IT training the complete fly fisherman TruePDF february march 2019

Africa’s fresh and salt water fly fishing magazine

TACKLING UP FOR

KZN’S
TROUT
STREAMS
DECIPHERING

YELLOWFISH
LANGUAGE
CRUISING FOR

GOLDEN
DORADO

FLY-TYING

THE POWER
OF ANTS
TROUT VENUES

DOORNKOP &
HIGHLAND LODGE

RARE GIANTS OF

MONGOLIA
ISSUE 264 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

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© TCFF 01/04/2018


CONTENTS
www.completeflyfisherman.co.za | www.completeflyfisherman.com

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | ISSUE 264

40

22

48
REGULARS

FEATURES & FLY-TYING

20.
22.

28.

34.

Life is Short, Fish More!
Ian Couryer talks crippled insects, hatch
breakers and trout’s feeding habits.
Cruising for Golden Dorado
Does slowly cruising down a river and
catching plenty of fish along the way
sound like the perfect fly fishing trip?
Jonathan Boulton says it does.
Up Close: Chris Bladen
TCFF talks to Cape Town sculptor Chris
Bladen about his love for nature, his art,

and of course, fly fishing.
Tackling Up for KZN’s Trout Streams
“What fly?” is normally the first question
asked when fishing new waters.
Actually, there are other things much
more important you need to know.
Andrew Fowler explains.

40.

Deciphering Fish Speak
Fish don’t talk but what their body
language says is well worth knowing.
TCFF Editor PJ Jacobs advocates
learning the language.

48.

The Rare Giants of Mongolia
Dreaming of untouched water where no
Westerner has gone before? Contributor
Tom Boyd makes the journey to remotest
Mongolia.

58.

64.

The Magic of Highland Lodge
The fishing can be hard at times, but

this venue has the potential to offer a
stillwater trout fishing trip of a lifetime.
Field Editor Murray Pedder is a believer,
and talks tackle and tactics.

4.

Editor’s Cast

6.

Letters to the Editor

12. Gear Bag
80. Product Review:
Korkers BuckSkin

Doornkop Fish and Wildlife Reserve
Looking for a venue to spend some quality
time fly fishing with the family? Webber
Marais recently found just such a place.

68.

The Power of Ants
Having an ant pattern in your fly box is
a no-brainer. Hans van Klinken
explains why.

74.

The Hackle Stacker Technique
Contributor Arno Laubscher discusses
the hackle stacker technique used in
both trout and yellowfish patterns.

76.

Entomology Demystified:
Part V – Odonata
Continuing our series on basic entomology,
Dionne Crafford and Morne du Plooy look
at dragon- and damselflies and popular
imitations for them.

90.

Share and Share Alike
We all have a duty and responsibility
to welcome newcomers to the fold,
says Andrew Levy.

Wading Boots
82. Specialised Services
83. Travelling Angler
85. Outventure Guide

ON THE COVER:
Taimen – Mongolia’s rare giant
PHOTO BY: Amara Simms

TCFF | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | 3


EDITOR’S CAST

New happenings at TCFF

W

ith the staff well rested after a deserved
break over the festive season and our
first issue of 2019 on the shelves, it’s
all systems go here at TCFF, and we’re looking
forward to an exciting year! We are also hard at
work on The Complete Book of Fly Fishing for
Yellowfish as well as The Ultimate Bucket List
Volume 2; launch dates will be announced soon,
so keep an eye out on our Facebook page and in
future issues of TCFF.
One new development for 2019 is that we
have pleasure in announcing that Hans van
Klinken has joined our editorial team as International Field Editor-at-Large. Most of you will
be familiar with the name as Hans is well known
in the fly fishing industry. The creator of the
Klinkhamer Special (and many other deadly
patterns), well published in many international
magazines and TCFF, Hans’s contribution to
fly fishing has been immense. Accompanied
by his wife Ina (a great photographer and fly

