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Thread: Cape vidal Feb 2017

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
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    Default Cape vidal Feb 2017

    Good day guys ,booked some time at Vidal for Feb 2017 .

    I am new to the saltwater flyfishing scene, got a 9 wt T50 and a shilton saltwater reel on it. My question is what line will be the best with this outfit for saltwater?

    I am not sure if the water there is classed as cold or tropical ?

    Any specific flies that I should take with?

    I have read up on the flyfishing there, but cant seem to find info on lines?

    Thanks

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Cape Town
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    127

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    I fished Vidal before the beach driving ban and it was a little slice of paradise once you got away from the Camp. Big stonebream, wave garrick, greenspots etc. You need a relatively stiff, braided core intermediate line. The cold water lines are often ok in warm water but the reverse doesn't hold. I would be happy using an Airflo Cold SW intermediate which is useable in the Cape whereas a proper tropical intermediate may not be fantastic in cooler water. If you are sticking to KZN or points north then get a tropical line. Airflo are good but I've used and relied on Cortland and Sci Anglers Bonefish intermediates as well. Do not get a monocore! You need a relatively stiff line in the surf. Take a spare as well.
    We found that relatively smaller flies did better - a shrimpy #6 on .37 FC caught everything, even greenspots. If you see baitfish in clumps then throw a streamer but if you prospect with a smaller fly you will get more eats and species.

    Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L22 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
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    Thank you for the reply allsorts

  4. #4
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    Jun 2014
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    Western Cape
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    Take a lighter rod as well as you will have more fun on the smaller fish. Just wash your tackle well after each session.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by white death View Post
    Take a lighter rod as well as you will have more fun on the smaller fish. Just wash your tackle well after each session.
    I will have my 5 and 7 WT rods with me as wellencouragement:

  6. #6
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    Any specific flies to take to vidal? and in what size?

  7. #7
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    The fly that worked most consistently for us at Vidal was called the Woody Woodpecker and was designed by a good mate of mine (Pete Davidson) who swore me to secrecy - since he is in Australia now I'm sure he won't mind. I've just moved house so my tying stuff is upside down and I can't tie one up immediately but it is a relatively simple fly. It supposedly resembles a coral worm. This may or may not be the case but it is genuinely deadly and I watched Pete take a Durban harbour bonefish on one at Salisbury Island.

    Materials
    #6 Mustad 34011 or equivalent (4X long shank)
    Small lead or Chromed brass dumbells just heavy enough to get fly to run point up - too heavy eyes spoil the fly's action - you want it to suspend in the wash
    Indian Cree cock hackle - you used to get cheap Indian capes in every fly shop, not so easy to find a nice Cree anymore (Cree is basically a reddish/brown Grizzly hackle - i.e. red/brown stripe and cream instead of black and white)
    Rootbeer synthetic chenille - Pete was fanatical about the colour - someone brought his stash back from Amsterdam. I've seen it for sale in local shops - it's not hot orange, or coral or brown but a washed out orangey coral colour - AFAIR it is labelled 'rootbeer'. I'll find my packet and take a pic as soon as I'm unpacked.
    Hot orange marabou.

    The Tie
    Thread 3/0 hot orange or light brown, whatever make you like and attach eyes 1/3rd shank length back as for a Clouser
    Attach 2 Cree cock hackle tips on each side of the hook above the barb, flaring out Tarpon fly style (not inwards like a Deceiver).
    Hackle to be half shank length from tie-in to hackle tip
    Attach a piece fluoro as a rib (10lb or so) and an extra Cree hackle
    Attach chenille and wind forward in close turns and tie off just behind the dumbell eye
    Palmer forward the 5th Cree hackle (5-7 turns) and counterwind FC through the hackle to strengthen it
    Avoid a bulk behind the dumbell eye
    Wind thread and build up a tapered nose from hook eye towards the dumbell eye
    Take a small clump of hot orange marabou and tie it so it forms a Woody Wodpecker 'kuif' over the dumbell eye on the opposite side to the hook point. The thread should butt up against the hook eye side of the dumbell but not go any further - the marabou must basically be forced to go up and over the thread wraps between the eyes.
    Finish and varnish or UV finish the thread head.

    The hackle should be sparse and palmer hackle fibres not too long - you are looking for a wormy / shrimpy profile

    Fish relatively slowly, start with 10-12" strips with a definite pause and experiment from there. Hard to think of a fish that won't eat one of these. Maximum .37mm leader, use a loop knot.

    The WW will fish very well on a 7wt although I found a 9wt was great fun on blacktail, stonebream and 3 spot pompano. You should be walking a lot (8-12kms a day) and being lumbered with 2 rods is no fun at all. My advice is stick with a 9wt and save the 7wt for mucking around near the campsite. You will thank me if you see a shoal of kingies busting flagtails and you need to throw a proper fly... Don't try to wait the fish out, look for fish and working water/foam and cast 5-10 times and then consider moving. In my experience if there are fish around they eat quickly. Rather cover lots of water during mid-tides early in your trip and try to figure out where the fish feed than betting an hour or two one one spot. If the fish aren't there now then move. Make sure you have a good stripping basket with plenty of drainage holes - attach around your waist with stretchy so you can dump it quickly in an emergency.

    Make sure you wear spandex cycling shorts otherwise day one's crotch rash will put a damper on the rest of your trip. I'd love to go back - no question some of the most enjoyable FF I've ever done. Oh yes, last tip - head north, the structure is better than south of Vidal. Go as far as you can manage - the best water was 5-6 kms North as far as I remember - check out Google satellite pics. You are looking for lots of flat, broken rock.
    Last edited by allsorts; 05-12-16 at 10:12 AM.

  8. #8
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    Thanks for the hot info allsorts!

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