Hentiesbaai potential on fly

[Chris Shelton]

I would like to plant a seed if possible. I am a regular visitor to Hentiesbaai, where I admit to being a bit of a 'pap gooier 'of note, but my most recent visit really got me thinking about the flyfishing potential that the coast line has to offer.

My mate Gary and I started off our week long trip on a serious high note, landing and releasing 4 Steenbras in the 12 to 16kg ball park on the first morning we arrived. The relative ease in which we accomplished this made me think that had a fly been in these fish's paths, they would surely have picked it up.

We discovered the shoal of feeding Steenbras right under our noses by default.....the usual first cast 'kraaines', which Gary was the lucky recipient of! He had no sooner undone the tangle, and lifting his sinker, which was no more than 20 metres in front of him, when he was nearly pulled off his feet by an equally powerful tug on the other end. The fish took him 300 metres up the beach before saying 'how's your aunt' and snapping him off over a reef.

I couldn't help but notice where his sinker had landed when he cast though,... it was right on the last break, 20 metres out from where I was standing. I hastened back to my rod after giving Gary a consoling pat on the back, and proceeded to do a short lob cast. It wasn't two minutes later and I was heaving into another large fish. It tipped the scale at 14kg's. I had no sooner released it when Gary hooked into another fish.....12kg's. We both went on to release another two of similar size.

Now, the reason that I am posting this 'pap gooi' report is get the salt flyfishing experts amongst you opinions on the matter. 20 metres out is definitely in easy casting range. The fish were taken on the turn of the tide and into the pushing tide. They were obviously feeding in a sand gulley, on the drop off which was marked by the last break. What do you think? Possible? Floating line, ...sinking line.....fly? Your thoughts please?
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[swsmith]

you bring up an interesting topic here.i am keen to see what response the more experienced saltwater guys say.

i am also a rock and surf man and have only been up to henties once before.with little success with the steenbras.mostly kob were caught.however i have caught many steenbras and because they feed predominantly on the bottom,thats where your fly is going to have to be.

which i think leeds you to some difficulty when trying in the surf for them on fly.you would need to fish a fast sinking line,with a heavily weighted fly which would stay on or near the bottom.i think this is going to be tough,when you bring wave action and currents into play.

you could compare this to the forum on langebaan and mention made to the currents and effect on the fly line.now throw wave action into that and i think you will have a problem.

[Chris Shelton]

you could compare this to the forum on langebaan and mention made to the currents and effect on the fly line.now throw wave action into that and i think you will have a problem.

This is exactly the problem! The gulleys are pretty narrow, requiring pinpoint casting with a rock and surf rod. We use grapnel sinkers all the time to keep the bait from being washed out of the gulleys by the wave action. I have yet to come across a grapnel fly, and in any case, if there were such a thing, I am doubtful if a Steenbras will pick it up. They like free moving bait. Even though our grapnel sinkers are reasonable well imbedded in the sand, they are on a running trace, which free's the bait up and also reduces the resistance of the weight of the sinker when the fish mouths the bait, as Steenbras are so prone to do. I am so racking my brains on this. There must be a way though, afterall, this is what makes fishing really great, working it out and eventually getting into the fish

[cptfly]

something similar which I found when fishing off a boat in struisbaai for reef fish is the strong currents, it does not allow your fly to stay in the zone long enough. One thing that saltwater flyfisher dont use is splitshot. What if you use a small ball sinker infront of your fly, I know it sounds crazy but it might just work... your thoughts

[Chris Shelton]

something similar which I found when fishing off a boat in struisbaai for reef fish is the strong currents, it does not allow your fly to stay in the zone long enough. One thing that saltwater flyfisher dont use is splitshot. What if you use a small ball sinker infront of your fly, I know it sounds crazy but it might just work... your thoughts

Without a doubt, one would need a fair amount of weight to get the fly down. I am not in favour of a heavily weighted fly though. Perhaps a tungsten line with a reasonable short leader and a unweighted fly would do the trick.

