The Mission Fly fishing Magazine #Issue 29

Bucknuts ISSUE 29 SEPT/OCT 2021

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FYNBOS FISH, ZANDVLEI’S OPEN SECRETS, SPAGHETTI AL LA SUDAN, BASIE VOSLOO, JOHN THOABALA, BEERS, BEATS & MORE

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W W W . T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M ISSUE 29 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021

CONTENTS Cover: Andre van Wyk doing his best Mina Suvari impression on a bed of premium bucktail. Photo Platon Trakoshis.

32 WHAT LIES BENEATH Imagine healthy rivers teeming with large, indigenous fynbos fish, while still being able to hang on to our beloved alien trout streams. Sound good? If what Dr Jeremy Shelton envisages for freshwater conservation in the Western Cape plays out, that’s what the future will hold.

46 EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED From barbel on 9-weights to yellows and Florida bass, 80m waterfalls and trout with special genes, a visit to Somerset East to fish with Alan Hobson of the Angler & Antelope will surprise, inform and entertain you.

54 SPAGHETTI ALLA SUDAN When Meredith McCord visited the Nubian Flats she was on the hunt for triggerfish, bluefin trevally and GTs. What she didn’t expect was the spaghetti worm. No one expects the spaghetti worm.

62 OPEN SECRETS Large urban leervis and the beautiful vlei they call home are under threat, which is why Richard Wale got the green light from fellow anglers of Zandvlei to write about Cape Town’s worst-kept saltwater secret.

74 BUCKNUTS From the nether regions of a whitetail deer, to saltwater flats, bass ponds and other fisheries the world over, bucktail is arguably THE pre-eminent fly tying material. We take a closer look with bucktail obsessive Andre van Wyk.

REGULAR FEATURES 14 Chum 18 Booze & Beats 20 Undercurrents Basie Vosloo 28 High Fives

86 Salad Bar 92 Pay Day 96 Clobber 98 Lifer

Alex Waller going tight with a brown trout on North Island, New Zealand (a country with the second best rugby team in the world). Photo Gerhard Uys

PRIORITIES T

Tudor Caradoc-Davies

here was so much going on for this issue that, when faced with the choice of writing a whimsical little piece or going with a smash-up smorgasbord of bits and bobs, the latter option had to win. Without even touching on Sudanese spaghetti worms, the anglers of Zandvlei wanting to publicise their ‘secret’ yet embattled estuary for the greater good, a Kiwi guide or a Dullstroom legend, here are a few highlights.

For starters, apologies to Mena Suvari for our rip-off cover of her bed of roses scene from Sam Mendes’ iconic ’99 film American Beauty. Adopting the ‘when life gives you lemons’ mantra to… the tails of North American deer, when a large shipment of US bucktail made it to us in Cape Town, instead of immediately dividing it up into each person’s individual orders, we saw an opportunity to both amuse ourselves and get a cracking shot.

While putting Andre van Wyk on a bed of bucktail in his birthday suit was a novel idea, Suvari definitely did it better (sorry Dre). In the film, she played the role of Angela Hayes, a vain teenage girl who becomes the object of infatuation of a man experiencing a middle-age crisis. As far as middle-aged men and their infatuations go, Andre and his cohort of bucktail obsessives like Bob Popovics, Ru Harvey, Gianni di Pace and others, fit the description. For their hard-won tips and insights on tying with bucktail, check out Andre’s deep dive, “Bucknuts” (page 74).

“When you put on a mask and snorkel and stick your head underwater, it quickly becomes quiet and you become weightless.

It doesn’t take long for things to slow down, to quieten down and for that river ecosystem around you to relax to your presence.

I keep going back looking for that underwater calmness. It’s a therapeutic, addictive thing for me to do. From above a river might look quite lifeless – then you stick your head under and it’s quite mind-blowing at just how much life and how much diversity is there, just beneath the surface.”

That’s Dr Jeremy Shelton, our main profile in this issue (page 32), describing the cool mountain streams that are his field office and which also happen to be our playgrounds. Jeremy is doing phenomenal work studying, protecting and promoting endemic

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“fynbos fish,” including several big ‘uns like witvis, sandfish, sawfin and Clanwilliam yellowfish that are viable targets on fly.

The future he envisages would see these species bouncing back off the combined efforts of conservationists, landowners and fly anglers.

“Catching a fish brings the simple satisfaction and absolute fact of everything unfolding as planned. The presentation of a fly, managing the drift, the physical action of fighting a fish and successfully landing it. This never feels like I am taming nature, more like being in alignment, and understanding it better, at least for a short time. Fishing is a search for the fleeting connection to something alive that can never be fully known. Once the fish is gone, it’s just me on the bank. There are mountains in the distance. Nobody knows where I am. Sometimes you get lucky.”

There was so much to enjoy about David Coggins’ new book, The Optimist (review on page 92), but I particularly loved and related to this passage and especially the third and second last lines, “There are mountains in the distance. Nobody knows where I am.”

It’s not entirely accurate in my case in that my wife generally knows where I am (thanks the bloody ancient Egyptians for inventing sun-dials and tHaNkZ 2 B!LL g8T€s), but being lost to society for a few hours is definitely a major motivator when I fish. To both avoid mid-river outrage at some poor innocent calling you mid-mission and to achieve peak, “nobody knows where I am” status, I wholeheartedly endorse engaging airplane mode, setting yourself at a cruising altitude and getting in alignment with nature.

Lastly, there’s a heartfelt tribute to Rhodes Legend Basie Vosloo (page 20) by Jade dos Santos in the print version of this issue, with further contributions by Basie’s friends in the digital magazine where we have more space. I never got to meet Basie, but by all accounts he was a wonderful man, a true friend and a guy who lived a full life. To that end, I want to steal the opening epigraph from the book I’m currently reading, David Profumo’s The Lightning Thread, as it seems fitting both to celebrate a life like Basie’s and to encourage the living to get their priorities straight.

“If fishing interferes with your business, give up your business…

The trout do not rise in Green Wood cemetery.”

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

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Richard Wale juggling his vices at Cape Town’s urban estuary, Zandvlei. (Page 62)

EDITOR Tudor Caradoc-Davies ART DIRECTOR Brendan Body CONTACT THE MISSION The Mission Fly Fishing Mag (PTY) Ltd 25 Firth Road, Rondebosch, 7700, Cape Town, South Africa info@themissionflymag.com www.themissionflymag.com

EDITOR AT LARGE Conrad Botes COPY EDITOR Gillian Caradoc-Davies ADVERTISING SALES tudor@themissionflymag.com

CONTRIBUTORS #29

Andre van Wyk, Richard Wale, Jeremy Shelton, John Thoabala, Gerhard Uys, Jade dos Santos, the West Coast Wolves, Jeremy Shelton, Tudor Caradoc-Davies, Meredith McCord, Jazz Kuschke Knut Otto (cover retouching)

PHOTOGRAPHERS #29

Platon Trakoshis, Tom Sutcliffe, Gerhard Uys, Jeremy Shelton, Richard Wale, Nick van Rensburg, Steve Benjamin, Jeremy Shelton, William Lotter, Leonard Flemming, Nicholas Hampton, Tim Leppan, Stuart Purnell Andy Killick, Jason Taylor, Ben Whally, Bob Popovic, Gunnar Brammer, Rupert Harvey, Paul Monaghan, Jari Koski, Giovanni de Pace, Graeme Gullacksen, Mavungana Flyfishing

THE MISSION IS PUBLISHED 6 TIMES A YEAR. THE MISSION WILL WELCOME CONTENT AND PHOTOS. WE WILL REVIEW THE CONTRIBUTION AND ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT IT CAN BE USED AS PRINT OR ONLINE CONTENT. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MAGAZINE OR ITS OWNERS. THE MISSION IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE MISSION FLY MAG (PTY) LTD. ANY DUPLICATION OF THIS MAGAZINE, FOR MEDIA OR SALE ACTIVITY, ……WILL BE STRIPPED NEKKID AND SHOT ON A BED OF BUCKTAIL FOR OUR AMUSEMENT.

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CHUM

SALTWATER GURU ADVICE, WASTE NOT WANT NOT GEAR, AN AWARD-WINNING PODCAST, & INCREDIBLE AUCTION ITEMS

CHECK OUT… …KYLE REED’S NEW YOUTUBE SERIES on saltwater fly fishing covering subjects from gear selection to pretrip tackle prep. Formerly based in the Seychelles running remote saltwater fly fishing destinations like Astove, Kyle and his better half Jess are now managing The Delphi Club in the Bahamas. Whether it’s the Indian Ocean or the Caribbean, saltwater fly fishing is his day job so you can be sure his info is legit, having been tested over the years in the best saltwater fly fishing destinations on the planet. youtube.com

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK… … AT PATAGONIA’S colour options on various pieces of gear and apparel on their site. In between shades like “Pigeon Blue” and “Owl Brown,” you might come across a skewbald jacket or a harlequin Black Hole Cube. If that piece of gear has the ‘Multi’ descriptor, it is made from leftover bits and bobs of material from the company’s various product runs. There’s nothing wrong with the material, they just did not have enough of one colour to make a uniform product. So, instead of throwing them out, Patagonia’s designers used them to make gear that is far from uniform, but also far from boring. patagonia.com

LISTEN TO THE … … INTO THE OKAVANGO podcast. Winner of the 2021 Best Narrative Nonfiction Podcast Award at the Tribeca Film Festival, this brilliantly produced series by Cat Jaffee of the House of Pod takes you on a journey of discovery that combines local legends and folk-lore in the fabled Okavango Delta with critical conservation initiatives across the region. Backed by National Geographic and the Wild Bird Trust, it is narrated by Angolan biologist Kerllen Costa and features a range of characters from Dr Steve Boyes (who led the 1500-mile that was turned into the 2018 documentary Into the Okavango) and Koketso Mookodi a Botswanan who has come of age, living and working in the Delta.

We’re on our way there to fish for tigerfish in the barbel run so the incredible eco-system of this area is very much top of mind for us. wildbirdtrust.com/guardians-of-the-river

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CHUM (CONTINUED)

BID FOR… …A GOOD CAUSE. Over the next two months, The Mission will be running a silent auction for two incredible prizes.

1) TOM SUTCLIFFE’S WATERCOLOUR PAINTING of two leaping rainbow trout against a background of the Bokspruit River in the Eastern Cape Highlands, painted on Arches 300 gsm 100% cotton paper, the best water colour paper in the world. Tom has also specially tied three flies (a Zak, DDD and RAB) to be inset by Steve Boshoff into the frame below the painting. This collector’s item will be the only painting Tom has ever done that is framed together with flies he has personally tied.

An example of Tom’s art. The piece up for auction is still a work in progress.

2) A STUNNING NEW ORVIS TROUT BUM FLY ROD (6’2-wt 4-piece graphite) in an Orvis aluminium rod tube, kindly donated by patron of the arts and fly fishing Sharland Urquhart.

To enter, simply email info@themissionflymag.com, indicating both the item you are bidding on and your bid. Highest bids win. Winners will be announced at the Cape Piscatorial Society’s 90th Birthday Celebration in November. 100% of the proceeds from the auction will be going to the Children’s Hospital Trust, the fundraising arm of the Red Cross Children’s Hospital. Further details on themissionflymag.com and our social media channels.

TAKE A GANDER AT… … THE CAPE STREAMS HOODIE collab from Skout Supply and Stream and Sea. Featuring artwork by globetrotting guide Johann du Preez, this great hoodie looks the part, is made from durable fabric and gives you UPF50 sun protection. Bonus - to help conserve the habitat and future of our indigenous fish species, 5% of the sales of all Cape Streams Trout hoodies are donated to the Freshwater Research Centre. streamandsea.com

THE BABER SCOPE YOUR FISHING FUTURE ACCORDING TO YOUR STAR SIGN AS READ BY BABERMAN, THE LEGENDARY GRUMPY CATFISH. Virgo (The Virgin): August 23–September 22.

Every time you think of your star sign, you snort because despite being “a virgin,” you’ve seen more action than JeanClaude van Damme. That applies to both the boudoir and the water where you can expect a rich vein of form in the coming months. Be careful of the comet Chiron though. That little bastard likes to go full retrograde on Virgos, which means no matter how good the fishing is, you’ll start thinking about your tax returns. Or the dire state of South African cricket.

Libra (Balance): September 23–October 23.

“Oooh, look at me, I’m all about balance and scales and justice.

I am undefeated at slacklining, Jenga and regular bowel movements. I can stand one-footed on a rock more slippery than owl-shit, mid-river, and execute a perfect cast every time.

Even though I insist on stacking stones and messing with dragonfly nymphs, I am hands-down the holier-than-though tonsil of star signs.” For crying out loud, stone stacking?!?

Get some real vices.

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FODDER

BOOZE & BEATS

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THE COCKTAIL - BLOODY HELL, THAT’S GOOD Whether you’re at the tail-end of summer or just seeing it start as we are in the Southern hemisphere, there’s one cocktail that stands head and shoulders above the rest for boozing on baking hot days, and that’s the Bloody Mary.

Part cocktail, part soup, part of a balanced diet – it’s thirstquenching and moreish thanks to the endorphins released by the capsaicin in whatever chilli sauce you add to it. It’s also nigh on impossible to make it exactly the same way every time. It’s a drink that takes well to slightly buzzed, or hungover, improvisation, like tossing in some Guinness in place of Worcestershire sauce, or some blanco tequila in place of vodka. Personally, we like to use two different tomato products, ideally tomato juice and Clamato, a commercially produced tomato juice/clam broth blend available in South Africa from olivebranchdeli.com. The Clamato just brings a next level umami kick to your Bloody Mary. Make your Bloody Mary just with Clamato and you have a Bloody Caesar, a Canadian favourite.

120ml (half a cup) Clamato 120ml (half a cup) tomato juice 1 tsp ketchup (makes it thicker and super savory) 50ml vodka or other spirit Juice of 1/2 lime 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce 2 dashes hot sauce or sriracha 1 tsp horseradish Several grinds of black pepper.

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Combine all ingredients, then gently roll the drink between two mixing or pint glasses. Stirring leaves the chewy ingredients on the bottom, and shaking makes it frothy. Make sure you roll it!

Also, if you can get reusable milkshake straws they are perfect, because they won’t clog up with horseradish of other bulky ingredients.

Garnish with a celery stick and wedge of lime.

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

“TAKE IRISH FOLK, MIX IN SOME SKA, PUNK, DJEMBE DRUMS AND LEFTFIELD PERCUSSION AND YOU START TO GET AN IDEA”

THE BEATS – WEST COAST WOLVES Our main profile in this issue, freshwater conservationist Jeremy Shelton, is also a member of the band the West Coast Wolves (westcoastwolves.co.za). Take Irish folk, mix in some ska, punk, djembe drums and leftfield percussion and you start to get an idea of their unique sound.

The Wolves put together this playlist, which includes (as per our insistence) a few tunes from a new album they have put together under lockdown.

TRACK LISTING

Blue Side of The Mountain - The Steeldrivers Uncle Tin - West Coast Wolves Banjo Odyssey - The Dead South Golden Embers - Mandolin Orange Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake - Small Faces Make It Wit Chu - Queens of the Stone Age Thompson Would - West Coast Wolves Rumble - Link Wray Sleep Walk - Santo & Johnny Flames - West Coast Wolves Been Caught Stealing - Jane’s Addiction So Lonely - The Police Lufuno - Tidal Waves Burnin’ And Lootin’ - Bob Marley & The Wailers Country Boy - Alan Jackson

Press Play

THE BEER – GOLDEN MOLE IPA

“Goes down like a homesick mole” is an apt description of how good this beer from Featherstone Brewery is. The brewery is one of two owned by brewer William Yell, the other being Entrepid Brewing. Yell took over Featherstone in 2020 and with it the beers – Drostdy English Ale, Oldenburgia White Beer, Bell Ringer Rooibos Pale Ale and Golden Mole IPA - named for cultural touchpoints of the Eastern Cape or endemic flora/fauna.

The grains used in the Golden Mole IPA are 100% malted barley, 10% of which are crystal malts, to balance out the beer’s hoppiness. According to Yell, “five hop additions are made through the boiling process as well as a generous dose of dry hops in the fermenter.”

With that much attention given to hops you might think it would be overpowering, but the 5.2% ABV Golden Mole IPA hits that hops Goldilocks-zone with just the right amount of hop bitterness, aroma and flavour. A crisp clean finish is provided by the American-style yeast Yell uses. For those looking to keep it tidy, but still keen on drinking a flavoursome beer, there’s a non-alcoholic version of the Golden Mole. Yell also makes other low or lite alcohol beers like the Entrepid Brewing Pacer (3.9% ABV). If you’re heading to Rhodes or Thrift, ensure a brewery pit-stop is on the cards at Featherstone, which is based at the Aloe & Elephant Lodge just outside of Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown). Most of the range is available from Kwench Taproom & Pizzeria in Cape Town (kwenchbeer.co.za) or can be bought online from featherstonebrewery.co.za

TRIBUTE

FISHERMAN’S FRIEND OF PIPE TOBACCO, ZAK’S, CORDITE, AND BLACK LABEL QUARTS – J A D E D O S S A N T O S R E M E M B E R S T H E L AT E G R E AT B A S I E V O S L O O - FA R M E R , A N G L E R , P I O N E E R A N D F R I E N D T O M A N Y W H O V I S I T E D RHODES IN THE EASTERN CAPE. Photo. Tom Sutcliffe

A few weeks back, I caught myself daydreaming about the high up places with Lilliputian streams, and said out loud, as if to make it true, that I needed to go back to the North Eastern Cape and visit a few old friends.

being part of the famed Wild Trout Association, but key in its development, forming the association with Dave Walker in 1991. This opened access to hundreds of kilometres of water to those in pursuit of tiny streams, wild trout, and as a result, created a Mecca for South African fly fishermen.

