Rock Snot, How to Fish These Conditions

[Herman Jooste]

The season is definately swinging, day time temps are getting warner and the nights staying above freezing. August is upon us and the LUS for yellows growing. There is however one big problem facing the "early waders". That problem is rock snot ( Old Man's Beard ), the ropes of algea that clog up any slower run, where the fish are supposed to be at this time.

This raises the question, how to fish in these conditions:confused: Try long line nymphing and your fly is full of snot in a 30cm strip:( Up and accross = same result. Czech Nymphing even worse, 3 flies full of snot:mad:.
So what now ?????? Give up till the first 100 cumec flow?

Yellowfever hinted in another thread last year, dry and dropper, fished in the narrow "clear" channels between the 5 meter long strands.

I would like to know the following, should the dry be an Elk Hair Caddis/ DDD or still a Mayfly type fly and what should the dropper be?

I ask all the experienced f/f to respond with their techniques for this difficult time for newbies to the Vaal.

[MyWorld]

I have not been on the Vaal for quite some time now, will definately get there within this week, but will be fishing primarily from the boat.

Most of the club members here avoid the Vaal at this time since there is nothing you can do to avoid the snot, stumble and fall your way to a nice drift only to have snot clogg the line, eish...

[Yellowfever]

Avoid the rapids! There are spots with less infestation try to find them and keep'em a secret;-)

Dry and dropper - my dry is determined by what will hold up with the dropper pulling down. Much like the Baywatch rescue theory - you don't see a scrawny Kate Moss type saving the person drowning - because there is nothing to assist floatation ;-0

What I would also try (worked last year) even though it's warming up and the fish are heading to the rapids (not to mention the FFM/W). Take the boat out and paddle the pools trying to spot pods and then target them with accurate presentations.

[Niel Myburgh]

Howzit, what do you guys mean by a dropper?

[Gael]

Have to agree with YF, often you can be in the thick of it and if you move up a few hundred meters, the area might be relatively clear.

Though, if you were fishing the slower pools with a dry like most do this time of year, the snot shouldn’t really be that much of a problem.

Dropper basically implies that there are two flies being fished, one of which is a dry fly in this case. The dry fly is used to suspend a second fly, almost acting like a strike indicator (and it catches fish to)

[Gael]

Without trying to sound like a bit of a stuck up traditionalist:

I often find that the use of the word dropper to be confusing to newbies as people use to often in conflicting ways. Traditionally if you are fishing 2-3 flies, the fly on the end is called the point fly and the other two flies droppers.

In yellow fishing circles, guys often call their tungsten control fly their dropper, where dropper actually implies the position of the fly on the leader relative to other flies and not the type of fly.

[poppernel]

Without trying to sound like a bit of a stuck up traditionalist:

I often find that the use of the word dropper to be confusing to newbies as people use to often in conflicting ways. Traditionally if you are fishing 2-3 flies, the fly on the end is called the point fly and the other two flies droppers.

In yellow fishing circles, guys often call their tungsten control fly their dropper, where dropper actually implies the position of the fly on the leader relative to other flies and not the type of fly.

Dropper/control fly, same difference. Different strokes. Different okes.:D:D

Traditionalist/Purist, same difference...................................Same okes!!!!:D:D

[Herman Jooste]

I've been tying 16 and 18 nymphs for the droppers. Taking the croc out on Sunday, ( first trip in 3 weeks :eek:), weather looks promising and am really looking forward to this one:D

[Scythe]

I'd also look for water with less weed in it, but you're not going to get AWAY from the weed, especially if you want to fish the rapids.

I'd prefer the throat belly during hatches, tail-outs in the afternoon fishing unweighted nymphs or dry & dropper combo.

You can also weight your flies in such a manner that they ride 'mostly' upside down, another option is to use a knot which allows your unweighted fly to move around such as a loop type knot or the Eugene bend knot.

[Niel Myburgh]

Thanks, still learning....