Ultimate Vaal Trip 1.

[icstuff]

Nice stuff Icestuff- i dont mind taking extra grip ... one more thing- how long must broom stick be??

a comfortable height, if a broomstick is to short for you get one of those that a rake would use. But is comes down to personal taste.

Will bring it on Saturday!

[Monster]

Hi Gents

Sorry, I haven't been following the tread. Work has been crazy. So what is the final plans?

[icstuff]

March 5, eastco 16km from parys on the R500

[diamonddogs]

OK boys and girls I fished the river on Saturday and Sunday and it was seriously HARD!

It was like fishing a 50m mudslide but maybe by the time you bunch get there it might have cleared up a bit. Visibility was probably around 5cm which made it even harder.
The river is currently full of debris, branches just under the surface and millions of kilometers of fishing line courtesy of our beloved papswaaiers.

Fished Saturday from 16:00 to 18:30 and only managed one muddy on a small black fb nymph.
Sunday was a bit better and I manged to land three yellows and a moerse catfish between 09:00 and 12:00.

There was very little life in the river in general. Turning over rocks and grabbing some pieces of driftwood as they floated past only revealed at most maybe one or two insects.

All the yellows were landed on black fb nymphs, size 16 with 2.5mm orange tungsten beads. The muddy I landed on a peacock caddis and the catfish also on the black fb nymph.

Due to the river being so dirty extra caution should be taken when wading as you cannot see the rock lying in wait to mate with your ankle. Take it easy!
Eastco is a relatively tough wade so make sure you have a wading stick.

I suggest that if the river is still dirty when you get there to maybe try flies a little bit bigger (Size 12 & 14), also use flies that will cast a better or more visible silhouette. By this I mean you can use any fly you want as long as it is black...

If all else fails ask Rory to point out the mullberry tree and try some half chicken's and woolly buggers directly underneath it - lots of catfish to be had under that tree.

Regarding the wading sticks a couple of tips.
Make sure your wading stick floats! You have no idea how many times you are going to donner over your wading stick if you cannot see it. A floating stick is also easier to grab when in need - you will have no idea if your wading stick is on your left, right, behind or in front of you if it does not float.

If you don't have a scale on the river it is quite easy to work out the weight of the fish later by using the length of the fish.  On your wading stick start at the bottom and mark your wading stick at 50cm, 55cm, 60cm, 65cm and 70cm by using insulation tape or a permanent marker.  It is easy once you have landed the fish to measure it on your wading stick.

Have fun the week-end and take it easy in the river.

[Quickbite]

OK boys and girls I fished the river on Saturday and Sunday and it was seriously HARD!

It was like fishing a 50m mudslide but maybe by the time you bunch get there it might have cleared up a bit. Visibility was probably around 5cm which made it even harder.
The river is currently full of debris, branches just under the surface and millions of kilometers of fishing line courtesy of our beloved papswaaiers.

Fished Saturday from 16:00 to 18:30 and only managed one muddy on a small black fb nymph.
Sunday was a bit better and I manged to land three yellows and a moerse catfish between 09:00 and 12:00.

There was very little life in the river in general. Turning over rocks and grabbing some pieces of driftwood as they floated past only revealed at most maybe one or two insects.

All the yellows were landed on black fb nymphs, size 16 with 2.5mm orange tungsten beads. The muddy I landed on a peacock caddis and the catfish also on the black fb nymph.

Due to the river being so dirty extra caution should be taken when wading as you cannot see the rock lying in wait to mate with your ankle. Take it easy!
Eastco is a relatively tough wade so make sure you have a wading stick.

I suggest that if the river is still dirty when you get there to maybe try flies a little bit bigger (Size 12 & 14), also use flies that will cast a better or more visible silhouette. By this I mean you can use any fly you want as long as it is black...

If all else fails ask Rory to point out the mullberry tree and try some half chicken's and woolly buggers directly underneath it - lots of catfish to be had under that tree.

Regarding the wading sticks a couple of tips.
Make sure your wading stick floats! You have no idea how many times you are going to donner over your wading stick if you cannot see it. A floating stick is also easier to grab when in need - you will have no idea if your wading stick is on your left, right, behind or in front of you if it does not float.

If you don't have a scale on the river it is quite easy to work out the weight of the fish later by using the length of the fish.  On your wading stick start at the bottom and mark your wading stick at 50cm, 55cm, 60cm, 65cm and 70cm by using insulation tape or a permanent marker.  It is easy once you have landed the fish to measure it on your wading stick.

Have fun the week-end and take it easy in the river.

thanks for the heads-up and report - any pic's

[BigG]

Hi Diamonddogsm, thanks for the comprehensive insight on our fishing spot for the weekend

The guys told me that fishing conditions would be tough for the weekend, but i am as keen to get a fat barbel on the end of the line if all else fails.

I got some wooly buggers and some half chickens in red and black and yellow and black

[icstuff]

Herman did you get hold of east co yet?

[E.T.]

I got some wooly buggers and some half chickens in red and black and yellow and black

Glad to see that the food for the day is sorted with Mussle Cracker making us Steak Rolls and Boeries for breakfast and you chicken flatties at lunch time. 

[BigG]

Glad to see that the food for the day is sorted with Mussle Cracker making us Steak Rolls and Boeries for breakfast and you chicken flatties at lunch time. 

    

[BigG]

Am i the only one excited about this weekend or what ???

[E.T.]

Am i the only one excited about this weekend or what ???

Sure hope not. Are you going blind by typing that Big?

[icstuff]

Uncle G we are all excited! 

[BigG]

No ET, the bold font is a knee jerk reaction when you haven't fished for a while 

[BigG]

Great stuff

[diamonddogs]

thanks for the heads-up and report - any pic's

Only took a pic of the catfish - I dont take pics of yellows under 3kg's anymore

[E.T.]

No ET, the bold font is a knee jerk reaction when you haven't fished for a while 

Ahhh I get it, the longer you haven't fished the bigger the font?
Seems like you and I suffer the same fate?

[icstuff]

AAAAh I'm blinded!

[E.T.]

Only took a pic of the catfish - I dont take pics of yellows under 3kg's anymore

That thing looks like an Orange River Cat. Normally they are that white on the Orange.
First Vaal Cat I have seen being that white. Nice catch though

[BigG]

Only took a pic of the catfish - I dont take pics of yellows under 3kg's anymore

That size barbel will do for me 

[BigG]

  ET