High Fives

HIGH FIVES TIM LEPPAN

FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF LESOTHO AND THE BOKONG RIVER TO THE NUBIAN FLATS OF SUDAN, TIM LEPPAN’S GUIDING CAREER IS IN THE ASCENDANCY.

Photos. Phillip Geldart, Brent Poultney

5 best things about where you guide?

1. The people you get to meet. I never thought I’d have the privilege of meeting the guys and girls that I have whilst guiding on location. Truly it’s been amazing. 2. Seeing angry GTs and happy triggerfish over the course of the last three months has been out of this world. Being able to walk out onto a gin clear flat every day has been a dream come true. 3. A fellow guide and very close friend, Brent Poultney, sat me down prior to guiding and ran me through what I could experience on location. What stood out the most for me was when he mentioned the friendships forged between guides and how tight a guiding team can become. It couldn’t be more true, I’ve felt a part of a family whilst on location and am incredibly grateful for it. 4. Lesotho and Sudan have been an absolute eye opener for me, not only from a fishing perspective but also from a cultural perspective. Being able to experience polar opposite cultures and countries has been one of the biggest highlights for me, hands down. 5. Lastly, the photographic potential on location has been second to none. I doubt I’ll ever get the chance to pull out my camera this much. Especially from a fly fishing perspective.

5 fishing-connected items you don’t leave home without before making a mission?

1. My trusty Nikon Z7. Leaving my camera behind on a fishing trip is criminal. A good photo means as much as a good fish to me and so having the opportunity to do both is a win-win situation. 2. It sounds clichéd, but sunscreen. Tanned skin is not something I’m familiar with and so leaving sunscreen at home usually ends up being catastrophic. 3. Tying materials. Often I’ve had days where fish have zoned into a specific colour, profile or weight, whatever it may be. There’s nothing more frustrating than running out of a successful pattern whilst away on a fishing trip. 4. Sweets. Sweets are a must. I’ll leave lunch and water behind before I leave the sweets. Orange-flavored Super Cs to be precise. 5. Blister plasters. The quickest way to ruin a great trip is a blister or three.

5 bands to listen to while on a road trip?

1. Fleetwood Mac 2. Van Morrison 3. The Beegees 4. Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Can’t go wrong. 5. Dire Straits, once more a must.

5 things you are loving right now

1. Hardy rods and reels. I’ve always been against Hardy in a strange way. They are typically over-priced compared to competitors and I often thought it was purely a brand name you were paying for, like most things. But damn my mind has been changed. The Zephrus range of rods and the Fortuner reels are next level tough. 2. Sigma Art lenses. The price point and quality is mind blowing. Cheers to my photographer friend Ryan Janssens for this bit of advice from a long time back. I’ve never looked back! 3. I’ve never been a fan of watches, I’ve just found them uncomfortable and a liability more than anything, until I got my hands on a Garmin. Having a watch and subsequently being punctual whilst guiding is non-negotiable and so a watch was compulsory. I must admit, I don’t think I’d be able to operate without it going forward. 4. Harvest, the only decent fast food outlet in Port Sudan. The grilled chicken on change over day is revolutionary. 5. Snacks that guests leave behind. Nothing like a bit of Woolworths on the Red Sea.

5 indispensable flies for saltwater?

1.Flash Clousers. 2. Flexo crabs, they’re just that good. 3. Tan brush flies. 4. Silicone mullets. 5. Ice white DMAs.

5 indispensable flies for freshwater?

1. Foam Hoppers. 2. Articulated dungeons of all sorts. 3. The undisputed black muishond. 4. Belly scratchers. 5. CDC Klinks.

5 favourite fly fishing destinations across South Africa/ Africa?

1. The Cederberg for Clanwilliam Yellowfish. 2. The Orange river. 3. The Breede River, Witsand side. 4. Struisbaai, where it all began. 5. Kariega River in Kenton, that place is off the charts.

5 favourite fly fishing destinations globally?

1. Miyum, a tiny white sand island in the middle of the Red Sea, south of Port Sudan. 2. Poivre Island in the Seychelles. Having only experienced the fishery for a day, I constantly think back on the numbers of permit we saw that afternoon. One day when I’ve grown up I’ll be back. 3. The many lagunas around Jurassic Lake in search of brown and brook Trout. 4. St. Joe’s near Poirve. 5. Lastly, the flats of Desroches Island. To this day I haven’t seen GTs of that size and magnitude as I saw on those flats.