And while I will be back in the mountains and I will stop in at the farm Birkhall, I am sad to say one friend I won’t be seeing, is Basie Vosloo.

We fly fishermen all owe Basie a debt of gratitude, a debt I don’t think anyone who has fished Rhodes can honestly say they could ever repay, so great has his influence been in the world of small stream trout in South Africa.

Basie and Carien Vosloo had a larger bearing on my life than I think they knew about. Almost a decade ago, green as a leaf, I arrived in Rhodes on a 3 week solo fishing trip to explore the fabled mountain streams, looking for 4 inch trophy trout and adventure. I got all of that, and so much more.

Due mostly to incredible people I met along the way, such as Ed Herbst, Basie & Carien Vosloo, Dave Walker, Tony Kietzman, and Fred Steynberg, that one trip became an annual trip for about 4 years, until the natural progression of life found me more behind a desk than in the mountains I so love.

While my head is now stuck mostly in the humdrum of life in Johannesburg, my heart was still firmly caught in the networks of streams in those rolling hills and sandstone mountains.

The Vosloos took me in after three weeks of traveling around the blue-lined mountains of Rhodes, giving me a warm bed, a place at their table, a stool at Basie’s pub, and filling my heart with love and my head with memories to keep me close to the streams that can sometimes seem so far away. I was even given the odd farm job, as Basie told me that I needed to “earn my keep” while sitting together one night in the pub.

To this day, I still feel desperately unworthy of the kindness and love they bestowed upon me during my stay on Birkhall.

The Vosloo family are salt of the earth, and custodians of the land they farmed for generations. The custodianship of the land that was so in their blood, led to Basie not just

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Basie was an enigma and few people knew him better, as guests and as adopted-family, than Tom Sutcliffe and Ed Herbst. Both men spent many days on the farm with Basie, sharing water and beer alike. One of Ed’s favourite descriptions of Basie came from the late playwright and angler, Robert Brandon-Kirby, who in his 1993 coffee table book, ‘Fly Fishing in Southern Africa’ said: “Vosloo is one of those extraordinary human surprises that occur in the world of fly-fishing. At first when you meet him, the only impression that he makes is that of the stereotypical, tough, case-hardened Afrikaner farmer.

But a few hours in his company reveal an intriguing inner man. The casing, sun-tanned and rough, conceals a highly developed taste in the worthier examples of modern music, a deep knowledge of the plays of Oscar Wilde, and a poetic soul. He runs a pack of pedigreed gun dogs and is an excellent shot. He rides like a professional and lives with an enthusiasm for the world’.

Decades of friendship have been captured in Tom’s books, Shadows on the Stream Bed, Hunting Trout and Yet More Sweet Days, immortalising a man that has etched a place in South African fly- fishing history.

If Rhodes is the centre of the universe, the Vosloo’s home farm Birkhall is her spiritual home, as it has been home to so many anglers over the years, and as Tom so beautifully describes.

“There were days, countless of them over the years, when we just sat chatting on the veranda of Birkhall, gazing across views along the tree-laced river valley, sometimes with an early mug of coffee seeing in a sunrise, or watching

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

the unfolding drama of a thunderstorm or, commonly, a sunset gradually turning the surrounding blue-shadowed mountains to flame-orange.”

Basie and Carien didn’t only welcome fishermen into their home. Greywing francolin hunters have been joining the Vosloos for many winters, and from what I am told by seasoned veterans of those mountainous hills, Basie and Carien have one of the best wingshooting outfits in the country.

Dave Walker of Walkerbouts Pub in Rhodes and Basie often hunted together, and spent many hours on horseback looking for Greywing francolin and Mountain Reedbuck.

Dave and Basie go way back, to their student days when they both studying in the agricultural field in Bloemfontein.

They soon discovered that they had many common interests and basic philosophies that formed the basis for

an enduring friendship that was firmly established in 1978.

There were hunting and fishing ventures which led to the fortuitous birth of the Wild Trout Association (WTA), who offer controlled access to more water than you could fish in a lifetime, acting as conservators to the riparian waters.

Then there’s Dave eponymous bar that if it could talk would have plenty of stories to tell too.

Dave mentions that the formation of the WTA was only possible thanks to Basie’s understanding of farming, and love for trout: “Vos’s acute understanding of both the underlying concept and of the agricultural community ensured the recruitment of many members. Thus kilometer upon kilometer of running water was drawn into the fold. Apart from our innumerable beer-enhanced discussions, many a fly angler was hooked by his hospitality.

Dave reminisces about one of their hunts the perfectly demonstrates Basie’s tone and mannerisms that you grow so fond of: “We found ourselves at the end of a steep ridge with a magnificent view down the valley. I must mention that I was wearing “fashion boots” of “brothel creeper” design i.e. with flat soles similar to those worn on a bowling green. Being a horseman of note, without hesitation, Vos set off down the incline. I decided that I would dismount and descend on foot, leading the horse behind me. On noticing this apparently offensive behaviour, Vos stopped and asked me what I thought I was doing. “I’m not riding down this steep slope” said I. “Ah” said he, “the horse has four legs and you’ve only got two AND you’re wearing kak boots” and off he went on down the slope. I hadn’t taken more than five steps and, as predicted, landed flat on my bum saved only by the firm grip I had had on the horse’s reins. On hearing the commotion, Vos looked back with a wry grin on his face and said “See?” I promptly mounted up and decided there and then that that was the last time I would be so foolish, after all, if Vos could do it, so would I!” Basie’s dogs were a focal point for some of Tom’s earliest memories when first meeting Basie, and would become ever-present company on his visits to the farm.

Tom says, “Basie had a special love for Archer, an English pointer. Feathers, also an English pointer, was next in the line of Birkhall’s canine hierarchy, then followed by a later pointer, Thomas, that I collected for Basie as a puppy from a breeder in Johannesburg and drove down to Birkhall with him in my truck. Don’t ask me about that trip. The dog arrived safely and ended up named after me. But Archer somehow lifted himself to near holiness among the many gun dogs in Basie’s life, and he has since had a room named in his honour in the Branksome Country House, a lodge run by Basie’s sister Rene on the next farm upstream of Birkhall.”

The dogs grew on Tom, and Tom on the dogs: ‘…we tied a few flies by gaslight at Gateshead .... When we finally turned in, the air was like frozen steel. I crawled under a heavy mountain of blankets and blew out the candle.

Moments later Feathers started to inch her way onto my bed with deliberate and measured stealth, trembling paw by trembling paw, convinced I was unaware of her subterfuge.

I let her sink onto the bed. She lay dead-still and eventually we fell asleep. In the morning she was curled up warmly at my feet and her son, Archer, still a puppy, was deep inside my duffel bag with only his nose showing.’

Gateshead I met Ed in person the first time visiting Birkhall one April.

We were leaving Rhodes to explore the jewel in Basie’s crown of farms, Gateshead, for a few days and I wanted to stop in and see Carien and Basie. We got to Gateshead in the dark, after sharing an afternoon in dappled autumn light, drinking Black Labels from a crate, dodging plumes of pipe smoke, listening to Ed and Basie’s stories of years past.

Ed was a welcomed guest and part of the family on Birkhall, sharing many days with him over their long friendship.

“Like so many others who knew him, I have a hole in my heart because he and Carien were family to me.”

Ed and Basie might seem diametrically opposed, and in some ways they were, with Ed pioneering South African Small stream fishing and constantly experimenting behind the vice with innovative flies size #20 or smaller, while Basie started fly fishing with big rods and big flies.

Ed tells us of a conversation he had with Basie: “The trout in Barkly East want steak not sandwiches”, Basie would tell me, as his #6 Mrs Simpson, fished downstream and retrieved against the current, produced another five pound trout.

Basie was using a five-weight fly rod when I met him, which I called the G5 after the 155 mm howitzer used by the South African infantry at the time.

Every time I acquired a new ultra-light line fly rod, I passed its predecessor on to Basie and he quickly changed tactics, fishing the flies which Tom Sutcliffe and I tied for him.

I remember fishing the Sterkspruit with him using a laboriously-constructed double-taper leader which I suggested he try.

His first cast saw the fly firmly affixed to a rock face on the opposite bank and, without hesitation he stripped off on a cold and cloudy day and swam across the river to retrieve it.”

Basie was a fascinating character, and to compliment Ed’s description of Basie, Tom says, “My initial characterisation of Basie (in line with my narrow orthodoxy that farmers are generally rough and largely uninterested, or unversed, or both, in the affairs of the world), was way off. He had a gentle side, far-ranging intellectual horizons, as at home with the arts and literature (particularly the writings of Oscar Wilde), as he was grading wool or planting potatoes.

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Tom Sutcliffe, Basie Vosloo and Ed Herbst

Basie Vosloo and Carien Vosloo.

But he was still your typical farmer in so many ways: in his warmth of spirit and generosity; in his love of the veld; in his industrial-grade self-belief in his farming skills; in his total delight in any bit of running water. And, not least, in appearance; a big man, with legs of a billiard table, always in shorts and open-neck shirt, even when that high-mountain cold turned our breath to clouds of frozen vapour.”

Tony Kietzman who has spent decades living and fishing in Rhodes knew Basie better than most.

Tony says, “He was more than a sunburnt and slightly battered farmer, he was well learned on many subjects and quite intellectual. His family came first, a loving wife who cared for him to the end. Three well-educated and refined sons whom when first meeting them I thought were wild animals, and whom I now count amongst my close friends.

Farmland was left in a better condition than when Basie first set foot on it. He would say, “I don’t farm cattle, I farm grass”. Friendship and adventures occurred in all fields he dealt in from wingshooting, to fly fishing and farming. He was custodian of some of South Africa’s most legendary trout waters. A hole in my heart.”

Visiting Rhodes and the surrounding rivers is not just a simple fishing trip, it’s an invitation into a particular way of life, where time slows down and your main concern is which stretch of water to fish. You will meet the most fascinating characters along the way and I have, and lifelong relationships will form, offering you understanding in your piscatorial pursuits and friendship as you find your way around those mountains.

While I won’t be seeing Basie again, I will be back to Birkhall to cast a fly in the Sterkspruit, and to walk the

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hallowed hills of Gateshead in all of her expansive glory.

If you ever find yourself in the centre of the universe, stop in at Walkerbouts Inn and raise a cold Black Label quart in Basie’s memory and book a beat; for we owe him so much because Basie gave us exactly what is so closely connected to our sense of self as anglers.

I take quiet solace from Ed, that the legend of Basie continues.

“Basie’s son Arnie and his daughter-in-law, both doctoral graduates from the University of Stellenbosch, have given up their academic careers and moved to Birkhall to help run the Vosloo farms with Carien. I draw comfort from this seamless inter-generational transition which will see fly anglers continue to walk the banks of the Sterkspruit at Birkhall and Branksome and the upper Bokspruit at Gateshead which Basie once fished with so much joy and vivacity.”

There is still much to be said about Basie, so if you are ever in earshot of Ed, Tom, Tony, or Dave, do yourself a favour and ask them to tell you more about the man.

Grab yourself a cold beer, and enjoy the kind words, the adventure, salute the friendships and give thanks for all the man at Birkhall has done for fisherman and trout.

Tom, in parting words, captures Basie’s role not just in his life, but in fly fishing lore.

“Without Basie and Carien Vosloo of Birkhall, there would be no story to tell.“ Godspeed Basie, may the trout be freely rising and the Greywing towering high. Thank you for everything.

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“BASIE WAS CUSTODIAN OF SOME OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MOST LEGENDARY TROUT WATERS.”

HIGH FIVES

ALEX WALLER O U R M A N I N N E W Z E A L A N D , G E R H A R D U Y S , C AT C H E S U P W I T H K I W I F LY G U I D E A N D V I D E O C O N T E N T C R E AT O R A L E X WA L L E R T O D I S C U S S N E W Z E A L A N D ’ S N O R T H I S L A N D , B I G T R O U T, K I N G F I S H ( Y E L L O W TA I L ) O N T H E F L AT S A N D M O R E .

Photos. Alex Waller archive, Gerhard Uys

5 best things about where you guide?

1. In Taupo, on New Zealand’s North Island, you have tons of water to choose from, all within an hour’s drive. You can hit the Tongariro River where huge runs hold rainbows in good condition, or you can fish the lake edges or weed beds in various lakes for browns and rainbows. The best part is that you can fish most of it all year round.

2. It is centrally located. You can go in anywhere and you will find good water. You are a three-hour drive away from king fish (what Kiwis call yellowtail) in the ocean, and there are great rivers in any direction less than two hours away if you’re not keen for a long drive. It gives one a lot of scope.

3. Taupo has a lot going on…lakes, mountains and hills.

You can make your experience as touristy or as backcountry as you like. And if you bring your other half who doesn’t fish there’s tons for them to do also, like skiing, hiking, hot pools, spas and more.

4. Taupo Rod and Tackle is a sick shop. I owe them money and they sell me gear.

5. Flies given to me my local fly tier Dustin Habener!

5 things you’re loving right now?

1. Drinking whiskey while I edit videos. I am drinking way too much whiskey at the moment.

2. I am bingeing Superstore on Netflix.

3. Pringles. I have also been smashing them while I edit videos.

4. Fishing. It is my job but I am really loving it at the moment.

5. I just got a new camera backpack, just for traveling ,the Tenba Axis 24L. I was a couple of whiskeys deep when I saw it on the web and I was like, ‘Ooo that looks special forces’, and I just bought it. It was way too expensive.

5 fishing connected items you don’t leave home without?

1. Jet Planes! Best chewy gummy sweets around. The Countdown supermarket ones are addictive and delicious.

2. Personal Locator Beacon. If the shit goes down when you are off grid a simple press of a button means a rescue helicopter will pick you up. As registered guides, we are also obligated to have one.

3. Rods. Orvis Helios 3.

4. I won’t leave home without camera gear. EM5 Mark 3 from Olympus. Two Go Pro 7’s and a Mavic drone. I usually carry the drone but then don’t use it. Sigh.

5. Rain jacket. It’s New Zealand! In some seasons it never stops raining. And thermals, it can get cold!

5 podcasts that blew your mind about society?

1. Anything from Joe Rogan is at the top of the list.

2. Graham Hancock’s talks on the universe with Joe Rogan make us realise how insignificant we are in the greater scheme of things.

3. Talks with physicist Brian Cox. 4. The bowhunter Cameron Hanes is great to listen to.

His entire life is geared toward training and conditioning himself to do massive walks for hunting and to be as good as he can be. I like that mentality. I am not on that level, but I train so I can go backcountry and find places with fewer people.

5. Random fishing podcasts.

5 indispensable flies for salt water?

1. Little brown bait fish thingy, no idea what they call them.

2. Crab fly.

3. Popper.

4. Flounder fly.

5. Piper pattern. That pretty much covers all the food groups when fishing on the flats, especially for king fish.

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monster city, we are going to have fish-on all day,” and then you have to bring expectations down to reality and say, “Let’s just start with one.”

4. Weather. I cannot control the weather.

5. Not everything is my fault.

5 of the worst things you have picked up from guiding 1. I find it easy when I am with a friend to go into guide mode. It’s hard to jump out of that. If I fish with a friend who doesn’t often fish, I immediately try and get them a fish.

2. If you’re not careful you can burn out really quickly. I work less than I should to make sure it doesn’t happen.

3. That just because someone fished a section of river before you arrived doesn’t mean they were any good, so it shouldn’t bum you out and you could still pick up fish.

4. Sometimes you get frustrated when someone just can’t get a fish that is just lying there for the taking. The frustration is not good.

5. I fish a lot on my own to counter these things.

5 indispensable flies for freshwater?

1. Heavy stone fly. It gets eaten and it gets your flies down deep, which is important for New Zealand style fly fishing.

2. Pheasant tail. It’s just small and brown and you can’t go wrong. Everything eats it all around the world.

3. Hair and copper. Same reason as pheasant tail.

4. Peacock pointer in soft hackle. If fish refuse the previous ones the Peacock pointer will get it done.

5. Parachute Adams. Not much will say no to a Parachute Adams.

5 species on your hit list?

1. Musky. They’re badass and hard to catch 2. Tarpon. Big tarpon are sick and hard to catch, what an amazing animal. I have seen them but ain’t caught them.

