YELLOW ALERT

STERKFONTEIN DAM, ONE OF THE WORLD’S BEST SIGHTFISHING DESTINATIONS, AND ITS BEETLE-SIPPING SMALLMOUTH YELLOWFISH ARE UNDER THREAT FROM COMMERCIAL POACHERS. CONCERNED ANGLERS ARE FIGHTING BACK, BUT THE RESISTANCE NEEDS ALL THE HELP IT CAN GET.

The water

Just south of Harrismith in the Free State, Sterkfontein Dam offers some of the best smallmouth yellowfishing in South Africa and is especially well known for superb dry-fly fishing. Smallmouth yellowfish share the dam with their largemouth cousins and a number of other resident species, including common carp, mudfish, moggel, banded tilapia, and, allegedly, the odd rainbow trout. It’s a huge dam at 2 616 950 cubic metres so a boat gives you more options (and more shots), but fishing from shore remains a fantastic challenge. Anglers at Sterkies are spoilt for choice with scores of bays, cliffsides, inlets, corners and kloofs from which to target cruising fish. The yellows use important gravel-bed structures in the southern portion of the dam for breeding during the warmer months, and it is around there that angling is most productive.

The wankers

The dam was built 40-odd years ago and subsistence fishing for yellowfish by the local community has always occurred. It was a case of no harm, no foul as this appeared to have a relatively negligible impact on the dam’s staunch residential yellowfish population. More recently, however, hand-to-mouth subsistence fishing has transformed into a full-scale, organised, commercial operation. The Elizabeth Bay inlet and the Nuwejaarsspruit tributary, which flows into Barbel Bay, form part of the essential breeding run for Sterkies’ yellowfish. Both these main inlets have become primary targets for poachers.

For the past five years, Craig Hill, the general manager of the popular Qwantani Berg and Bush Resort, has operated a solo anti-poaching effort. He says, “I could see how poachers were scooping out dozens of fish with crudely constructed basket nets made from weld mesh and chicken wire. Spawning grounds would be depleted by the morning, emptying the feeder streams of 300 to 400 fish, only to fill up during the day and be poached again the following evening.” According to Craig, bags of around 50 fish sell in an unregulated and unpoliced economy of thriving wet markets in local communities. He says, “At its worst, I estimate illegal yellowfishing supports a black-market industry of R400 000 per month in local areas.”

The way forward

As a lone ranger, Craig managed to slow the poachers down (it helped that he comes from an anti-rhino-poaching background), but there was only so much he could do on his own. Faced with the sheer destruction of full-scale commercial poaching, the need for support and a realistic plan became apparent. The involvement of some key role players in South African fly fishing saw the establishment of the Sterkfontein Yellowfish Conservation Group and the Sterkfontein Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU) in 2022. SAPU has contributed to awareness and policing of the large-scale poaching ever since, using a tactical and intelligencebased approach to tackle the issue.

In December 2022, following SAPU’s formation, 413 smallmouth yellows were found in the back of a bakkie, resulting in the incarceration of one poacher. On a further occasion, a bag of 50 fish was found and the culprits scared off. It seems that the presence of SAPU’s team has had an impact on poaching activity, but the fly-fishing community has to stay vigilant.

“We’re sorting them out,” says Craig. “But the resistance cannot continue without the avid assistance of interested and supportive personalities, fly anglers, and contributing companies.”

Here’s where you come in. Your support, financial or otherwise, can ensure the preservation of the anti-poaching unit, which offers a presence on the ground. The crew was recently sponsored a patrol boat and infrared FLIR drone for monitoring and policing in the reserve. If you would like to contribute, get in touch with them at info@sterkiesapu.org.za