Required: Under water footage of swimming mud prawn and other bait items

[Niel Malan]

Hi ,
I am looking for under water footage of a mud prawn (Upogebia africana) swimming. Also from above the water please. I hope this will assist with refining my new generation grunter flies! For all the GoPro people out there please PM me and I will send you my email.
Thanks a lot
Niel

[swsmith]

Hi Niel...good luck with this request.....I hope you aren't over examining things. You have proved they eat various different floating shapes and sizes....sometimes they simple do not want to eat....I think our repetitive casting at them over shallow water spooks them off a flat very quickly...just my 2c

[Niel Malan]

Thanks Stephen,
I have some ideas and I think it is going to increase the hookup rate substantially for the mud bank and open water areas. Still need to test it though - is that not what makes this sport so frustrating .... I mean exciting!
Regards
Niel

[dollar]

i did a search and found nothing on mud prawns, did come across others species but they'll have different behaviour. how about collecting one or three and keep them in a tank for observation.
just something to add and you'll might get more info from the aquarium, years ago the old Durban aquarium used to have a display with them, i remember watching them for a while, watching them crawling in their tunnels (constructed up against the glass) and others moving about on top, maybe the new aquarium would have another display (sorry havent visited the new one, vetchies reef wins trumps down).

[Niel Malan]

Thanks guys,
I will ask a mate to video tape when on the water together again - good excuse to go fishing!

[white death]

Two years ago on the Little Brak River, I found two prawns walking forward over a rock pile - part of a prawn walk????? The one's I have caught casting to tailing fish have been on a dropping fly in the mud blown up by the fish. This is the only way I have been able to catch fish in the clear sea water brought in by the tide so sight fish crab eating fish upstream where the water is peat stained. The Leeries also eat prawn imitations, especially in winter when the baitfish are scarce. These take just twitching the fly across the current. I wouldalso be very interested in seeing the anticipated video.

[Niel Malan]

Thanks White death - very interesting. The "prawn walk" is when the mud prawns come out of the holes and swim at the surface as part of their dispersal strategy. At this time grunters, leeries and cob will all feast on them. I could have filmed it with my Canon camera too, but forgot. The GoPro Hero people needs to come to the party please! Show us what your toys can do!

[FlyCraft]

Hi Niel,

Just want to know, what are you interested in, in terms of the prawn swimming, that will influence future fly designs?

[Niel Malan]

Hi Philip,
I am particular interested I'm the view from below and the movement of appendages. Also the side view and the angle of the prawn in the water. Further, the swimming speed and if they swim continuously or also pause. Color too.
Regards
Niel

[FlyCraft]

Hi Niel, from what I could gather/remember is that only the "fins" under the abdomen moves, the legs are folded flush and forward and the body position is slightly slanted with the head higher. I will see if I can get some footage when I am on the water again.