am a free man again

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #741 on:** November 19, 2012, 09:29:32 PM »

Quote from: icstuff on November 18, 2012, 12:25:32 PM

It was plenty fun, and I think luck was on my side as well.
Herman from next weekend I am a free man again

Next weekend is out for me.

The weekend after MAYBE on the Saterday

/

Dion introduced me to Vaal Hackle last Sunday. What a magnificent piece of water.

It has everything you could ask for. Reasonably easy wading, rapids, glides, numerous islands with channels between. Stunning place indeed.

Got onto the water around 07:00, water temp 23 deg, visibilty about 15 - 20 cm's

.

Fishing was in Dion's experience very poor for this venue. I waded across, up, down, hither and thither, into someone other properties water upstream ( unbeknown to me at the time ).

My tally for 6 hours fishing was 5 sm and 4 muddies, the biggest being a muddie of 2.5 kg.

Another GREAT day on the Vaal.

UrbanFF · « **Reply #742 on:** November 20, 2012, 05:09:10 PM »

Fished Hakuna Matata on the 18th November - Access to Hakuna Matata can be managed by most vehicles with 4 wheels :) but once on the land the track down to the river does need to be negotiated carefully.[/size]This water is just down stream from the better know Vaal de Siloeh and is accessed from the opposite bank, it is well worth a visit as this water isn't fished as often as other more popular spots and has a nice variety of waters. Unless you stay there in one of the chalets there is no abultion or braai facilities so a roll of twin ply and sandwiches are the order of the day.[/color]
[/size]The fishing is excellent and there is a variety of water to choose from and also Niagara falls to be negotiated if you're brave.[/color]
[/size]The fish mainly fell to mayfly patterns , especially lighter ones and it was nice to watch Ken Quick catch his first fish on his self built 6 weight Scott.[/color]
[/size][/color]
[/size]Photo's of some of the fish are here : https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.436245516438230.103438.306554952740621&type=1 [/color]

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #743 on:** November 20, 2012, 06:58:50 PM »

Nice report back Richard.

I need to Google Earth that section of the river as last Sunday was my first time in that section of water.

I'm sure we passed the Hakuna Mathata turnoff on the way to Vaal Hackle.
Kommando Nek has some really good looking water as well.

icstuff · « **Reply #744 on:** November 21, 2012, 08:01:30 AM »

Quote from: Herman Jooste on November 19, 2012, 09:29:32 PM

My tally for 6 hours fishing was 5 sm and 4 muddies, the biggest being a muddie of 2.5 kg.

The first weekend in dec I have to attend 4 different birthday parties, one of them My sons's so It it might be difficult for me. But from there I am as free as a corrupt President who controls the NPA.

I will take extra windhoek with me the weekend, because I am sure you will be there in spirit!

Anybody care to join me on the 5th somewhere?

Ettienne · « **Reply #745 on:** November 27, 2012, 12:45:58 PM »

A couple of us decided to spend the past weekend at Oord Nebo after enjoying a very successful weekend "there in October. We would be camping, enjoying the sunshine, fishing the Vaal, enjoy a braai with a couple of cold ones. The Swambos would be reading a book on painting.... something about Shades of Grey....

Anyways we decided to get out of Doge by 4 pm Friday afternoon and set up camp the evening, have a boerie roll braai the hit the sack for an early morning session on the river. Just before leaving I realised I still had some E-Filing to do for SARS. The standard question. How much did you earn? How much do you have left? We will take that as well, thank you.... my small contribution to road improvements at Nakandla...

So we left at 5pm. Bakkie packed, ready for a relaxing weekend and looking forward to chasing a PB Yellow from the river! Man this was going to be good.... Driving into Potch my enthusiasm started to wane a wee bit. The size of the Cumulu.... Cimolumbus.... Thunder clouds rolling in from Free State was gianormous. We were driving into a perfect Free State storm called Sannie... A mother of a storm... The rain was hard, it felt like driving through a waterfall, the viz was 5m and you could only drive super slow. As with all good things that come to pass, the storm subsided although it continued to rain when we arrived at the camp site.

Now i like camping. There is just something refreshing about sleeping in a tent and being sepereated from nature with a few microns of nylon ripstop fabric. The first cardinal rule of camping is that you always pack your tent last. When you arrive at your camp site in adverse weather, you first pitch your tent. Well we arrived and unpacked everything from the bakkie to get to my tent. Pitching a tent in the dark and the rain was challenging especially when you are in a hurry to get the rest of the equipment out of the rain.

We hit the water on Saturday with a Blank session for me and a one Yellow for my mate Craig. The rest of the day was on off rain on off rain. We were about to do an afternoon session when another storm rolled in from the Free State. More hard rain and thunder. Now i am not too keen being in a river with a 9foot graphite rod and lightning!

We managed to have a braai that evening under an afdak. The resident weather guru predicted some sunny and warm conditions for Sunday. It reminded me of the old weather reports. Over Gordonia it would be sunny"". I still dont know where that is but it would NOT be raining and really hoped it would be so in Potch.

Andrew, Craig and I hit the water at 6am and headed for the channel past the water pump on the Free State side close to the island. We managed to land a few Yellows. The fishing was hard and we attributed it to the adverse weather also the water temperature was warm. Here follows the techinical report:

All fish were landed on bead head caddis fly in tan or olive with Humpy control fly with a touch of orange:

It was an awesome weekend. Being in nature just cleanses the soul. It makes you realise how minute you actually are in the bigger picture of nature. It is like good music.... "it washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. Anon.

Rory · « **Reply #746 on:** November 27, 2012, 12:51:09 PM »

Nice report back Ettienne!

