Author Topic: Vaal River Update (Read 566930 times)

Lichia amia · « **Reply #240 on:** March 22, 2011, 07:30:30 AM »

The final pose . Lichia as happy as a Dutch Reformed Dominee on Honeymoon .

BigG · « **Reply #241 on:** March 22, 2011, 07:39:32 AM »

Very nice guys, well done

Rory · « **Reply #242 on:** March 22, 2011, 07:42:02 AM »

Excellent Craig!!

icstuff · « **Reply #243 on:** March 22, 2011, 07:52:56 AM »

What an enjoyable trip.
At one stage I thought Herman was on with a huge fish, The next thing you see is him taking a dive and the line goes slack. Turn out that he was on with one of them rock fish.

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #244 on:** March 22, 2011, 08:33:06 AM »

Great stuff Craig!

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #245 on:** March 27, 2011, 04:02:58 PM »

Andrew ( Schlossie ) and I ended up at GVP today after an aborted attempt to get into Erina's waters through the "back door". ( Aborted due to fear of being stuck there due to mud, gradient & rain )

So took to the water later than usual and headed off to unfished ( by us) spots. ( BTW, the Goosebay reading on DWAF is inaccurate . It showed 35 odd this morning, the flows were closer to 65 ) which made rowing and wading new underwater moonscapes very interesting to say the least.

I fished across the bottom of the reef and got 5 muddies in a row
Andrew went above the reef and was soon into a nice SM. I started working my way up slowly, and then Andrew had a beaut of a SM, probably 2 - 2.5kg

I finally got up there and stumbled, staggered and fell around. Managed to get my only sm of the day, a nice fish of around 50cm ( 1.7 - 2kg). :sml:
I then got my smallest fish of the day, a 200cm muddie, but it was pitch black !!!!

Both Andrew and I tought it was a juvenile barbel at first.

With the drizzle turning into more than that we decided to call it a day, ( both having got our best sm of the season ) we headed back.

Visibility was probably 25 - 30 cm's. All my muddies fell to a flashback PTN with orange bead. My sm to a olive humpy's favourite control fly.
Andrews 2 sm fell to a blue sweetie nymph, with a cdc and squirell thorax.

A WORD OF WARNING. This area ties with the upper Prison venue as the worst wading area I have ever fished My shins, toes and ankles are still reminding me.

schloshd1 · « **Reply #246 on:** March 27, 2011, 05:51:27 PM »

Thanks for a great morning out Herman, I'm looking forward to fishing there again.

Lichia amia · « **Reply #247 on:** March 28, 2011, 07:46:21 AM »

Quote from: Herman Jooste on March 27, 2011, 04:02:58 PM

( both having got our best sm of the season )

Well done Chaps

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #248 on:** March 31, 2011, 07:38:51 PM »

Where to fish this Sunday ??????????????

I have a hankering for Groenpunt, but access will have to be from the other side. Either that or Erina ( same scenario ) however the Barrage flows are still high.

Decisions, decisions.

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #249 on:** April 04, 2011, 09:40:32 PM »

Fished Groenpunt on Sunday with Jaco. Although we accessed from the other side we learned from others that access is now ok from the prison side. ( 80 km detour there and back for nothing

)
Water temp WAS 19 deg ,which is very warm for this venue. Fishing was slow and difficult. Jaco got 2 muddies and a sm, myself 2 muddies, but none landed :sadd. First time I have broken off by a muddie on the leader 2 ft below the fly line

.
The underwater terrain has changed subtley ( sp) , some small gullies have become deeper, some ridges have gone, but in general it's still the same. Loose rocks ( football size ) everywhere.
Still a good challenging venue. :sml:

WalkersKiller · « **Reply #250 on:** April 04, 2011, 10:02:19 PM »

Thanks for the feedback Herman, unlucky about the muddies breaking you off

Monster · « **Reply #251 on:** April 05, 2011, 09:07:02 AM »

So, the proison is opn for busness again?

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #252 on:** April 05, 2011, 04:21:53 PM »

Quote from: Monster on April 05, 2011, 09:07:02 AM

So, the proison is opn for busness again?

That appears to be the case Nico.

Monster · « **Reply #253 on:** April 06, 2011, 09:14:22 AM »

Awsome, is missd the prison. Got some Chotas and its much easter wading than what I was used to. No more walking on soap.

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #254 on:** April 06, 2011, 09:44:42 PM »

Quote from: Monster on April 06, 2011, 09:14:22 AM

Awsome, is missd the prison. Got some Chotas and its much easter wading than what I was used to. No more walking on soap.

I'm fishing Erina on Sunday, you interested ????

Monster · « **Reply #255 on:** April 07, 2011, 09:22:16 AM »

Herman

I'm already fishing for bass over the weekend. So I might take you up on that the weekend after this one.

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #256 on:** April 19, 2011, 08:30:06 PM »

I fished Erina on Sunday. Arrived @ 06:30 and the gates were locked. Phoned the number on the sign and was let in at around 07:30

Got to the water and rigged up, but was wondering about the high looking water. Anyway off I go, and managed to get about 4 metres into the first channel, when it's up, up and away...... feet gone and my first real Douglas style drift for a looong time

Only found out yesterday the flows were 75 tons on Sunday , no wonder

Got back to the bank and bundu bashed over felled bluegums up to the low level bridge.
Walked along the bridge to a suitable entry point ( thank goodness it was still there

).

I fished the edges of the faster water and got 1 small SM and 2 respectable muddies. Battled my way up the bridge again and fished the very slow/slack water in the lee of the bridge. Got a +- 2 kg carp on a #14 black hotspot nymph.

By 10:30 I was frozen to the core and decided to call it a day. Next time the hip flask comes with!!!!!!!!!

Lichia amia · « **Reply #257 on:** April 19, 2011, 08:42:21 PM »

Entertaining read as always !!

Haven’t heard of the Douglas style drift before – he he he he . Where are you fishing this weekend ?

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #258 on:** April 19, 2011, 08:57:47 PM »

Craig, the Douglas style drift is mainly used when you wish to get to a point downstream without wading. You find fast waist deep water, face down stream and lift your feet in front of you and away you go. ( The problem comes when you want to stop

).
On Sunday, it was involuntary, I misjudged the strength of the flows

As far as this weekend is concerned I am not sure where. This cold front has not helped at all. Being Easter all the "normal" venues are going to be wall to wall, so maybe going back to Erina or the Prison could be an option?

Will keep you in the loop though

Herman Jooste · « **Reply #259 on:** April 25, 2011, 07:44:34 PM »

Rory, Craig, Bryan, Jan and I paid the inmates a visit on Sunday. It was still p!ssing when Jan & I left Vdb, but had just stopped when we got to the gates. We were let in after signing the book and went down to the river, but just above the weir, ( not our usual parking area. ) The reason was I wanted Jan to have some "still" water to baitfish for a change. Well he was set up and fishing before the rest arrived

We all soon got rigged up and just before heading to the f/f spot, I had to show my older boet that I can still catch fish on bait and caught a rock barbel on his one rod whilst he was busy with the other.

Damn, but I have never fished that hard before for a BLANK.

I tried every fly I knew I had, and some I had forgotten I had. NADA, NIKS, ZILCH.

Pleased to say that it wasn't just me.

Bryan lost a good fish in the top left hand pool, and Rory, true too form landed the only fish in a net for the day.

Above the weir, Jan was doing rther well on bait. 3 nice Carp and numerous small SM. The Carp all on Pap, the SM all on yellow mielies or worms.

Which goes to prove, that this venue has something for everyone, fly or bait.