The Vaal trip report

[Nymph+O-]

Upon arrival at Eendekuil on Friday afternoon (8/12/2006 - 17:20) Tyronne and his friend Clinton received me with open arms and ice-cold beer. They were basically ready to get onto the water and I had to rush to catch up with them. After a brief discussion on fly selection and tactics we found ourselves on the water with a beautiful sunset creeping over the Vaal river.
We started fishing the 3rd beat in an on -the -move sort of way as we were making our way down the river toward my honey hole. I decided to bug under a willow overhanging the water while the guys were catching up with me. Suddenly I was surprised with an aggressive take, typical of SM at that time of the day, and after a couple of minutes I was rewarded with a beautiful 1.8kg Sm.

Still, I was very keen on taking them to my honey hole in the 5th beat as I knew these waters and good size fish has been taken there on a regular basis. But on the contrary the excitement of raising a bar of gold was just too much I guess, and everybody started fishing their minds as we drifted further and further apart.

At this stage I discovered that my landing net was lost, thinking it must have happened while landing and weighing my last fish. Never the less I continued digging for gold. In the mean time, Tyronne and Clinton seemed preoccupied with combing the slower water just below where the 3rd and 4th beats meet and I decide to push through the bushes to the 5th beat.
As I arrived at the 5th beat I saw some activity next to a tree stump in the shallows. I tried to move as silently as possible but as my foot touch the water these fish were spooked, bolting into the fast current. I then quickly made my way over to my honey hole and gave the silence a minute or two to settle in. On my second cast I noticed that my line was virtually moving up steam and as I gently but anxiously sunk the hook I knew straight away that I was into something BIG. This monster bolted up stream like a run away train, stripping my reel into the backing faster as than I could say ****! Hundreds of things were running through my mind - tippet, reeds, structure, branches, hook- as I was fighting this beast. Suddenly the fish decide to turn and it was coming straight at me, I was struggling keep up with the slack in the line as the fish passed me by heading down stream…!
I had no choice but to force the monster as it was heading straight for the reeds. Luckily the beast played along and I managed to turn it. By this time the thought of a landing net was crossing my mind and I knew there was no way that a fish this size could be taken by hand. I then decided to call for help, without success of coarse. The only option left was to make my way down the 5th beat and back up the 4th to meet up with Tyronne for some assistance regarding the netting part of things - Luckily the water below the 5th & 4th is deep and slow.
Finally I found myself in the tail of the 4th beat calling out to Tyronne. Without delay Tyronne responded like a loyal soldier as he could tell from the tone in my voice that I was 1.) desperate and 2.) into something BIG. He quickly made his way over, stumbling through the water over rocks a couple of times. We found ourselves in chest deep water with the fish snagged on a branch on the river bead. I dipped under water lifting the 8-foot branch with all of my strength; yet again the fish played along and swam away from the branch. Tyronne didn’t take any chances and got him self wet from head to toes as he landed the fish. What a beauty! The beast pulled the scale up to 4.5kg. We were cursed that no one had a camera on the water and it made it even more difficult letting go of this beautiful specimen. Never the less the image of the beast will remain in our minds for a lifetime.
Tyronne then very appropriately pulled and ice cold Windhoek lager from his bag and said: ”Let’s celebrate!”. We shared the beer in a conversation of pure excitement and exuberance. All of a sudden a wild storm pulled in out of the middle of no where and within minutes we were forced to get off the water as the wind was blowing viciously with a drop or two of rain coming down.
As we arrived back at the camp the fire was lit and the celebration continued……


…………………this is where Tyronne will take over and if you guys want I can tell more about the 4 x 3kg Sm taken the next day…………….

[Barbus13]

Good one, know how you feel. Landed a 4,2kg smallmouth. Did have camera, but in process of taking fish out of net, slippery hands and trembiling, caused fish to slap me on the face, and dissapear.

[tye2]

Upon arrival at Eendekuil on Friday afternoon (8/12/2006 - 17:20) Tyronne and his friend Clinton received me with open arms and ice-cold beer. They were basically ready to get onto the water and I had to rush to catch up with them. After a brief discussion on fly selection and tactics we found ourselves on the water with a beautiful sunset creeping over the Vaal river.
We started fishing the 3rd beat in an on -the -move sort of way as we were making our way down the river toward my honey hole. I decided to bug under a willow overhanging the water while the guys were catching up with me. Suddenly I was surprised with an aggressive take, typical of SM at that time of the day, and after a couple of minutes I was rewarded with a beautiful 1.8kg Sm.

Still, I was very keen on taking them to my honey hole in the 5th beat as I knew these waters and good size fish has been taken there on a regular basis. But on the contrary the excitement of raising a bar of gold was just too much I guess, and everybody started fishing their minds as we drifted further and further apart.

