Great Fish River Yellows!

[krokenosterfant]

Being an eastern cape guy... I get very green when I read all the articles in the leading fly fishing mags concerning fly fishing for Yellows in the Vaal/Orange system. The yellow fish family... golden, tank like fish that give all you okes further inland so much fun... A lot of fun I won't be able to have as the Vaal/Orange is very very very far from where I live near the coast. The truth is I was wrong... there is a river a few km away from where I live that does have smallmouth yellows in... and they are thick and strong!

About 3 weeks ago me and 3 of my school mates went on a hunting/fishing/exploration mission to my one mate's farm which is about 60km north of Grahamstown (where I live). And he has a huge section of prime, unfished, piece of the Fish River flowing straight through his farm! Every thing from huge shallow riffles, strong rapids, narrow branches of river and the deep slow pools.

During our weekend mission, the fishing unfortunately didn't get all the attention it needed... but in about the 4 hours in total of fishing over that weekend we caught 75 strong yellows! All smallmouth and the average size was about 1.5kg! I was the only fly fisher in the group and spent the majority of the time throwing almost all the flies I had (mainly saltwater, bass and trout flies) towards these strong fish! But the hook ups on fly were few and far between, so I decided to join all my mates with my bass rod with earthworms as bait and in 1.5 hours I caught 45 fish alone, including the biggest of the trip. Even a barbel came our way.

Now I've always know there are Yellows in the Fish. They came through the water tunnel joining the Fish to the Orange/Vaal system. It has always been believed that Yellow aren't an easy target in the Fish as the vis of the water is "bad". But I was able to see my small flashback nymph underwater and the water was up to my elbow. Surely that is good vis? True the next day the vis dropped alot... but surely Yellows have adapted to seeing their small natural prey drift past them in such water?

Now there is a question that has distracted me a lot for a while now mainly during maths! lol! If Smallmouth, Mudfish and Barbel have been able to get into the Fish via the tunnel... surely the majestic Largemouth Yellow has made it's home in the system as well? Has anyone heard of reports of Largies in the Fish? My mate (who's parents own the farm) said that when he was 10, 8 years ago, some one caught a "Yellow" of 9kg on their farm... now surely that ain't no Smallmouth? I've got good friends friends at the Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Sciences at Rhodes University and the 2 theories concerning Largies in the Fish are: The vis is too bad for Largies to hunt as they are mainly sight predators (but how do they survive during dirty water periods in the Orange/Vaal then?). The 2nd theory is that not enough Largies have came through the Tunnel into the Fish, so the few that might be in the system can't start a solid population. Who knows... only one way to find out!

Anyways I'll always dedicate a few hours, during my missions to the Fish from now on, casting large bass flies into the thick structure... ever waiting for that smash and strong run!

So now it's time for your help...

Have any of you flyfisherpeople fished for Yellows in the Fish before?
How do you fish for Yellows in dirty water (which flies, techniques etc.)?

Please can you anyone help me with the questions I've asked above (techniques etc.) and can anyone give me an estimation at the size of the Smallie in the photo (it was the biggest caught during the trip).

I'm going to my mate's farm again this coming weekend... solely to fish! Wish me luck as I've got the Yellow Fever bad!!!

Later days and screaming reels

Mike

PS: I've posted this topic with a muddled heart as the last thing I want to do is expose such a pristine fisherie, so that the yellows here don't get knocked for a six as well. So if any of you have been motivated now to go have some pure Au fun in the Fish... please practice C&R and keep the Fish River in it's awesome state! Then again we are Fly Fisherpeople... so I shouldn't worry!

[krokenosterfant]

here is that photo! What you rate? Sorry the image won't upload, but here is a link to it:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...c&id=667480733

[KevinE]

Hi Mike, I'm an ex-PE oke and I've spied the Fish many times on my trips inland, always wondering if it's worth a fling. The area around Middleton seems to have some decent water. But the brown colour has always put me off. Saying that, the guys seem to fish in some pretty poor vis in the Vaal.

By the way, the Kei is apparantly very good for smallmouth yellows, as are some of the tributaries. The Little Fish around Somerset East may also be worth a try.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on.

[krokenosterfant]

Shot Kev! Ja the vis of the Fish can be *** at times... but it has it's moments when it ain't that bad! True about the Vaal being off colour as well, but hey, okes still haul 'em in! But think about it, a Yellow must still be able to detect its prey in bad vis... how else can they survive in dirty river then?

I've heard a lot about the Kei, but just like the Fish it is like coffee 99% of the time... but okes still catch!

The nice thing about the river at my mates farm is that there are several places where the river flows around an island and some of the channels between the island and land are about 3m wide and just below the waist deep, there is a slow current and the Yellows are thick in these channels... so my plan is to put on bulker and more visible flies like San Juan Worms and black drogonfly nymphs, with split shot and an indicator and just drift them down these channels... the fish will have to see them as the flies will pass them... but will the bite is the question?

If anyone has any advice etc... I'm all ears and it will be appreciated!

Here are photo of the river on my mates farm from my exploration mission there 3 weeks ago.

[Pheasant Tail Nymph]

Hey Krokonosterfant,

I just checked through an artical in the December/January 2001/2002 issue of TCFF for you. If the waters of the Fish are anything like the great Kei then this should work.

