Grunter on surface fly

[white death]

In an article in the TCFF, August 2014 edition, Dustin Kemp wrote an article on a floating white foam fly for Grunter. I would be interested to read if other fly anglers have had any success on this fly in rivers other than the Swartkops.

Did this fly work throughout the season or were there certain times when this fly worked?

Also. does one retrieve this fly or dead drift it? What is the overall length of the fly to gain some perspective of size?

Robin

[FlyCraft]

Hi Robin,

This scenario has been becoming more prevalent during the past two years, many of the consistent grunter hunters catch the fish in mid water or on/just below the surface.

In my opinion, this technique will work better when prawns are abundant on the surface, hence the fish looking up more.

Attie Gunter caught some grunter on the Breede last year, small flipper on the surface. Henkie Altena and some others catch most of their fish "on top"

I have had this discussion many a time....there is still a lot, I believe, to figure out when it comes to catching grunter consistently.

[FlyCraft]

I am by no means an expert when it comes to FF for grunter, caught stacks on bait and have been observing them for years More often with an active, slow, steady retrieve. The flies are often quite big, 6 - 9 odd cm. A prawn swims on the surface/just below in a forward direction, head first, with the body straight, only swimming backwards when scattering. Henkie told me about a day he had, as far as I can remember on the Groot/Klein Brak, fishing up current, stripping the fly quite fast back towards him over a submerged bank, just to keep in touch with the fly, on the surface. The grunter would rise up from deepish water and inhale the fly.

[FlyCraft]

Look here from some floating and sinking prawns - http://www.flytalk.co.za/forum/showt...ltwater-flies!

[dtayl13]

Lure anglers have found that they have by far the most success fishing top waters. Not always slowly either. Many grunter have been picked up on top waters while going after leeries. I thought this technique was mostly used effectively in areas which have swimming prawns, but while fishing at struis I was speaking to a lure angler at the harbour who has been using the technique with great effect in the breede along with a couple of his friends. I think its really worth playing around with surface flies for grunter, but seeing as I have caught only two in my life and only one on fly don't take this as brilliant advice. Its just a gut feeling.

[NeilRowe]

With the right floating fly and right technique, Breede Grunters can be caught on top.

[Bullie]

Hi guys I made a quick vid on you tube how to tie the sob . I hqve moved to nz so dont have my tying material so I just used whatbi could scrounge around ill be happy to answer any questions where I can

[briansflyfishing]

I bought 2 variants of articulated prawn flies from Winelands Fly Fishing and will try them out in Sedgefield tomorrow. If I do catch a Grunter on them the whole world will know.

[briansflyfishing]

I was fishing Sedgefield on the week end with a Winelands pink/sand prawn imitation. I retrieved the fly on one of the casts and as I was about to lift it a massive Grunter was hanging just below it. I started to sit down to get out of view and the fish took the prawn fly at the non hook end as the fly was just lying on the surface.
It was in and out of its mouth before I could strike. But it does prove that they will take a surface fly. And he came up from the deep where I saw them feeding on prawns a a meter and half below the surface.

[JadeDsantos]

They definitely take surface flies - Even poppers.

Well man, that must have been a huge adrenalin rush! Get any to eat eventually? Grunter seems to be the code to crack at the moment.

J