Sometimes Fly Fishing just can't do it

[Pierre]

Hi Guys

I was out on the strand reefs on Monday searching for Elf. Not long and two toppies arive with their spinning gear, they casted spoons about 100m out and klapped the elf, they each took about 6 decent fish in 15 min. Heart breaking, by back was already in a spasm trying to get to 30m with the fly, i was about 70m short of the elf

So i've decided its time to get myself a similar outfit, tonight i'm picking up my penn reel and matching rod from a good friend who offered to give it to me.This weekend it's me and those elf, btw they are thick at the moment, you just have to know where, one clue, NOT Blakes

All the best

Pierre

[Shamwari]

Wasn't Elf that funny little alien on telly years back..hee hee hee

[Booger Rose]

Hi Guys

I was out on the strand reefs on Monday searching for Elf. Not long and two toppies arive with their spinning gear, they casted spoons about 100m out and klapped the elf, they each took about 6 decent fish in 15 min. Heart breaking, by back was already in a spasm trying to get to 30m with the fly, i was about 70m short of the elf

So i've decided its time to get myself a similar outfit, tonight i'm picking up my penn reel and matching rod from a good friend who offered to give it to me.This weekend it's me and those elf, btw they are thick at the moment, you just have to know where, one clue, NOT Blakes

All the best

Pierre

Hi Pierre just want to confirm your statement - the Elf is still in Falsebay Unfortunately I haven't taken any on fly, by with bait I've had a bit of sucess. (Also not at Blakes)

[Scythe]

Howzit Pierre,

Yip, I never thought I'd see the day where I chuck plastic fish on jighead hooks in pursuit of bigger fish, but sometimes (especially in the SW context) when the wind is howling or the fish are 50m out ... the fly rod won't graft, in times like that, the DS or spinning rod has it's use and application

I'm very happy now that I have one as add on to my fly fishing kit.

[Jasper]

while on this topic I was talking to a guy who was using fly gear (NOT at Blakes ) - told me he caught 32 Leeries there on fly last week!! ... seems lots of fish in the Bay at the moment

[Pierre]

Yes there seems to be quite allot of fish. I got chased down by some really big leeries the other day. Fly selection was poor, no hookups, I know if I had a wool head mullet I would have has success. The mullets are huge , up to 30cm, lots of them

[dar]

I can personally say that since swinging over from fly to dropshot I have changed 2 blank leerie seasons - yes, I know....... that does read "season" - at strand to sessions that almost get unfair to the fish and you end up thinking.... this is too easy!

I really love ffishing but I have opened a whole new door with dropshotting. You can change depth, speed and direction on a whim and the action the shot gives is just awesome. I was shotting with a guy (he was on fly) and I must have pulled in 10+ leeries (with barbless hooks) and I saw him hook into one which he unfortunately lost. I also lost quite a few cos of the barbless but I think the main difference is the ability to retrieve really fast -as well as changing depth rapidly- with a coffee grinder and jig is key.

On the downside - the hooks tend to damage some of the small guys quite badly which leaves me trying to figure out another way of rigging my hooks without radically affecting my hookup rate.

[Pierre]

Hi Guys

I went out for my first session with my spinning outfit. Late Saturday afternoon on a pushing tide. Made one cast which resulted in a huge kraai nes, I clearly need some practice first before heading out to sea. Quickly fetched my fly rod and headed out. Picked up a nice Elf, which I kept for the pan, I could have landed more but I didn’t have a bag to keep the fish. There are plenty hungry Elf around, this was by far my biggest Elf, I know there are even bigger ones, next time, will see what the conditions are like Wednesday, will report back...

Cheers

[Pierre]

Pierre, you know you can put them back hey, you dont have to keep all of them.

The first one I hooked I decided to keep, not being sure if I will be able to get more hookups, I would have loved to fish more, not wanting to keep every catch….sigh, but you try and keep an Elf in your fishing basket along with your line and get a good cast in….

[MyWorld]

Stepped in that one, full on!