3. Permit. It’s a Holy Grail fish!

4. GTs. They’re freaking gangster.

5. Big snoek. Like big angry ones!

5 things you wish clients understood?

1. Just how hard it is! You cannot just rock up in New Zealand, cast a fly and catch a ten pound trout. There are tough weather conditions, tough fish, big water at times, and large, tough river crossings that scare most people.

2. Long leaders. To most people a long leader is 12ft, in New Zealand it’s 20ft. People don’t have to use long leaders in other parts of the world and they don’t practise casting with them.

3. I often talk about expectations on the way to the river and I often talk them down a bit. Clients say, “This is

5 people you’d like to fish or guide with.

1. Note from the writer: I asked Alex if he would like to fish with Gal Gadot who plays Wonder Woman. His response, “Only if she can fish!”

2. Jako Lucas from Capt. Jack Productions. He goes to some crazy places and the experience would be great.

3. My buddy Eugene Pawlowski. He is a gun fisherman and a good dude. We always have a good time.

4. I almost got to guide Michael Keaton last year but, unfortunately, I was already working. Someone phoned while I was already guiding another client and I had to say no.

5. I am not really star-struck and would rather fish with any of my good mates.

5 things you knew before you began making fly fishing videos 1. How much time goes into making them and how expensive it is.

2. How much cool camera gear there is out there and that I would want all of it.

3. How much messing around and wasted time there is just to get a shot that never comes out.

4. How much time it takes to find music. I spend hours a week trying to find the right tune for new videos. At the momentI am using Epidemic Sound to source music.

5. How many batteries you need. I’ve just spent $500 on batteries this week and it won’t be enough.

Your last five casts were …

All to trout on the Tongariro and Himemaiaia rivers near Taupo.

TO MOST PEOPLE A LONG LEADER IS 12FT, IN NEW ZEALAND IT’S 20FT. 30

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WHAT LIES BENEATH WHAT IF WE CAN HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS – BRILLIANT TROUT FISHING IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WESTERN CAPE AND NEW (YET ANCIENT) FISHERIES FOR LARGE INDIGENOUS SPECIES THAT READILY TAKE A FLY? IF GAME-CHANGING CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST DR JEREMY SHELTON’S VISION FOR THE FUTURE IS ACCURATE, THAT WILL BE THE REALITY IF STAKEHOLDERS LIKE US DO OUR BIT.

Photos. Jeremy Shelton, Steve Benjamin, William Lotter, Leonard Flemming, Nicholas Hampton

I remember meeting Jeremy at the Cape Piscatorial Society (CPS) AGM a few years back when he, and a couple of colleagues from Cape Nature attended what are usually necessary, yet mind-numbingly boring, procedural affairs.

To provide some context – the CPS is one of the biggest and oldest fly-fishing clubs in South Africa and it manages the trout streams of the Western Cape for members. To do this, the CPS works with Cape Nature (the regional nature conservation/parks management association in the Western Cape).

I

’m embarrassed to admit that, until about five or six years ago, I wasn’t really familiar with the large, indigenous freshwater species that existed in my own back yard here in the Western Cape of South Africa. I knew about Clanwilliam yellowfish, but sawfin, witvis and sandfish weren’t really anywhere on my radar. I knew nothing about which river systems they occupied and I was oblivious to how threatened they are.

Now I know a lot more about these fish. That’s in part thanks to the fishing friends I hang out with, but largely thanks to the work people like Jeremy Shelton do. A freshwater conservation biologist and visual storyteller, perhaps you know Jeremy as one of the brains behind initiatives like the Saving Sandfish project. Maybe you’ve come across him deep in the mountains snorkelling the streams and conducting experiments on the fish they hold. Or it could be that you’ve thrown your bra or jocks at him when he was noodling out a crazy beat on the Djembe drums and shakers front stage at a West Coast Wolves concert.

Whatever the case, we’re fans of his work because, not only is Jeremy educating people like me, but he’s taking the conversation around freshwater conservation beyond just protecting and conserving these ecosystems. He’s promoting a different future for them altogether.

When Jeremy and his mates arrived at that AGM, a harrumphing chorus of negative old man energy ran through the room. The tension was as palpable as a bad drift on a clear glide. Why? Well, I discovered later that some members of the society assumed that, by the very nature of their work with Cape Nature and their efforts with indigenous fish, Jeremy and co. must therefore be rabid members of the anti-trout lobby. To be fair, that mistrust was somewhat understandable given that over the years there have been occasional anti-trout zealots in Cape Nature who have rattled their sabres at the flyfishing community, threatening to eradicate our beloved salmonids by poisoning rivers with rotenone. Never mind that it was Cape Nature who originally stocked the rivers with trout over a hundred years ago.

The thing is, that animosity was misplaced, because Jeremy Shelton unashamedly loves trout. Considering he is one of the foremost protectors and fans of ‘fynbos fish’ (a neat descriptor for the endemic indigenous species that live in the streams and rivers of the Cape mountains), that may come as a surprise to some, but Shelton has spent a large proportion of his life properly nerding out on trout.

As a teen he spent every waking minute catching carp and bass and then his attention turned to trout, and in 1996 he joined the CPS, the very organisation where 20odd years later at that AGM he was getting some mild stink-eye. In matric his biology project was on trout and in his tertiary studies they would continue to play a central role. After graduating from university with an Honours degree in zoology, Jeremy went travelling, spending some time in Canada visiting his father and fly fishing for salmon, surfing in Indonesia and generally doing that mid-twenties ‘find yourself’ thing. But then he returned to academia and trout.

“After travelling I had lost my interest in studying and in science. A friend of mine had, without me knowing, enrolled me in the conservation biology Masters programme at

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Leonard Flemming with a great witvis taken on a dry fly.

Photo William Lotter

the University of Cape Town which, he thought, was the best thing ever. He put in an application for me and I was accepted before I even knew I’d applied. I was pretty pissed off initially but, about a month or two into the course, I realised that this was the best thing ever. This was because it was this shift from dry science into conservation biology which is a much broader field that included everything from teaching to communication to communities. That was the start of my real love for conservation.”

After his Masters, Jeremy did his PhD research on rainbow trout in the Cape. The further he investigated the streams and river systems, the more he discovered about the impact his beloved trout and other aliens (like bass) have on the indigenous ‘fynbos fish’ that were there in the first place.

Clanwilliam Redfin Minnows

Cape Kurper

Jeremy says, “I often get asked the question, ‘What’s the most important part of deciding to do a PhD?’ For me it was all about being passionate about the subject. I did a lot of reading about what happened when trout were introduced in other parts of the world like New Zealand, Australia, South America and other places where certain species of trout may not have been indigenous. There were some really interesting patterns, some of which were consistent across these different continents. To try and understand what was the relationship with trout and river eco-systems here in South Africa. I ended up designing a study that involved a blend of field surveys, but also some experimental work. The idea behind the field surveys is actually a very simple one. We were lucky enough to have this natural experiment here in the Cape where we’ve got a whole lot of rivers where trout have established and then a bunch of other, very similar rivers without trout. Often it’s just a waterfall that’s stopped them from getting in, or they just haven’t been stocked there. So, it was a really good opportunity to do this comparative study to see how the river ecosystem with trout, differed from that without trout.

“What we found was that, in the cases where trout really thrived, in the ecosystems that were ideal for them, it looked like they were probably displacing the indigenous fish. Because the trout and the indigenous fish feed on different things, that had some knock-on effects for the insects and even the algae in those food webs. In the places where trout did less well, you’d often find them co-existing with the indigenous fish and there the effects on the river food web were a lot more subtle. There are limitations with every approach and with a comparative study it’s very hard to tease out what the cause and effect of those patterns is. It’s more just about observing a relationship. That’s where the experimental component came in. We put some cages in rivers, some with trout, some with indigenous fish to try and really understand how these two different kinds of top predators would influence the food webs around them.”

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Sawfin from a Cederberg river

As he spoke to me about his PhD it became glaringly apparent that while Jeremy acknowledges the impact of trout on an eco-system in the streams where they have established themselves, he’s also aware there’s not much point in trying to do something about it now. As with the introduction of trout in places like New Zealand or Argentina, it’s a case of that horse (or that fish) has bolted. Regardless, there are bigger threats.

He says, “I have always loved and respected trout. I still love fishing for them. It took me a long time to understand how something that seems to be thriving in these rivers and bringing a lot of joy to fishermen could also be potentially doing some ecological harm. I think that’s partly why I needed to go and really try and do the best research study I possibly could to get to the bottom of this and really understand what was happening underwater.

“In South Africa we’ve got a wide range of non-indigenous fish introduced from around the world either for fishing or as forage for those angling species. There’s definitely a varying degree of impact that these species will have on river ecosystems. Bass – smallmouth, largemouth,

spotted etc – they are probably the most voracious. It’s very unusual to find situations where indigenous fish are still able to co-occur and co-exist with bass. Their predatory impacts are just so strong. With a species like trout, their impact is a bit more subtle and there are a lot of cases where they are able to co-exist with indigenous species. Their diet is a bit different to bass. Bass are really piscivorous whereas trout have a wider dietary range and will feed a lot more on insects. In many cases, particularly in areas where the conditions of the river might be a little bit marginal for the trout – that’s where you see the coexistence with indigenous species – and I think there’s a bit more of a natural balance in a lot of the places where trout have established themselves.

“One way to think about it is that trout need cold, clear water whereas some of the other invasive species like bass, carp and sharp-toothed catfish, are less concerned about the temperature or condition of the water. They’re able to spread pretty much throughout river systems until a big waterfall or something stops them. Generally, trout are confined to the cooler headwaters where they’ve been stocked. It’s not as easy for them to spread through entire river systems.”

What about the perceptions of tension and conflict between the scientists and anglers like me, with Gollumlevel anxiety that our “precious” will be taken away? Put down the pitchforks and breathe easy. For Jeremy, the eradication of trout is not something he sees as remotely achievable or even desirable in most cases.

“I think there’s been a long history of scientists and anglers in this part of the world having quite energetic conversations around the place of trout in our rivers here in the Cape. The way I see it (and most scientists that I speak to today see it the same way), is that trout have a very important place in our riverscapes. They bring in a lot of eco-tourism value to the area and a lot of enjoyment for fly fishermen like myself. I think it’s completely unrealistic to think that there’s going to be this widespread removal of trout from rivers in the Cape… ever. The only time where trout removal from a section of river could, or should, be considered, is in a very specific situation where there will be a clear benefit for a very threatened indigenous species or a very threatened indigenous ecosystem. That needs to be a very well thought out project. Even if we wanted to remove an invasive fish from an entire long length of river, there’s just not the capacity to do it. In terms of those historic trout fisheries in this part of the world – the Witte, the Molenaars, the Holsloot, the Elandspad – there’s just no need. There’s a balance that’s been established there, they clearly have a lot of value recreationally and there’s no low-hanging fruit that by removing trout you directly benefit a threatened species.”

At a time when so many issues are seen as binary – you’re either with us or against us; right or wrong ;the indigenous fish lobby vs the trout fans – there is something incredibly refreshing and realistic about his take on the status of trout in South Africa. Jeremy’s practical mindset goes even further when it comes to you, dear reader because, as a scientist and conservationist (and also as a fellow angler), Jeremy sees the fly-fishing community as part of the solution instead of seeing us as vocal opponents. To him, we’re citizen scientists and, by virtue of the places we fish, we’re camo-clad canaries in the coal mine.

He says, “Fly fishermen are probably the people who spend more time out on our rivers than anybody else and are, in many cases, the most knowledgeable, the most intouch, the most intuitive and the most passionate about our rivers. A lot of what I’ve learnt about fish and river food rhythms has been from fishermen, asking questions and spending time with people on the rivers. The fishermen are a really important part of the freshwater community and the conservation of our river eco-systems, particularly the future of our healthy rivers in the Cape. I have a lot of respect for fishermen, particularly the fly fishermen who are up in the headwater streams which is where a lot of the healthy river ecosystems are still intact.”

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Bringing in different stakeholders, understanding who needs what and why and finding positive, pro-active solutions is an approach that goes beyond what you usually expect from scientists. Marrying data with communication is something you’d expect from a community leader or activist. It’s something that Jeremy attributes to an epiphany he had after years of hard work resulted in little change.

“After my PhD, I’d really been trained as an academic, a scientist, someone whose job is to go out and collect data, analyse data and to try and further our understanding of how eco-systems are changing. I kept on working in that field for a few years and started becoming aware of the levels of threat to our freshwater species and ecosystems. No matter how many scientific papers were being published, the precarious state of freshwater here was just getting worse. It no longer felt right for me to just keep on doing science. That’s when I really dove-tailed my focus into a conservation space. Science is all about data points and species, and conservation is all about people and understanding people’s relationship with ecosystems. My work has shifted from being someone who spent a lot of time dipping electronic instruments into rivers to try and measure them, to now spending a lot more time talking and listening to landowners and all sorts of different stakeholders to try to find a better water balance for people and nature.”

A great example of how working with landowners and listening to stakeholders can pay off, is the work Jeremy and his colleague Otto Whitehead have been doing with the Saving Sandfish project.

“In South Africa, we’ve got just over a hundred species of indigenous freshwater fish and then around about 30 or 40 introduced species as well. Here in the Western Cape, we’ve currently got 23 recognised indigenous species, but this is a number that is constantly being revised. Twenty three is not a high number but, what is quite special about the species here is a very high level of endemicity. Those are the species that are unique to the region and aren’t found anywhere else. I think it’s about 70 or 80 percent that are unique to the fynbos. I like to call them our fynbos fish. Along with that high level of endemism, there’s also a very similarly high level of threat. Most of those endemics are considered threatened by the International Conservation Union. This part of the world is a real hotspot for freshwater fish conservation.”

Of those 23 species Jeremy mentions, most are really tiny fish, but there are several larger species, mostly in the family cyprinadae, the same family that carp belong to. That’s the Clanwilliam yellowfish, the sawfin, the witvis or whitefish and also the Clanwilliam sandfish. These are species that will grow really big in the case of the Clanwilliam yellowfish, but they are also some of the species that have taken the hardest knock over the last century. The most threatened of the lot, of any migratory freshwater fish in South Africa, is the sandfish.

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“INCREASING THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL INDIGENOUS FISH FLY FISHING IS NOT A LUXURY, IT’S CRITICAL.”

From climate change to water abstraction, pollution and invasive flora, ancient indigenous fish species are under serious threat.

Jeremy says, “The Clanwilliam sandfish is listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), which is the second most serious threat category. So, it’s not in good shape. When I say migratory, it’s got this life cycle where it needs to do quite large-scale migrations to complete the cycle. Most fish species migrate on smaller scales. Even the little redfins, when they spawn, migrate from a pool, up into a riffle to lay their eggs and then back into the pool for winter. With the sandfish, it’s tens (and sometimes even possibly hundreds of kilometres) to move from the pools where they spend the dry summer in the Doring River, up into the tributaries where they love to spawn. I think it’s that migratory life history that makes them incredible ambassadors and barometers of healthy and connected free-flowing rivers, but it also makes them really vulnerable to impacts like dams, particularly the over-abstraction of water, disconnecting their habitats.”

The area where the sandfish are found, in the Doring River, is a very dry part of South Africa that sits slap-bang between two global biodiversity hotspots – the Cape floristic region, which is the fynbos area, and then the succulent Karoo, stretching out into the Tankwa. It’s an area where water is becoming more and more scarce for both fish and farmers.

Jeremy says, “The river systems in that part of the world are very extreme in terms of their flow and their temperatures so, for a lot of the year, these systems aren’t flowing at all. During the heat of summer, the fish are restricted to just a few isolated pools where they are just in survival mode, waiting for the next winter rains. Right now, we’re having really good rains and that starts to connect those fragmented rivers. Once we start transitioning from winter into spring time, the flows start subsiding a little bit, the temperatures start increasing, all the flowers pop out, and that seems to be what triggers the spawning migration of the sandfish. They will move from those pools, in groups, into their preferred spawning areas higher up in other tributaries. So, it’s an animal that is very closely tied to these environmental triggers of temperature and flow.

These fish have lived in these extreme environments for a long long time and they have got this behavioural memory of how to cope with extreme fluctuations of inflow and in water availability. But, I think, like every living organism, there’s a tipping point or threshold up to which they can still persist. I suspect that with some of these larger fish species, we may be getting quite close to that limit, which is quite concerning from a conservation standpoint.”

Just how attuned the migratory indigenous fish species of the Cape are to their environments was rammed home when Jeremy explained to me how Clanwilliam yellowfish respond to similar behavioural triggers to the Clanwilliam sandfish. They only appear to spawn when they know that their eggs and little larvae have a good chance of surviving.

Scientists are still trying to figure out how they know that.

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“LANDOWNERS ARE REALLY KEEN TO HAVE SANDFISH SANCTUARIES ON THEIR FARMS AND TO PLAY A ROLE IN THIS BIGGER CONSERVATION INITIATIVE.”

A school of critically endangered sandfish cruise a river bottom in the Biedouw river valley. Photo Leonard Flemming.

Jordan Laine Calder swims with Redfin Minnows (above) while a couple of conservationists snorkel with sandfish (below).

