Vaal River Update

[bassbug]

i have to say,
homie, doc and herman, to fish in such high levels you guys must have yellows in your veins.

[Herman Jooste]

Bassbug, there are certain venues that can be fished at higher flows.
For Example:
Erina, up to 80 tons
Eastco. 80 tons
Eendekui; 80 tons
Silverstrome. 80 tons
Venue I. 1000 tons.

The trick is to know the lie of the land in flows of 20 - 40 tons, especially the banks and little side channels, as well of course the normal flow underwater topography. This only comes with observation and visiting different venues in different flow conditions, which takes time.

The learning is a steep curve, involving many hair raising drifts down fast rapids, bumping your but against every rock in the way.

BUT it's worth it.

[bassbug]

thanks Herman, was always under the impression that anything over 45 tons was unsafe. i will start venturing on higher levels, tiny increments at first. i have always joked with some mates, on high flow levels, one needs an anchor with rope and not a wading stick    this will soon change

[Homie]

BB, why not join us at the social at Leeuwkop on Sat 25th ???

Herman, you coming through ???

[bassbug]

BB, why not join us at the social at Leeuwkop on Sat 25th ???

Herman, you coming through ???

thanks homie, if work permits, i'll join the fun

[Herman Jooste]

BB, why not join us at the social at Leeuwkop on Sat 25th ???

Herman, you coming through ???

Duhhh, read the participants list on the social thread. 

I'm taking the 9# and plattie flies just in case the barbell want to play 

Also bringing the charcoal. 

[Homie]

Met Doc at Grasmere at 6 yesterday morning, and after a quick coffee we hit the road to Erina. Weather was gloomy and about 20kms before the offramp, it came down cats and dogs !

We got to Erina and found Herman waiting for us and after setting up we hit the water with a slight drizzle coming down.
Now for those that now Erina, there were a few papgoiiers around, but one guy had taken his entire kit and set up on the 1st island ! Quite a sight to see a tent up there.... and with the Vaal dam being 99.8% full and the barrage also quiet full, I'm not sure how clever this was !

not even 5 mins in the water and Herman goes on




I hadnt even put the camera away and I went vas !




After a while myself and Herman hit the second run and I got another here, and Herman got a muddie




we went up to the low level bridge and Doc got a few here.




On the way out, we fished the 1st run again , and it awesome fun ! I got 7 here in a short time !




The weather had cleared nicely and it was a great day out ! My tally for the day was 9 yellows 

Thanks to Doc and Herman for a great day out !

[doc]

Thanks Homes for the great report and tip on the brassie!



I stayed on to fish the afternoon as well armed with one red brassie. Nailed the small yellows in the first run where Homes schooled me in the morning. After about 10 of the small ones I moved up to the second run just above the rapid connecting the first run and caught 5 yellows in the 1kg range before moving up to the low water bridge in search of a carp.


The first drift a decent fish nailed the fly and before I knew what was happening it was through the low water bridge and on the barrage side. I followed it underneath the bridge and was about halve way when the line just went slack I got cut of and lost the brassie. Struggling back out the tunnel I almost lost my phone as I did my Camera in the morning session. I tied on a San Juan and fished the rapid again caught 3 nice muddies all  in the 1.5kg range and between 8 and 10 yellows all on the San Juan ranging from 100g to 1kg.


The weather turn ominous with the rumble of thunder in the background. When I got back to the first rapid the weather blew past and I decided to have one last cast. The small yellows were just as willing to take the San Juan as they did the brassie. The last cast lasted another hour or so of great fun with another 10 or so yellows. Left the water at 17:00.


Thanks Herman and Homes for a great day on the vaal.


PS. no photos due to camera being somewhere between the barrage and Parys and phones media card buggered due to water damage.

[Herman Jooste]

Thanks to Doc and Holmes for a great morning out. Sorry I had to leave so early.
I still need to transfer the pics from the camera to the phone.
I will post them once I have.
In 3 hours I managed to yellows and 2 muddies, one of which was around the 2kg mark in the third run.
Spent nearly 40 minutes by the low level bridge trying to entice a carp, but to no avail.
Still a great morning out.

[Herman Jooste]

I have only just checked what the Barrage release was last Sunday and see it was 30 tons.

Doc and I felt they were a bit low after fishing the venue at 60 odd tons. 

After 7 years of fishing this venue in flows from 15 tons to 80 tons ( Over 80 you will be picked up in Bloemhof Dam  ), I think that the perfect fishing flows are between 40 and 50 tons.

However , fishing this venue at higher flows is NOT for a newbie.

The first run that you have to cross can be tricky and you may end up drifting  into the pool below.

[doc]

Fished Erina yesterday. A bit of a late start due to the social Saturday. Started fishing about 10:30 and was into the fish early at the first run. Caught 5 small yellows and decided to move on to the second run.


Caught a few nice ones in the 0.5kg to 1 kg range. Moved up to the top of the rapids at the bridge which was a bit more challenging than last week to get you footing. At 55 tons there where no rocks visible at the rapid also did not see any muddies like last week.