At this stage I discovered that my landing net was lost, thinking it must have happened while landing and weighing my last fish. Never the less I continued digging for gold. In the mean time, Tyronne and Clinton seemed preoccupied with combing the slower water just below where the 3rd and 4th beats meet and I decide to push through the bushes to the 5th beat.
As I arrived at the 5th beat I saw some activity next to a tree stump in the shallows. I tried to move as silently as possible but as my foot touch the water these fish were spooked, bolting into the fast current. I then quickly made my way over to my honey hole and gave the silence a minute or two to settle in. On my second cast I noticed that my line was virtually moving up steam and as I gently but anxiously sunk the hook I knew straight away that I was into something BIG. This monster bolted up stream like a run away train, stripping my reel into the backing faster as than I could say ****! Hundreds of things were running through my mind - tippet, reeds, structure, branches, hook- as I was fighting this beast. Suddenly the fish decide to turn and it was coming straight at me, I was struggling keep up with the slack in the line as the fish passed me by heading down stream…!
I had no choice but to force the monster as it was heading straight for the reeds. Luckily the beast played along and I managed to turn it. By this time the thought of a landing net was crossing my mind and I knew there was no way that a fish this size could be taken by hand. I then decided to call for help, without success of coarse. The only option left was to make my way down the 5th beat and back up the 4th to meet up with Tyronne for some assistance regarding the netting part of things - Luckily the water below the 5th & 4th is deep and slow.
Finally I found myself in the tail of the 4th beat calling out to Tyronne. Without delay Tyronne responded like a loyal soldier as he could tell from the tone in my voice that I was 1.) desperate and 2.) into something BIG. He quickly made his way over, stumbling through the water over rocks a couple of times. We found ourselves in chest deep water with the fish snagged on a branch on the river bead. I dipped under water lifting the 8-foot branch with all of my strength; yet again the fish played along and swam away from the branch. Tyronne didn’t take any chances and got him self wet from head to toes as he landed the fish. What a beauty! The beast pulled the scale up to 4.5kg. We were cursed that no one had a camera on the water and it made it even more difficult letting go of this beautiful specimen. Never the less the image of the beast will remain in our minds for a lifetime.
Tyronne then very appropriately pulled and ice cold Windhoek lager from his bag and said: ”Let’s celebrate!”. We shared the beer in a conversation of pure excitement and exuberance. All of a sudden a wild storm pulled in out of the middle of no where and within minutes we were forced to get off the water as the wind was blowing viciously with a drop or two of rain coming down.
As we arrived back at the camp the fire was lit and the celebration continued……


…………………this is where Tyronne will take over and if you guys want I can tell more about the 4 x 3kg Sm taken the next day…………….

Ok this is my quick report on friday night's braai

Once back at camp, Ferdie, Clinton and I preceded to celebrate Ferdies 4.5kg trophy Smallmouth Yellow for at least an hour till the mother of all Caddis hatches erupted around us forcing us to breakout the peaceful sleep.

Once the Caddis’s subsided we proceeded to pitch Ferdie’s tent in record time so we could make a quick fire and get back to some serious K@Kpraat. After a great braai and a good few beers we decided to call it a night at 1:00am. That was at least what I thought, 1:45am my mate Clinton start’s snoring so I had the sum total be two and a half hours sleep!!!!!


We where up again at 4:45am felling a just little bit tender , we rigged up again and hit the water at about at about 5:10am , as luck would have it just as I got to my first beat Herman arrived with the COFFEE .



Mike/ Maximum can fill in the rest


Thanks Mike

[MaXiMuM]

Kay, so Tyler has cried his lungs out since Saturday, about 20mins after I left for our little outing… that’s the reason for the delay on this post…and I just can’t finds the time to write the report, sorry guys, between work and keeping the wife sane, it just not possible… to give you an idea of how badly he’s been he’s been shouting, he has a hernia, his belly button has popped out and twice he has cried himself horse…

Tony and I really enjoyed it and we were a little sad to see that everyone left early, OK, so we got caught on the big island, and got rained on, and then almost killed our selves swimming across the deep pool. But it was great, we pressed way up on the 4th pool and got into some really pretty waters.

Our fish count wasn’t high, but we both got a fish of over 3k’s and both got smoked twice, I got smoked on dry on both occasions, and Tony on a nymph and a sunken RAB.

Guys, I have all the other PM’s but I just don’t have time to go through it. Please will you post your scores…

Having said that, here is a little photo essay…

[MaXiMuM]

... continued ...

[MaXiMuM]

... and again ...

[MaXiMuM]

Can someone please help me label the group photo, I think I just embarrassed myself??

Back Row, from left to right:
1. Herman
2. Me (Mike) MaXiMuM
3. Thrisss
4. Schythe
5. MayFly (Shaun)
6. Tony K
7. Pieter Kriel

Front Row, from left to right:
1. Nymph +O-
2. Tye2
3. Tye2’s mate, Clinton

[MaXiMuM]

One last thing, would all you pack mules, please take one thing a week, out of your fishing vests… just until you actually really need things, then you can stop!!!!!!!!!

My waist pack had.

2 X fly box’s
Floatant
Indicator
Split Shot and tape measure
4 X Spools Tippet
Hemostat
Snippers
Camera
Water bottle

(Emergency)
Tiny Leatherman Type multi tool
Snake Bite Kit

[Mayfly]

One last thing, would all you pack mules, please take one thing a week, out of your fishing vests… just until you actually really need things, then you can stop!!!!!!!!!

My waist pack had.

2 X fly box’s
Floatant
Indicator
Split Shot and tape measure
4 X Spools Tippet
Hemostat
Snippers
Camera
Water bottle

(Emergency)
Tiny Leatherman Type multi tool
Snake Bite Kit

What about a net??

[MaXiMuM]

You'r a great one to talk, but yes, I only remembered it late last night...

1 X Landing Net

How 'bout you posting whats in your mule pack, I mean jacket???