Pongolo River Tigers: Budget fishing style.

[Barbus13]

The setting of the hook is the most important.
I have taken a number or groups to Pongola, the normal setting does not work, about 1 in 3 fish mabye even 1 in 4 is landed.
I developed a "different retrieve and setting stance" that have increased the hook setting by a lot.
Normally when standing on a boat and retreiving and setting the hook, your feet are next to each other. Or almost together.
If you are right handed, put your right foot forward.by a normal step and bend in your right knee.
Now extend your right hand forward and bend a bit forward as well.
Retrieve from your extended right hand to your crotch.
should you get a strike, you have much more room to set the hook with the normal strip, plus by standing up and raising the rod, you win almost another 1,2m to 1,5 meters on the strike. IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE in hook up rate.

Thanks Korrie.

Will practise as soon as I have the DI5 line, to practise casting it, will contact you if I get into a "snag" on the strike.

[Barbus13]

I regularly fish the Lower section of the Pongola River from the Jozini outlet downstream for quite some distance, from August onwards to March (March to October is prime upper Pongola and Assegai River Yellow fishing time) I have also fished some of the water from behind the sugarmill downwards, but not as much though.
For the lower section I favour a 7Wt TFO Axiom loaded with an Intermediate line for most of my time on the river and occasionally switch to a fast sinking line for the few deeper sections on the river, most of my flies are weighted to help get them down faster on the intermediate line.

I tend to fish smaller more imitative patterns Tan and Black coloured Brush Flies, Clousers and a small weighted “Bulletproof Catlet” as I call the thing are my most successful patterns ranging in the #1 to #6 size. Bulldog and small tiger imitations have also worked for me and occasionally a smallish popper worked tight against and under overhanging trees has pulled a tiger and believe it or not the odd Largemouth Bass from the deep. A little bit of orange in most patterns is deadly, as is an all-orange Clouser, avoid flies with to much flash in them, seems to put the lower section tigers off a bit.

There are lots of puppy tigers that will make up the brunt of your catch but the occasional big dog will snap at you, this makes the seven weight ideal, you can cast it all day, handle the small stuff and let them show off a bit, but also bring the fight to the larger fish including the occasional whiskers.

I do most of my fishing from an Old Town Canoe and occasionally a Arc Minnow with a 5hp, the river has crocks and the occasional wandering hippo, so it pays to be aware of your surroundings, still there are sections you can climb out and wet wade (especially in the heat of summer), the areas where locals fetch water and do washing are often safer areas to do so, don’t discredit these spots often small bream sit just downstream from where they wash dishes, these wait to eat the pap scraps, this then brings the tigers, my biggest fish in the river a 3.7kg was taken from just such a section, much to the amazement of the locals.

Hi OliverO

Your local insight is highly appreciated, you have given me a lot of new info on method, flies. When do they normally flush the dam? How long does it take to clear the viz there? Can I send you a PM if I need more info?

[Ko7Ad]

Sorry only replying now, was sick. I will fish with wading boots or plakkies, not sure I will go all natural :smile: Good to hear the 2 biggest killers in Africa is absent/low in nurmbers there, but will be careful. So my R100 conservation fee goes into protecting tigers, nice! The date I'm looking at is somewhere in mid November 15-25th, but pressume the flush would have taken place by then? The viz should also be better? Anyone got the precise time period the flush happens? But the dam must surely keep most silk inside and even the flush water would look better than poor rainwater?Thanks on the knottable wire idea from Cortland, seems Rio also produces the same type of stuff....20lb be suffice?

Will see if I can turn local P'nP owners arm for a shopping basket.:biggrin:

Give Peter at the Pongola river company a call for the exact date the flood gates are opened. I recall somewhere in October, The river clears up rather quickly so November should be great for the tigers.

Another thing to try is 15lb nylon coated wire. It's much easier to work with (no pliers required) than Knotable wire and much cheaper. I use the same knots I usually use on nylon with it. Worked great on tigers upto the 3kg mark thus far, yet to test on some beasts though.

PS. Leave your boga grip at home. There is no need for it. The guys on the boats have nets for you.

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[Andre]

Yup, all that and more. Be prepared initially to lose a lot more than 50% until you get the hang of it, and once you do, you will be lucky to land 50%. Even experienced tiger fishing guys would be happy with 50%. You first tiger, is something that you will remember forever, its like every other fish you have ever caught.. on steroids. Its all about the hit, the strike, a few leaps... then its generally over. You going to absolutely love it.