fisher), they are also dedicated conservationists
who revel in nature, and this shines through in
his articles. His inclusion at TCFF will result in
the publication of many more exciting articles
about his piscatorial adventures across the
globe. Good news is that Hans and Ina will be
visiting our shores in November this year and
will attend our annual TCFF Sterkfontein Experience, as well as appearing at prominent tackle
shops and fly fishing clubs where Hans will
demonstrate tying some of his famous patterns
and give talks on fly-tying, fly fishing and related
subjects. Dates will be announced through our
Facebook page and future issues of TCFF.
On the magazine front, we have a great
line-up for you in this issue, a good mix of local
and international stories and happenings. Tom
Boyd’s article on Mongolia is especially interesting and an eye-opener as to why even in such
a remote location, fish species are in need of
protection and conservation in order to survive.
Other good news is that his latest book Trout
Salmon and Char, fresh off the press, just
landed on our desk and if I can manage to pry
it away from the staff, a review is on the cards
in our next issue.
On a more serious note, in our travels to New
Zealand, especially over the last few years, we
are seeing a lot less fish in those rivers than we
used to. Without trying to sound full of it, my
wife and I are really good at spotting fish (we’ve
had more than 20 years to perfect the art) and

few, if any, escape our two pairs of eyes as we
stalk the riverbanks. We know most of those
4 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF

PUBLISHER: Tight Loop Productions (Pty) Ltd
EDITOR: PJ Jacobs

EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Tony Biggs
INTERNATIONAL FIELD EDITOR-AT-LARGE:
Hans van Klinken
FIELD EDITORS
• Andy Coetzee

• Andrew Levy

• Ian Couryer

• Murray Pedder

• Marcus Janssen (UK) • Turner Wilkinson
• Dan Blanton (USA)

• Steve Starling (Australia)

CONTRIBUTORS

rivers intimately and are very familiar with how
many fish they used to carry, as opposed to
present day. With the exception of one or two
rivers (one very famous river actually has more

fish in the headwaters now than it did 20 years
ago), fish numbers were at an all-time low in
December. Things have changed quite a bit in
New Zealand, and the advent of large-scale dairy
farming is undoubtedly having an impact as
does other farming, including the spraying of
pesticides and nutrients that eventually end up
in the rivers. The worrying thing is that even in
some backcountry rivers deep in bush country,
far from farming activities and people, fish
numbers seem to be shockingly low compared
to what they used to be.
I’m still trying to make sense of it. Global
warming and higher water temperatures are
high on my list of suspects, for as I look back on
our 20-year diary of all the trips we have done
to that part of the world, one thing stands out
clearly: it’s getting a lot warmer down there in
summer. And it’s happening in our own backyard too. I’ve always believed that fly fishermen
experience nature more acutely than most, and
I don’t like what’s on the cards as far as global
warming is concerned. What is especially concerning is that in an ever-increasing pursuit to
make more money, some commercial industry
players (and even governments) continue to
deny the existence of this well-documented and
scientifically proven fact. I am reminded of the
following quote: “When the last tree has been
cut down, the last fish caught, and the last
river poisoned, only then will we realize that one
cannot eat money.” Now that’s a sobering reality

if I’ve ever heard one.

PJ Jacobs

- Editor

• Jonathan Boulton

• Leon Links

• Keith Clover

• Webber Marais

• Dionne Crafford

• Malcolm Meintjes

• Miles Divett

• Rasmus Ovesen

• John Dreyer

• Ben Pretorius

• Horst Filter

• Keith Rose-Innes

• Andrew Fowler

• Richard Schumann

• Bill Hansford-Steele

• Rob Scott

• Arno Laubscher

• Fred Steynberg

• Gerhard Laubscher

• Tom Sutcliffe

COPY EDITORS
• Anne Haarhoff

• Chris Whales

ADVERTISING & PRODUCTION MANAGER
Lizelle Jacobs

Tel: (012) 371-3914
ADVERTISING SALES
Dylan Isaacs

Tel: (012) 371-3915
ACCOUNTS DEPARTMENT

Tracey Ann Grobbelaar

Tel: (012) 371-3916
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Tracey Ann Grobbelaar

Tel: (012) 371-3916
POSTAL ADDRESS
PO Box 1777, Ifafi, 0260, South Africa
DIGITAL PLATFORMS
www.magzter.com
DIGITAL MAGAZINE STORE

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PATRON
Cyril Ramaphosa
All rights reserved, reproduction of contents of this
magazine is prohibited without the written consent
of the editor. Editorial opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher
does not accept responsibility for advertising
content. Publishing and editing of material received
will be at the discretion of the editor. Editorial

contributions must be directed to: The Editor, via
e-mail: TCFF
does not pay for unsolicited material.



letters
TO THE EDITOR

Win a Sage Pulse

9ft, 5-wt fly rod valued at R7250,
if your letter is chosen as “Letter of the Month”.
E-mail:
SPONSORED BY
Tel: +27 11 463-9048/9 www.frontierflyfishing.co.za

