Effects of SE wind on Mosselbay area estuaries

[Stef]

Gents

I gave Kleinbrak a shot close to the mouth this afternoon. There is quite a hectic SE wind blowing at the moment. The effect seems to be that it is blowing colder water inshore and into the bay, which then in turn gets pushed up the estuaries causing "lock jaw" I think the only way sort of around this is to fish the higher reaches where the temp should be more stable? Any comments on previous similar experiences?

Regards

Stef

[RobG]

Yip that is exactly it. When the water turns cold from the SE wind and the sea gets up, the fish, including mussel crackers move higher up into the estuaries. In knysna the leeries get thick up at the N2 bridge and above.

Have you had any success in Kleinbrak where the river splits about a km up from the N2 bridge? I kayaked past there and it looks very productive. Easy to get a fly into some good water on both branches of the river.

[Stef]

Hi Rob

I only fished the section of Kleinbrak between the mouth and the train bridge, just behind the train bridge and "top weir" if you know where that is. Another problem was that the rains turned that river into a pitch black colour with zero viz! so I was stuffed either way. Been here in Sedgefield since Wednesday, fished the train bridge area about 5 sessions now and only caught one small leerie. Even the dudes fishing live bait are not getting anything.

I don't understand this, the viz there is fine and the water temp nice as well but no fish. Unfortunately it seems that the bridge area is taking a tremendous amount of fishing pressure. When I arrived there this afternoon this one guy had 4 rods in the water. I think that very few fish that gets caught there are actually realeased (generally speaking) and I don't even want to know what that spot looks like in terms of crowds during peak season - must be like one of the piers in Durbs during a shad run. Whatever is left will be wiped out in due course - sad! (Where are the nature conservation guys???)

I should rather have hooked up with you to show me the ropes on Knysna since I have never fished that estuary. Will do next time if O.K. with you. I will give the Swartvlei bridge area one more shot tomorrow morning, then I am off back home.

Rgds

Stef

[briansflyfishing]

If the water in the Knysna lagoon is to warm(which can cause fish not to feed) the SE helps when it blows colder water into the lagoon.
At the moment I have been getting shad early and late at the White Bridge.

Brian

[swsmith]

Mussel Cracker in estuaries....this is a first for me

[RobG]

@SW Smith, there have been quite a few large Mussel Crackers taken in Estuaries when the SE turns the sea cold and the sea gets huge. A friend of mine got one of 16kg at the N2 bridge in Knysna. This is on conventional tackle using redbait (soft bait in colder water). I do not know if they have been/can be taken on fly?

@Stef, thats fly fishing for you. Sedgfield does take a lot of pressure, but despite this, there are a lot of fish there. MCM will fine you for anything but they will tell you that the locals need food and they cannot fine them. I have seen MCM open the mouth at Sedgfield. People form a line over the mouth and slaughter ANYTHING that swims between their legs. Massive grunter, kob and leeries get wiped out in a few hours flat. MCM stands by and watches. Sad but true. Sedgfield is closed for most of the year, as a result, the leeries are generally a lot bigger. Island lake is the same. I feel sorry for anyone who ants to eat a fish out of there though. They taste very brakish due to the low slainity levels in the big lake.

I took my kayak to Kleinbrak a while ago because I heard soo many good things about it. I went upstream and was plesantly surprised. That is about 1km up from the N2 bridge. The river splits and you can stand in the middle and cast into either channel.

PM me next time and I will gladly take you for a fish.

Rob

[swsmith]

I could possibly understand an estuary like kynsna....but the smaller ones not so much...i havnt even heard of them in gouritz and that area outside its mouth is well known for cracker...shows you,you learn something new everyday

[petercoetzee]

I could possibly understand an estuary like kynsna....but the smaller ones not so much...i havnt even heard of them in gouritz and that area outside its mouth is well known for cracker...shows you,you learn something new everyday

Hey Steve,

They have been caught in the Gouritz. The Ecape lagoons see them quite oftenn

[Stef]

Hi Guys

Rob, the stuff you mentioned about "MCM" is shocking!

I eventually got to break the fishing spell last Saturday morning at the Train Bridge at Sedgefield - there were a couple of guys around getting fish on live bait, so I knew the fish were around and I just had to keep at it. The fish were holding deeper so I tied on a tandem rig with a large Black and Chartreuse whistler with lead eyes as dropper and olive clouser as point. A short while later BAM - 50cm Leerie!

I was promptly reminded during that trip just how difficult Saltwater FF can be, but often one just needs serious determination and you will succeed (eventually).

Speaking of Kayaks, do you know these Aquamarine inflatable ones? I had a look at one the other day and they seemed quite nice.

I will drop you a p.m when I am around there next time. How is fishing in the area during Jun/Jul?

Regards
Stef