Easter Week Fishing Report Back

[gazzarowan]

hey guys

i thought i'd start this to get some feedback on everyone's trips this Easter.

i had an absolute blast over this period...barring the 9 and a half hours drive to Durban on Friday morning, the trip was great!

i started off fishing the palmiet river in Westville again on Friday afternoon...it was awesome...we got lots of little scalies and 3 big boys on small zack immitations and variations.

on Saturday we decided to go and check out the Umngeni River below the Inanda dam wall. the water was crystal clear and there were scalies in abundance! however, they seemed completely uninterested and we managed to hook and lose 6. we did however manage 3 nice big Tilapia.

Sunday was a day booked for the upper umngeni river for some brown trout…we started out early and arrived at a beautiful little stream, water a bit cloudy, but amazing!
We fished for the day and I managed 3 small browns and lost a few. Altogether a fantastic day out and my first brown trout! Thus, a PB! Haha

Monday we decided to go out in my boat off durbs looking for some couta. It was looking good, weather was stable, sun was out and the bait was all around. Only problem was the couta were not. The water temp had dropped quite a bit during the week and the dreaded SE wind was blowing. One pull, no couta in the end. But got lots of bonnies spinning which kept our spirits alive

Tuesday we packed up and headed off for Swartburg for a few days of trout fishing. We arrived at about 2pm or so, unpacked and got onto the windblown water. Between 3 of us, we managed 18 trout all between 2 and 4 pounds or so. I also managed to lose my glasses overboard in the wind over a 5ft deep grass bed, so the day ended with mixed feelings.

Wednesday morning was beautiful and sunny with a bit of wind. I shot off to the shallow weedbed and low and behold, I manage to spot my glasses. Off comes the kit and in I go, erupting from the cold water arm outstretched holding my prize! Great start to the morning!!!
That day we smashed the fish. We got 58 fish as the cold front started to chill the air and blow us off the water.

Thursday morning dawned freezing cold and windy and we managed 5 trout before we left at 11am.

Friday morning we again headed out to sea hoping to find an errant couta. This morning was a bit choppy, water was colder, but a North Westerly wind was blowing which raised the spirits slightly. We found our bait mark and up came big Mackerel. We got about 15, a few shad and some mozzies before my dad’s yosuri got chowed off by something big. Needless to say out went a livie and……..nothing!
We took the queue and headed off north looking for warmer water, which was never found. Again one half hook up and a hammerhead later, we left for a beer and lunch at the club. What’s happening to all the couta!?

Saturday morning was spent chasing scalies below the Howick Falls…no big fish around, but we did manage more than 30 small guys on size 16 and 18 black nymphs, san juans and shrimp patterns.

Sunday morning we packed up and came back to the real world of the “golden” city.

All in all, a fantastic experience and a great time was had by all!

i will post some pics once i have them on my pc

[FCLoretz]

hey guys

i thought i'd start this to get some feedback on everyone's trips this Easter.

i had an absolute blast over this period...barring the 9 and a half hours drive to Durban on Friday morning, the trip was great!

i started off fishing the palmiet river in Westville again on Friday afternoon...it was awesome...we got lots of little scalies and 3 big boys on small zack immitations and variations.

on Saturday we decided to go and check out the Umngeni River below the Inanda dam wall. the water was crystal clear and there were scalies in abundance! however, they seemed completely uninterested and we managed to hook and lose 6. we did however manage 3 nice big Tilapia.

Sunday was a day booked for the upper umngeni river for some brown trout…we started out early and arrived at a beautiful little stream, water a bit cloudy, but amazing!
We fished for the day and I managed 3 small browns and lost a few. Altogether a fantastic day out and my first brown trout! Thus, a PB! Haha

Monday we decided to go out in my boat off durbs looking for some couta. It was looking good, weather was stable, sun was out and the bait was all around. Only problem was the couta were not. The water temp had dropped quite a bit during the week and the dreaded SE wind was blowing. One pull, no couta in the end. But got lots of bonnies spinning which kept our spirits alive

Tuesday we packed up and headed off for Swartburg for a few days of trout fishing. We arrived at about 2pm or so, unpacked and got onto the windblown water. Between 3 of us, we managed 18 trout all between 2 and 4 pounds or so. I also managed to lose my glasses overboard in the wind over a 5ft deep grass bed, so the day ended with mixed feelings.