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Homeward bound
I recently received the Dec/Jan issue of TCFF from our friends
who just returned to Canada from a Christmas trip to SA. Family
and friends that have visited us here over the years know that
the only gift I ask for when they come over, is the latest TCFF
and at least one bottle of contraband Bovril. I always look forward to much-needed quiet time reading my TCFF magazines
in my poor man’s “mancave”, reminded of home by our SA-themed
sign wall. The local Canadian/USA
literature just doesn’t cut it. Honestly, even though the articles cover
some of the places us Saffas only
dream of, none of them come close

to providing the sense of anticipation
and excitement I get from reading
the articles you guys publish. Since
arriving in Canada six winters ago,
my wife and I have been so fortunate
to see and do things which two
Durbanites rarely get the chance to
experience. (I count our time here
in winters passed, as anyone who has
experienced -40ºC and below would
understand.) I have managed to save up and tick off bucket-list
trips to catch trout from Yellowstone Park to Montana and
Alberta, caught salmon near the Alaskan coast, and wild steelhead in BC. But through all of this, I still miss my days of fly
fishing for trout in Rosetta stillwaters and Drakensberg rivers,
catching shad on fly from the rocks in the wild Transkei,
kingies off the beautiful beaches from Durban to Mozambique,
or yellows in various KZN rivers after seeing crocs in the pool
we had just waded through. I want to let you know that the
fishing and natural beauty which SA has in abundance, rivals
anything we have seen overseas, from the Canadian Rocky
Mountains to Hawaii. But even more special than the natural
beauty is that of our people. The passion of SA’s people is just
not found elsewhere. We are not naive to the fact our country
has serious problems and the number of people leaving SA is
testament to that. We do not judge those who are leaving, but
in the same breath, nobody must judge those of us who are
coming back. As for our family, we have made up our minds
and started the process, and we cannot wait to be back home
(with two new fly fisherwomen in the clan). Scott McNeill.
Well Scott, as a welcome-back present I am awarding you

“Letter of the Month” status! A great Sage fly rod to the value
of R7250 compliments of TCFF and the guys at Frontier Fly
Fishing will be yours as soon as you set foot back in the good
6 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF

ol’ RSA. I am sure everybody will be happy to see you. Enjoy
and safe travels back home. Ed.
Lamentations of a piscatorial nature
I’m always amazed, humbled and somewhat belittled by the
array of language used by people of our shared pursuit and how
they can become completely and self-indulgently intoxicated
with it when it comes to writing about fly fishing.
Truth be told, formulating that previous statement
cost me a week of misspent office hours. I love how
fly fisher folk roll around in the language like a pig
in the mud when it comes to a description or report
of their favourite pastime. But I recently attempted
reading a linguistically self-indulgent fly fishing
book by a local author and, if I’m honest, it was
completely exhausting to read. I get that ours is an
ancient pursuit and I adore that we attach poetic
licence to our fishermen’s tales, but just because
one can identify a hatch, select a self-tied fly, and
cast a semi-decent line, doesn’t mean one needs to
express oneself in a thesaurus-ridden crow’s nest
of Shakespearean idioms to tell you about it. If
I can’t understand you, you’re wasting your ink.
Donovan Honeyborne. (Letter shortened.)
The wannabe
In my nine years of fly fishing, I have been trying from dawn to

dusk in search of a single mullet. Yes, I have never officially
caught a mullet on fly. Many may have the dream about you
and dad going at some trout in a small spring creek, but for me
that was too easy. Catching trout on 5X tippet is easy; in the
bay I use a 20ft leader ending in a 7X tippet. This, however, still
scares the bejeezus out of mullet on presentation. When I do
get a good presentation, the mullet are not interested, even
when chumming bread (believe me when I say I’m chumming
against my will). So you get the picture. A salty with a big
“small dream”. Little did I know that my luck was about to
change. I set out on my bicycle early morning, and by sunrise
I stood hip-depth in water armed with my mother’s 27-year-old
4-wt and a #14 RAB. We have a little water station next to
a spot I know the mullet are fond of. The station creates a
vacuum, almost forming a little river on low tide. With my first
cast “upstream” a mullet came up and ate the fly just like a trout
would! I used the common trout strike and, for a moment,
while watching the fish jet off with my line, I was frozen like
a statue, realising that I spent almost ten years on one fish. For
what? For a title, a name? Then it came to me. It was not done
trying to be cool or sit with the top dogs even when they
catch tarpon and I mullet; I did it out of sheer determination.
TJ Jacobs. (Letter shortened.)


