Steenbras on fly at Blouberg!!!

[Chris Shelton]

I have it on very good authority that 5 Steenbras were caught on fly a week and a half ago between 2De Steen and Melkbos. The same chap was broken up twice by something really big.

He says that the sea was flat flat flat on the day! Just goes to show, there is so much that we need to learn. All it takes is to get up off one's backside and prospect with the fly rod. The potentual out there is huge!

[Korrie]

Why did you have to go and spill the beans??

[Chris Shelton]

Why did you have to go and spill the beans??

Sorrie Korrie

I'm being dead serious though. My brother in law was having some tyres fitted to his car and noticed a bakkie next to him with a 'I love fly fishing' sticker on it. Anyway, they got chatting, and this guy (whoever he is) said he has been fly fishing the salt for years, and some of his favourite spots are out Simonstown way. He then spoke of his recent successes with Steenbras at Blouberg. He also mentioned some good spots out at Paternoster where he gets a lot of Hottentot on fly.

Make no error, there are a few highly experienced fly fishermen out there just quietly doing their thing, but they are regularly klapping the fish. Many of these guys may not make any appearances on fishing forums, but this does not mean that they are not out there. The fly fisherman who recently landed a gulley shark from the Strand reefs is but one of them. Many of these guys are specialists, having gotten to know a particular area intimately over the years.

The reason I'm mentioning this is to inspire you guys and perhaps offer some encouragement. In the Cape, there is a perception that we need to travel to find really good salt water fly fishing, but it's right here under our noses guys. We just need to work it out, and by that I mean spending time at the water! Try various spots, try different flies, try different retrieves, try different conditions (clean water, dirty water, rough water, calm water, and most importantly, temperature!). Once you locate the fish, take very careful note of the conditions at the time and record them. There can be very little that is more rewarding than working out the generic code for a particular spot and knowing before you even put a fly in the water in future if you are in with a chance or not. It is the kind of knowledge that you cannot glean from any book, you need to physically study it yourself. The sea is ever changing and the fish are ever moving to stay within certain comfort restrictions. Find the comfort zone on the day, and you'll find the fish!

Stephen Smith was telling me the other day how his dad goes fishing with his thermometer. Only when the temperature matches the range that he knows from his own personal experiences to be good, does he go and fetch his tackle, and boy oh boy, does he catch fish!? I've seen the photos, albums and albums full of them.

Makes one think, doesn't it?

[chris williams]

The thinking angler is always going to attain that 'zen' aura way before the run of the mill sheep!

[Scythe]

Can somebody post a pic of a steenbras please ?

[Jasper]

Can somebody post a pic of a steenbras please ?

I posted one a month or so back ... will go search for it

[Jasper]

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Also have a look at this steenbrass. I found it swimming on my pavement.

G

Ps.Ok,back to the serious stuff

[Scythe]

Thanks Jasper, I remember reading that there were comments on the Steenbras and Grunter where both had similar names and looked similar but were of different species.

What is catching a steenbras like ? What do they eat ?

Gerrit, you're just a laugh a minute aren't you big boy ?

[Jasper]

What is catching a steenbras like ? What do they eat ?

WONDERFUL fish!! ... great fight ... very spooky fish .... they eat crustaceans, squid .... even sometimes fish .... like prawn, bloodworm particularly ... can grow up to well over a metre long (I believe the largest one recorded was 2m!!)