Rorrak88 Haha!
I have undergone the amazing change as well (I also do actually catch fish now 4 kg barbel broke my rod yesterday). this is kinda the reason for asking the question. I see people still standing casting away with a indicator and wondered if there is something to this method. but form what i can see by the reaction and number on the pole it seems the choice to swap was correct. Sure all methods has its time and place but it wont be my first choice of attack on the river again!
I actually went the other way. Last season I did a lot of short line nymphing, many times without indicator. Last season I nearly never cast out as far as I could because I never caught anything. Now I mainly try to cast further away and use indicators.
Last season it was a big issue for me to at first catch anything, as I started again after a very long break, and then catch quantity after that. Now Im interested in catching bigger fish and find that although I miss lots of takes (I can see it), casting further away produces larger fish. I do definitely catch less - I havent had a day this season yet where I passed 30.
The previous season my biggest was less than 3kg and anything over 2kg was rare. This season I have caught many over 3.5.
It could just be the luck of the draw, the places that Im fishing or the fact that I fished earlier in the season. But my impression now is that longer casts in glides produce larger fish.
If you start out I would always advise short line nymphing as its easier to catch fish and in catching fish you learn their behaviour.
@Benzov I actually don't know the Herman's surname that showed me but he did in fact still use an indicator. Remember that the topic is a little confusing as "Indicator" fishing actually means long line fishing.
@Yella, that is certainly interesting and one I will definitely keep in mind. It makes sense but as you point out with success comes learning and I've learned a lot about what a "take" looks like now. I do catch a lot more smaller ones than bigger ones with a short line.
What do others think of the short line vs big fish issue?
My General understanding of it is ,is that its the luck of the draw if you catch a big fish or small fish regardless of the method used.
What I have seen has an impact on the size and number of fish caught is the size of the hook used and generally the better the presentation the more likely you are to catch bigger fish as they tend to be a lot more "fussy" on the type color and size of fly they take.
Last edited by Johann; 14-01-14 at 01:30 PM.
If you want to catch big smallmouth then use big smallmouth flies to target them.
Big fish (Small and Largemouth Yellowfish) have particular hang outs / lies and it's up to you as the angler to find those and know how to fish it. (presentation,tackle,etc) To give you an idea, last year I landed 11x Largemouth over 7kg and trust me it wasn't just "luck of the draw". Learn to read water better and soon you'll catch bigger fish by knowing which type of water the bigger fish prefers. Why and when is the key here, all to do with the fish's needs and not so much technique.
Last edited by Gerrit Viljoen; 14-01-14 at 02:28 PM. Reason: On the phone with Sanral and trying to type at the same time...
Gerrit Viljoen
Cell | WhatsApp: 071 629 1058
Email: gerrit@yellowfish.co.za / gerrit@thebeasttamer.co.za
Web: www.yellowfish.co.za / http://yellowfish.co.za/the-beast-tamer/
Hi Gerrit
I agree with you on scoping the river for where to expect big fish to be.but what I meant with luck of the draw was that I have caught 3 kg SM yellows in water two feet deep and 500g yellows in water 1 meter deep. So maybe it applies more to LM yellows ! PS I admire your work with the LM yellows !!! That fish you caught last year the 20 lb was a monster
Trout is for people that don't know how to catch yellows.
www.fishingforyellows.co.za, store.fishingforyellows.co.za
Hi Johann,
No def not more to LM, it applies to any fish.
The biggest fish in the pond occupies the best lies but the two main factors needs to be present; 1) food and 2) *shelter with an escape route. If the latter is non existent forget about it, UNLESS fish are in feeding mode only, usually in darker light conditions and shallower water. During these times you need to be extremely quiet. Your 3kg fish could've been in feeding mode only and hence why you caught it in shallow stuff. The smaller fish could've been occupying "the" prime lie for a short period of time before being knocked off by the main territorial fish.Competition for food is a big thing amongst fish and remember with nature there is a very specific hierarchy!!
* Shelter could be anything from logs, trees, rocks,reeds,etc and depth. Water depth is probably the best cover/shelter available to fish.
Last edited by Gerrit Viljoen; 15-01-14 at 08:20 AM.
Gerrit Viljoen
Cell | WhatsApp: 071 629 1058
Email: gerrit@yellowfish.co.za / gerrit@thebeasttamer.co.za
Web: www.yellowfish.co.za / http://yellowfish.co.za/the-beast-tamer/
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