FOR YOUR NEAREST DEALER CONTACT FRONTIER DISTRIBUTION
Tel: (011) 463-9048 www.frontierflyfishing.co.za


NEWSWORTHY

’ UP
WHATS
TCFF’s 2019 Sterkfontein Experience

Bookings are now open for TCFF’s
21stst annual Sterkfontein Experience,
held at Qwantani Berg and Bush Resort
from 8 - 10 November. Our event promises not only the best yellowfish guides
in the business to show you the ropes,
but also includes a lucky-draw prizegiving amounting to several hundred
thousand rand. Everybody gets to draw
for quality prizes, often
far exceeding in value what participants pay to attend the
event. What’s more, Hans van Klinken (the originator of the
Klinkhamer Special) will be our guest speaker at the event,
and participants will get to rub shoulders with him and see
first-hand how Hans ties his world-famous Klinkhamer and
other deadly patterns. We are already booking up and entry
is limited, so secure your spot early this year. Contact Dylan
or Lizelle on (012) 371-3914/5.

Rapture of the River

The Eastern Cape is a special place where the
Drakensberg mountains bleed out the most magical
of wild trout rivers, including the Wildebees, Pot
and Tsitsa. It is here that the Maclear Fly Fishing
Club will be hosting its popular Rapture of the River
Festival. Registration will take place at the Maclear

Country Club from 4pm on Thursday 9 May. Fishing
will be on 10 - 11 May, with a Friday evening steakhouse supper and a Saturday evening spit braai
with a prize-giving ceremony.
Sunday social fishing is optional. The cost is R1200 per
angler, and bookings should
be made by the latest end
of March. Contact Dean on
082 417 4469 or Melissa on
060 508 2072, or e-mail:


Visit us at the Hobby-X show this year!

Get to Hobby-X at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg from 7 - 10 March to check out the books, tools,
techniques, know-how and gadgets to take your hobby
to the next level. Or, if you like, find a whole new hobby!
Fly fishing comprises many things, including being a
hobby, so be sure to visit TCFF’s stand at this year’s
show. Call 0861 Hobby-X or visit www.hobby-x.co.za
for more information.

Kloofzicht Winter Fly Fishing Competition
The 8th Annual Kloofzicht Winter Fly Fishing
Competition, hosted by Sundowner Flyfishing
Adventures, will be held on Sunday 28 July.
Once again, this event will be held at Kloofzicht
Lodge & Spa in the Cradle of Humankind – an
easy half-hour drive from either Johannesburg
or Pretoria. Bookings are now open and space
is limited to 75 fly fishers. Categories include:

juniors, open ladies and open men. Participants
will be targeting trout and other species.

8 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF

The grand prize for overall top position is a
three-night tiger fishing package to Sundowner
Zambezi Lodge for two people. Total value
of prizes is in excess of R175,000. Funds will
be raised in support of CANSA and the Yellowfish Working Group. For further information
and bookings, contact Cell: 083 414 0391,
e-mail: , visit the website
www.sundowner.co.za or Facebook: SundownerFlyfishingAdventures.





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Price: Marabou: R65.95/packet
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American fly rod maker Thomas & Thomas is excited to
announce the newest addition to its portfolio of rods – the
Zone series. Zone rods are meticulously designed, tested
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stripping guides with zirconium inserts and clear anodised
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Scientific Anglers Amplitude Smooth Trout

There’s a sipper 40ft away and it looks like it’s eating Tricos. The natural rhythms
of the rise and the river begin to make sense, so you ready yourself to cast. In that
moment, you shouldn’t be thinking about your fly line because you should trust it
implicitly. In that moment, you need the Amplitude Smooth Trout taper.
According to Scientific Anglers, the Amplitude Smooth series of lines are, simply put,
the highest-performance smooth fly lines in the world. With up to five times less drag
and eight times the durability of traditional lines, the Amplitude Smooth will change
the way you look at fly-line performance. Featuring AST Plus slickness additive, the
Amplitude Smooth Trout is designed with an elongated front taper specifically for
precise presentations and for those who love dry flies. Price: R1390
Contact Frontier Fly Fishing on (011) 463-9048, or visit www.frontierflyfishing.co.za

12 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF


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WHAT’S NEW

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New boots from Chota now in SA

New from Chota Outdoor Gear comes the Tremont East Prong wading boot. Based on the
popular STL Light boot, this new boot combines the rugged yet lightweight styling of the STL with the
added benefit of removable metal cleats. The polypropylene felt and rubber sole is designed to take
the cleat system for days when you want extra traction such as when hiking into a river is required.
Featuring updated colour design with tan 900-denier uppers and a brown nubuck PU overlay, it
is available in sizes 8 - 13. SRP: R2295
Contact (031) 564-7368 for a dealer near you

