Sterkies Trip Report Back Feb 2014.
After 2 weeks of scrambling, hectic phone calls and tying the day of the trip had arrived.
Day 1. Friday.
After spending Thursday night at Bryan & Felicia's place Bryan and I left Boksburg at 03:00 . We met up with Mike at the Villiers 1 Stop, and after a cup of coffee and purchasing ice, we were out of Villiers at 04:20.
The trip to Sterkies was uneventful except that at Warden we started to pick up drizzle, which got progressively worse the closer we got to Sterkies.
The pic shows the weather conditions just before the Sterkies turnoff.
We arrived at Qwantani around 06:30, parked as close as we could to the long walk to the point and rigged up, still in a light drizzle. We then set off on the walk up the right hand bank to the point.
Once at the point the wind was pumping in the wrong direction so we battled with no fish visable. After about 2 hours we hiked back, and then went down to the "Fishing Loop". After another 2 hours of frustration we headed back to book in.
Bryan and Mike went back to the point in the afternoon whilst I had a power nap.
Bryan then landed the first yellow of the trip.
They arrived back at around 17:00 to await the arrival of Stones, Rick,Shep and the boat.
Day 2.
With Stones, Rick, Shep and the boat arriving fairly late on Friday, we were up at 04:00 to get down to the harbour and get the boat in the water. BTW, Rick and Shep ( who is the most wonderful Border Collie ) were going to drive around and fish their favourite spots from the bank, as the boat can only take 4 people.
We soon were loaded and heading out to the far bank, almost opposite Qwantani.
The pic below is Mike, Myself and Bryan.
WE soon reached our spot and with only 3 being able to cast from the boat toward the bank, we had agreed that one of us would fish from the bank on a rotational basis.
IF I remember correctly I was first on the bank, with the rest fishing. Mike got the first fish of the day off the boat.
Mike and I then swapped with him on the bank and I on the boat. AS to who caught what and when after that is a blurred in my mind as fish were being landed quite regularly with different people taking the pics.
What I do know though that Mike was also the first to get a fish from the bank.
How is this for water clarity.
Here are some of the pics of the day.
Stones First fish.
My first fish which was a largie!!
Bryan was also in on the action.
These are by no means pics of all the fish that were caught.
WE then moved to another few spots but with the barometer falling and the mother of a storm brewing we decided that discretion was the better part of valour and headed back to the harbour at around 15:00, arriving there in the first drops.
The boat was properly moored, and covered before going up to the chalet for yet another huge braai.
The tally for the day was Stones, 4 or 5, Bryan 3, Herman 3, Mike 2.
Flies that were working were purple and black beetles.
Day 3.
Our last morning at Sterkies. Again we were up at 4 and launched at first light, which put us on the opposite bank by 05:30.
I managed a small yellow on a beetle before we were privaliged to be in the middle of a major flying ant hatch.THere were yellpws rising every where. They would investigate a beetle were only hammering ant imitations.
Stones was soon into a nice fish.
THen another.
After changing to an ant pattern, Bryan then caught what to me was the fish of the weekend. I will let the pics speak for themselves.
The hatch disappeared by 09:00 and in increasing wind we explored other areas of this wonderful dam. At the bank opposite the Qwantani point the wind was hammering the bank into a 3 metre wide scum line which we fished with huge flies to no avail.
After exploring another few areas we got off at around 11:30 to prepare to leave.
My sincerest thanks to Mike, for giving us the accommodation mahala. To Stones for bringing his boat and teaching me a new way to fish Qwantani, from a boat, towards the bank. To Rick for giving me stomach ache from the laughter at the banter. To Bryan for sharing the trip and the fuel costs, as well as the banter.
DEFINATELY DO AGAIN GUYS.
