Winter Garrick

[briansflyfishing]

A few weeks ago I went to Gerrickus to target Black tail on fly. I fished a good few hours without any success.
I decided to take a walk to the estuary and try my luck there. I saw some fish moving and after a while saw a grunter moving over a sand bank.
I was casting a small fry fly on a slow retrieve.
After a bout half an hour I hooked into a fish, I thought it would be my first Grunter on fly and my excitement was high. as the fish came into the shallows I saw to my surprise that it was a Garrick and found it to be strange as the water was cold and the tide was low in the middle of winter. I caught a few after that and knew that they did not leave our waters for winter.


With this new found information I went back to Knysna and geared my 8/9 weight and started working my usual spots.
The fish are few and far between, I lost one big fish and after a few days of determined fishing I was rewarded with my first winter Leery on fly.
Now I know that it will be 365 fishing from now on and that I won't have to wait for spring to start fishing again.

Me garrick sh.jpg

[firephish]

nice fish, well done. I think they stay in the estuaries all year until mature ... then head out

[petercoetzee]

A few weeks ago I went to Gerrickus to target Black tail on fly. I fished a good few hours without any success.
I decided to take a walk to the estuary and try my luck there. I saw some fish moving and after a while saw a grunter moving over a sand bank.
I was casting a small fry fly on a slow retrieve.
After a bout half an hour I hooked into a fish, I thought it would be my first Grunter on fly and my excitement was high. as the fish came into the shallows I saw to my surprise that it was a Garrick and found it to be strange as the water was cold and the tide was low in the middle of winter. I caught a few after that and knew that they did not leave our waters for winter.


With this new found information I went back to Knysna and geared my 8/9 weight and started working my usual spots.
The fish are few and far between, I lost one big fish and after a few days of determined fishing I was rewarded with my first winter Leery on fly.
Now I know that it will be 365 fishing from now on and that I won't have to wait for spring to start fishing again.

Me garrick sh.jpg

lekker little leerie!

[Scythe]

Winter is a good time to get the little guys, they are around and usually keen to feed.

If you're catching "bigger than just juveniles" (ie : the fish you dropped) then it's probably a closed system or a luck shot, AFAIK ... the big Leeries all move out to sea and migrate in conjunction with the season.

I spent a few winters in the EC hammering the juvie Leeries up to about 2Kgs, man ... what fun on a 7WT, if I lived near the ocean ... that would be my day to day fishing like fishing the Cape Streams is day to day fishing to someone living in the WC.

Good job ... what flies were you chucking ?

[briansflyfishing]

This is the fly I use 95% of the time on Garrick fish on a intermediate.
Garrick Smashing Minnow sh.jpg

Just the notion that the Juvies stick around all year is good news.

[Scythe]

Those are good looking flies ... how about a SBS?

I agree ... I love everything about fishing for Garrick/Leeries, chucking streamers at agressive predators, that's my kind of fishing. (except maybe standing in cold water, back then I didn't have inflatables)

[Jax]

I agree Nice Flies. If no SBS, How about a Materials Recipe. I think those flies will work well with our Kahawai and Rat Kingies on the flats in Tauranga Harbour. Have Fun.

[Davo]

Nice. Thats a fun sized leerie, especially on fly.

[briansflyfishing]

Nice. Thats a fun sized leerie, especially on fly.

Thanks Davo. I am trying for the bigger boys, but I am persistent.

I will make a point to do a SBS and a material list for you guys, now that I have a proper camera again.

[Conrad Botes]

If you're catching "bigger than just juveniles" (ie : the fish you dropped) then it's probably a closed system or a luck shot, AFAIK ... the big Leeries all move out to sea and migrate in conjunction with the season.

Not entirely correct. Yes, the majority migrates to KZN but a fair amount of adults remain in the estuaries of the western, southern and especially the Eastern Cape. I know of anglers who have consistently been catching leeries over 10kg's in estuaries throughout the entire winter.