Flyfishing report: Saltwater - Upper South Coast

Winter is now in full swing; that’s for sure. A recent cold from that swept through, was accompanied by intense winds and thunder showers for us along the coast, with snowfall for the guys further inland, has resulted in very cold conditions along the upper south coast. These conditions are in favour of the highly anticipated annual sardine run.

Reports of various species of game fish have been caught over recent weeks, by both lure and bait fishermen at most of the fishing hotspots along the coast. With the action ever increasing the closer one can get to the shoals of sardines.

On the fly-fishing front, most catches reported have been from the guys that have been fishing the harbour. While the conditions in the surf have been, at times, favourable for fly fishing, aside from the odd Wave Garrick or two, the catches have remained few. With the Umgeni River Estuary still a no-go zone for fishing activities, the harbour has been the go-to spot if you want to get into some saltwater fly-fishing action. Fishing from the sandbanks into the channels has proven most effective. Kingfish, Spotted Grunter, Sand Gurnard and Cock Grunter have been caught off the sandbanks. While river perch can be targeted further upstream over the mudflats towards the mangroves. Most if not all the fish were caught on various Shrimp patterns tied on hooks ranging from size six up to a size two.

As is usually the case with fishing in the salt, you just never know what species of fish will eat your fly next, and the fact that the guys fishing live bait in the harbour are catching Garrick, means that one of these fine days we will get a report of Garrick being caught on fly in the harbour. Until then however, we will keep making the most of the species that we have available.

I have attached below a picture of my go-to fly when fishing the harbour. It is a derivative of the Aussie Raw Prawn, tied with basic materials and in various shades has accounted for most of the fly caught fish in the harbour in recent times (I don’t have a name for it as yet, you can call it a Raw Prawn Derivative). ‘Till next time, Tight lines.

The Raw Prawn Derivative Fly