Glad you guys got some fish. So have the missus' painting skills improved?

Ettienne · « **Reply #747 on:** November 27, 2012, 01:08:19 PM »

Apparently the practical sessions are reserved for non rainy days....

schloshd1 · « **Reply #748 on:** November 27, 2012, 05:03:53 PM »

Thanks for the report back Ettienne, it was a great weekend!

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #749 on:** November 30, 2012, 08:59:30 PM »

Brilliant report Etienne.

Thank you for taking the time to post.

shagnrelease · « **Reply #750 on:** December 01, 2012, 06:44:36 AM »

Well Reported sir!

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #751 on:** December 03, 2012, 08:29:11 PM »

I took myself off to Woelwaters on Saterday morning.

I got there early at 05:30 and lo and behold someone came down to take my money and let me in.

I drove down to the day visitor's area which is right on the water and the wind was PUMPING, with showers. Knowing that there was no chance of me even threading a fly line through the eyes, let alone tying a new leader and flies, ( as well as being a woossie

) in that wind I sat in the car and listened to the cricket.

The wind died down enough at around 07:15 for me to rig up, so on the water I went. The only fisherman on the water for Woelwaters and Arends Nes above

, a whole 3km of river to myself.

Water temp was 19 deg and visibility around 20 - 30 cm's. Fishing ( for me ) was difficult. I waded across, up, down, back across changing flies all the time. I had 2 muddies caught when at about 10:00 I hears a commotion upstream.

Looked up and there were about 7 river rafters in inflatable canoes stuck on the rocks at Arends Nes. One by one the managed to free themselves and start the drift down. The front " Guide" parked his boat about 10m from me whilst waiting for the rest of the group to come through. Once about 5 boats had gone past ( mostly sideways

) he went downstream. The second last boat consisted of 3 youngsters( about 15 - 18 years old) who had managed to all fall off the boat as well as puncture the back pontoons.

I haven't laughed so hard since Christiana. There's 2 blokes swimming/drifting in knee deep water and 1 holding on to the boat, trying to get to his feet. He slips and lets go of the boat and away it goes. Instead of running after it he tries to swim after it in knee deep water with some big rocks in his way.

Needless to say the current and boat won the race with the boat going through the rapids and coming to a standstill in the big pool below Woelwaters, with 3 okes drifting and swimming and after it.

The icing on the cake was the "tail" guide rowing past them drifting in the big pool, without picking them up, to get to their boat before it disappeared further downstream/

The CHERRY on top was me landing a small SM yellow followed by a 6kg+ barbel ( maxed out my 6kg Salter scale with ease ) after which I chickened out and left as the weather was starting to look nasty.

Dion Gates · « **Reply #752 on:** December 03, 2012, 09:27:00 PM »

Hi Herman

Sounds like there was no shortage of entertainment on the water. so i guess you should have hooked one ofthem and then see the bend in the rod of a 75kg youngster struggling in the rapids. that would have been a first im sure

christosch · « **Reply #753 on:** December 03, 2012, 09:33:58 PM »

Well done Herman!!
Where will you be going this coming weekend - I'm thinking of wetting a line again after the blank at Eastco couple of weeks back.(Weather permitting)

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #754 on:** December 04, 2012, 08:19:36 PM »

Hi Christo,

I have been invited to a venue x for next Sunday, for a buddies farewell fish. After that I will be away for the next 2 weekends, so the next time on the Vaal for me will be after christmass.

Will keep you in the loop once I'm back in action.

icstuff · « **Reply #755 on:** December 06, 2012, 04:07:18 PM »

fished woelwaters yesterday and had quite a challenging time. Was only able to land one yellow and had one monster on the hook that I was unable to land. There was plenty of muddies around but was unable to land any that I hooked. I have to say that there was plenty of yellows around but being a bad fisherman I was unable to hook any.

One bit of excitement was a carp that tailed right next to me, I took my landing net and scooped it. I then fed it to the barbel to fatten them up for the next time Herman wants to hook one.

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #756 on:** December 06, 2012, 07:59:08 PM »

Pieter, thanks for the report.

Were you fishing indicator, or "on the dark side " ?

Why I ask is last Sunday there was a f/f fishing " Czech" style with 4 ( yes 4 ) flies, and he was nailing the smaller yellows fishing downstream. i.e. he would do the normal Czech dump and let the flies drift into the riffles then just hold them there for about a minute, then re- dump upstream.

The fly that was working for him was a yellow caddis in # 14. ( I'll show you Sunday as he gave me 1. )

Most interesting pf all is that his control fly was at the top, and all the other flies below.

It worked for him though.

icstuff · « **Reply #757 on:** December 06, 2012, 10:36:25 PM »

Caught the yellows on the dark side, with a 3 fly setup hot spot control at top, spider fly and then a gray hare nymph with an orange spot on point. The landed yellow on the "spider" and the huge lost yellow on the point. All the muddies I had was on the point.

icstuff · « **Reply #758 on:** December 09, 2012, 08:45:17 PM »

A couple of us fished a venue close to parys today. And what a day.
I started of with a couple of muddies and then found the "dream run" I hooked into a monster yellow that took revenge on me by hooking me in the leg when I tried to land it. From the same run I proceeded to land 4 big yellows and a few smaller ones, a monster of a muddie and landed my first barble. So I broke 3 PBs in one hour. I lost many fish and did not count the muddies.

I will let the others reply with their catches and photos.

schloshd1 · « **Reply #759 on:** December 10, 2012, 06:33:29 AM »

Thanks for the report back and for a great day out. Well done on your PBs, you really cleaned up yesterday

Here are a few pics