MoonshineMayfly - Step by Step

[gkieser]

too true. I would definately put this fly in the "Fisherman Catcher" category.

I have not had enough experience fishing for yellows, maybe 3 weeks in total and mostly at the best times of the season, so i could not say in all conditions.

[Michael]

too true. I would definately put this fly in the "Fisherman Catcher" category.

I have not had enough experience fishing for yellows, maybe 3 weeks in total and mostly at the best times of the season, so i could not say in all conditions.

Granted, last year for some reason...you could put a bare hook on and still catch yellows at certain times of the season!! It was off the hook. This season has been different though...fishing has been a bit more technical. But, for Byron on Sunday this fly produced the goods well. That's another reason I'd like to tie up a few, and in different colours. I'm always open to new patterns or variations of them. That's my problem though...I'll try a new pattern or material I devise myself, but only tie up two to "test". Then you go fish them, and it works like a bomb! Then you snap the only two you have off...bummer.
My fly box never looks the same from season to season, bar a few reliable patterns.

[Gerrit Viljoen]

My opinion on flash is that there's a def place for it in fishing for yellows just as is using circle hooks.

I do think that the Vaal yellows became a bit more smarter in recent years(I don't buy the memory crap)wrt flash and u need to carefully design ur patterns when using sparkle or flash.

The nice fish I took on Saturday took a caddis larva and u don't get a more imitative/natural pattern than that accept in realistic tying.

Flashy flies do work a treat in places like the Orange river where they don't see it that often as up here in the Upper Vaal.

I also tied up some of the Moonshine mays but added 3 herls of Peacock instead,2.5mm gold brass bead on a TMC #14 3761 hook.Nice fly....pretty average hook to be honest

[Gerrit Viljoen]

My fly box never looks the same from season to season, bar a few reliable patterns.

More like week to week in my case

Same here Mike,always up for new patterns,etc.Evolving is the key to success.

[smallstreams.co.za]

... (I don't buy the memory crap)...

... like the Orange river where they don't see it that often as up here in the Upper Vaal ...

Gerrit, would that not indicate memory of some sorts?

[chris williams]

Granted, last year for some reason...you could put a bare hook on and still catch yellows at certain times of the season!! It was off the hook. This season has been different though...fishing has been a bit more technical. But, for Byron on Sunday this fly produced the goods well. That's another reason I'd like to tie up a few, and in different colours. I'm always open to new patterns or variations of them. That's my problem though...I'll try a new pattern or material I devise myself, but only tie up two to "test". Then you go fish them, and it works like a bomb! Then you snap the only two you have off...bummer.
My fly box never looks the same from season to season, bar a few reliable patterns.

Hi guys, I was lucky enough to have a great long weekend, catching around 40 trout, 20 yellows and about 5 muddies all in all at various places on Sunday and Monday. All my yellows and muddies were in about a 4 hour spell yesterday on the Vaal. Just about all the fish were taken on a little simple sparkly olive green caddis hatching pupa I tie.. Not saying drab flies would not work, it's just I had no reason to change, except when I got bored and got a few yellows on dry MCS caddis (half inch long body, rear half olive green, forward half natural hare's ear. wild beirg deer hair ties 2.5 times body length pretty sparse. If you wish, two tan feelers for'ard, also about 2.5 times body length. Included were a couple of trout at venue 'X' of at leasst 4kg, a yellow of probably about 3.5kg and a muddie hooked in the mouth that gave me the longest of all run-arounds of about 3kg. I was experimenting with 4.2kg Stroft - which is roughly the diameter of 'normal' 6lb mono (I havn't got the diameter with me offhand but guess it's on their site) - wonderful stuff, only comment was it did get a bit frayed with the trouts' teeth, and had to change the last few inches after every few fish or so but mustn't grumble...
Before you guys say what an arrogant a'hole, to bring myself down to reality I was thoroughly spooked trying to get SS yellows on the Seekoeispruit on Saturday - didn't see any fish at all, and no rises. Maybe the trout from the Crocodile and my little fish all went off to some other stream for a party on the Saturday!

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Gerrit, would that not indicate memory of some sorts?

Sorry for delay in replying Mario,a bit occupied.....

I read that a fish doesn't have a long memory,a few seconds if I'm not mistaken.

In theory then u should be able to use hot spots(yellows) all year round not so?Try fishing hot spots all year round and see what happens

Sorry if I wasn't 100 % clear on this.I believe that fish has a longer memory than what we think it has or they get accustomed to what's drifted infront of them hence fewer takes.

So Mario yes I agree with ur question,that's what I was implying,they are smarter than before hence my remark I don't believe fish "forgets" ur patterns in a few seconds.Be careful using the same patterns over and over again,it ain't always gonna work.

I think we agree on this btw,"net verby mekaar gepraat"

[Jasper]

Included were a couple of trout at venue 'X' of at leasst 4kg, a yellow of probably about 3.5kg and a muddie hooked in the mouth that gave me the longest of all run-arounds of about 3kg.

Before you guys say what an arrogant a'hole, .......

what an arrogant a'hole,

WOW ... a great weekend Chris!! .. do you get your Stroft from that guy in the UK .... seems quite a lot cheaper and he offers really good service (sells 100m spools of it)

[chris williams]

One of my mates brought some out in a 25m spool for me to sample. When you're likely to hit big fish on a CAR basis to me this 4.2kg stuff is the job.
I think Sollys had some Stroft in the other week and I believe on another thread we were discussing it earlier on this year and one of the locals was to import some - then of course I'd support the local dude.

[Jasper]

I get my Stroft from http://www.furledleaders.co.uk/accessories.htm

very good service!!