First drift I got hammered by a nice yellow which snagged me up and broke off on the tree at the begging of the rapid that connects the second run to the first. Very annoyed I made my way back to the top again. Caught a small yellow which I netted and released. In this process I must not have snapped the net into place solidly but more about that a bit later.  After another few drifts my fly got hammered again ripping the fly line out my hand while I was standing admiring a heron landing next to me. The fish at first fought just around me in the slower water against the bridge but then decided to head to Parys. After some stumbling and falling I managed to catch up with the fish right at the bottom of the first run. i finally got the fish close and when I went for my net realised I lost it somewhere in the chaos of chasing the fish.


Both me and the fish was tired at this stage and I managed to hand land the fish. as I was right next to the bank I quickly took a picture and let the fish swim off slowly. I estimate the fish in the 1.5 to 2kg range (see photo). I got out and had lunch while waiting for Kallie.


The afternoon session was slow with a few small ones again in the nursery. After moving up to the top of the runs. Kallie got 3 nice fish at the top and I got 1 nice one that kallie took a picture off. I then got a beast which took me down the second run. Finally landed the fish at the point of the second island unfortunately did not get a photo as holding the fish in one hand and fumbling to get the cellphone out the fish wiggled its way free. This was a really big fish I estimate 2.5 to 3kg.


All and all a lekker day on the vaal. Good to see that there is a lot a big yellows back at Erina.

[Lichia amia]

Thanks for a lekker Arvies fishing Higgins . Will post you pic later today.

[Herman Jooste]

Rory, Doc and I fished Vischgat this morning, as was organised at last weeks social.

Serioooouuuusss Straf dops for Etienne and Pieter  (batwho were all gung ho for the day and never pitched. Especially Pieter who has not answered his phone since last Saterday 

We all got there just after 06:00  with no rain, even though the road was quite fun getting there.

Rigged up and were fishing before 7. As always Doc was first on with a muddie.
I was stumbling my way to get past the first island when Rory comes hurtling across the second island towards me  .
What the hell I thought has he done now.  Anyway once he got to me I saw what it was all about , a new species for Rory and a brilliant catch on fly.
I understand that Rory is going to post a separate thread about this fish.

We were still talking when Doc ( cormorant ) was into a good fish which ran him hither and thither, first upstream, then downstream, then upstream again. Once up to the top we realised it was a good sized yellow in perfect condition ( pic below ).

The fishing then went very quiet, and we tried every where. The clouds started building up again so we started heading back to the bank.

Rory then landed a very nice muddie which nearly bent his 4# in half.

Doc and I then went to have a look at a few pools and had some interesting fun with fish you don't normally get to catch in the main river.

Then the thunder rolled over and it started raining lightly so we called it a good morning out.

Thanks to Rory and Doc for a great morning.

[isivuba]

Herman looks like fun.
Just one question what would someone look at to start fishing like this (basic beginner tackle stuff)

[Rory]

Thanks Martin and Herman for a good mornings session. Couldn't believe the water temp measured at 19 deg for that venue, its usually a lot colder. Due to me misplacing my #5 flyreel I was fishing my #4 setup which is about as light as you should fish the Vaal. Given the lighter setup, I decided to czech nymph for a change, awesome sensitivity on the #4! So onto my catch of the day, being able to cover fairly thin water, I picked up a "klip barber" I have no idea what the correct english name is. I've seen these little fellows being caught regularly by conventional fisherman, but never seen one taken on the fly before. Lol, I wasn't sure to place the pic here or in the Micro fishing thread!!

[Williaby]

In this case it is the most obvious translation i.e. Rock Catfish 

Very fine catch to make at all, never mind on fly. These little guys are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List:

http://www.arkive.org/barnards-rock-catfish/austroglanis-barnardi/

Congrats Rory! See Czech nymphing rocks....

[Herman Jooste]

Herman looks like fun.
Just one question what would someone look at to start fishing like this (basic beginner tackle stuff)

Before you even think of buying any tackle, I would like to invite you to join us on one of our yellow Vaal trips. I have a spare rod and reel, so why not come with and see if you enjoy it ?

If you do, there are a number of "Start up " rigs available where you get rod and reel, line and backing for around R 600. I used one of these start rigs for 2 years on the Vaal before I upgraded to better kit.

Anyway, the invitation stands, and that is for anyone thinking of trying our crazy facet out.

[Herman Jooste]

After all the usual suspects would not either answer their phones ( ignoring me I suppose )  or were fishing elsewhere and last minute cancellations by Mike and Jaco I fished Erina yesterday on my lonesome. It was actually quite nice to have the whole venue to myself for a change.

I fished all 3 runs as well as below the old bridge and managed 6 small yellows ( largest around 750 grams ) 2 better sized muddies, around 1 kg in the third run and a Carp of around 1.5kg below the old bridge.
Not bad for a quick 4 hour trip.

Sorry no pics but there was really nothing worthwhile taking a pic of.

[Homie]

Really wish I could've joined Herman..... Still want a carp !

[diamonddogs]

Spent the week-end at Mountain View Country Estate in Parys.
Fishing was a bit tough after a huge storm Friday afternoon that turned the river chocolate brown.
We noticed the river rising whilst we were fishing and later saw on the dwaf website that the river picked up about 10cum/s in the afternoon.

We still managed to land our fair share of fish with most fish taken on green brassies / gold brassies, Disco Midge and Mustartd Caddis.