Catching mullet in Durban Harbour?

[allsorts]

A Durban flyfisher and sometimes guide (Alan O'Connor) did some work a decade back on getting 'da mullets' (as they are properly called in Durban) to eat flies without chumming for them. I tried his method and did indeed watch a 40cm stripey eat the fly and bend my 3wt for some time at the Turning Basin near Salisbury Island. I didn't try it more than once due to the distraction of springer and kingies and all the other stuff we were chasing off South Pier at the time.

Anyway the basic idea was to fish really tiny flies right on the bottom to imitate amphipods. I tied up a few amphipod 'nymphs' on a #16 dry fly hook (using a little bit of clear Antron and mono thread) and fished it right on the bottom on a clear intermediate with a skinny FC tippet. Retrieve was very slow twitches when mullet swam near the fly. I had a lot of mullet ignoring this until one very distinctly saw the fly's movement, swam down and took it confidently.

To summarise Allan's approach: fly must be tiny and right on the bottom and moved just enough to attract attention. It's certainly worth spending time on if you can ignore the massive bream under Wilsons wharf, the walla walla, garfish and kingies at the Bat Centre etc and of course the Zambezis...

[Jax]

Hi Korrie; I still have my old KP like the one in the foreground of your photo.

Still use it for Yellowtail Kings. Miss my Pig Skin Palm though. Lost it on the North Pier during a day pulling small hammerheads off the pier.

I really do miss the variety of fish you all have out there. Getting all home sick. Have Fun.

[Korrie]

A Durban flyfisher and sometimes guide (Alan O'Connor) did some work a decade back on getting 'da mullets' (as they are properly called in Durban) to eat flies without chumming for them. I tried his method and did indeed watch a 40cm stripey eat the fly and bend my 3wt for some time at the Turning Basin near Salisbury Island. I didn't try it more than once due to the distraction of springer and kingies and all the other stuff we were chasing off South Pier at the time.

Anyway the basic idea was to fish really tiny flies right on the bottom to imitate amphipods. I tied up a few amphipod 'nymphs' on a #16 dry fly hook (using a little bit of clear Antron and mono thread) and fished it right on the bottom on a clear intermediate with a skinny FC tippet. Retrieve was very slow twitches when mullet swam near the fly. I had a lot of mullet ignoring this until one very distinctly saw the fly's movement, swam down and took it confidently.

To summarise Allan's approach: fly must be tiny and right on the bottom and moved just enough to attract attention. It's certainly worth spending time on if you can ignore the massive bream under Wilsons wharf, the walla walla, garfish and kingies at the Bat Centre etc and of course the Zambezis...

Do not forget the fishing at Wests, the old whaling slip way, and I am trying to remember the one pier's number. There use to be a little Indian take away shop, as boys, the big treat was to buy a bunny chow for lunch, and sit on the quay, talk big stories, watching the rod tip for the tap of a fish, and bitching about how hot the curry is in the bunny chow and trying to cool it down with a can of Coke.

[Korrie]

Hi Korrie; I still have my old KP like the one in the foreground of your photo.

Still use it for Yellowtail Kings. Miss my Pig Skin Palm though. Lost it on the North Pier during a day pulling small hammerheads off the pier.

I really do miss the variety of fish you all have out there. Getting all home sick. Have Fun.

Jax, can you remember all the casts with the KP?
The facing away from the sea, and casting over your shoulder with big weights or spoons.
The other one for light weight was where you would look forward, and almost do a double haul and shoot line out.
There is a specific name for that cast.
As a young boy, was always tricky for me, and I have to admit, never got the true hang of it.
Every now and again, got a good one out, the rest, the over wind ended up on the axle of the reel.

[Jax]

Yep! Something about fishing with a KP reel seems to live on in ones memory.

Even today I can recall trips way up the north coast. Catching Crayfish at night and using the Tail as bait. Got smoked a couple of time with fish heading for Australia on a one way ticket.

A popular Shad beach just north of the Umgeni mouth where you were the only guy fishing but if you landed a Shad. When you had re-baited there was a forest of rods between you and the water.

Netting Mullet in the Umgeni mouth and transporting them to the beach and holding them in plastic lined pool until the Garrick came on. Made a bob or two to replace gear selling Mullet to Garrick crazy fisho's.

Used to use the Whip Cast for light fishing spoons for snook etc. Not an easy cast to master but great once you got the knack.

Yeah! I do believe I can recall just about every time I fished with a KP reel.

[Korrie]

Another great spot was the old power station. Almost forgot that.
Where the hot water form the cooling area got pumped into the harbour, there was a lot of times super fishing.
I remember how the "big guys" threw their spoons in the pumping water and then pull it back, against the stream.
As a small pikkie, you where not allowed near the railings, in case you fell in and got washed down.
(thinking about it now, probably BS. It was just to make sure there was more space of the "big boys and adults"

[Andre]

These are the most amazing reels for mono Czech nymphing. hold the rod with one finger over the winding knob, and feel every little bump on your finger. I still sometimes use mine for this.

these are the reels I mentioned.
How many other forumers fished with one of these?
In my fishing room, I still have one,
need to take it out clean it, wash the bearing and grease it again.
These little reels can spin for minutes, if the balance is correct and the bearings are clean

[Korrie]

My next trip to the Orange I will take my KP reel with.
Do a whip cast with tiny split shot and a nymph. JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT.
Thanks Andre for reminding me.
Sonstraal dam will also see more of me with the KP reel and my 10" #5. Just for the fun.

[dollar]

i need to learn this whip cast, please send/post a clip Korrie.

not 100% sure here (read a while back when searching info on mullet), Dlampert had great success catching mullet on his cdc high vis midge, pretty impressive stuff if my say so

[Korrie]

i need to learn this whip cast, please send/post a clip Korrie.

I have searched the web for it, but cannot find anything about it.
But it is a bit of a back haul, where you strip off line from the reel, and let it shoot backward.
as the reel is spinning/turning free line is "discarded" and with the forward movement/casting you cast out this line.
It is a very technical manouvre, but really impressive to see it done.
You need a bit of weight on the line, normally a split shot with the little guppy/glassy on the end of the line