Fishing the Flats - Andrew Mather A different side of the Orange

Fishing the Flats A different side of the Orange river

Andrew Mather

The Orange - going for broke

Andrew Mather

We came across a 500m wide flats section where the water was flowing uniformly over a shallow sandy area. We gazing into the clear water while our guide Etienne walked the Arc across the flats looking for dark, moving shapes. Here and there between the weed we could see small groups of fish distributed across the sandy bottom. These small groups of fish where moving in the sandy bottom between the weed clumps. The trick was to cast about 2m in front of them and drift the “gotcha fly” past them along the bottom.

Nic, my fishing partner, was at the ready to make his cast standing on the Arc platform. “2 o’clock 10m” barked Etienne. Nic familiar with fishing for Bonefish in Cuba fired the line out upstream of the fish. The weighted flies quickly sank and started tumbled down the sandy lane towards the fish. Quick as a flash the bigger bonefish rushed in and ate the fly. All hell broke loose. The fish made its first run. If came to the net a beautiful glistening golden yellow colour.

Sight fish small mouth Yellows on the flats is a pretty unique experience. Who would have thought that such an environment existed. Nick and I took turns to tempt these small mouth Yellows to eat and had an hour of fun before the drift downstream to camp called.

But starting at the beginning this is my fourth trip on the Orange with the Hunterfisher crew.

David Pouter hauled them in!

Largies

So those of you whom have done the 1000 casts for a largie listen up…

Largies are not that difficult to catch…well certainly not in the right place and with the correct technique.

The most productive spots where we took many mature largies was under overhanging branches where birds have roosted. The branches are usually cover in white guano.

The boat is moving downstream so typically you may only get one or two shots at best at the honey hole. Line at the ready you need to fire the first shot in when positioned 45 degree upstream. This allows a short time for fly to sink and for a few strips before one is now perpendicular from the spot. This tiny window if fished with skill gives you a second shot at the same spot if you are quick on the cast.

The Author with a nice largie on the sculpin fly

Now having explained the casting part, the fly is critical. The fly has to plop onto the water exactly under these white branches. Exactly on this spot is no lie. A metre away just takes it out the zone. Bearing in mind the trees are within this 1m radius expect to catch a few branches in the course of the day. On this trip we were two to a boat so the second guy got lucky and he got to cast if this happened.

Look the whole scenario passes in the flash and one needs to be on top of your game. Jacques on one of the day saw that Nic and I were spraying our cast too much so had us practice casting.

Nick would cast at the bank and try land 50 cms from the weed and I would cast and try land on the exact spot his fly did. Did I mention we are both right handed. One of us had to back cast to the spot.

Well there had to be someone that upset the applecart!

Fly choice was a heavy weighted sculpin fly tied with black rabbit zonker strips of the tail and palmered around the head. This ensured the right plop sund and the sink rate was fantastic.

Sometimes when a cast is made a couple of largies, and smallies, for that matter, come up to look at what just dropped in. one of my spots three fish rose. They all looked the same size. First strip yielded nothing. A quick strip in and recast without any false casting put the fly back on the spot. This time I got a chase. Still no hookup. A third cast was tried…up, and back down. I saw the fish drive and felt the hit. A good fish that fought me deep. When it finally can out it was a 9lb smallie! Oh well you can’t win them all. Fly lines choice was interesting. Some of the lads used intermediate and sink line. These were more effective in the larger pools where a lot of the thousand blind casts happened.

At the honey holes the Rio 4 D line came into its own. This is a specialist line. Tip is a Sink 5 followed by a sink 3 section then a section of intermediate and finally a floating section. It seems like a super complicated set up but it works well for several reasons. The floating line makes it easy to lift off a longer cast then straight sink line. Casting across current seams can be better managed when you can see and work the floating section while the sink part does its thing.

This rapid was full of these large females

The sleeping accommodation is divided into two sleeper tents with stretchers to keep you off the ground. It’s useful to be off the ground out here as there are some things you don’t want crawling over you… like the scorpion Rob found on his bag one morning!

A main tent serving as a kitchen/dining room is set up but mostly we just sat around the fire in the evening and ate while telling stories.

Well the good news is that the Golden Shovel is no longer. A portapotty now takes its place and is a welcome improvement to the trip. Another winner was the hot showers. A craftly set up of a cooler box holding hot water and a small electric powered water pump complete with shower head. A welcome improvement to washing in the river and having your dangly bits nibbled by small fish, but perhaps some chaps may disagree!

The camp staff have the set up break down regime down to a fine art. Not once did we have to ewait for the camp to be set up. We walked in off the water to ice cold gin and tonics with ice!

Last Night

The last night is spent at Plato Lodge. Hot showers, probper beds and good home cooked Northern Cape cos put a fantastic end to this trip. All that was left was to drive home...1500 odd kilomters and dream/plan next years trip!

Mike Chisholm with another fat female

The killer fly of the trip

Rob Hibbert with a beauty

Nothing beats a good nymphing session for getting numbers!

At one of the days overnight spots was the most magnificent rapids section with an island which split the river into two sections. Here the team of six happy anglers descended for a session that I have never experience to date. Eager large smallmouth yellows were a plenty. When I mean big it was not uncommon to catch a ten pounder and have her give your 6 weight a real rev. Yes nymphing with a 6 weight might appear to be overkill but mark

The armoury

my words several of the lads got smashed fishing 6 weights.

