Flyfishing report: Saltwater - South Coast

Here we are, mid-September and still very little fishing action on a regular basis along the KZN South Coast and virtually none from a salt water flyfishing point of view. Apart from a good run of shad when the sardine run was on in June, there has been little to cheer about for most rock and surf anglers since then. Social media has a bit to say now and then, but when one actually asks around, most of the reports are wishful thinking, apart from the occasion and very sporadic shad frenzy, when hordes of anglers congregate to take as many as they can, with little respect for size or bag limits.

 There have been reports of large salmon being taken in the Umzimkulu River and at least one very nice Garrick was caught recently on paddle tail, about one kilometre upstream of the mouth, but a recent outing to the mouth by members of South Coast Fly Anglers, (SCFA) did not even produce a single touch.

 Fishing this river further upstream, a couple of club members have had some luck with scalies, even though the water has been thin and on the cool side. On one such outing, nymph patterns were working well, but on another occasion, a very slow retrieve with a small streamer did the trick.

In the first week of September, the coast was blessed with warmer weather and light showers, which will benefit local dams and bass fishing will hopefully come into the picture very soon.

South Coast scene.