On the water from one season to the next

For microclimates of the brisk and blustery variety, the Simms Rogue

Fleece Hoody comes equipped with weather-shielding attributes to soldier
through the day, including a 100% polyester woven face, backed with a
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Contact Frontier Fly Fishing on (011) 463-9048,
or visit www.frontierflyfishing.co.za

Price: R2070

The ideal rod and reel transit bag

As the name suggests, Loop’s Rod and Reel Bag is a great new combined
travel carrying system for rods and reels. The bag’s internal layout can be
configured to various storage solutions for different needs and easily holds a
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leaders, fly boxes and other small items. Unique features include the ability to
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system to be comfortably transported as a backpack. Available in blue/black.
Contact Mavungana Flyfishing on (011) 268-5850 or (013) 254-0270

14 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF

Price: R1995


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WHAT’S NEW

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Clever additions from Smith Creek

Smith Creek’s belt-mounted landing net holster beats trying to clip
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keeping your net secure and out of the way. It fits all landing nets, big or
small, wood or metal. Crafted by hand in New Zealand, using non-glare
anodised aluminium and UV-resistant materials, it comes with an adjustable
strap. Price: R550
The Smith Creek Rig Keeper is the dropper rig system that allows
anglers to easily carry multiple hook rigs that are held securely and protected
from damage or loss by its patented exposed ribs. It holds all types of dropper
rigs: Czech, truck and trailer, dry fly and dropper, multiple wets, and it even
works with salmon and steelhead setups. But whatever the style, it holds leaders
and rigs without tangles and it’s quick and simple to use. As well as having a
place to store the rigs that you’ve just changed out, it’s a real advantage to be
able to pre-make dropper rigs the night before and have them ready to use on
the day. Not spending valuable time making up rigs while you’re fishing, means
your flies get to spend more time on the water. You
can wear it, pocket it or throw it in your tackle
box; the exposed ribs keep flies and hooks

Price: R335
from getting hung up and damaged.

Contact Mavungana Flyfishing
on (011) 268-5850 or (013) 254-0270

Contact Frontier Fly Fishing on (011) 463-9048,
or visit www.frontierflyfishing.co.za

More from Maui Jim

Tumbleland polarised sunglasses are
all about comfort and complete coverage.
Long days outside deserve the respite
that Maui Jim’s patented PolarizedPlus2
lens technology provides.

Price: R3320

Patagonia’s smallest duffel

Tough and highly weather-resistant, the 45-litre Black Hole Duffel keeps your
gear protected and easily accessible. The main compartment opens via a zippered
U-shaped lid, which has a pair of zip-closing mesh pockets on the underside for
easily lost items like your lottery ticket. A zippered exterior pocket holds all the stuff
you need quickly. The padded bottom panel adds structure and helps cushion the
load when your duffel gets the baggage-handler treatment. Carrying options include
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closure, and haul loops at either end that facilitate linking multiple bags. Four daisy
chains let you lash additional gear to the outside. Made from 15-oz 900-denier polyester ripstop (50% solution-dyed) with a TPU-film laminate and a DWR (durable

water repellent) finish. Price: R2995

16 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF

This mid-sized wrap frame is constructed of easy-wearing nylon, embedded
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hinges, while offering peak visual performance thanks to Maui Jim’s SuperThin
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Visit www.mauijim.com to find a dealer near you


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SolarFlex Crewneck Shirt

With a quick-drying fishing shirt that keeps
you cool on sweltering summer days, Simms’
SolarFlex Crewneck has your back when the
burning sun or hot, stagnant air threatens to send
you indoors and cut short your afternoon on the
water. Hard-working COR3 features arm you
with odour-fighting, sweat-wicking protection,
and a UPF 50 rating against harmful rays. A
high-backed collar keeps your neck shielded from
the beating sun. The raglan-sleeved design offers
unrestricted movement. Price: R1130
Contact Frontier Fly Fishing on (011) 463-9048,
or visit www.frontierflyfishing.co.za

Handy C&F goodies

C&F’s Cap Fly Patch is the perfect place to temporarily store your flies during fly rotation or when drying
out wet flies. Attaching with eight powerful neodymium
dot magnets, this compact fly storage solution attaches to
your headwear. Price: R235
With C&F Design’s Parachute Tool, a parachute post can be fixed firmly – a must
when tying parachute flies. It’s also very convenient when you want to temporarily hold
various materials in the middle of tying. Install it on the connector of CFT-50 (sight plate),
freeing both hands. Also handy for creating extended bodies. Price: R490

