Southern Cape grunters...what do I need to do?

[wynandloftus]

Was at swartvlei trainbridge this weekend. One guy caught a small leerie on a jig or something early morning and from there on nothing - didn't even have a chase on the fly. So I started walking the flats and there were grunters all over tailing like it was going out of fashion. I don't have the best equipment 4/5 slow rod so getting distance is difficult sometimes...

Please tell me, is casting at tailing grunter the way to do it?

[swsmith]

it is the preferred method but you are going to have to put in many hours to get good consistent success....I would suggest a heavier outfit that can push longer casts with minimum false casts....then work on a pattern and then on ur presentation....I have yet to land one so my oppinions are based on what ive read and heard mates discuss...

[petercoetzee]

Please tell me, is casting at tailing Grunter the way to do it?

Perseverance my friend :P You'll need a heavier rod though. Mr Smith is spot on with the false casting. Put in the time and you'll get the fish.

[wynandloftus]

Thanks guys! Looks like I'm gonna be spending a lot of time on the flats hehe but hey, I think the reward will be worth it. Not like it is boring, I mean the trying and perservering is wha makes it great! Got to work on that false casting though.

Would like to get heavier rod, but mine will have to do for now...still a student so I'll have to use what I've got.
Shot for an excellent website Peter!

[ArcherFish]

Wynand

Here's a 'budget JAM' for want of a better word that I tied up last week using craft fur/polar fibre, foam and felt.
it was designed to float or be neutrally buoyant so the splash didnt scare grunter and it wouldn't snag on the bottom.
felt-prawn-spam-fly.jpg
Its shown in water, as I was testing the buoyancy, in real life it didnt float so well, as the fluorocarbon tippet dragged it down after a while.

And the results
pn-grunter.jpg
My first pig-nosed grunter.

The water was very dirty from the floods (Breede) and there were no tailing grunter, so I was just blind fishing.

I also caught my hat with a flipper when it got blown off, just to lose it again later at the mouth again when it got blown into the fast current.

hat-hatch.jpg
The hat hatch was on! Notice the colour of the water.

[MCC]

I like your sexy pastel coloured gloves

[ArcherFish]

I like your sexy pastel coloured gloves

ha ha, that's normal ones with camo drawn on with koki (a la Ed Herbst). It's started ti wash out.
Please keep an eye out for my hat this weekend...

[wynandloftus]

Excellent budget JAM there, shot for posting the pics! Going to attampt something like that - polar fibre is affordable. I think the light material and foam is a great idea for the softer presentation!

hahaha when fishing gets so quite I think having a hat on the end of the line isn't that bad have to comment on the gloves....looks classic!

[Niel Malan]

what you need is patience and a good amount of luck! I have caught grunters on very small surf candy, medium white clouser, small shrimp fly (sight fished) etc. Also had miss takes on floating deer hair prawns and dark clouser (black, orange and touch of yellow - tied with natural and very soft fur - a bit like my cats fur). Good luck
Niel

And congratulations to Craig on his steenbras - Neil Rowe caught a blaasopie and I totally blanked 3 days in a row!

[Bullie]

Hi
I have only managed one grunter on fly I was using a small 14 size clouser on a dead drift onver a prawn bank with intermidaite fly line it wasent huge but it still counts.the key is persistance and they will make u mad when they tailing .u can see a pic of the spotty and the fly in my album if u want to tie something similiar.good luck and tight lines