Wednesday morning was beautiful and sunny with a bit of wind. I shot off to the shallow weedbed and low and behold, I manage to spot my glasses. Off comes the kit and in I go, erupting from the cold water arm outstretched holding my prize! Great start to the morning!!!
That day we smashed the fish. We got 58 fish as the cold front started to chill the air and blow us off the water.

Thursday morning dawned freezing cold and windy and we managed 5 trout before we left at 11am.

Friday morning we again headed out to sea hoping to find an errant couta. This morning was a bit choppy, water was colder, but a North Westerly wind was blowing which raised the spirits slightly. We found our bait mark and up came big Mackerel. We got about 15, a few shad and some mozzies before my dad’s yosuri got chowed off by something big. Needless to say out went a livie and……..nothing!
We took the queue and headed off north looking for warmer water, which was never found. Again one half hook up and a hammerhead later, we left for a beer and lunch at the club. What’s happening to all the couta!?

Saturday morning was spent chasing scalies below the Howick Falls…no big fish around, but we did manage more than 30 small guys on size 16 and 18 black nymphs, san juans and shrimp patterns.

Sunday morning we packed up and came back to the real world of the “golden” city.

All in all, a fantastic experience and a great time was had by all!

i will post some pics once i have them on my pc

Well Done Gary,

Great report back. Well done on the fishing

[Michael]

Nice report back!
As per my other thread "South Coast report back", I only went out the one day (the Tuesday after you went out) at Shelly Beach and we found loads of bonnies, huge yellowfin tuna, but also no King Mackerel.
Also hooked a 5m tigershark, right by the boat...now THAT'S sightfishing! (haha)

I saw the weather on Friday looked damn good. Sadly, i just went out the one day. Wished I had my boat down there!

[gazzarowan]

here is a pic of the cock fish i got in Swartburg and some pics of my browns

[Troep]

Guys,

As per my thread on Barra in Mozambique the following:

The area is quite difficult to fish, and the fishing was very slow in all regards.

We went out deep sea fishing, only getting 7 coutas and one small bonnie over a weeks fishing. The locals said the fishing was extremely slow and everyone struggled, mostly catching only coutas.

One guy got a barracuda of 17kg on a couta head.

I snorkeled all the areas I thought to be productive along reefs etc and i only saw the usual small reef fish.

I took a speargun with and not once I thought of taking a shot, since the fish were so small it wasnt worth it.

At least I got to try out my W90 in the sea, and the pics came out very well.

Ill post some pics later.

All and all a good week at a very beautiful place, but the fishing was very dissapointing...

Cheers

[Korrie]

You cant really complain about the fishing you had over easter.
Enough to make lots of guys jealous.

[Troep]

Oja,

Before I forget... While out at sea fishing for "Kingfish" we drifted with the wind at one stage, slowly past the MSC Sinfonia, thinking that we will get some Dorado in the shade of the ship... we saw some of the local fishermen in a small wooden boat. Its actually a very small rowing boat equipped with a 30Hp engine. As we approached them we saw how they klapped the coutas one by one. The one guy putting on bait the other guy throwing handlines and fighting the next one. As we got very close I saw that there is something on this small boat and I told the guys I am sure its a sailfish.

We got even closer like 7-8m away and the guy fighting the fish said "Look, Look, Marlin, Marlin!!!" Smiling like a world champ with this massive I reckon at least 150kg marlin lying the whole length of this midget boat!!

The guys on out boat was absolutely amazed since we havent caught anything for 3 hours at sea. Using the latest and best gear, we got nothing... Ironic ne....!!

That was actually my fishing highlight, because I know at least that guy was lucky and he can feed a family for at least a week of that marlins money... very cool!!

[Gerhard]

here is a pic of the cock fish i got in Swartburg and some pics of my browns

Awesome stuff buddy,

Congrats on some nice catchs and the new PB..

[Matyx]

Hi Gazza, sheez you guys did well. I wondered if you could let me know where about in Westville you fish the Palmiet, 'cos I've fished below Inanda and agree with your sentiments...loads of scalies, just not very obliging! Also, I tried the upper Umgeni about a month or so ago and had no luck??maybe it was the day, but again, what section did you fish? We tried in the forestry area above the sawmill. Thanks, and boy I'm envious of all the fish you guy's got.

[Dallas]

Fished at Tzaneen for 6 days....using my new custom VXP that Michael built for me....

hammered the bass...up to 1.5kg....caught more and bigger fish than the conventional guys did with lures and soft plastics....no kurper unfortunately....

the rod fished like a dream...