5 of the worst things you have picked up from guiding?

1. A sock tan that makes cyclists look normal. 2. A coffee and sea sickness medication dependency that will never be rectified. 3. Permanent inner thigh chafe. 4. Worn down teeth from all the 16lb tippet knots. 5. A craving for better internet connectivity.

5 flies to pack (in the smuggler kit under your driver’s seat) to cover most species?

1. White foam dungeon. 2. Flash clousers of all sizes. 3. Foam bass poppers for when times get desperate. 4. Black woolly buggers. 5. Black CDC nymphs.

5 people you would like to guide or fish with?

1. I would do anything to turn back time and have the opportunity to guide the late Mark Moses chasing Atlantic Salmon in the Ponoi River. The father-figure who instilled my passion for fly fishing will never, ever be forgotten. RIP to a true legend and lifelong inspiration. 2. Having an opportunity to guide my father, Chris Leppan, on a white sandy flat for GTs would honestly be a dream come true. 3. Exploring and fishing Socotra, South of Yemen, with Nicola Vitali would be completely out of this world... the GTs that come out of that region are truly cosmic. 4. One day I’d love to fish with both Tony Kietzmann and Marius Rosseau in the Cederberg in pursuit of large Clanwilliam Yellowfish. That would be special. 5. Walking a flat or river with my mother, Fiona Leppan, would be absolutely incredible. She needs to understand why I’m so addicted to this strange sport.

5 fish on your species hit list?

1. Atlantic Permit 2. Gabonese Tarpon 3. Louisiana Redfish 4. Peacock Bass in British Columbia 5. Atlantic Salmon from the Alta River in Norway

5 shower thoughts that have occurred to you while fly fishing?

1. How does fishing cause such distain amongst housing estate home owners? It’s just fishing, not drug dealing. 2. How can a fish break a 150lb leader in a split second, but two humans struggle for ages to pull it apart. 3. Why does every fish in the world gravitate to bread? 4. Am I truly the only one who’s stepped foot on this exact rock? 5. How many times have I caught the same fish twice?

5 of the most underrated species in your book?

1. Skipjack (Ladyfish). Those fish are unbelievable... they’re like a bonefish that jumps. 2. Bohar Snapper. They have everything you need in a fish. 3. Smallmouth Bass. They’re totally invasive here in South Africa and cause serious damage, but as an angling species, they are crazy. 4. Nembwe. If they weren’t surrounded by Tigerfish, they would be a fan favorite for many more anglers! 5. Bluefin Trevally. Strange that many anglers consider them a trash fish.

5 things (outside of the fishing) that make where you fish so special?

1. The lack of internet connection (whilst not guiding). 2. The people you meet in far flung places. I wouldn’t of met the most interesting people in my life had I not gone fishing. 3. The skills you are forced to learn just getting to the water. I never thought I’d become a wizard at changing a car tyre. 4. The many incredible encounters I’ve had with wildlife outside of the fish themselves. Like coming across numerous schooling whale sharks on a recent trip in Sudan. 5. The serenity and peace of mind is unparalleled whilst fly fishing.

5 destinations on your bucket list?

1. Scorpion Atoll in the Gulf of Mexico alongside Brent Poultney. 2. The Wessel Islands in Australia. 3. I would do anything to fish the Faro River alongside Stu Harley and Brent Poultney, that would be biblical. 4. Kau Tapen with one of my closest mates, Nick van Rensburg. 5. Cosmoledo and Providence in the Seychelles.

5 things you would take up if you weren’t always fly fishing?

1. Bow hunting would be my first priority. 2. Videography. The trade-off between shooting photos and casting flies at fish is huge and videography is just a bridge too far, the sacrifice is just too large. So, if I were to put my rod away permanently, I would certainly pursue videography. 3. Clay pigeon shooting would be another big one. Fly fishing has always taken time away from other outdoor activities such as this one. 4. I doubt I’d be any good at it but I’d like to try my hand at surfing and see what the buzz is all about. 5. Lastly, general travel. I find myself strictly traveling to find fish. I would enjoy spend some time on the move experiencing as many cultures as I could.