I think the better areas to target would be along the edges of those u-shaped sandbanks that often form along that coast line. The parallel gulleys would mean more casting back to position, but that could work too. Cast drift....cast drift....kind of thing.

[Nepptune]

I def thinks its possible to do, at least to get a fly in front of the fish anyway..... getting them to eat it is a whole other story....
Take a look at the guys who fish the surf zone for big Iggies up on the KZN Northcoast..... 12 weight Ultra fast sink lines, with straight 100 pound leaders and big flies..... Ok maybe the terminal end can be toned down a bit but its in the same ball park....

I fished a fair amount in the surf zone up in KZN and Moz, and found that super fast sink lines are the way to go, they get you below all the surface wash where you can still stay in contact with your fly. Sure you may have 2 out of five casts wash back towards you and get no where near the strike zone, but I for one, would spend a whole day throwing fruitless casts if cast number 1,98708976 connects me to a brute Streenbras like that!!!

Actually I should have started off with saying congrats on that fish Chris, thats a BUS!@!!!

As to flies....well what are they eating???? Crabs? White Mussels? Baitfish? Crab patterns, heavily weighted ones should be no problem to tie, and with a 12 weight can be cast a fair distance.....

I like this thread.................

[Nepptune]

Forgot to mention.... Chris, next time you're going, I'll happily play ghillie if you need someone to bait hooks, pour whiskey's, open beers, take pictures and shake hands!!!
I too could be accused of being a "bait bully", quite happily though!!! :-) Any kind of fishing, as long as its not a contest, count me in!!!

[Chris Shelton]

Forgot to mention.... Chris, next time you're going, I'll happily play ghillie if you need someone to bait hooks, pour whiskey's, open beers, take pictures and shake hands!!!
I too could be accused of being a "bait bully", quite happily though!!! :-) Any kind of fishing, as long as its not a contest, count me in!!!

I'll bear that in mind Neppie. I must say, that place does something to me. 100's of miles of uninhabited coastline, rolling mist banks, mineral enriched coloured water, drop offs, gulleys, mussel banks, 4 species of fish to tantalise us, fish as long as your leg....and bigger! You name it, it's there!

You are right about your fly choice. Number one choice for me would be a crab immitation, without a doubt!

According to the locals and people who regularly visit Hentiesbaai, the fishing is not what it used to be anymore, but fortunately i did not see it in its hay day so i cannot really compare, but for what it is worth, it is still the best fishing I have encountered anywhere else. I visit it twice a year, once with my family and once with my mate Gary. We could put a party of 8 guys together for my next Gary trip. The house I use can accommodate 8 guys. I will be spending the whole of December there with my family, but my next manne trip will be in Feb/March next year. I have space for another four anglers. Cost would work out to about R50 each per night, and then the cost of fuel, food and drink on top of that.

[Chris Shelton]

I forgot to mention, we always release all fish over 10kg. Personally, I prefer the smaller fish for the pan, but not only that, those big fish are far more valuable for breeding, right where they belong, back in the sea.

[dizzy]

I'll bear that in mind Neppie. I must say, that place does something to me. 100's of miles of uninhabited coastline, rolling mist banks, coloured mineral enriched water, drop offs, gulleys, mussel banks, 4 species of fish to tantalise us, fish as long as your leg....and bigger! You name it, it's there!

You are right about your fly choice. Number one choice for me would be a crab immitation, without a doubt!

According to the locals and people who regularly visit Hentiesbaai, the fishing is not what it used to be anymore, but fortunately i did not see it in its hay day so i cannot really compare, but for what it is worth, it is still the best fishing I have encountered anywhere else. I visit it twice a year, once with my family and once with my mate Gary. We could put a party of 8 guys together for my next Gary trip. The house I use can accommodate 8 guys. I will be spending the whole of December there with my family, but my next manne trip will be in Feb/March next year. I have space for another four anglers. Cost would work out to about R50 each per night, and then the cost of fuel, food and drink on top of that.

That sounds awesome Chris, please give me more details, it fits in with my b-day so that'll be an lekka pressie from the swambo