Karl Krull writes in the artical, "One of the most productive ways to take yellows in the Kei is with a downstream presentation, allowing the fly to move in and out of the mainstream." He also writes that soft-hackle nymphs., Woolly Worms, Woolly Buggers and Beadheads work well. He advises that they all be weighted and some flash and perhaps some red be added. Colours, he says, must range from black to brown to olive.

I hope that helps a little. For the entire article you can try to get the back issue from TCFF magazine. It's issue 80. Unfortunately, I cannot give you any personal advice since I have yet to catch my first yellow.

All the best.

[krokenosterfant]

Thanks a lot mate!!! Will give it a bash and I'll keep you all informed on how it goes! Pheasant Tail Nymph... I'm tempted to tell you that you must never target Yellows... as my mate... I thought Yellow Fever was a joke... but it ain't and it's a chronic disease! Let us all know when you finally bag that Yellow!!!

[Pheasant Tail Nymph]

Glad to help!! But I'm Afraid I've already got the fever. My spot at the TCFF Sterkfontein Experience on 23-25 November this year is already booked, my 9' 5wt TFO rod bought, and I'm even drawing pictures of yellows. All I need to do is get some more flytying materials so I can tie the flies in Favoured Flies and Select Techniques of the Experts volume 2, and perhaps some indicator yarn and Loon's Hydrostop.

[chris williams]

Shot Kev! Ja the vis of the Fish can be *** at times... but it has it's moments when it ain't that bad! True about the Vaal being off colour as well, but hey, okes still haul 'em in! But think about it, a Yellow must still be able to detect its prey in bad vis... how else can they survive in dirty river then?

I've heard a lot about the Kei, but just like the Fish it is like coffee 99% of the time... but okes still catch!

The nice thing about the river at my mates farm is that there are several places where the river flows around an island and some of the channels between the island and land are about 3m wide and just below the waist deep, there is a slow current and the Yellows are thick in these channels... so my plan is to put on bulker and more visible flies like San Juan Worms and black drogonfly nymphs, with split shot and an indicator and just drift them down these channels... the fish will have to see them as the flies will pass them... but will the bite is the question?

If anyone has any advice etc... I'm all ears and it will be appreciated!

Here are photo of the river on my mates farm from my exploration mission there 3 weeks ago.

Hi, KKNF (I'm not going to attempt to spell that lot, you hybrid animal, you!)

For a good contact, am sure your Rhodes' mates'll know him/them, check out 'Fishing Owl' web, click under 'Fosaf' then 'Contacts'. Look for Martin Fick, Grahamstown (Eastern Cape Chapter) - give him a shout, he's very friendly and enthusiastic. He and local tackle/guiding guys'll sort you out!

In murky (high-tannin and-or coffee-coloured) water conditions, I've found over the years a simple black Montana nymph with yellow thorax (the two highest vis colours in those conditions, with the added bonus of black being of high-silhouette value) may work well dead-drifted under an indicator, and you don't need to worry too much about 'matching the insect hatch'. They can imitate may-damsel-dragon nymphs, and at a push small minnows if fished appropriately. Maybe try them in size 10 or 12 for starters - for both fishing and tying. If you are going to tie them, hookwise look for something cheapish yet reliable like a Mustad long-shank nymph hook. Size 10 and 12 are often the easiest size for beginners to kick off with. Any larger and one tends to have mistakes amplified, and any smaller and big thumbs get in the way!
If you havn't yet started flytying they're an excellent and simple way to get off the mark, with the added bonus of cheap easy-to-procure tying materials.
You can simply buy some black tying thread, a cheap black hen's cape and some black and yellow chenille (fuzzy wool) or even ordinary wool. Many websites will tell you how to tie it, but simply it's a black hen fibres tail (or a couple of hen hackle tips) wrap the black wool/chenille round the hook in touching turns forward up to about 2/3 the body length and tie in and wrap a couple of turns yellow up to about 40mm before the hook eye then whip-finish off (or tie a couple of half hitches to secure) and cut off the thread. You can add fancy stuff like hen hackle legs and a black back over the yellow, but it probably won't make too much difference. After you've tied a couple, teach your mates!

Good luck, let's hear your 'match reports'!

Chris,
Vaalie yellow ffisher, but envious of your waters!

[chris williams]

PS - you can of course tie above weighted with lead etc wrapped round, or a beadhead first. Possible better experiment first with small split shot first on the leader above the hook, and experiment with water depths/speeds with your indicator so the fly 'trips bottom' where the boys are usually hanging out.
Unsure the extent of your ffishing knowledge so if you know all this and more, forgive me - but if you don't hope of some use!

Cheers

[krokenosterfant]

haha shot Chris!!! I actually have some montana nymphs in my tilapia/bass fly box... most probably all rusted, unraveled and bent by now!!! lol! I'll give them a try this weekend... thinking about it, the colour combo of the fly suits the vis of the water perfectly!!!

Thanks for the help... I've been fly fishing since I was 6... so I've been at it for 12 years now, but all my fly fishing has been aimed at salt, bass, tigers and stillwater trout... and only targeted Yellows once, 3 weeks ago and then I was fishing with large dragonfly nymphs... with a strip speed of mach 3! lol! So this is all really helpful!!! I've gone through basically all my fly fishing mags and books and read every article on Yellows, so I have a "good idea" of what to do know! Can't wait to give my 5wt a mean bend this weekend!

Thanks again and tight lines