Contact Frontier Fly Fishing on (011) 463-9048, or visit www.frontierflyfishing.co.za

More from Fly-Tying Dungeon

With micro legs mixed into the dubbing, FTD Sea Dragon
Dubbing is especially suited for warm water patterns like Bass
Bugs, carp flies and larger nymphs.
FTD NK Dubbing is a mix of Kraken Dubbing with two
colours of legs, enhanced with fine Northern Lights tinsel – all
blended together to form this long-fibre dubbing. Great for bass
and tigerfish patterns.
FTD Wee Folk Dubbing is a beautiful soft dubbing with
just the right amount of sparkle, making it ideal for nymphs and
other subsurface patterns.
FTD Bull Frawg Dubbing is a fine, dry fly dubbing that
floats extremely well and comes in many colours for all your dry
fly needs.
Made from ultra-fine shredded tinsel, FTD StarBurst
Fibers are made of pure fine tinsel, giving you a high-sparkle
dubbing with fibres.
Contact Frontrange Fly Fishing on 082 453 1884 or visit www.frontrangeflyfishing.co.za

18 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF


LIFE’S TOO SHORT NOT TO GO FISHING… EVERY WEEKEND!
Join renowned registered and accredited fly fishing guide IAN COURYER on a selection of exciting
WEEKEND TRIPS to the BEST trout and yellowfish venues throughout 2019.
DRAKENSBERG: RIVER TROUT

YELLOWFISH

• INJASUTHI: MICRO RAINBOWS

• WATERVAL RIVER, VILLIERS Smallmouth and largemouth

Classic small stream fishing clinic: March 1, 2 , 3 . Ten rods only.

May 24, 25, 26 AND June 21, 22, 23 AND July 19, 20, 21

• LOTHENI: BROWNS

AND August 9, 10, 11. Four rods only.

March 8, 9, 10 AND April 5, 6, 7 AND April 26, 27, 28. Four rods only.

• VAAL RIVER, ORKNEY: Smallmouth and largemouth

• LAMBONJA CATHEDRAL PEAK: RAINBOWS and BROWNS

August 2, 3, 4 AND September 13, 14, 15. Six rods only.

April 12, 13, 14. Four rods only.

• TUGELA RIVER: Natal scalies

• BUSHMAN’S RIVER: BROWNS

September 27, 28, 29 AND October 11, 12, 13. Six rods only.

May 3, 4, 5 AND May 17, 18,19. Four rods only.

• VAAL RIVER, NORTHERN CAPE: Smallmouth and largemouth
October 4, 5, 6 AND October 18, 19, 20. Six rods only.

KZN MIDLANDS: STILLWATER TROUT

• STERKFONTEIN DAM: Smallmouth

• FISH FOR TROPHY TROUT AT THE BEST VENUE

Most weekends throughout December and into January 2020!

June 7, 8, 9 AND July 12, 13, 14 AND July 26, 27, 28. Four or six rods.

Four to six rods.

Ian Couryer Fly Fishing Guiding Services REFFIS (Theta) Accredited fly fishing guide
For more information go to www.fishwhisperer.co.za
For prices and bookings e-mail Ian at: or call him on Cell: +27 82 306 5929

TANZANIA

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FORUM: FRESH WATER

by Ian Couryer

Life is short, fish more!
IAN COURYER talks crippled insects, hatch breakers and
a trout’s ingrained first-selection response to taking prey
that cannot escape, over ones that can.

A

new year has dawned, and I hope
yours will be one filled with plenty
of clean water and fantastic fishing. I know mine will be. I currently have
26 weekends booked and lined up for

fishing/guiding trips. Life is short and
in the past I have been remiss in not
embracing the abundant variety of good
fishing to be experienced in this country.
I have fished and been to many fantastic
waters and magical, out-of-the-way places
over the years, and am visiting all of them
again this year. I also plan on fishing
a few new ones and am inviting anyone
who wishes to come along to take the
plunge whenever you have a free weekend.
I intend going back to my first
love – trout fishing – in earnest
this season, in both stillwater and
stream. Although the “old Transvaal” has a couple of half-decent
trout streams, I’ve never found
them as appealing or exciting or
as good as those in KwaZulu-Natal.
Proper river trout fishing for me
is undoubtedly in the Drakensberg
area and when it comes to stillwaters, the boys down there have
water aplenty. Perhaps my overwhelming need is more motivated
by nostalgia as many of the Berg streams
are my old stomping grounds. And so
that’s where I’m going to spend many
weekends this season.