5 things you have you have learned about the Nubian Flats?

1. I’ve learnt that not one Triggerfish on the Nubian flats is the same. Generally you know how a certain species will react, however, with Triggerfish there’s no set recipe. I recently had an experience on the flats where a guest made a cast to a tailing Titan Triggerfish, as the fly landed the tailing fish spooked faster than you could imagine whilst another unseen Titan flew over out of nowhere and ate the fly on the drop. Typical Triggerfish. 2. Don’t be afraid to try new things, we had a 95cm GT eat a Nubian Spaghetti (basically the saltwater version of a San Juan worm) like it was its last meal. 3. Guiding has gifted me the opportunity to take on scuba diving in the Red Sea. The way the fish behave underwater was unbelievable to witness. We had sightings that drastically changed the way we targeted certain species. Dogtooth Tuna being a big one... 4. When a Triggerfish refuses, the answer’s not always no. 5. I’ve learnt not to dredge with 150lb leader... nothing pulls harder than a reef.

5 essential ingredients for an incredible mission?

1. A sufficient amount of cold beer. It’s amazing how a shortage of alcohol puts a downer on a trip. 2. Good music and a charged speaker. There’s nothing like background golden oldies around a campfire. 3. A solid group of close mates. Once more, it’s amazing how a good fishing trip can be affected by one angler. 4. Multiple lighters. It’s crazy how lighters die on fishing trips. There’s nothing worse than having bread rolls for dinner after a long day on the water! 5. A reliable off-road vehicle is essential. I’ve learnt the hard way many a time behind the wheel of a VW Polo.

5 flies that to look at make no sense but that catch fish all the time?

1. A bed head. A popular fly uses for triggerfish and other flats dwelling species, it’s basically a cotton wool ball with legs but man it catches fish. 2. A flash clouser is another. Zero profile just a shed load of flash. I’ve never seen fish switch onto a fly like I have with a flash clouser. May it be saltwater or freshwater. 3. The one and only Nubian Spaghetti. Long story short it’s merely a a hook with 4mm dumbbell eyes and a two inch piece of chenille. I’ve seen fish move ridiculous distances, in turbulent water, to eat a spaghetti. Absolutely mind blowing. 4. A Tarpon toad. What does it actually replicate? 5. A local favourite in South Africa, the Mrs. Simpson. How do fish recognize that fly as a food source?

5 things about fly fishing that you may never understand?

1. Why do die-hard fly fishermen handicap themselves as much as they do? They would experience a lot more fish if they just picked up a spinning rod from time to time (it’s amazing how much more can you learn by simply throwing a lure). 2. Why do we always tie a thousand flies too many for a respective trip? You only end up using a handful of them, usually.

“BEING ABLE TO EXPERIENCE POLAR OPPOSITE CULTURES AND COUNTRIES HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST HIGHLIGHTS FOR ME, HANDS DOWN.”

3. Why do we need so much gear simply to catch a fish? Fly fishing is seriously gear intensive. Whether we need all that gear is up for debate. Yet we still do. 4. Why do we walk for hours in the searing heat just to throw feathers at fish? 5. Why do predatory fish swim through baitfish to eat feathers?

5 common mistakes that most clients make?

1. The first and biggest is hitting the fish on the head. Staying calming is one of the most important skills one should have, thinking clearly and presenting the fly where it needs to be. Rather take a bit more time and do it properly the first time, than make many casts and finally get it right. 2. A common one is trout setting or lifting the rod to set the hook, especially whilst fishing the saltwater regions. A good strip set is vital. 3. Another important one is knots. Leave that to the guides. You’ve paid for their service and at least you have someone to blame when a knot fails! 4. Forgetting to lock the reel, with regard to saltwater fly fishing and hardy fish species. Either that or giving fish too much room to move. Once they’ve built up momentum it’s super difficult to stop them. 5. The last one is just to listen to your guides and trust their advice. You may have fished other regions in the world for the same species but it doesn’t mean they’re all the same. At the end of the day the guides have spent days upon days on the same flats.

Your last five casts were to….

GTs and Triggerfish on the Red Sea.