Photos Jeremy Shelton.

“A colleague of mine Bruce Paxton did his PhD on the spawning biology of the yellowfish and the sawfin in the central Cederberg around the Sanddrif / Driehoek area.

He was following their spawning behaviour for a few years and throughout his project he found that the sawfin, which are a bit of a smaller, possibly less particular species, were spawning every year. But the yellowfish didn’t spawn at all during his two or three year study. Bruce said he didn’t really know how they know when to spawn but, probably, like most things in nature, it’s a combination of reasons that has something to do with the flow and temperature. He said they have this incredible ability to know when the last cold front of the winter comes through – and that’s when they love to spawn on the tail-end of that front. That would make perfect sense because if they spawn and another big cold front comes through, it will wash away all their eggs and their recruitment is going to take a big hit.”

“There’s been a shift in mindset around land use and that’s been a great thing for freshwater conservation. People want to get out of the cities and spend time surrounded by nature, spend time surrounded by beautiful unique species that this part of the world is so well known for.

We see a lot of the farms that were once fully operational livestock farms, transforming into guest houses and guest farms. We have a lot more landowners that are really keen to have one of these sandfish sanctuaries on their farms, to tell guests about it and to play a role in this bigger conservation initiative. I’m hoping that some of these farm dams will become places where people can go fly fishing for indigenous species. If we don’t care about these species, then we’re not going to look after them and they need some serious looking after. Increasing the opportunities for local indigenous fish fly fishing is not a luxury, it’s critical to achieving conservation success.

To save the sandfish, Jeremy and his colleagues are doing everything they can to better understand what makes them tick. From the life cycle of the sandfish, to the habitats they need for their different life stages – spawning, egg laying, juvenile development – but also identifying what the biggest threats to them are.

Just imagine for a moment, as a fly angler in the Western Cape, if along with the brown and rainbow trout we already have in specific well-known streams, you could also pick from four or five viable indigenous species in our local rivers? Perhaps one sunny Saturday, you’d like to book a beat on the Hex river for witvis which get to a hefty size and love dry flies. You could take a long weekend in the Cederberg to target sawfin on hotspot nymphs or head to the Tankwa Karoo to try get the Holy of Holies, a massive Clanwilliam yellow (the all-tackle record currently stands at 22.5lb). Maybe you want to try micro-nymphing for sandfish in the Biedouw river valley, where, if you get the timing right, you might catch and release one of the rarest fish in Africa, while experiencing the trippy natural phenomenon of the wild flowers transforming the desert from shades of brown into a kaleidoscope of vibrant colour.

“We’ve spent a lot of time looking at the sandfish situation to figure out what can be done to increase their numbers.

There’s a situation at the moment where these fish from the Doring, move up in spring time in very small numbers into a small number of tributaries. They are capable of laying lots of eggs, maybe ten thousand per individual. By late spring, those rivers are teeming with tiny little sandfish but, the scary thing is that, by December, in two or three months’ time, they pretty much all die. That’s because most of them find themselves trapped in little pools along with bluegill, an invasive fish introduced from North America. But more than that, they actually run out of water in some of these tributaries that used to flow throughout the year. The reason for the lower flows today compared with 500 or 100 years ago is complex. Climate change impacts; the spread of thirsty invasive trees like prosopis (mesquite) and agricultural needs. By removing alien fish from farm dams, the Saving Sandfish project is attempting to recreate these permanent bodies of water in some of these tributary catchments that probably would have been there a hundred years ago. We’re working with some really cool and interested landowners to take the carp, the bluegill, the bass out of those farm dams and recreate these safe environments that the sandfish have lost in the wild. We simply go and collect as many small sandfish as possible while they are still in the river before they get eaten by the bluegill or they run out of water. We put them in the farm dams and the idea then is that they have safe space to grow to a safe size. Once they are big enough, we will release them back into the wild and hopefully they will be able to contribute to the spawning population and an increase in numbers of the species.”

Some will argue, that you can technically do all this right now, of course, if you know where to go and on whose car you need to place a tracking device, but imagine if it didn’t have to be that way, shrouded in secrecy and subterfuge? Imagine instead that it was easily accessible, well managed and promoted sustainably; that these endangered species were not only brought back from the brink, but regularly stocked in many of the rivers where they existed for thousands of years.

If things work out the way Jeremy believes they can, we won’t have to imagine this at all.

DONATE …directly to the fund-raising efforts for the Saving Sandfish project via Givengain. givengain.com/cc/saving-sandfish CHECK OUT…Fishwater Films on Instagram (@fishwaterfilms) or visit their website to watch their Saving Sandfish films and stay up to date with other initiatives. fishwaterfilms.com

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SAVING SAN C O N S E R V I N G S O U T H A F R I C A’ S M O S

WEB SERIES

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T THREATENED MIGRATORY FRESHWATER FISH

A SANDFISH

Photo: Jeremy Shelton Co-founder Fishwater Films

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SOMERSET EAST

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED M A K I N G A L O N G O V E R D U E V I S I T T O A L A N H O B S O N AT T H E A N G L E R & A N T E L O P E ( A N G L E R A N D A N T E L O P E . C O . Z A ) I N S O M E R S E T E A S T, T U D O R C A R A D O C - D AV I E S E X P E C T E D Q U A L I T Y T R O U T F I S H I N G .

H E G O T T H AT, B U T A L S O G O T A G L I M P S E O F S O M U C H M O R E .

Photos.Gillian Caradoc-Davies, Tudor Caradoc-Davies

“Everything around here has a story,” said Alan Hobson as he navigated the turns of the Waainek Pass, just north of Somerset East. We were winding our way up to the top of the 1782m high Boschberg, the mountain that looms over the town, en route to the aptly named ‘Mountain Dam,’ one of many waters in the area that Alan has access to. In the car behind us were my parents, while Alan and I led the way in his bakkie.

For my folks and me, the final destination for the trip was the Wild Coast/Transkei where we were meeting the rest of the clan for a family holiday. The idea was to break the journey by spending a few nights in Somerset East, fishing with Alan and staying at The Angler & Antelope, the guesthouse he and his wife Annabelle run.

As we gained elevation on the Boschberg, Alan pointed out the change in flora between four distinct biomes, while continuing with his story-telling. He was giving me some historical background on the area, specifically the Slagtersnek Rebellion that occurred in 1815 a few kilometres away in the direction of Cookhouse. One of the catalysts for The Great Trek, the story of Slagtersnek has all the uneasy plot points of a latter-day Tarantino flick – a battle over land, racism, Boers, Brits, a Cape Coloured Regiment, a shooting, a trial, and a horrendous failed group execution by hanging that eventually went through on the second attempt.

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Reaching the Alpine escarpment covered in long grasses and stunted trees, to the north we could see the mountains where Thrift dam is, another destination just over three hours from Somerset East, and on the distant hills to the south we could see a new wind farm that had just been switched on. It took years to build and brought a boost to the depressed economy of the region, but with construction wrapping up, the lodgers and their spending are gradually moving on. Opportunities like this are scarce and Alan has seen how easy it is for them to pass his town by. Somerset East was almost chosen as the site for a new factory by the family who own the Montego dog food empire, but due to politics and infighting they took it to Graaf Reinet further up the R63.

After battling with several farm gates, witnessed by the bemused resident horses and cattle, our day’s stillwater trout fishing on Mountain Dam commenced. My old man is a little wobbly on his legs these days, but sharp on the strike and within a couple of casts he had already caught the fish of the day. I picked off a few rising stockies on dry flies before we stopped for lunch, an impressive braai that Alan put together on a mini-Weber he hauled out the back of his bakkie. Talking of that bakkie, other than the fact that it was equipped with every bit of tackle or tool you might ever need for day’s fishing anywhere in the Eastern Cape, what blew me away was that most of the many ammo boxes stuffed into the back were packed with fly boxes. We’re talking filled to the brim with thousands and thousands of flies. You know… just in case. Later, I’d check out Alan’s fly shop around the corner from The Angler & Antelope and it would all make sense. About the size of your average family SUV, his shop is better stocked than many shops three times the size.

My folks left Mountain Dam shortly after lunch and by the time I got back on the water the afternoon session switched on properly. The fish were hammering the tiny green Cormorant flies Alan had palmed me while packing up the braai. We stopped fishing when we lost the light and started to miss strikes. Plus I wasn’t sure if my hands were still attached to my arms, it was that cold.

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“MY OLD MAN IS A LITTLE WOBBLY ON HIS LEGS THESE DAYS, BUT SHARP ON THE STRIKE”

Mountain Dam was our second outing with Alan, a fishery he knows is a banker. We had driven up the previous day from the Cape, arriving with enough time for a late afternoon session. Our 9-weights, which were intended for kob in the Transkei, were rigged up with streamers and poppers, with we set off to catch some massive catfish. It’s not what you might expect when someone mentions the gentile idea of fly fishing in the Eastern Cape but, if you’re omnivorous in your tastes, as I am, the idea of catching a behemoth barbel on fly was massively appealing.

Alan took us to a pool on a nearby dairy farm where the runoff from the dairy creates a high-protein slurry and therefore, extra fat catfish. A bitterly cold wind came up so we blanked on barbel, but it’s definitely one for a return visit. Driving back to Somerset East where Annabelle’s home-cooked meals awaited us (plus a vast selection of whisky in the Angler & Antelope’s pub which was once a chapel), Alan pointed out the exact gap in the hills where we could expect kudu to come on to the road at night and hit the car.

I first met Alan and Annabelle a few years back at the Getaway show and then we met again at each annual Fly Fishing Expo (before that died off). As active show-goers, for years they have put in the hard yards when it comes to marketing. Manning their stands at events like these, they’ve put an immense amount of time and effort into promoting Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo, their immaculate Somerset East guest house The Angler & Antelope and tourism in general for both the town and region.

The Hobsons used to be in the corporate clothing game in Johannesburg, until they decided to change tack and get into tourism and hospitality. Alan is from this part of the Eastern Cape so, he not only knows how it works, he knows how to work it. Historian meets field ranger, meets expert fly fishing guide, fly tyer, raconteur, diplomat, politician

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and civic-minded burger, he knows all the stories of the area, from the natural world to the human. Perhaps most importantly, considering the water scarce nature of the region, Alan knows when there will be water flowing from the Orange-Fish River tunnel into the rivers and irrigation systems of the Cacadu municipality. He knows when he will be able to harvest yellows from those systems, which farmers have water and who will be amenable to having him stock their dams with trout or smallmouth yellows. He knows who, among the local municipalities, is friendly, who is not, where the age-old vendettas lie and how to navigate it all.

Without this deep insider knowledge – from just where kudu will crash into your car to where to take guest for fishable, accessible water - Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo, the Angler & Antelope and the Bankberg Fly Fishers Club

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that Alan runs, would not be as successful as they are.

Like many people in small towns who have multiple roles, Alan wears many hats. Outside of the fly fishing, he also helps run what is perhaps Somerset East’s biggest drawcard, the Walter Battiss Museum. The artist behind Fook Island and the ‘island of the imagination’, Battiss was born in Somerset East and is one of the town’s most famous sons.

With limited time left, we divided the last day into two sessions. The morning was to be spent going for smallmouth yellowfish and Florida bass in a dam on a game farm about an hour away, while the afternoon was reserved for the Naude’s River halfway up the Waainek Pass again where we would find a waterfall that inspired Battiss. The morning session was blown out by the wind, though from that small taste of what looks like a trophy dual species

dam (I’ve seen what comes out of there) , I got enough of a sense of the vast range of fishing Alan has at his fingertips.

In fact, much of my time was spent discovering that around pretty much every bend, there’s a lot that’s deceptive about the Eastern Cape and specifically, this section that forms part of the Karoo. Whether it was the drive up from Port Elizabeth, driving further inland to Graaf Reinet or east towards Cradock, we were constantly reminded how lazy a descriptor “the Karoo” is for such a diverse place. If you live in South Africa’s bigger urban centres like Gauteng, Cape Town or Durban, “the Karoo” is this catchall phrase for the vast brown deserted expanse in the middle of South Africa. Sure, it may be divided further into the Groot/Great and Klein/Little Karoo, but that doesn’t really do much to delineate the different areas, biospheres, flora and fauna found there.

“HISTORIAN MEETS FIELD RANGER, MEETS EXPERT FLY FISHING GUIDE, FLY TYER, RACONTEUR, DIPLOMAT, POLITICIAN AND CIVIC-MINDED BURGER, ALAN KNOWS ALL THE STORIES OF THE AREA, FROM THE NATURAL WORLD TO THE HUMAN.”

Your surrounds change all the time from dairy pastures with fat cows, to heavily irrigated crop fields, classic Eastern Cape hills crowded with prickly pears and aloes, farms with boer goats and merino sheep. There are game farms that mainly supply the hunting industry with rare sought-after variants like yellow blesbok and golden wildebeest, though they do the safari lodge thing too.

In fact, there’s a good chance of being visited by a rhino or something similarly large while fishing one of Alan’s waters.

A few years back, Ed Herbst visited Alan and was taken to fish a stream bordering the Mountain Zebra National Park near Cradock. While stalking trout, Ed himself was stalked, through the game fence, by a pair of cheetah.

I always thought Alan’s brand, Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo, referred to the target species being wild but, in retrospect, it’s as much in reference to what you might encounter as you fish.

but confirmed trout bred by mad scientist/stocking legend Martin Davies in Grahamstown and stocked and blessed

by Alan. That meant they were the same super-trout strain that will savage anyone under 4ft who ventures into the shallows at Thrift Dam.

Dropping my folks off in town at midday to tackle the Battiss museum, Annabelle sorted us out with a packed lunch and we were off again up the Waainek pass, this time stopping halfway at the turn off to the Naude’s River.

As his bakkie rattled over the bumps, we drove up to a gate sporting signs warning this was leopard territory.

On the other side of the gate was a heavily thicketed kloof frequented by cattle, warthog and large cats. There, amid magnificent trees, lay the Naude’s River and, at the base of an incredible rock amphitheatre frequented by black eagles and giant kingfishers, was the jaw-dropping 80m high Glen Avon waterfall. Below the waterfall, there were trout. Not a hint of trout or a suggestion of trout,

That’s the funny thing about this town and the fly-fishing flag Alan and Anabelle have planted. Most people stop off here on their way somewhere else, like Rhodes, Thrift or, in our case, the Wild Coast, when what we should be doing is seeing it as a deserved destination in its own right. Where else can you go from a 9-weight to a 3-weight, from barbel to trout, yellows and bass, take a game drive on the way to your fishing, get all the stories your brain can handle and finish each day with great food and an unparalleled selection of whiskies?

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Alan has spent years fishing this kloof so he knows all too well how the fish feed. One of his favourite approaches is to imitate the beetles that get knocked off the cliff face by the winds and spray. I spent a good two hours casting flies at that waterfall, bouncing Alan’s Fried Egg beetle pattern (a black beetle with a visible yellow and white sighter on the back) off the amphitheatre wall so that it landed with a plop in the white water and got smashed by hangry rainbow trout. From the incredible setting, to the strength and size of the fish and how surprising the whole experience was, it was one of the better trout stream sessions I have ever had.

The Karoo is wild and so is its fly fishing. You’re going to want a guide. Phone Alan.

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“WHERE CAN YOU GO FROM A 9-WEIGHT TO A 3-WEIGHT, FROM BARBEL TO TROUT, YELLOWS AND BASS & TAKE A GAME DRIVE ON THE WAY TO YOUR FISHING?”

SPAGHETTI ALLA SUDAN NO STRANGER TO BIG FISH, WHEN MEREDITH MCCORD VISITED THE F L AT S O F S U DA N S H E WA S O N T H E H U N T FO R T R I G G E R F I S H , B LU E F I N T R E VA L LY A N D G T S . W H AT S H E D I D N ’ T EX P EC T WA S T H E S PAG H E T T I W O R M . N O O N E EX P EC T S T H E S PAG H E T T I W O R M .

Written by Meredith McCord Photos. Tim Leppan

“What is that?” I asked, awe-struck, as I stood looking in front of the three of us just twenty feet off the shoreline. The light was still low on the water and Kayla, Tim and I had just started our day walking and stalking the sandy beach and flats of a small island called Talla-Talla Kebir. We were looking for triggerfish or anything else we might cast a fly to. We all stopped and stared hard, willing our eyes to see through the silver roof of the water’s surface to whatever was cutting its way parallel to the beach and coming towards us.

“I don’t know what it is,” said Tim quickly. “Just cast!” Before I could even think about what I was doing, what fly I was tossing, or how light the tippet was on my 9-weight Hardy, I cast my tan Spaghetti (worm) fly a few feet directly in the path of this “thing”. I had just

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begun to strip my line when a huge silver forehead, followed by a big white upper lip, slowly emerged from the surface of the water and literally sipped in my tiny #2 fly like a brown trout. It was as if it was saying, with ease and grace, ”Thank you, I will take that tasty little Italian morsel of a treat.”