feed on crippled insects. Kelly Galloup
also discusses in detail the role of crippled insects in his excellent book Cripples
& Spinners. He states that spinners and

cripples play a bigger role in the diets
of trout than duns. I believe that this is
more than possible and have always felt
that parachute-style mayflies are a more
successful general style of pattern than a
classic upright-winged Catskill-style tie,
particularly for yellows, in a hatch situation. Perhaps this is because the parachute mayfly is a dead ringer for a cripple,
with its lower wing profile and its body
and tail on the surface or in the film, much
like a crippled mayfly with its hackle
splayed out, creating a bigger imprint
and further amplifying that illusion.

he snared a memorable brown in New
Zealand a few seasons ago that completely ignored all his best offerings until
he drifted a blowfly over its nose. Perhaps
it couldn’t help itself and in the wiring of
its brain it heard a little voice say, “Eat
the cripple!” as incredibly un-PC as that
may sound.
Cripples and spinners have undoubtedly been the least written about insect
stages in all of trout fishing and it seems
that Tom and Kelly are onto something.
It makes perfect sense that trout should
choose food that cannot escape over food
that may fly off at any moment (no pun
intended). They must have always fed
that way; it’s just that anglers haven’t
given trout that much credit for how
perfectly they are programmed to

eat successfully.

“... ANGLERS HAVEN’T
GIVEN TROUT THAT MUCH
CREDIT FOR HOW PERFECTLY
THEY ARE PROGRAMMED
TO EAT SUCCESSFULLY.”

With my thoughts focussed on trout
fishing at the moment, I came across a
passage in a new Orvis fly fishing guide
book on hatches in which Tom Rosenbauer says that every year that he fishes
dry fly for trout he is more and more
convinced that an ingrained habit of trout
in a hatch situation is to first select and
20 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF

The definition of a cripple in the
context of dry fly fishing is any insect that
cannot escape the water surface. This
includes beetles, hoppers and all variety
of terrestrials. If a cripple is an ingrained
first-selection response in all trout, perhaps this explains why a beetle or an ant
is often a “hatch breaker”. An insect that
bears no resemblance to the hatch but
which the trout chooses to feed on gives
the angler a chance, even if he cannot
match the hatch successfully. TCFF’s
Editor himself will attest to the fact that

To lend credence to these wise
observations, there is one stream
in the Berg I know of where in
April a mayfly called the blue dun
hatches in profusion. It is of the
“prong gill” family, as the nymphs
are known. On hatching, many of
these larger mayflies end up as
cripples and the fish eat these to
the exclusion of all else. If you fish
a perfect imitation of a blue dun – correct
size and colour with beautiful matching
mallard quill wings – among the many
identical naturals on the water, you will
catch exactly nothing, even though the
water is boiling with feeding trout. I
should know, I’ve been there! If you
fish a Stimulator (a downwing pattern, a
stonefly or caddisfly imitation) of any
colour in a #14, you will hook a trout on
nearly every cast. If you are wondering
where I’ll be this April, yes, in my happy
place. You are welcome to join me.


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FLYFISHING

ARGENTINA - GOLDEN DORADO
Man do we love Argentina, some of the best trout fishing on the planet for
sure, but also home to the golden dorado! The people, the food and the
diversity of exceptional fishing. We are proud to call some of the countryʼs
finest guides, lodge and luxury live-aboard owners our friends, which
means we can formulate the very best trip for your next adventure.

Let us equip and guide you through our world of fly fishing
SOUTH AFRICA’S OLDEST FLY FISHING OUTFITTER

tel: +27 11 268 5850 | email: | www.flyfishing.co.za


>>

DESTINATION

Somewhere down that crazy river

T

he doting grandmother at
Christmas proudly surveys the
dining-room table with all
her grandchildren. While she
loves them all, and really can’t
possibly admit she has a favourite, we
all know, deep down, there is always a
favourite. I love each and every fish
from all the corners of the world, their
characteristics, their looks, their individual nuances... but then there is golden
dorado. One should never have a favourite,
but we are talking golden dorado here,
just saying. Hold a golden dorado in the
soft light of the setting sun and admire
the scale configuration, the striking fin
markings, that colour only Mother Nature’s palette can produce and let’s start
talking favourites! Then there is the way
they behave. Their brash aggression, their
fearless smash-it-first-ask-questions-later
attitude.
And the fight. We have all caught fish
that jump spectacularly, but some dorado
I have hooked have spent more time
airborne than underwater during the
fight. I also love the sheer diversity in the
way they hunt, from strength in numbers,
their pack mentality, literally driving
baitfish to throw themselves onto the
mud banks to avoid the unfolding carnage,
and then to solitary fish cleverly stationed

