Vaal River Update

[schloshd1]

ja, that water definately had a chill to it, I don't envy those guys that were wet wading. I wish you'd never let me cast that 10 foot bomber because now I NEED one

[Herman Jooste]

. I wish you'd never let me cast that 10 foot bomber because now I NEED one

Don't worry, I know the feeling. I was "lusting" after one for over a year since Gary let me flick one on the water at Eastco.

[schloshd1]

hopefully if I play my cards right I'll get one from SWAMBO for my birthday, I've already started dropping hints . . .

[schloshd1]

I fished Strydom's today from 10am to around 15:30. There was a chilly wind blowing all day and the water was a bit on the cold side. I managed 2 muddies, both around 1kg and a SM around 700g(caught in waist deep water below the rapids) plus 6 or 7 LLR's(mostly foul hooked muddies and one mother of a smash strike that caught me sleeping).Olive mayfly nymphs sizes #16 and #18 seemed to be flavour of the day with all fish being caught on them. There are still quite a lot of caddis larvae around, mostly tan/beige and pale green/olive, around #16 and smaller.
What was interesting to note was that there were quite a few mayfly hatching from around 11:30 onwards but almost no rises at all. Can anyone explain why that might be?

[troutmaster]

7 LLR's (mostly foul hooked muddies and one mother of a smash strike that caught me sleeping).

LLR?

[schloshd1]

LLR?

Long Line Release . . . the ones that got away

[troutmaster]

Long Line Release . . . the ones that got away

Ahhh - well, looking at the Madfin Shark Tournament on CH230, as long as you have touched the leader it is seen as a landing - and then double points for a 'hook-out'

[Jimbi]

I fished Strydom's today from 10am to around 15:30. There was a chilly wind blowing all day and the water was a bit on the cold side. I managed 2 muddies, both around 1kg and a SM around 700g(caught in waist deep water below the rapids) plus 6 or 7 LLR's(mostly foul hooked muddies and one mother of a smash strike that caught me sleeping).Olive mayfly nymphs sizes #16 and #18 seemed to be flavour of the day with all fish being caught on them. There are still quite a lot of caddis larvae around, mostly tan/beige and pale green/olive, around #16 and smaller.
What was interesting to note was that there were quite a few mayfly hatching from around 11:30 onwards but almost no rises at all. Can anyone explain why that might be?

Ja, had the same experience yesterday as well. The mayflies were everywhere, but very few rises! Most of the rises came in the calmer water...Some explaination? Anyone?

[chris williams]

I fished Strydom's today from 10am to around 15:30. There was a chilly wind blowing all day and the water was a bit on the cold side. I managed 2 muddies, both around 1kg and a SM around 700g(caught in waist deep water below the rapids) plus 6 or 7 LLR's(mostly foul hooked muddies and one mother of a smash strike that caught me sleeping).Olive mayfly nymphs sizes #16 and #18 seemed to be flavour of the day with all fish being caught on them. There are still quite a lot of caddis larvae around, mostly tan/beige and pale green/olive, around #16 and smaller.
What was interesting to note was that there were quite a few mayfly hatching from around 11:30 onwards but almost no rises at all. Can anyone explain why that might be?

Often fish may concentrate on eating the emerging nymphs to the adults. Also the fish may simply have preferred easier meatier stuff like caddis larvae/pupae.
Often in 'multiple' hatches the fish do not necessarily go for the largest hatch
Also sometimes the lazy bggers don't go for the duns so much as when the mayflies hatch into spinners or after mating come down and flop on the water when they're spent spinners so that will happen later on in the day

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Went tubing about at my secret venue and had a fab day.CDC Sparkle Duns and Thorax Duns did the trick for me but I had to switch between the two quite often i.t.o pattern and color.

Forget about parachute flies during morning,mid day,early afternoon,fish were refusing them 100% of the time.Just after 5pm I bumbed into a 2.5kg jobbie caught on a thorax dun.

Ps.Flybum,when is the so called midge hatches suppose to kick off?

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