NATURE
Words: Alan Hobson│Photos: Angler & Antelope
ADDICTED TO NYMPHING OUR VISIBILITY WAS OBSCURED BY THE MIST ROLLING OVER THE WATER AS IT RAN FROM THE SUN THAT WAS RISING WITH VENOM, ANNOUNCING TODAY WOULD BE A SCORCHER OF OVER 30 DEGREES. As we neared the bank of Sterkfontein Dam, we were greeted by the vigorous applause from the tails of spawning yellowfish slapping the water at the water’s edge. What lay before us was a vast expanse of crystal clear water with an abundance of yellowfish, a sight that is sure to blow the mind of any fly fisherman and is sight fishing at its best.
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ONCE WE HAD CAREFULLY ANCHORED AWAY FROM THE SPAWNING FISH, A FEW METRES FROM THE EDGE, MY FISHING COMPANION, AL, AND I WERE EXCITEDLY MUTTERING TO EACH OTHER IN GIBBERISH. NOT BECAUSE OUR TEETH WERE STILL CHATTERING FROM THE 40-MINUTE BOAT TRIP AT SUNRISE, BUT IN COMPLETE DISBELIEF OF THE SHEER NUMBERS AND SIZE OF FISH WE COULD SEE. Therein lies the reality check, if you can see them, then the fish can see you too. We were quick to set up our #5wt rods with ten-feet leaders armed with beetle flies. Then panic set in; where does one cast when you can see so many fish?
STERKFONTEIN DAM PHENOMENA
There are predominantly two natural phenomena that occur at Sterkfontein Dam. The first being the spawning season, whereby the female fish *in berry moves to the water’s edge, often with their backs sticking out of the water, to look for suitable gravel substrate, and is followed by a school of hormonal males. When she drops her eggs all hell breaks loose, as the males clamour over each other, jumping out of the water to express their genetic dominance and sow their wild oats. This process is exhausting and the result is that not all fish can spawn all the time. Once they have executed nature’s business, they move from the shallows to the deeper water and vice versa. For lack of a better phrase, this 'fish zone', which is from a few feet to a few metres from where the fish are spawning, is the area one needs to present your fly because these are the fish most likely to feed opportunistically as they move in or out of the spawning area. They need sustenance. During the spawning season one does not want to interfere with this natural phenomenon, so great care must be taken to stay away from the spawning areas. However, opportunities to target hungry fish in the 'fish zone' is possible. Second, Sterkfontein Dam is huge and very deep, at more than 100 metres in places, which results in the development of its own micro climate. The predominant food supply is terrestrial insects, which are blown off the surrounding grassland vegetation and onto the water from the wind generated by the contrast in temperatures between the land, surrounding escarpment of the Drakensburg Mountains and huge water-surface area. This results in wind lanes or scum lines developing on the water, very often against the cliffs and drop offs. As the water is so clear here, the yellowfish will take refuge behind or against any structure along the banks of the dam. With this in mind, one can either drift along the edges, presenting your fly in the scum lanes or near a structure, or get out of the boat and patrol the edges looking for feeding fish.
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Tiny nymphs.
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FLY PATTERNS
The town of Harrismith, near Sterkfontein Dam, has been blessed with the services of the good doctor, Dr Hans van Zyl, for many years. However, it is not his medical dedication under discussion here, but rather his monumental contribution to fly fishing that needs to be commended. The good doctor has probably spent most of his spare time under the therapy of fly fishing, justifying the philosophy that every day you spend fly fishing increases your life expectancy by a day. Observation is the most underrated skill in fly fishing and undoubtedly a secret ingredient to success on the water. Based on this, the range of beetle patterns developed by the good doctor has revolutionised realistic imitative fly tying and taken dry fly fishing to another level. Now, I fancy myself as a competent fly tier and have spent many hours tying my own beetle variations, only to be humbled by the reactions of the yellowfish to the beetle. Fishing side by side with Al, whilst he fished the doctor’s beetle and I persisted with my variations, Al had caught half-a-dozen fish before I even had a strike. Our problem was that we only had a few of the good doctor's beetles and I had been smashed so many times that I was down to my last beetle. I cannot deny having been described as obsessive on a number of occasions, and I was determined not to be outfished by Al. My thinking outside the proverbial fly box came back to observation. The aquatic food source over and above the terrestrials is predominantly caddis and mayfly, which are very small in Sterkfontein. So I proceeded to set up a dropper and nymph rig, using a ten-foot leader with a #16 brassie as my control fly. I then attached, in New Zealand style, a #18 or #20 unweighted mayfly nymph or caddis pupae as the point fly. It is imperative that one fishes with a very light tippet, preferably 4lb fluorocarbon, otherwise you quite simply do not get the volume of strikes because the fish can see your tippet. I presented this rig in the same way as one does the beetle, in the 'fish zone'.
THE VISUAL RUSH AND EXPERIENCE OF PRESENTING YOUR FLY TO THE FISH YOU CAN SEE, SEEING THEIR REACTION TESTED AGAINST YOUR SKILLS, SETTING THE HOOK SUCCESSFULLY, enjoying the thrill of the
fight, and then releasing the fish for the next angler is what makes Sterkfontein a world-class fishery. It's comparable to *bone fishing in the Bahamas. To boast a little, I did manage to outfish Al about three to one, nymphing. Having so much fun becomes completely addictive; we were up at 4 a.m. every morning and fished throughout the day until sunset at 7 p.m. and were absolutely exhausted but completely exhilarated at the end of each day. •
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TERMS:
* IN BERRY - refers to female fish carrying eggs. * GRAVEL SUBSTRATE - material found on the bottom and is what triggers fish to spawn. * BONE FISHING - fishing for bonefish, which is known for its sporting qualities and challenge in finding, hooking and landing it.
Alan Hobson with a good Yellow fish.
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