Our first four days of fly fishing the Red Sea’s crystalclear waters in southern Sudan had already been a great success. Our group of six was made up of a newly engaged couple from Boston (Simon romantically proposed to Kayla on the white sand flats of Abu’Isa on our second day, right after Kayla landed her first trigger of the morning, and our guide/photographer Tim was prepped and ready with his camera to capture it all); long time fly angler Susan from Michigan; Uncle “Big Fish” Bill from Seattle; and Traveling Charlie and me from Texas.

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We had made the long trek across the pond to a country new to us all to chase triggerfish, bluefin trevally and -the golden egg -- the giant trevally (respectfully referred to as GTs, or Geets, by fanatics). Our home for the 10-day exploratory trip was the 31-metre steel trawler dive boat, the “Don Questo”, with a crew of six and captained by a passionate, hand gesturing Italian, Lorenzo. We were being led island to island by three incredibly fun and fishy guides: South African head guide Brent Poultry, Spanish guide and fly tier David Fernández and, new to the team, the amazing photographer Tim Leppan.

On the first evening we made a hard overnight push as far south as possible to the islands near the border of Eritrea and Sudan. Each day after that we explored, walking for miles and catching more fish than one could believe, always working our way back north towards our final destination of Port Sudan. In the evenings, Lorenzo and Brent would study the map and, taking into account the wind and weather, would make a plan as to what new islands we might fish the following day. Every morning the nine of us (two anglers paired with a guide) would load into two Sudanese seven-metre fiberglass pangas, run by either Manga or Mahmoot, and venture off to walk and wade various uninhabited and untouched small desert islands to see what they might offer. It was an incredibly

adventurous feeling to know that, on some of these islands, we were almost certainly the first fly fishermen to step foot on the flats, and were casting to fish who had never seen a fly.

By the fourth day the group had landed 37 triggers and over 20 bluefins, as well as a few small giant trevally.

Although we had caught no large GTs, we had seen them and a few had even felt the sting of a hook. This particular day was a special one for me, as Brent took Susan and me to a very small island that looked to be a good size and shape on Google Earth but had never been checked out by fishermen. When searching the satellite map for good fishing areas, a few things are looked for on and around these tiny islands. Most are so small an angler could walk around them in less than an hour to half a day. The first thing you look for is the number of fishable flats between the shoreline and the reef and blue water drop-off. The second is whether or not the island is big enough to block waves, wind and current in order to create a “receiving” lea side into which to bring the panga to safely deposit guide and anglers. There is something heart-thumping and wild about this kind of exploratory fishing. Not knowing what might happen brings an electricity to the venture that is palpable for both guide and angler and heightens the sense of being alive.

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About mid-morning on this particular tiny island, Susan, walking ahead of me, spotted something dark cruising the shoreline and shouted, “Big fish!” I grabbed my 11-weight rod, rigged with an original James Christmas NYAP with a sailfish pink/white popper head in front of a loop knot (definitely not the sexiest of rigs, but very effective), and made a cast to the silvery blue Geet, which by then was right at my feet. One pop of my fly and it charged, swirled, and seemed to reject the fly. I kept popping, with each “kurrr-bloosh” trying to will the fish to eat and, on the third pop it worked! The GT jack-knifed back on the fly, smashed it with a sound I cannot do justice to, and the fight was on! I cranked down the drag on my new 9600 Mako reel and ran backwards to get as high on the island as I could in order to keep my prize out of the coral. Brent whooped and hollered and after a short fight ran out to tail the trophy - my first Sudanese giant trevally, a beautiful dark 84cm fish. After a few photos, I picked up my 9-weight rod and was able to bring to hand my largest Titan trigger ever. Needless to say, the trip was going well.

We returned to the Don Questo after fishing to learn that everyone had had a bang-up day. Bill and Simon had both caught big bluefins, and Kayla and Charlie had landed an epic ten triggers, all on the Spaghetti fly,, This is nothing more than a simple worm pattern tied in seconds with a piece of chenille wound behind a pair of small dumbbell eyes, with the “tail” protruding out below the hook just under an inch. A few sharpie stripes on the tail finishes off the fly. Who would have thought such a small and basic piece of material could have such an effect on the triggers? David had learned about the fly from Johan Persson Friberg a Norwegian fly fisherman who had crushed the northern flats of Sudan with a very similar worm fly. On witnessing the fly’s success, David began to tie his own version in tan, olive and red, which he called the “eS-Paghetti”, as he pronounced it with his thick Spanish accent.

I love fishing with women for the simple reasons that they listen and take suggestions. David had tried to get past groups and anglers to fish the Spaghetti when the triggers were being their normal tricky selves with the normal “goto’s” of Flexo Crabs and shrimp patterns. But all these folks had taken one look at the fly and rejected it, saying they would rather stick with what they knew and what had worked for them in the past. But Kayla, new to triggers (though she had already caught a dozen or more so far on this trip), was open to the suggestion on the morning she and Charlie set out with David, and she put on a tan “eS-paghetti”. On getting out of the boat, they spotted over a dozen triggerfish cruising the pristine white sand flat. Kayla put in the first cast and a trigger charged the fly the moment it landed from over three feet away. Never had David or either of the anglers seen a trigger chase with such aggression. By her second trigger in a matter of ten minutes, Charlie was changing over his fly to the “eSpaghetti” as well. It was an epic day for them both: Kayla with six and Charlie with four, of both the titan and yellow margin varieties of triggerfish.

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That evening, sitting on the deck top watching the red glow of the Sudanese setting sun and munching on roasted peanuts and popcorn, we heard about the success of everyone’s day. David was thrilled and proud that his fly had performed so well for his anglers. Toasts were made and spirits were high.

The following day, Kayla and I were paired together with Tim and, as we set out for Talla-Talla Kebir, Tim asked what our goals were for the day since the island was known to produce all of our target species. Kayla and I answered that we would be happy with whatever the day brought, as we were excited just to be fishing together and exploring yet another island. Naturally, Kayla was sticking with her new, well-proven Spaghetti fly, while I still had on a crab pattern from the day before that had managed to catch two triggers.

Not five minutes after the panga dropped us off, Tim spotted a nice yellow margin 15 feet from shore tailing near a bommie (South African slang for coral head). I told Kayla to take the shot and, on one cast and a strip, the trigger shot over to her Spaghetti and sucked it down. After that it didn’t take me long to change over to the magic fly. When Tim had finished snapping a few photos we begin walking the edge again. Clouds and facing into the sun made visibility tough, but the occasional split between clouds from time to time would give us good visibility, only to close over again. With his 24-year-old’s eyes Tim again spotted a darker trigger, this time a small Titan twenty feet out from the shore and now I was up. One cast and it spooked.

Looking back, I am so thankful that that trigger didn’t eat, for if it had, none of the following would have taken place. As we saw the “disturbance” cutting through the glare of the water coming down the shoreline in front of us, I had no time to think, no time to change to my 11-weight rod rigged for GT’s and other monsters, so I cast my Spaghetti fly on 16lb tippet in front of the cruising wake. I can still see that huge forehead as it rose above the surface and literally slurped in my Spaghetti. Shocked, I make one long strip and went tight - real tight, like into a stone. The second it felt the hook, the beast woke up as though it had been shot.

In that moment, the white flank of the fish flashed in the 30 inches of water and we knew...”GEEEEEEE TEEEEEEE!” I shouted. “What do I do?” All I could think was, ‘This is not going to last long’ - a massive GT hooked on a size # 2 worm fly tied to 16lb with NO bite tippet?! No way in heck we were going to be able to stop or land this fish. Tim’s response to my question was, “I don’t know!” We all grew quiet then, and I went into serious fish-fighting mode. As anyone who has chased IGFA world records or big fish with me can tell you, I grow instantly quiet and intensely concentrated on the fight until the fish is either in hand or has gone.

After the situation had settled down a bit, I told the others, “I am going to crank down and see what happens.” With that I dialed down the drag on my Mako 9550 to about 8lbs (it tops out at about 10lbs), and tried to keep the rod tip as high as possible to keep my line and the fish out of all the coral littering the flat. There were sharp cutting edges everywhere and all of us had lost fish to abrasion throughout the week.

My fish suddenly took a strong run, peeling off about 50 yards of backing. I knew I had to stop him, so I cranked down on the drag a little more, which was risky with all my all fly line and over 50 yards of backing out, but the further away he got, the less control I had to direct him. Tim started heading out into the water to tail the fish whenever the opportunity arose. As he walked, every minute or two without a word, he would give me a double thumbs up, as if saying, “Good job. You’re doing well. We’ve got this!”

There is nothing more powerful than a guide who believes in you, and I could tell from day one of this trip that Tim believed in me.

The unknown, of course, was how large a fish we were dealing with. I kept coming back to my experience fighting big tarpon on 16lb. If I could just force this GT to hand, maybe just maybe... Finally, the fish stopped taking line, and I had just started getting the backing back on my reel when he made another run, this time picking up a big mass of sea weed. Just what I didn’t need - more weight on the line! I loosened the drag just slightly. It felt like the fight went on for 30 minutes, but Kayla’s video of the fight showed it all happened in under five minutes!

Finally, Tim leaned down, creeping as discreetly as possible behind the fish and quietly stuck his hand under the surface for the tail. In that moment the fish sensed his presence and make a strong tail kick…right into Tim’s hand. He let out a holler that could have been heard all the way across the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia. As I came closer to him, his back was towards me, blocking my view of the fish.

“How big? How big is it?” I asked frantically, and Kayla shouted from the shoreline while filming, “Show us the fish!”

With hands shaking from adrenaline, exhausted energy and excitement, Tim lifted the tail to show the fish’s huge lower half and all three of us screamed.

I realised I hadn’t been breathing during those last seconds as Tim was going for the grab. Now I inhaled deeply and threw my arms in the air with rod in hand. We had won! A 94cm GT to hand on 16lbs tippet, with a Spaghetti fly nestled perfectly in the scissors!

Who would have guessed Italian would be on this GT’s menu that day?

ZANDVLEI

OPEN SECRETS THERE’S A TIME TO BE QUIET AND THERE’S A TIME TO B E H E A R D . F O R R I C H A R D WA L E , W H E N I T C O M E S T O CONSERVING THE LEERVIS AND THE GENERAL FISH P O P U L AT I O N O F H I S H O M E WAT E R S O F Z A N D V L E I , C A P E T O W N ’ S P R E M I E R U R B A N E S T U A R Y, S TAY I N G QUIET NO LONGER MAKES SENSE.

Photos. Nick van Rensburg, Richard Wale archive, Stuart Purnell, Andy Killick

so ecstatic with their success that they demonstrate their excitement to as many people as possible by sharing pics or info. More seasoned anglers, perhaps burnt from previous experiences of oversharing, are intent on keeping a secret spot quiet for as long as possible, so that they and their friends can enjoy it before it gets ruined. Most of us have been both of these anglers at some stage.

Most secret spots are far from urban areas because, let’s be honest, as a general rule of thumb, the more people involved, the worse the fishing is. Zandvlei is one of those rare exceptions, both because it’s urban and sort of a secret, but also because in this rare case involving more people may actually make it better.

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first fished Zandvlei when I was in my early teens and after quite a few missions finally managed to catch my first decent leervis (garrick) in the Marina Da Gama area on an old-school Tasmanian Devil spinning lure. This was before the time of mobile phones and digital photos, but that moment is etched in my memory and every time I go past the spot where I caught that first leerie I feel a sense of nostalgia. Those first visits to Zandvlei were motivated by my peers in our school’s piscatorial society, some of whom I am still in touch with. Bar a few missions in between, it was only in my late twenties that I really started fishing Zandvlei properly. This was prompted by the fact that I moved to within five minutes of the estuary.

I still live here. What I discovered that very first time and what has been reinforced again and again over the years, is that Zandvlei has amazing fly fishing for leervis.

There, I said it.

This is the moment where, if this were the script to a Police Academy movie, I’d have just walked through the wrong door into the Blue Oyster bar, the music would screech to a halt and all eyes would turn to me. If it were a meme featuring Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, he would raise that iconic eyebrow. If it were a Morgan Freeman narration, he would say, “And that… was Richie’s first mistake.” You get the picture.

The golden rule about “secret” fishing spots is that you are not meant to give them away. Having been a fly-fishing guide, competitive fly fisherman, casting tutor, fly tying tutor, commercial fly tier and having worked in the retail side of fly fishing, I know all too well the politics that arise around secret spots that produce good fishing. Once an angler ‘finds’ such a spot, what happens next generally goes one of two ways. Younger or more novice anglers tend to be

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As far as its clandestine status goes, Zandvlei is both a secret and not a secret at the same time. Schrodinger’s estuary if you will. Numerous articles have been published about this spot over the years, coupled with a plethora of photos, videos and blogs, most of them not in the name of conservation. If you search for “Leervis in Cape Town” online or something similar, plenty of links will come up mentioning Zandvlei. Despite all this, it’s just one of those places anglers seldom talk about openly, even if it’s not that hard to find out about it if you have access to Google and a prefrontal cortex. It has the air of a jealously guarded surf spot, frequented only by locals, a bit like the local scene depicted in the skate/surf documentary Dogtown and the Z-Boys set in Santa Monica which, despite being filled with pollution and dangerous obstacles, still produces a good wave that the locals protect. In much the same way Zandvlei has for years been protected by local fishermen.

That does not mean fishing at Zandvlei is easy. In fact, it’s often not good. There are definite windows when the fishing is on and other times when you can go months without catching a fish. But, as leervis fisheries go, it is one of the best I have experienced and, as urban fisheries go, there are few this near to a city that come close. The fish at Zandvlei can be tricky and require a bit more understanding than the usual, “pushing tide on a good bank scenario”.

But, if you are willing to put the time in to figure them out, there is great fly fishing for leervis at Zandvlei .

So, why the hell then, if it’s such a great fishery, am I breaking the rules and talking about it?

I’ll explain.

First off, I did not decide to do this lightly. In fact, for a long time, I was of the school of thought that we have to keep this place completely quiet. So if I went with friends I’d insist on no pics or posts in order to try and limit the number of people made aware of its fly fishing potential.

The belief was that, ’If you post pictures of leeries or tell people you are catching leeries at Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve (or ZENR as it’s known), then the masses will flood

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“THE GOLDEN RULE ABOUT “SECRET” FISHING SPOTS IS THAT YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO GIVE THEM AWAY.”

in and clean it out’. This belief was justified as there have been many poachers over the years fishing live bait and taking out undersize leeries on a large scale. To many, a fish is just a fish. They’re there to be taken and the concept of catch and release is nonsensical. The idea that it could all end – fish stocks, healthy estuaries, fishing – is simply unfathomable.

Because I threw the net wide looking for input on whether this was a good thing to do, I expected a bit of resistance, even some severe push back, possibly even a mild death threat or three. Instead, to my surprise, everyone I spoke to thought it was a good idea to publicise both the positives and the problems at Zandvlei, because (to put it mildly), Zandvlei is in the shit.

As I mulled over the idea of this article, I spoke to a lot of people in both the fly fishing and conventional fishing scenes who have a vested interest in the future of Zandvlei.

That included a WhatsApp group I am a part of (called the Zandvlei Recreational Angling Association), which is evolving into a full-blown community organisation. Lawyers and accountants are currently finalising the paperwork and financials required to formalise its status. I also spoke directly to respected local luminaries: from Zandvlei angling legends like Anton Ressel, and Gary Shung King, to highly regarded scientists who live on Zandvlei like Dr Pat Garrett (a marine biologist, fly angler and surfer who ran the Two Oceans Aquarium for two decades) and highly accomplished geologist Dr. Andy Killick and his wife Kirsty.

While local anglers have done what they can to protect it over the years, the problems facing Zandvlei are too big and too numerous to face alone. We need help, because if we don’t do something about this special place, we will lose it altogether. That’s not a dramatic statement, because it has happened to other urban estuaries right under our noses.

Milnerton estuary, for example, on the other side of Cape Town, used to produce good leeries and other species of fish, but is now a heavily-polluted body of water that neither new-comers nor hard-core fisherman can find any value in.

In my opinion, it is beyond the point of conservation and it is even questionable as a long-term restoration project.

This is not the case for Zandvlei Estuary Nature Reserve just yet, but it easily could be.

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It’s not just us anglers who will lose out if Zandvlei is ruined, it’s everyone who cares about the place, because Zandvlei is obviously not just about the fishing. The more time I spend on the water here, the more I understand how much this place gives to locals. People from all walks of life canoe and paddleboard on the water; birders twitch; people walk their dogs here every day; they play soccer and fly kites on the lawns and, on the weekends, entire extended families have braais at the municipal braai-places. It’s easy to see why. With a vista that ranges from ocean views of False Bay, to the ring of mountains stretching from Muizenberg Peak right above Zandvlei, across Ou Kaapse Weg and Silvermine, Steenberg, Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak, it’s one of the most picturesque settings in one of the most picturesque cities on earth. That it has a resident population of good-sized leervis makes it even better.

I moved into the area in my late twenties and I have now been here nine years. I have put the time in on the water, had some amazing fishing, made a lot of friends and watched the vlei go through its various cycles, both natural and, unfortunately, man-made.

