Dry Flies for Yellows

[Michael]

Yesterday just after dark saw one of the biggest Vaal Caddis (green rock worm) hatches I have ever seen...they were hatching in their tens of thousands. We're talking an insect that is probably 6cm long including the antenae. The body with wings is easily 2.5 to 3cm.
It was funny, 'cos i was chatting to Gerrit just before dark and saying that it is strange there are no caddis hatches yet...30 minutes later all hell broke loose. It was thick!

I was casting dry flies only earlier on, but their wasn't much surface activity. Switched to dry and dropper (about 30cm below the dry) and got a couple of SM. On this Vaal Trip 6 we specifically stayed for the evening rise, but there wasn't a big one. Happily though, I think everyone got some fish or dry (or the dropper)...always great fishing.

Devlin, we must go fish again...but together this time. Will show you the spots, tecniques, etc. Easier "on the water", as each situation or venue (or water) is different when fishing dry. Then again...I should also take you to Sterkies...now THAT will blow your mind forever.

Mike

[Gerrit Viljoen]

Yesterday just after dark saw one of the biggest Vaal Caddis (green rock worm) hatches I have ever seen...they were hatching in their tens of thousands. We're talking an insect that is probably 6cm long including the antenae. The body with wings is easily 2.5 to 3cm.
It was funny, 'cos i was chatting to Gerrit just before dark and saying that it is strange their are no caddis hatches yet...30 minutes later all hell broke loose. It was thick!

I was casting dry flies only earlier on, but their wasn't much surface activity. Switched to dry and dropper (about 30cm below the dry) and got a couple of SM. On this Vaal Trip 6 we specifically stayed for the evening rise, but there wasn't a big one. Happily though, I think everyone got some fish or dry (or the dropper)...always great fishing.

Devlin, we must go fish again...but together this time. Will show you the spots, tecniques, etc. Easier "on the water", as each situation or venue (or water) is different when fishing dry. Then again...I should also take you to Sterkies...now THAT will blow your mind forever.

Mike

What did u fish as the dry yesterday again?

G

[Michael]

What did u fish as the dry yesterday again?

G

Hi Gerrit...

They were not rising freely to dries, and the light was already quite bad...so I used a big yellow foam hopper as the dry for maximum bouyancy and visibility, and suspended a #14 mayfly nymph 30cm below it on 5X tippet. This way if I saw a fish rise maybe 15 meters or so from my position, I could quickly cast to that position and still track the dry fly easily. The fly normally just dips under...and with the white foam and low light you won't see smaller dries that easily, and miss the take.

If I fish dries on the Vaal I normally fish a #12 or #14 Klinkhammer first, with a chartreuse body, and black thread as a rib around it. With a flourencent red antron post, very visible!

Mike

[Michael]

Here's one of the better fish I have got on dry at last light. Was at Elgro, few years back (2003), on a #12 chartreuse klinkhammer. Had to make a long cast over the deep pool to a huge clump of hiasints where this fish was rising up. Fish weighed 3kg.
You can see the still water conditions in the background...that's ideal. Very slow water, no wind.

[Culprit]

Fantastic Photo and nice fish!!

[C J]

The only dries I caught yellows on was on hopper imitations. I still need to try the other ones (may's, caddis fly...ex).

I agree Mike, that caddis hatch you are refering to was donners hectic!
Byron and I had a rough time keeping those bugger out off our eyes, mouth or any place that looked like hidding space!
The lekker thing was that as soon as the hatch started we where getting moered left, right and center! Wished there was still some light, because that would have changed into an awsome evening.

[Byron]

The only dries I caught yellows on was on hopper imitations. I still need to try the other ones (may's, caddis fly...ex).

I agree Mike, that caddis hatch you are refering to was donners hectic!
Byron and I had a rough time keeping those bugger out off our eyes, mouth or any place that looked like hidding space!
The lekker thing was that as soon as the hatch started we where getting moered left, right and center! Wished there was still some light, because that would have changed into an awsome evening.

Less lightening on the horizon and I would have stayed for another hour or so.

[C J]

Less lightening on the horizon and I would have stayed for another hour or so.

Next time we take a battery operated spot light!!!

[Byron]

Next time we take a battery operated spot light!!!

I had a torch in my bag, but it doesn't have a lightening conductor.... and it was fun watching you see you g@t on those rocks

[Gerrit Viljoen]

I had a torch in my bag, but it doesn't have a lightening conductor.... and it was fun watching you see you g@t on those rocks

U two are the nutt squad.

Fishing till very late is great but then we need to stay over.I was the lucky sod who had to make it back to P-Town.

G

Ps.Vaalrus has my name written all over it come May.