When we first arrived we were greeted to spawning muddies along the banks. It wasn’t long before we had a few on the line. Damn this fish had shoulders and boy did they give a solid fight. David soon became the Muddy King as he hooked them one after another and had them sit on him. They have this habit of once hooked to somehow resist all efforts to move them from the spot they got hooked. Of one assumes that you have got hooked on rocks as there is no give at all. Only to wade over and see your line move sideways!

Dragon HUnter Fishing Safari

After a very successful 2019/2020 season in the Richtersveld in Namibia, we found ourselves with 24 hours to leave, and join the rest of the world in the uncertainty as the Covid 19 pandemic and panic spread through society at large. Although lockdown was relaxed for local travel, crossing borders was still impossible, and will be a risk for the foreseeable future. Having fished the Orange River from source to sea over the last 20 years, we opened google maps, and pulled out the little black book of contact details of those wonderful people we met during these adventures.

Hunter Fisher prides itself, not just about the level of our guides, but also on our client’s overall experience. Our priority was to find a stretch of river that will give our clients the opportunity to land that trophy Dragon. A close second is that the logistical support still enables us to supply the highestlevel of service during the trip. Great food, access to friendly staff, enough ice, transfer support etc., are just as important to ensure you have an experience of a lifetime. After identifying a few stretches we knew from experience had amazing fishing, we connected with Gen and Lea from Plato Lodge. Having been involved in River Rafting for some time, this amazing desert lodge, just a short transfer from the get out point, hit the jack pot for us. Not only did we connect with amazing people that understand our needs, but they had access to an amazing untouched piece of the Orange river! Hunter Fisher have successfully negotiated exclusive launch and get out points to run this 22km stretch of untouched wilderness and fishing.

A Uniquely Satisfying Fishing Experience

We will start fishing about 22km upstream from Plato Lodge, launching from Blaauputz. From the launch spot, the river turns away from all agricultural activity and is mostly inaccessible by car… read: zero fishing pressure from the locals . The river structure varies significantly over this 22km stretch. From rapids filled with huge Small Mouth Yellows to deep pools with great structure, ensuring a real chance at a Trophy Large Mouth Yellow. Or like we like to call these big boys – a real Dragon! Every day we start and end off the day at a rapid. Big Small Mouth yellows in numbers give you a good end and/or start to your fishing day. With the pressure to catch a fish off, we spend the fishing day slowly drifting from prime lie to the next prime lie, hunting these elusive Dragons. We will spend 2 nights at the third camp spot just because the fishing is incredible. This rapid has the best nymphing water full up with some of the biggest Smallies that both Jacques and I have everexperienced! And there are plenty to go around!

Excellent team and equipment

Our customised inflatable rafts are manned by competent guides who keep the boat in position while the clients (2 per boat) can stand and cast at the fish. All the boats have electric trolling motors to make haste of the long pools, and rowing is done by the guides when it is suitable. This way clients do not have to tire themselves out by rowing.

They can rather expend their energy on what matters: fishing! The Hunterfisher support team operates in the background, setting up and breaking down the camps every day and moving them from spot to spot. They also ensure that you are well looked after in terms of cuisine. The team provide clients with delicious meals, keeping hungry anglers satisfied with traditional Northern Cape fare. And when you have had your fill of food and drink, the accommodation will ensure that you have a comfortable night’s sleep, to be fresh for each day of excellent fishing.

Day 1:

Day 2,

Day 3:

Day 4:

Day 5:

Day 6:

Day 7:

Arrive Plato Lodge from 14h00. After book in, you will have the opportunity to do a quick afternoon session a few minutes drive down the road on Plato’s private stretch of Orange river. On registration you will be issued with a HF dry bags to safely store your personal belongings during the drift. After a great Northern Cape dinner, and a few drinks in the bar, you will retire for a good nights rest to get ready for 5 days on the water. Breakfast will be served at 7h00 sharp, after which you will be transferred to the put-in point where the Hunterfisher guides will eagerly await you to get you fishing and on the way to the first overnight camp at Elandsbay. The Hunter Fisher camp crew would by the time of your arrival, have pitched camp, ready with a cold one, to celebrate your catch. Leaving the camp crew to pack and move camp downstream to Skeleton coast, we will be fishing some big water with lots of structure toward our next camp. Probably one of the best Nymphing rapids we have seen on the Orange! We will stay at Skeleton coast fishing for big tippet snapping Small mouth yellows. We will not move camp, and sleep over here a second night. Now hold on to your 17lb tippet Dragon Hunters. From here to “ get out, the following day, has been described by the lucky few who has been here, as the best Largie water on the Orange! We will travel to our last camp, hunting for that trophy! We will sleep over at Leopards Leap camp, and hopefully all 3 boats can come in with the “Dragon” flag hoisted. After breakfast we will attack the last stretchof this epic piece of the Orange river, getting outat Platos private camp for a late lunch. You will be transferred back to the Lodge. After a dust off and shower, we meet up at the bar for a “lekker kuier” and great Northern Cape dinner. Departure after a good night’s sleep and healthy breakfast.

Hunterfisher offer two packages:A couples hosted trip for 5 fisherman and their respective partners (minimum 5 couples). A guided Trophy Large and Small mouth Yellowfish trip (maximum 6 anglers). For more information contact :Etienne Erasmus Cell: 082 613 9462 email: etienne@hunterfisher.co.za Jacques Marais Cell: 082 256 0966 email: jacques.hunterfisher@gmail.com