Thanks Andre and Korrie.

So basically I have a fish here that fights and accellerates 2 to 3 times the speed of a smallmouth yellow, jumps like a tarpon, teeth like a piranah. No wonder some say you loose 50% of your catches when tiger hunting. Looks like most fishing would be done from a broad canoe, from sandy beaches and sometimes okes wade in.....though viz is awesome, not sure I would be doing that, seems the hippos and crocs keep more to the pools the floodplain forms but one never knows, wanderer could end up in the river on my watch. I will buy the basket and look what the other do, need one anways for boat fishing in Vaal for largies. Bogagrip? Eish forgot that also.....you get erm cheaper alternatives than the real one? Not gonna pay for a brand name and good quality if only use it once a year. If I'm going in Oct/Nov/early Dec somewhere, would my standard Vaal clothing be fine? Long sleeved shirt, long trousers, all with that sunscreen/breathable material, buff, "Bree rand hoed", sunglasses, sungloves, wading boots.....leave the wading stick at home?

[Barbus13]

Yup, all that and more. Be prepared initially to lose a lot more than 50% until you get the hang of it, and once you do, you will be lucky to land 50%. Even experienced tiger fishing guys would be happy with 50%. You first tiger, is something that you will remember forever, its like every other fish you have ever caught.. on steroids. Its all about the hit, the strike, a few leaps... then its generally over. You going to absolutely love it.

Memories made to last and pratice makes almost perfect. Just as long as I get a 2kg fish on the line, I'm a happy clappy chappie

[Barbus13]

Give Peter at the Pongola river company a call for the exact date the flood gates are opened. I recall somewhere in October, The river clears up rather quickly so November should be great for the tigers.

Another thing to try is 15lb nylon coated wire. It's much easier to work with (no pliers required) than Knotable wire and much cheaper. I use the same knots I usually use on nylon with it. Worked great on tigers upto the 3kg mark thus far, yet to test on some beasts though.

PS. Leave your boga grip at home. There is no need for it. The guys on the boats have nets for you.

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Hi Ko7Ad

Thanks about the bogagrip and the 15lb nylon coated wire tips. Will just verify with Peter Calverley on dates for flooding.

[Andre]

PS. Leave your boga grip at home. There is no need for it. The guys on the boats have nets for you.

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The boats should have bogas anyway. Its difficult to hold a tigerfish for a photo without a boga grip. There really isn't a good way to hold him other than a boga in the mouth and the other hand supporting the fish's weight. Tigerfish are quite fragile, and if it falls onto the boat while you trying to hold him, the fish can get hurt. I know that they aren't ideal, but there isn't really a better method that Im aware of.
Another tip... pre rig your flies with the wire, its a pain to have to do them on the boat, and takes time if you get bitten off, and you find that the tigers are patrolling, and you need to act fast.

[OliverO]

Hi OliverO

Your local insight is highly appreciated, you have given me a lot of new info on method, flies. When do they normally flush the dam? How long does it take to clear the viz there? Can I send you a PM if I need more info?

You are welcome to PM me anytime whenever you need some advice for the area (I can't guarantee a fish on every cast though) I'm not so sure when the sluices are opened to simulate the annual flood, but I have never found the water discolored too much either and it normally settles down in short time, haven't found it to bother the fish more than the anglers. But sometimes the fish do tend to spread out a bit during and shortly after the flood, they will be there just search harder and work the usual spots like drop-offs, seam lines, submerged rocks and such a bit more and this is when i find a fast sinker to be more effective. It gets the fly under the current and keeps it there longer

[Scythe]

The Floodplains release is always in the first two weeks of October and runs for two weeks.

If you Google it Barbus13, you will find a wealth of information about it, including the original flood, subsequent research of the impact, as well as the ministerial report to the then Nat Government which brought about the annual release.

[Korrie]

The Floodplains release is always in the first two weeks of October and runs for two weeks.

If you Google it Barbus13, you will find a wealth of information about it, including the original flood, subsequent research of the impact, as well as the ministerial report to the then Nat Government which brought about the annual release.

Thanks for that.
Found a couple of pieces about the water release, very very interesting.
In a nutshell.
http://www.ewisa.co.za/misc/school/D...0p%2023-27.pdf