In 2012 there was a massive algae bloom which resulted in a huge die off of fish. This was due to the mouth being closed for too long, combined with heat of summer and extremely high nutrient levels. Not only did countless fish die as direct result of the algae preventing them from processing oxygen, but numerous fish were slaughtered by the public when they congregated at the closed mouth trying to get out to the ocean and to evade the algae bloomed water in the ZENR. When I say it was a slaughter, it was nothing short thereof, with people literally taking to the water with pitch forks in hand! A combination of low salinity levels from an insurge of fresh water, extremely high nutrient levels from sewage spills and fertiliser run off and increased heat levels resulted in another one of these algae blooms and a mass fish die off and/or exodus. The same conditions can also result in a large amount of aquatic weed growth which can make fishing and other water sports almost impossible.

Poaching, like prostitution, is one of those age-old problems that will probably never go away entirely, but it can be kept in check with frequent patrols and monitoring. Usually, it’s the live bait guys killing juvenile

Big or small, Zandvlei stalwarts Andy and Kirsty Killick catch and release more leervis than most people.

“THE MORE PEOPLE WHO GIVE OF THEIR TIME & THEIR SKILLS, THE MORE EFFECTIVE WE WILL BE AT CONSERVING ZANDVLEI.” leervis, which heavily impacts the future recruitment of this population. In 2015, there was even a bloke that would go out on a boat under the cover of night and gill net masses of undersize leeries, which were then illegally sold for cash. Fortunately, he was busted with three gill nets measuring over 150m collectively and with 136 fish, including leervis, juvenile white steenbras and mullet.

He was fined around R4 000 for his crimes which, in my opinion, is a ridiculously low penalty if the idea is to deter future criminal activity. I believe the subsequent threats he received from concerned fisherman and residents of the vlei probably had a much bigger impact on his behaviour.

Whenever nature meets urban growth, there will be complexities and Zandvlei is a complex system. On the Muizenberg beachfront there’s a river mouth that gets sanded up, plus there are suburbs from Muizenberg to Marina da Gama and the sewer system pressures that they bring. The vlei has had to be closed on numerous occasions over the last few years due to sewage spills that resulted in high e.coli (human faecal bacteria) counts in the estuary. It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to wear waders in summer and ensures that you cut your flies off with a nipper instead of your teeth.

Over the years I have come to understand more and more about the inner workings of this system, the illusive movement and behaviour of the fish within it, and the politics that surround it. As fishermen we spend more time on the water than most, which is how our WhatsApp group of like-minded guys who frequently fish ZENR evolved into an action platform. As the local eyes and ears of the vlei, we have worked with the Quemic Rangers, the subcontracted security company, to curb the poaching and illegal fishing.

Our efforts include going around educating people as to the fishing rules, busting poachers, organising litter cleanups, and essentially keeping a close eye on the water so we can stop anything untoward. Although ZENR has allocated resources and hard-working conservation personnel, the reality remains that it is in the middle of suburbia with multiple access points. The more input from the public, offered in the right manner does, and will continue to, help this system tremendously. While it blows my mind that this system still somehow manages to survive and maintain a healthy population of fish species and other aquatic life despite the problems. But, if not kept in check, the situation can very rapidly deteriorate beyond repair like Milnerton.

We’ve seen it happen before and it will happen again. That’s why I believe having more conservation minded anglers on the system can only help conserve the estuary.

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Tyron Knight with a fantastic leervis. Despite pollution and poaching, Zandvlei still delivers the goods.

It is not all doom and gloom. This estuary is still one of the best examples of how resilient mother nature can be, managing to bounce back on countless occasions. It is still a healthy system in that there are good fish populations, bird populations and general biodiversity. I believe that humans are more inclined to protect and contribute to the conservation of a resource if it holds value for them.

If creating that notion of value through pointing out the fishing potential means that there are going to be more conservation-minded fly fisherman on the water then so be it. The more people who give of their time and their skills, the more effective we will be at conserving Zandvlei.

A perfect example of a fly angler who values this resource and has got involved with his skill-set is Dr. Andy Killick.

He and Kirsty have lived close to the Vlei for many years and fly fish it more than most, often at 5.30 am. Andy is an accomplished geologist who, free of charge, gave his valuable advice on the current dredging being implemented close to the system’s mouth. Much of the conservation effort at Zandvlei is being driven by people, like Andy, who value the system. I have been amazed at how many people are willing to get involved if they feel they are part of it. If the old adage of, “The end justifies the means” is applied to Zandvlei, then here the end equals the conservation, preservation and improvement of ZENR, and the means

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is making people aware and getting their vested interest.

If I attract back-lash for exposing a “secret spot,” I am willing to accept the consequences. Too much is at stake to not take action.

A couple of weeks ago, in the middle of the Cape winter, I went down to the vlei with my rod, my son and my dog to see if there was any action. When I got there, I found seven fly anglers on the water, which is possibly the most I have ever seen at one time. It’s definitely a record for winter.

While I was chatting to one of the guys I knew, another angler hooked a respectable leerie on a crease fly. A leervis, in the city, in winter – that’s what everyone was hoping for, so it brought a few of the other guys in to take a look.

As the lucky angler unhooked the fly, revived the fish and released it back into the vlei, he was hit with high fives and congratulations.

Everyone there cared deeply about the fish and about Zandvlei.

That’s the way it should be.

To find out more about how you can get involved and help, check out the Zandvlei Trust (zandvleitrust.org.za).

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“WE NEED HELP, BECAUSE IF WE DON’T DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SPECIAL PLACE, WE WILL LOSE IT ALTOGETHER.”

FLUFF

BUCKNUTS

W H E T H E R YO U ’ R E A B E L I E V E R I N T H E D I V I N E , DA B B L E I N T H E P S E U D O - S C I E N C E O F I N T E L L I G E N T D ES I G N , E M B R AC E T H E W O N D E R O F S E R E N D I P I T Y, O R A C C E P T T H AT H U M A N S S O M E T I M ES J U S T G E T L U C K Y, T H E R E I S N O ES CA P I N G T H E FAC T T H AT S O M E T H I N G S P U T O N T H E E A R T H A R E S I M P LY P E R F EC T. F R O M H U M B L E B A S S B U G S , T O T H E L E T H A L S W I S S A R M Y K N I F E U T I L I TA R I A N I S M O F C L O U S E R S , T H E M A G N I F I C E N T M O V E M E N T O F B E A S T S A N D M Y R I A D O T H E R G O -T O F L I ES , FO R A N D R E VA N W Y K A N D H I S F E L L O W O B S ES S I V ES , W H E N I T C O M ES T O F LY T Y I N G , T H E R E CA N B E N O G R E AT E R EX A M P L E O F N AT U R A L P E R F EC T I O N T H A N T H E B AC K E N D O F A W H I T E -TA I L E D D E E R .

Photos. Gerhard Uys

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he natural world has gifted us fly-tiers with many incredible materials to tie onto hooks.

From the old days of classic salmon flies and their use of ridiculously rare and endangered bird feathers, to the ass end of a duck (yip, that lovely CDC you dry fly boys love so much is from the dingleberry zone of a water fowl!) to the beautiful herls of a peacock, the short, soft naturally-buggy wonder that is hare’s fur, there are huge numbers of natural materials that have been gifted to us to be reborn as a fly. And, while there has been massive growth in synthetic materials in both fresh and saltwater tying, there are some materials which simply cannot be imitated or beaten by a manmade creation.

While for some, the CDC, Peacock Herl or even Marabou may qualify as the greatest natural materials of all time, I’d be willing to bet almost anything that bucktail is the holder of that title. Especially for those who tie larger “predator flies”, either saltwater or fresh, the humble asscover of the white-tailed deer is the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time).

My bucktail journey began when I was given Bob Popovic’s second book, “Fleye Design” by my good friend Platon Trakoshis. I’d had Bob’s brilliant first book, Pop Fleyes, for a decade and while there is a fair amount on bucktail in there, the main drive of that book was towards synthetics and epoxy and other aspects of Bob’s unique approach to tying. Fleye Design, came along with perfect timing. I was getting back into fly tying in a big way, after a fairly

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long hiatus, and the book was the perfect birthday gift, opening the door to a new obsession, one that lead me down the proverbial rabbit hole of education, frustration, amazement and enlightenment. Bob’s shift towards more natural materials and, in a big way, his journey with bucktail, reflected my own sub conscious desire for and attraction to natural materials and, in turn, started my love affair with it.

Like any good love affair, it started with a bang, morphed into an obsession, and became a desire for nothing else. That single-minded focus in turn blocked out any negatives, or the need to take things slowly. I was impatient. I wanted to be a bucktail wizard like Bob and churn out enormous flies of perfect proportion and scale.

The Holy Grail for me became huge Beasts and BULKHead patterns with perfect natural tapers and sweeping bellies that would dazzle any fish. The reality, however, was a little different. I ran before I walked. Hell, I hadn’t even learnt to crawl and yet, in trying to emulate Bob, I was effectively attempting to take on Usain Bolt in the 100 metres.

Despair and frustration that my creations weren’t hitting the mark flooded my tying desk. Convinced that it was because I didn’t have the best bucktails, a crusade ensued to source the best. That’s how, a couple of months later a friend, who shall remain anonymous, managed to walk through customs at Cape Town International Airport on a return trip from the USA with a ridiculous number of premium bucktails carefully stashed inside a duffel bag.

Armed now with the ultimate versions of the ultimate materials, I was all set to become the bucktail Demi-God I so aspired to be.

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NOSE TO TAIL: Variety may be the spice of life, but when it comes to bucktail, that variety is both a gift and a curse, because no two tails are the same. The length, the density, the waviness, whether the fibres are coarse, fine, wispy, or stiff. Each tail is a unique creation, much like the animal it comes from. Part of the journey with bucktail is to realise this fact, followed by frustration, acceptance and then, if you stay the course, a deep love for working with the oneof-a-kind nature every tail brings to the tying bench.

I like to think about bucktail in much the same way a chef would look at an animal with Nose-to-Tail dining in mind.

A good chef understands how best to use every cut of meat, and which dish will suit which parts best. Great chefs can take an entire animal, even the odd bits you might never have considered before (pig’s ear anyone?), and transform every part into a culinary masterpiece using new approaches and innovative thinking.

In diagrammatic terms, a fly would follow the same path in terms of which hairs you use off a tail, for which parts of a fly. Therefore, the nose would be the front of the fly, the back and belly would be the middle portion of the fly, and the tail would be… well, the tail. The tip of the tail is where you will find the longest, softest, wispiest fibres, the ones that make your fly look alive when it swims.

A ‘Fake’ Deceiver Tied by Giovanni de Pace

How quickly I learnt that arrogance and ignorance can trip you up quicker than a stick through the front wheel of a bicycle! Just because the material is perfect, doesn’t mean you can create something perfect out of it. Many high- end bucktails were sacrificed at my vice, merely to become (in my eyes) very sub-par flies. I realised that I needed to step back, slow down, and take the time to learn from my flytying idols.

Like anything worth doing properly, I needed to learn about the material, its ins and outs, its quirks, its strengths, its weaknesses and little idiosyncrasies. I needed to learn from folks who had taken the bucktail journey before me, the shamans of this mystic material trip. In doing so the full revelation of just what an incredible material bucktail is, cemented itself in my heart and mind, and nothing has ever been the same since.

The shorter, crinklier, more hollow fibres at the base of the tail, will give you more bulk, more flare, more “shoulders” to your fly. Then, the back and belly middle sections of the fly will continue that profile, but add some length and softness to grade out the taper. The tail, with those long delicious soft naturally tapered tips will give to the length and the movement that will have the back end of your fly dancing like no natural could ever replicate.

There are exceptions to every rule, and you can use fibres from the base of a bucktail in the tail of your fly, and you can use tail tip fibres in the nose of your fly but, starting out with a nose to tail approach, front to back, is a great way to wrap your head around how the different fibres work and react under your thread at the vice, and how you can use them throughout different areas of your tying. Bob’s book covers the importance of understanding the different properties of the different types of fibres. Gunnar Brammer also covers this brilliantly in his videos.

“THE HOLY GRAIL FOR ME BECAME HUGE BEASTS AND BULKHEAD PATTERNS WITH PERFECT NATURAL TAPERS AND SWEEPING BELLIES THAT WOULD DAZZLE ANY FISH. THE REALITY, HOWEVER, WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.” 76

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A bluefin tuna caught by Jari Koski on one of his bucktail patterns.

THE DISCIPLES – JASON TAYLOR AND BEN WHALLY IG: @flyonby IG: @bwhally Fly fishermen like Jason Taylor and Ben Whally, both US East Coast based anglers and tiers, are true disciples of Bob Popovic. Jason’s flies are heart-breakingly beautiful, with a classic nod to form and function and incorporating additional naturals and synthetics. Ben has taken Bob’s approach to tying oversized flies that are realistically fishable, and ramping them to an entirely new level with his large BEASTFLEYE patterns. Both Ben’s and Jason’s tying are classic examples of understanding a material and making it work for them through all their patterns. They use the different characteristics of different fibres from different tails, and different parts of a tail to perfectly shape their patterns.

Bob Popovics with a redhead Beast

THE BOSS - BOB POPOVICS IG: @keithalyeecia In the bucktail world, the grandmaster, five-star Michelin chef of them all would undoubtedly be Bob Popovics (who coincidentally actually owns a restaurant called Shady Rest in Bayville, New Jersey). Bob’s approach to fly design and material use is revolutionary. As a ‘nose-to-tail’ chef, he opened so many people’s eyes to just how varied bucktail can be, and how to use it in so many more recipes than were ever thought possible. For example, Bob’s BULKHead pattern is, an ingenious method of utilising those previously discarded pesky butt ends of the fibres to build bulk and form. Then there’s his brilliant thread dam technique utilised on his BEASTFLEYE to accurately control flare and taper on reverse ties to build enormous but functional patterns. Not only that, one of the key factors he introduced was how bucktail could be the building block, the perfect base stock onto which a great recipe can be built.

That’s the thing… bucktail can be used in its purest form with no other added ingredient. It’s as perfect clean, fresh and simple as a piece of sashimi, when it’s used in the humble bucktail Deceiver or Clouser Minnow. Or, it can be combined with an endless array of other materials, natural and synthetic, to build a beautiful complex slice of wizardy on a hook, as in the vast array of incredible pike and Musky streamers.

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Ben Whally with a beat of a Beast

“BEN’S AND JASON’S TYING ARE CLASSIC EXAMPLES OF UNDERSTANDING A MATERIAL AND MAKING IT WORK FOR THEM THROUGH ALL THEIR PATTERNS.”

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One of Jason Taylor’s 3D bucktail patterns with peacock herl.

Ben Whally with an incredible striper taken on a Beast

A squad of BULKHeads and Beast flies tied by Gunnar Brammer

THE TEACHER – GUNNAR BRAMMER IG: @gunnar_brammer, streamersbygunnar.com YouTube - youtube.com/user/TheTardyDuck1 Gunnar Brammer, a US-based fly-tier and educator, and one of the finest bucktail experts out there, has one of the best approaches to the teaching of fly tying I’ve ever seen. I believe fly-tying has always been better taught in person and, while videos can be amazing for learning specific patterns or simple techniques, they often fall short of conveying an understanding of a material or technique. Gunnar has managed to impart his incredible wealth of knowledge in a unique way by breaking down every element of what he is teaching, with super clear examples of what works, why it works, how it works, how it doesn’t work, and all the while inspiring and encouraging the viewer to persevere. I stumbled across Gunnar’s videos on Youtube when my bucktail addiction first started and his approach to the material inspired me to dive deeper. Gunnar’s videos cover a huge range of fly tying, but his Bucktail and Predator flies’ series really struck a chord with me so I asked for his input on bucktail.

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“Every tail is unique. As a fly-tier, this is my favourite aspect, because tying with bucktail is never easy. The decision on which tail; where the fibres are selected from that tail; the spacing on the shank between stacks; the density per stack; the wave, the length, the flair, the angles… every single application is a fine work of craftsmanship. To me there is also a prestige in working with bucktail. You can’t just follow some recipe and get it right, right out of the gate. The number of tails and the time behind the vice that it takes to have enough perspective to even appreciate what a given tail is offering you, is something that is special. I don’t think you can say that about any other material out there. Nothing has as much variation, as much individuality, and as much potential as bucktail.”

Gunnar’s videos will definitely accelerate your learning curve dramatically and I cannot recommend them enough.