at strategic spots like tributary mouths,
converging currents, a colour line or an
underwater drop-off. Their favourite is
on the front end of a piece of structure in
the current: a log, a boulder or a sapling
growing out of the water. This is when
one has to throw caution to the wind and
cast across and perilously close to the
structure, the current will swing the fly
and you will have to time the retrieve so
that the fly passes just over the face of
the structure. Not close enough and the
presentation will not elicit a strike. Get it
wrong and the fly swings and snags on
the structure. Tricky stuff indeed.

LOWER PARANÁ

22 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF

CRUISING FOR

Golden
Dorado
Does slowly cruising down a river and catching
plenty of fish along the way sound like it’s got
the makings of the perfect fly fishing trip?
JONATHAN BOULTON says it does.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MAVUNGANA FLYFISHING

This spread: Sarah Boulton putting a proper bend in her rod
with a Paraná golden dorado.



I have been lucky to fish for golden
dorado throughout northern Argentina,
from the crystal-clear water of the Ibera
marsh system to the massive Paraná
River system that flows south through
Argentina. More recently, the Lower
Paraná has become my favourite. The
second-longest river in South America
only to the Amazon, the Paraná changes
characteristics as it makes its way through
Argentina. From the clearer singlechannel meandering river up north, it
gathers in size and attitude as it flows
towards the junction of the Uruguay
River, creating huge braided systems
and ultimately the Paraná Delta before
discharging into the Atlantic. This last
couple of hundred kilometres around the
town of Rosario (and conveniently a
pleasant three-hour drive from the bustle
of Buenos Aires) is a myriad split channels, backwaters and shallow lagoons
that, without the help of a GPS and a
good guide, one could get lost in forever.
The water here is that of a typical lowland
river; fairly heavily laden with sediment
and visibility not great, but the nutrient

load is overwhelming and the shallows
are alive with baitfish. With the complexity of channels, there is no way this
system could be fished successfully being
based at one lodge.

GOLDEN DORADO RIVER CRUISER

Bait concentrations and the ensuing
dorado move huge distances and what
better way to keep up with them than on
a live-aboard operation. This is not a new
concept, especially for us in southern
Africa where a houseboat is the perfect
means of staying with the fish on a
massive system like the Okavango River,
Zambezi and Lake Kariba. The Golden
Dorado River Cruiser is the first of its
kind in Argentina and the brainchild of
Luciano Alba and his head guide Dario
Arrieta. Owning Estancia Laguna Verde,
which is the operator with the greatest
amount of lake and river access on the
legendary Jurassic Lake, running slick
world-class fishing operations in ultraremote areas is old hat for these guys.
The collection point for guests is the
marina in the town of Rosario and then

Below: A double-figure Paraná backwater dorado for the author.

24 | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | TCFF

it’s a comfortable run in a boat, which
lasts anything from half an hour to two
hours depending on where the houseboat
is moored. The live-aboards I’ve used
have always been impressive, but this
is a particularly nice setup. Guests sleep
in spacious cabins below and enjoy a
luxurious bar and dining room above
with breathtaking views over the pampas
and floodplains.

THE FISHING

Fishing is done from Carolina Skiffs,
undoubtedly one of the most versatile
and angler-friendly boats in the world,
being super-fast, super-roomy and so
stable that if your super-sized boat partner makes an unexpected lunge for the
cooler box, you don’t even know he is
there. Two anglers to a boat, the guide
holds in the current and off structure
with a GPS-enabled trolling motor, operated by a remote control, leaving him
hands-free to wire-trace your fly and
excitedly point in the direction of fishholding structure. I always enjoy alternating guides, as each one has his own


“... AND ADMIRE THE SCALE CONFIGURATION,
THE STRIKING FIN MARKINGS, THAT COLOUR ONLY

MOTHER NATURE’S PALETTE CAN PRODUCE...”
Top: A fat dorado for Sarah. Left: Oversized double-barrel poppers
won’t be easy on the shoulder but give spectacular takes!
Below: A fun way to catch dorado – lily-hopping frogs.