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Paul Monaghan Flashy Hollows Pink Punks

Jari’s pike Beast tied by Jari Koski

Rupert Harvey’s bonefish Beast

“IT IS BUCKTAIL’S INHERENT PROPERTIES THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DRESS THESE OTHER MATERIALS OVER AND AROUND IT TO ACHIEVE INCREDIBLE FLIES.” THE ALL-ROUNDERS – RUPERT HARVEY, PAUL MONAGHAN & JARI KOSKI IG: @rupertharveyflies, rupertharveysflies.com, https://www.youtube.com/c/RupertHarveyUkflies IG: @paul.mono.monaghan, flashtailspredatorfliescom, https://www.youtube.com/ channelUCu3eYUxwfvWRUvHFnhxXM5Q IG: @tjabster, http://keepitsimpleflyfishing.blogspot.com https://www.youtube.com/user/Tajapi While bucktail is perfect on its own, it does cook up incredibly well with other materials, both naturals and synthetics. I’ve been very fortunate to learn from some

incredible fly-tiers who use bucktail both on its own, and in combination with synthetics to produce art on a hook. People such as UK-based Rupert Harvey and Paul Monaghan, and Jari Koski from Finland use bucktail both on its own and incredibly well as what I call a “scaffolding” platform in combination with synthetics or other natural materials. That creates a framework over which to lay other materials, bringing in flash, colour and length.

It is bucktail’s inherent properties that allows you to dress these other materials over and around it to achieve incredible flies. Jari is similar, using bucktail exceptionally across both fresh and saltwater patterns, from simple Clousers and Half and Halfs, to Beasts, to Pike and Perch Streamers, almost all of which have a large part of them rooted in bucktail.

BULKhead Shanked Beasts by Paul Monaghan.

THE PERFECTIONIST – GIOVANNI DE PACE IG: @giannidepace , https://www.youtube.com/c GianniDePace The Italian wizard Giovanni de Pace, brings in a level of neatness with bucktail that’s difficult to fathom because, not only does he embrace a technical approach to a natural material, but he manages to do it while maintaining heart and soul in his flies. His technique of tying bucktail in, as well as managing the butt ends, and his carefully studied approach to length is phenomenal. Pay special attention to where bucktail is applied in his pattern. Each placement - on the tops, sides or bottom of the shank – is deliberate and the desired effect is amazing.

Gio’s videos will show what technical proficiency, patience, as well as a ‘less is more’ approach can do for your fly tying. Watching him tie has improved the neatness of my tying tenfold!

I learnt enormous amounts from all of these fly-tiers and from the greatest teacher of them all – the material itself plus, of course, time spent at the vice.

Gunnar put it rather well in his last email to me:

Giovanni De Pace Half and Halfs, a Fake Deceiver Ultimate Candy and a Fake Deceiver

“From a fisherman’s perspective, hand crafted artisan bucktail flies give you the best shape, the best movement, and the best cast-ability that is achievable in a large fly.

The bucktail’s ability to flair gives it volume and dimensions.

The slight crinkle fills in the silhouette with minimal amount of hair. The thicker bases create a rigid under-silhouette, while the thin and wispy tapered tips swim over the fly.

The trapped air and compressible butt ends allow you to create flies that hover, pause, glide, and balance. And for all of this, the fly slicks down for casting to reduce air resistance and absorbs minimal amounts of water. Bucktail is the greatest fly-tying challenge, and has the greatest fly- tying potential.”

In other words, the juice is worth the squeeze. In a world full of mass-produced, soulless man-made products, finding magic in the unique is something more and more of us are searching for. The fact that a little hairy patch of skin that covers a deer’s butcrack can produce that unique magic is something that really brings me joy. However it got here, by whatever divine or serendipitous turn of events, I’m pretty thankful that bucktail found its way onto this fly-tier’s bench.

“FROM A FISHERMAN’S PERSPECTIVE, HAND CRAFTED ARTISAN BUCKTAIL FLIES GIVE YOU THE BEST SHAPE, THE BEST MOVEMENT, AND THE BEST CAST-ABILITY THAT IS ACHIEVABLE IN A LARGE FLY.” 84

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L AT ES T R E L E A S ES

SALAD BAR

ORVIS - HELIOS BLACKOUT Fresh out of Vermont are these three specialised Orvis Helios rods from their ‘Blackout’ range. There’s a 9’5” 5-weight, an 8’5” 8-weight and an 11’ 3-weight.

Early reports on the 5-weight indicate it’s an incredible all-rounder with accuracy and distance to the cast, equally at home laying down gentle dries as it is nymphing. From the smallmouth yellows of the Vaal and its tributaries, to multi-species rivers like the Bokong in Lesotho with its yellows, browns and rainbows, and stillwaters too, this rod could handle it all.

With the 8-weight, Orvis were looking for a boat rod with quick, one-shot accuracy to keep the angler one step ahead of redfish, bonefish and permit. With the power of an 8-weight, yet the feel of a 7-weight, in Southern African conditions, this would be perfect for tigers at Pongola or even a drift down the Orange.

Finally, the 11’ 3-weight is an incredibly accurate tool that combines the swing weight of a regular 10 foot euro nymph rod with next level sensitivity, so you can detect the slightest nudges on your nymphs. That extra length gives you phenomenal drift control through complex current seams, while the softer tip protects even the lightest tippets. Overall, if you know how to wield it, it should result in more fish brought to hand. orvis.com

THE MULTI-TOOL - LEATHERMAN BOND Just under 40 years ago, Leatherman released their first multi-tool, the PST (Pocket Survival Tool). Since then, they’ve been the market leaders with a brilliant range of tools for camping, survival, hunting, heavy industry, and, of course, fishing. Loads of guides the world over choose to have a Leatherman on their hips, because not only can they tighten knots and retrieve hooks from toothy mouths, but they come in handy when fixing boats, removing stingray spikes, opening cans and whatever else you might need while out there.

The new Leatherman Bond, is a nod to that original Leatherman PST. With a classic stainless-steel design it boasts 14 tools, from needlenose pliers, regular pliers, hard-wire cutters, wire cutters, wire stripper, a 420hc blade, an awl, a can opener, a bottle opener, a wood/metal file, a Phillips screwdriver, a medium screwdriver, a small screwdriver and a ruler. That last one will only come in handy if you catch really small fish like our art director. awesometools.co.za

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THE MISSION - BEST BEANIES IN THE WORLD Ok look, self-promotion can be a cringey thing, but forgive us this one because we’re especially stoked with how our new beanie collaboration with Blankets from Africa turned out. Made from 100% pure Merino wool by women in rural communities in the Eastern Cape, these things are warm as hell and brilliantly made. Available in two styles: the ‘Kelpie’ green on green seaweed ensemble or the ‘Spiedkop’ blue and red/pink, buy one of these and not only will it keep your pip warm, but you get to support a good cause too. themissionflymag.com

“MADE FROM 100% PURE MERINO WOOL BY WOMEN IN RURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE EASTERN CAPE, THESE THINGS ARE WARM AS HELL AND BRILLIANTLY MADE.” UMPQUA - HOOKS Umpqua, or, Umpqua Feather Merchants as their mother calls them, is one of those brands that just gets on with it, making a range of quality products from flies, to tippet, packs, fly boxes and apparel without making too much noise about it. Now, both salt and freshwater options from their X-series and U-series range of hooks is available in our part of the world via Xplorer Fly Fishing. In the specialist X-series check out the XS420 flats hook for your Gotcha/ Charlie-type patterns, the XS415H heavy hooks for tarpon and XC450BL-BN jig hooks for your nymph box. In the great value U-series made of high grade carbon steel, with chemically sharpened points and micro barbs for easy penetration and easy de-barbing, look out for the UC655BLBN JIG 60, the UC600BL-BN dry fly hooks and the U401 stainless salt hook. umpqua.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za

SIMMS - PRO WADING STAFF Whether it’s due to strong currents and slippery rocks where you fish, or the fact that your knees are held together with gristle and the Holy Spirit, you might want to consider some extra insurance by adding the Simms Pro Wading Staff to your kit. A lightweight, high-strength 4-section carbon staff, it has a FastLock system (like those touring-style ski sticks) and the length can be customized from 51 to 56 inches. A contoured cork handle delivers nonslip grip, while the quick-release ergonomic strap ensures safety.

Neoprene sheath comes standard. simmsfishing.com, frontierflyfishing.com

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SALAD BAR FISHPOND – SWITCHBACK PRO WADING BELT SYSTEM Kings of Convenience are a Norwegian folk-pop duo, but it’s a moniker that could just as easily apply to Fishpond’s ingenious customisable modular pack systems. Taking onboard feedback from customers, Fishpond have improved on the popular Switchback Wading Belt System with the Pro version that includes the wader belt with net slot, a 5L pack, a Tacky Fly Dock, and shoulder strap. The pack features a large main pocket with an interior divider and 2 stretch pockets, a magnetic drop-down pocket with two interior stretch pockets and one zipper pocket, an exterior Velcro patch for the Tacky Fly Dock, a built-in net slot and numerous attachment points for floatant holders, hemostats, nippers and what have you. How you wear it and how you pimp it, is up to you, but with an ambidextrous design for left, or right shoulder orientation and easy pairing with other Fishpond gear like the Quikshot Rod Holder, Thunderhead Submersible Pouch, or a whole host of other add-ons, it’s hard to find fault with the new Switchback Pro. fishpondusa.com, frontierflyfishing.com

FISHPOND – THUNDERHEAD CHEST PACK If you’re on the hunt for a small yet customisable waterproof carry system, take a gander at the chest pack from Fishpond’s Thunderhead waterproof range. Made from their 1680D TPU coated recycled Cyclepond nylon, the main compartment sports a fully waterproof TIZIP zipper closure and interior organization with one zippered pocket and one clear stash pocket, plus there’s a front stretch mesh pocket with zipper closure.

Exterior Hypalon tabs give you easy attachment options for tools and accessories. The lightweight foam backpanel has an integrated net slot for holding long or short handle nets (there’s also a D-ring for those who prefer to use a net release). As a standalone, it has all you need for a day out, but being a Fishpond product means it fits into a greater modular system, so you can wear it integrated into a Thunderhead backpack or lash it onto a boat. fishpondusa.com, frontierflyfishing.com

UMPQUA - UPG HD LARGE FLATS FOAM AQUA FLY BOX Did anyone order the crab curry? Scampi platter for two? Perhaps a plate of whitebait?

With the double-sided goodness of the UPG HD Large Flats box from Umpqua, all your crustacean and small baitfish patterns are covered. Bullet-proof, water-proof, lightweight and see-through (for quick identification of your sought-after patterns), once you get it, this is the kind of box you will never know how you managed without it. umpqua.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za

“BULLET-PROOF, WATER-PROOF, LIGHTWEIGHT AND SEE-THROUGH”

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Distributed by Xplorer fly fishing www.xplorerflyfishing.co.za contact 031-5647368

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SALAD BAR LOOP – DRY TACTICAL BACKPACK We’re loving the collaborations coming out of Scandinavia at the moment. First Podsol made a bag with Sandqvist and now Loop have teamed up with renowned Swedish designers Coxa Carry to create a phenomenally comfortable and functional 100% waterproof 15L fly fishing pack. It’s highly customisable system disperses the weight off your shoulders and on to your hips (making casting and trekking long distances a lot more comfortable).

Featuring roll top closure, a detachable MOLLE system, concealed bottle holders and primary and secondary rod storage, the Dry Tactical Backpack does everything you want from a dry pack, but it also lays claim to being one of the safest bags on the market. This is thanks the ingenious quick release buckle system which reminds us a little of a child’s car seat (in a good way). If you’re going to be wading in deep, fast-moving or treacherous water, this pack is made for you. looptackle.com, flyfishing.co.za

“A PHENOMENALLY COMFORTABLE AND FUNCTIONAL 100% WATERPROOF 15L FLY FISHING PACK”

LOOP – DRY HIP PACK Prefer a lighter carry for the flats or fjording deep spots in your home rivers? Loop’s 7L Dry Hip Pack hits that sweet spot between weight, waterproofness and durability, thanks to their TPU coated 420D nylon fabric. The roll top closure ensures it stays fully waterproof, while the 7L carrying capacity featuring a large primary compartment and as well as several organisation options on the interior will carry all essentials.

The outer Molle system patch offers additional attachment points, while a bottom pouch stores a 1L water bottle, that you can easily access and stash without having to move the pack around. A sturdy air mesh hip belt ensures all-day comfort, with two smaller mesh pockets for storing smaller items. looptackle.com, flyfishing.co.za HARELINE - ECONOMY FLY TYING KIT If you want to get into fly tying, it can be difficult to know where to start because from fresh to salt, beginner options to pro gear, myriad species and patterns, there are so many options in every direction.

In our opinion, the best thing to do when starting out is to get a quality kit like this comprehensive starter outfit from Hareline. Containing 48 different premium fly tying materials, a vice, tools and Veevus fly tying threads, PLUS a 60-page 20-fly pattern book, it’s the perfect place to get the ball rolling. hareline.com, frontierflyfishing.com

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UMPQUA - ZS2 LEDGES WAIST PACK 650 If Inspector Gadget was into fly fishing, he’d carry one of these bad boys, because it manages to be incredibly feature-rich without being cluttered. The waistbelt itself is designed to carry a load, but it’s also functional with side pockets for extra storage and a Molle webbing system (both on the sides of the waistbelt and on the pack) that gives you plenty of options to customize the pack as you like. In the interior, one cavernous main compartment will hold all your fly boxes and your lunch, while two smaller pockets on the front take smaller fly boxes and accessories. Smart ports for nippers, plus net and hemo sheaths ensure your tools are there when you need them and out of the way when you are fishing. A water bottle holder is mounted on the side so there’s no reason to get parched. umpqua.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za

LOOP X SIGHTLINE PROVISIONS - SALMON BRACELET NAVY Sightline Provisions, esteemed purveyors of piscatorial mangles (man bangles), have teamed up with Loop on a range of bracelets celebrating the Swedish company’s favourite fish, the Atlantic salmon. Available in navy leather, the mangle features a salmon with the Loop logo running through it. Wear it in and around Dullstroom and people will think it’s a massive trout. looptackle.com, flyfishing.co.za

RIO - PREMIER STRIPER FLY LINE Over the years, with the major US-based line manufacturers most species on the boxes might have a pretty global spread (e.g. trout, bonefish, permit, GTs, tarpon). Every now and then something very specific to an area, like tigerfish or dorado might appear on the box, but as far as we are aware that’s never happened for our beloved kob (mulloway/jewfish), so the general rule of thumb in South Africa is that anything pitched as a “striper” line to the US market, is a kob line to us. Featuring quick-loading, easy casting heads Rio’s series of striper/kob lines include a full floating line, a clear intermediate sinking line with luminous running line (great for fishing in the dark), and a series of 30 ft long sinking head fly lines with intermediate running lines. Each sinking fly line is density compensated and allows anglers to stay in touch with the fly. All of these lines are now made with SlickCast, Rio’s phenomenally slick, durable coating. rioproducts.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za

DEEP WANTS

PAY DAY A M A R V E L LO U S M U ST- R E A D A N D SA RTO R I A L SUNNIES FOR SPOTTING FISH

THE BOOK – THE OPTIMIST BY DAVID COGGINS “I admit my fishing desire can be so intense I don’t like to describe it to the unafflicted. I don’t want other people to know, and perhaps I don’t want to admit to myself, just how much I think about fishing. There’s something slightly suspicious about this devotion, like a weakness for absinthe, an eccentric habit that should be tempered before it turns into a depraved addiction. Too much fishing – and too much absinthe for that matter – can leave you with an overgrown beard, far from home, raving about the fate of the world.

It’s like I’m part of a disreputable cult known to have suspect views about the creation of the universe. But now I’m a true believer.”

David Coggins is a New York-based writer who has made a name for himself writing on men’s style and manners for numerous major titles from the New York Times to the Wall Street Journal, Robb Report and Condé Nast Traveler.

Reading his new book The Optimist – A Case for the Fly Fishing Life, we had the uncanny sense Coggins was in our heads as it frequently felt like he was describing what we try to achieve with The Mission half the time. From the nuances and readings of who we are as fly anglers and why we do what we do to why such a seemingly arbitrary pastime can so absorb so many people to such a deep degree of obsession as to make it a central part of our lives – Coggins is a sharp observer of the world of men and nature.

Coggins brilliantly blends together layered observations about the natural world, the angler’s state of mind, our heavy obsessions and frustrations, our myriad quirks and, of course, the tension and release so inherent to fly fishing. If you avoid fly fishing books due to the plethora of dull ‘I went to X and caught Y’ hero stories, fear not, this book dives many layers beyond that. Honest and perceptive, Coggins details how failure is as much a part of what we do, as our main goal of catching fish is. Whether you’re new to fly fishing or feel like you’ve seen and read it all, trust us when we says this is one of the best fly fishing books to come out in years. simonandschuster.com

Charting his personal evolution from initiate to seasoned veteran, each chapter focuses on a different place and a different species, from Wisconsin (smallmouth bass), to Montana (cutthroat trout), Maine (Brook trout), Canada (Atlantic salmon), the Bahamas (bonefish), Patagonia (rainbow trout), New York (striped bass) and finally, back to the source with brown trout in England.

“IF YOU AVOID FLY FISHING BOOKS DUE TO THE PLETHORA OF DULL ‘I WENT TO X AND CAUGHT Y’ HERO STORIES, FEAR NOT, THIS BOOK DIVES MANY LAYERS BEYOND THAT.”

THE SUNNIES – THE OPTIMIST BY KIRK ORIGINALS Coggins, being a sartorial creature to his core, has also collaborated on a range of oversized aviator sunglasses with Kirk Originals called The Optimist.

With an infilled bridge, an enhanced top bar and flared detail to the nose, these handmade sunnies are designed to be as at home on a trout stream as they are on a bonefish flat (or living your off-water life).

They hit that sweet spot between old school Gonzo cool and the performance of modern materials like mid-brown Mazzuchelli acetate frames and polarised warm brown English-made lens. kirkoriginals.com

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CLOBBER

PATAGONIA - SWIFTCURRENT EXPEDITION ZIP-FRONT WADERS

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ip-front waders are a little bit like an air fryer. Okay, if you don’t have kids then perhaps that analogy may be lost, but bear with me here. You know when there is that one thing that people just won’t stop going on about. Everyone keeps telling you how good it is and why you just have to get it, but you don’t believe the hype. You hold out for a long time until finally relenting. One day in and you wonder how you ever survived without it.

I remember seeing Platon Trakoshis in his zip-front waders on the Breede about four years ago and questioning the logic and extra investment. As he turned away to take a slash, he said something to the tune of, ‘no, you don’t understand.’

Well I do today Platon. I do today.

FRONT ZIPPER So let’s start with that zipper. In 2020 Patagonia released what they regarded as their ‘most innovative, feature-rich waders to date.’ As one would come to expect from the likes of Patagonia, every attention to detail was considered. To begin with, the YKK Vision zipper is completely watertight.

This might seem like a throwaway comment but to me that might well be the proverbial weakest link in zip-fronts. If that thing fails, you’re done. The zipper also features a neat closure flap (with rust-proof stainless steel clasps) and the entire mechanism is easy to access and operate. Once open (zipped down) you simply slide off the Y-shaped, padded shoulder straps and step into (or out of) your waders. (I use an old Island Style wetsuit changing mat for this. It’s the best R350 you’ll ever spend watersportswarehouse.co.za).

In addition it’s quite easy to zip open and take a leak (another big selling point on zip-fronts for Platon back then, or so I recall, but we won’t go into that).

FIT Now, I’m not the world’s tallest human so in the past waders have often been a juggling act of ill-fitting compromise between height, shoe size (bootie fit) and chest-size fit.

With the Swiftcurrent range there are some 17 sizes (normal and ‘extended’) with various combination options between girth, height and shoe size. I tested the SSS which refers to ‘Small Short’ (ed. Jazz is frequently referred to as one of our tame Garden Route gnomes, the other being the similarly diminutive LeRoy Botha).

Aside from the huge range of basic fits and sizes, these waders are highly customisable. The Y-shaped, suspenderstyle shoulder straps are attached with a ‘ladder system’ so you can get the chest height just as you want it, and then keep them like that indefinitely never having to fiddle with the adjustment. They also feature pull tabs for easy conversion up or down, depending on the temperatures or your wading conditions. If you get hot you’re able to pull them down at the back and the front to open up your chest. I’ve used them in warmer and colder conditions, even a few very slow winter grunter sessions where the water and the air were both way too cold to really have a chance at finding a feeding fish.

I also found the adjustment quite useful when driving and can imagine it might work well when sitting in a boat with a backed seat. The back panel fits neatly under a backpack without any friction or discomfort. In addition, the upper

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section features elasticised pull tabs where-by you can tighten or loosen the fit around your chest depending on how many layers (or not) you’re wearing underneath. On some of the warmer sessions I’ve often worn only a single sun hoodie underneath while on the colder sessions a cotton hoodie, soft shell and thick outer jacket and the fit is great every time.

The wading belt is a static unit which features a stretch panel on the back again adding to the ‘security’ of the fit.

A line basket or lumbar pack fits comfortably over the belt.

Thanks to the articulated legs and a gusseted crotch, not only is the leg fit comfortable and ‘pants-like,’ but the ergonomics were thought out by fishers doing long walks in and out of their beats. I can appreciate that. I’ve used them mainly in an estuary application but I reckon they’ll be great for uneven ground and freestone streams.

Coming from a surfing background I’m quite particular about booties and find them a bit of a bugbear on stockingfoot waders. These impressed right out of the box. The 2mm anatomical (left and right) Yulex booties are made from the same neoprene-free ‘rubber’ compound used in Patagonia wetsuits, they have a genuine sock-like feel to them and are polygrid-lined for additional warmth.

The booties sit snug in wading boots and the clever addition of ‘sticky’ stretch mesh on the inside back of the leg means the waders don’t ride up. The in-built gravel guards kept the sand out of my boots, something which I’ve found a regular issue on some other brands.

MATERIALS I briefly mentioned materials in the booties and this combination of advanced, performance textile and attention to the lowest environmental impact possible is a feature throughout. Patagonia is in business to ‘save our home planet’ so they’ve cut-down across all their products

on use of petroleum-based materials and focussed on using recycled fabrics wherever possible. This without any compromise in performance. In this vein the Swiftcurrent waders are made from 4-layer fabrics and include at least 70% recycled materials.

OTHER FEATURES As one would expect from a company so obsessed with performance the list of tech features is long and impressive, without being gimmicky or superfluous (which I find is happening with some products in the industry).

They feature an interior fold-out, waterproof pocket big enough (and secure enough) for your phone and car keys on the left and a ‘drop’ pouch on the inside right in which you could put a small soft flask, water bottle, beer or hip flask. Tippet material or a small fly box would also sit there quite comfortably. On the outside there are two, lined, handwarmer pockets with neat little flaps to protect your hands from the (potentially cold) zippers and making sure no water splashes in. Fishing without a pack on some sessions I put a small clouser box on one side and a grunter box in the other.

I removed the foam knee guards for the estuary sessions but am looking forward to trying them on a trout stream soon.

VERDICT These are heavy duty, heavy weight and might be seen by some as overkill for South African conditions. Then again a Loop 7X 9wt paired with Hardy Fortuna is also overkill for our estuaries but that’s not going to stop you from using the rig, now is it? It’s not going to stop me and it won’t stop me from using these waders whenever it’s cold enough. I love a beautifully-engineered piece of equipment and appreciate what’s gone into the design and R&D process. It’s part of my DNA. So I overkill it whenever I can. These bulletproof waders might just inspire me to look at doing more trips to colder climes. Thrift in July anyone? Patagonia.com

LIFER

THE STALWART A S FA R A S F I S H I N G T O W N S G O , T H E R E A R E F E W P L A C E S I N S O U T H A F R I C A T H AT S U R PA S S D U L L S T R O O M . I F H E ’ S N O T O U T G U I D I N G C L I E N T S Y O U ’ R E L I K E LY T O M E E T L O C A L L EG E N D J O H N T H O A B A L A B E H I N D T H E C O U N T E R O F M AV U N G A N A F LY F I S H I N G ’ S D U L L S T R O O M STORE. BUY HIM A CUP OF TEA, THEN ASK HIM WHERE THE LUNKERS A R E B EC A U S E , I F A N Y O N E K N O W S D U L L S T R O O M A N D I T S F I S H E R I E S LIKE THE BACK OF HIS HAND, JOHN DOES. Photos. Mavungana Flyfishing

The first fish I remember catching on fly was a rainbow trout at one of the syndicate waters just a couple of kilometres outside Dullstroom. This was early in my career.

I got to fish after a long day spent brush cutting and picking up litter around the dams before the guests arrived for the weekend. That fish made my day and since then I have been hooked!

I have always been with Mavungana Flyfishing. My first job was here and I have helped with building the company from scratch. My tertiary level qualifications and other skills picked up from corresponding with other educational institutions also helped to build my career. Some skills you learn on the job, like getting a good understanding of fish, their habitats and how to target different species on fly.

These are all things I have learned under the supervision and guidance of my friend, and one of the best flyfishing guides, Jonathan Boulton.

A typical day for me starts with prayer, to thank God for the day and life. Then I have to have a cup of tea. I cannot do anything without it! I will then look at my diary, plan the day and give instructions to the rest of the team on what we need to do for the day or week. Then I move on to emails, setting up the shop and new orders.

My homewaters, where I fish the most, is Dullstroom’s Birds of Prey dam. It’s a trophy dam that most people pre-judge just by looking at it from the road. Catching a fish or two there is a real reward. Even if you do not catch anything, a day out there will make you to go back again, as you are likely to have seen a really nice size fish feeding on a wind line out of your reach. I only ever fish a floating line, dries and nymphs on this dam.

The best advice I have ever been given came from both my parents and from Mr James Keaveney, an old Scottish man I used to work with. He was friendly, a very nice

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person to work with and I learned a lot from him about life and many other things. James and my parents taught me to love, respect, share and always tell the truth.

I am proud of the skills I have learned over the years working at Mavungana. I’m proud that I have got to meet different people in our retail stores and that I have had the opportunity to travel both locally and overseas with clients. Most importantly, I am proud of my loving and caring family.

Something I have had to work hard at in life was building up my career via correspondence, learning while working at the same time. I also had to work hard at fish farms doing river rehabilitation work as a fishery manager during winter when the waters levels are low.

What comes naturally to me is being patient and having love for my family, my colleagues and my friends. I never want to see someone struggling or battling. I am always willing to help where I can.

The most satisfying fish I ever caught was a salmon in Norway. It was their slowest and driest season in years, there was no rain, and the water was very low. I had had great fun fishing almost day and night catching lots of brown trout on dry flies. Then I caught the ‘fish of 1000 casts.’ It’s a moment I will never forget.

There are a couple of places I would love to return to, to fish, but Norway is the first on the list. Nice waters, friendly people and good fishing if you hit it at the right time.

In my opinion, it’s never okay for an angler to lie.

There’s no room for that in the fly fishing world and in life in general. Anglers should always tell the truth and be willing to share with others.

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One of my favourite places to go to after church on a Sunday, if am off work and not out fishing with clients, is the Dullstroom municipal dam close to town. The surroundings are beautiful, there are playgrounds for kids and a mountain to hike up. When you reach the top there’s a view over the town and township. I like to take a slow walk around the dam with my family, watching the fish sipping dries on the surface and giving my girls a bit of understanding about the waters, the environment and the fishing as well. This will be followed by a family picnic lunch by the dam.

Locally, the biggest adventure I’ve ever been on was when my wife and I visited the Forever resorts in Mpumalanga a couple of years back. We then booked speed slide and tube rapids; I was so excited and nervous at the same time, but we had lots of fun and it was a good experience.

The biggest misunderstandings about fishing in Dullstroom are the weather and people using wrong tackle or tactics to target trout. You also sometimes get someone new to the sport, who cannot cast but expects to catch fish. If they are not catching they will start complaining about the dams not been stocked. A word of advice to anyone wanting to fly fish in Dullstroom or elsewhere book casting lessons, practise casting at home and read a little bit about flies and fly fishing before you go out for the first time. Ask as many questions as you can in the fly fishing store before you hit the water. Those guys behind the counter are there to give you all the info you need.

Internationally, I had an incredible adventure two years ago in the Amazon targeting peacock bass on fly. We visited Agua Boa lodge (amazonaguaboalodge.com) where the management, staff, setting and food were all out of this world. We were fishing poppers on the surface and bait fish imitations, catching so many fish each day I stopped counting, that’s how good it was. It was amazing.

Each day you will catch fish ranging from 4lbs to 16lbs and amongst them you will also tick other species like Oscars, Piranhas and Arapaima. Piranha are very good at destroying flies. I nearly landed an Arapaima but it got off.

What inspired me is to see the local guides going out of their way to keep their clients happy from anchoring the boat closer the edge to save one fly even if takes couple of minutes of your fishing time, to using a hand slasher to clear overhanging tree branches out the way so we can get to the fishing spot.

A skill I would like to master is fly tying. I started a while ago but stopped. I am ready to start again and cannot wait to catch fish with my own flies. It’s fun getting behind the vice and trying different patterns and colour combinations.

The best way to face one’s fears is by trying hard, getting advice and not being shy to talk to your best friends about what it is you fear. Always face your challenges and make things happen by talking to people or seeking advice.

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“ONE NEEDS TO LOVE FLY FISHING AND TO SHARE THAT LOVE. IT’S NOT ABOUT HOW MANY FISH YOU CAUGHT, BUT HOW THE FISHING WAS.”

The handiest survival skills I have include building a temporary shelter using sticks and grass, making fire, and cooking. But only my daughter will enjoy my meals. My wife not so much!

Before I die, I would like to visit a couple of overseas fishing venues which are on my bucket/wish list – New Zealand definitely as I like their river fishing and the quality and size of their fish. I’d also like to do a family trip to Mauritius.

Since I started fly fishing, I have caught many species on fly and in big numbers too, but small-scale yellowfish are a different story. They just don’t eat and they get spooked very easily.

If I could change one thing in fly fishing it would be the attitude of those anglers who do not want to share with others. One needs to love fly fishing and to share that

love. It’s not about how many fish you caught, but how the fishing was. This way we will see the industry growing and see more and more new participants join the sport.

What I get out of fly fishing has changed over the years. A lot of new gear, brands, clothing and different tactics have come through. Most of the properties where I used to have friends, and where I could fish anytime, have now become private and I cannot get access anymore.

Looking back on my life, to be honest, I am happy where I am. I do not have any regrets.

The last fish I caught was a healthy rainbow in its spawning colours from one of the syndicate waters in Dullstroom. It gave me such a fight! The water was crystal clear, so I had no choice but to fish light. The fish took a dry on the surface and fought for a couple of minutes before I could land it.

DOOS

ALL. THE.

WE SHIP WORLDWIDE

FISH

E H T L AL H? FIS

Photo. Pierre Joubert

BOET, I TELL YOU, IT’S THE CAP. I PUT IT ON AND THEN I CAUGHT ALL THE FISH.

POP QUIZ POPPER OR DROPPER? BUCKNUT OR BUCKTIT? SUMMA CUM L AU D E O R S O M M E C U M L O U D E R ? S E E H O W M U C H YO U P I C K E D U P F R O M T H E PA G ES O F T H I S I S S U E B Y TA K I N G O U R P O P Q U I Z .

2. In philosopher and physicist circles, Zandvlei would be known as (page 62)?

A. Plato’s Peatbog.

B. Le Bayou de Camus.

C. Foucault’s Vlei.

D. Hume’s Lagoon.

E. Schrödinger’s Estuary.

3. “Don Questo” in Meredith McCord’s Nubian Flats story is (page 54) A. The chef who invented Spaghetti à la Sudan.

B. Former Sudan dictator Omar al Bashir’s Janjaweed/ Mills & Boon nom de guerre.

C. How Spanish guide and fly tier David Fernandez signs off his emails.

D. A 31-metre dive boat.

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4. If Andre van Wyk had a film named after him, it would be called (page 74)?

A. Seffrican Beauty.

B. Surf & Turf 6: Aioli Edition.

C. Driving Mr Joe. D. Pride & Poodle Pubes.

E. Finding Emo. 5. For Jazz Kuschke, zip-front waders are a bit like which small kitchen appliance (page 96)?

A. Kettles, because they get steamy.

B. Air-fryers, because you’ll never understand how you survived without one.

C. Handheld vaccum cleaners, because they suck.

D. Bread-makers, because you’ll never use them.

E. Pressure-cookers, because they are great for stewing.

6. Freshwater ecologist Dr Jeremy Shelton, our main profile in this issue, is a member of which band?

A. The Wild Coast Cows.

B. The West Coast Wolves.

C. Jazz Flautists of Doom.

D. Pennywhistle Tea. E. The Overberg Onanists.

Answers: 1. A, 2. E, 3. D, 4. A,B,C & D, 5. B, 6. B

1. A Bloody Caesar is (page18)?

A. Canada’s national cocktail.

B. Depicted on Italian banknotes.

C. A term of endearment for a guide with dictatorial tendencies.

D. What you qualify as if you cross your own personal Rubicon.

E. The hit track from synth-pop legends, The Ides of March.

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

KAROOLSKRAAL EVERY YEAR ON THE BREEDE RIVER, FROM SEPTEMBER INTO OCTOBER (AKA KOBTOBER) AND NOVEMBER, THE KOB FISHING MOVES INTO ANOTHER GEAR, WHILE THE SPOTTED GRUNTER ALSO COME OUT TO PLAY. HAVING CONSULTED THE LOCALS, EVALUATED THE TIDES AND SACRIFICED TO THE GODS, LUCKY BASTARDS HAS SECURED THE PRIME WEEKS AT KAROOLSKRAAL FLY FISHING CAMP OVER THIS PERIOD. ACCOMMODATION IS IN COMFORTABLE SAFARI TENTS (YOU CAN STAND UP IN THEM) AND ALL MEALS ARE INCLUDED. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS ROCK UP AND FISH TO YOUR HEART’S CONTENT. BOOK NOW TO JOIN LUCKY BASTARDS FOR SOME OF THE BEST SALTWATER FLY FISHING IN SOUTH AFRICA. EMAIL INFO@THEMLUCKYBASTARDS.COM TO SECURE YOUR SPOT. VISIT THEMLUCKYBASTARDS.COM FOR MORE.

Distributed in SA by Frontier Fly Fishing Frontierflyfishing.co.za / Tel +27 11 463 9048

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