I’ve often wondered why I have this obsession for catching Garrick on fly, maybe it’s those heart stopping chases and the fight as they they try to smash your fly on the surface which play a major role in driving up my adrenaline levels. Throughout the year I spent My time chasing Kingfish,Snoek and other Game fish, but come May when the first Garrick start arriving with the Shad- and hopefully the annual Sardine Run – we all get excited. Garrick are found right around our South African coastline, in summer they prefer the cooler Cape water’s ,but in winter the arrive on our doorstep in KwaZulu-Natal ,and stay here until they spawn in spring before undertaking the long haul back to the Eastern Cape in summer. They prefer sea temperature’s between 17’C and 23’C and they are able to tolerate water’s with low salinity levels like Estuaries where they spawn.
Jannie Griesel with his Mydo caught couta at Sodwana this last weekend.
Every Mydolure made is totally IGFA compliant. But the baitswimmer couta trace, when rigged with trebles, is not.
Why do we rig with trebles? Popular demand. The treble hooks available nowadays are incredibly strong and sharp, compared to the old 2X’s that we used to get. And the fish are more scarce, making a hook up meaning so much more than it used to.
Mydo anglers were never even introduced to IGFA, back when it all rolled into South Africa, in the 80’s. The main competitions never used IGFA rules either. It took a long time before IGFA rules were applied to money comps. Trebles were the standard issue for catching couta, and still are, with most anglers.
But the rules have changed slowly and now many competitions on the circuit are IGFA now. This is great, as trebles are not really suited to releasing fish at all. Singles inflict far less damage. Captain Duarte Rato fishes single hooks wherever he can. But he still uses trebles for couta traces!
Captain Len Mathews only fishes IGFA rules. This is how he rigs the Mydo Baitswimmer.
Captain Len Mathews has been part of the Mydo team for a long time now. He catches great fish. And he only fishes IGFA. Two Kendall Rounds, rigged nice and light. This is the reason Len reckons, that he doesn’t lose fish. Len admits to a slightly more complicated hook up, but that when done right, snags his fish as many times as trebles would. But his use of singles means much more solid hookups.
Meaning he can pull much harder.
Which is great for the sailfish and marlin, who scrounge Lens’ well-presented couta baits often. And for pulling fish away from the taxman.
According to Len – there are a bunch of good reasons to stay single!
Thank you Len!
Learn more about the Mydo Baitswimmer range of lures right here…
Captain Len Mathews about to release another billfish at Zavora, Southern Mozambique. Len only fishes IGFA using single hooks on his Mydos. A factor which helps in easy and quick releases for the many fish he catches.
Jason Heyne checks in with his weekly spearing report – this week featuring some eagerly awaited for daga salmon. They are also here for sardines, and the big ones are often caught from the shore, right in the shallows! Just please be considerate with this fragile population. The big ones are our breeding stock, and we need them alive! Take your one for the season by all means – they are a very difficult fish to catch or shoot. But leave the rest for next year! TX Jason
“The diving conditions this week have been above average. Daga salmon have made an appearance in the shallows down south, big garrick up north and decent wahoo out deep. Saturday and Sunday a light offshore wind blows in the morning switching to a light on shore in the afternoon. Swell starts at 1.5m on Saturday dropping down to 1m on Sunday. Both days are looking top for a dive. Well done John on getting fish of the week a 24.5kg daga salmon on a shore dive. Good luck to all competing in the second day of natal champs tomorrow. Viz was reported north and south today. As always dive safe and straight spears.” – Jason
Jason Heyne reports the timeous arrival of the Cape Yellowtail, as they take their place in the lineup for free sardines…
The diving conditions this week have a good average. Cape Yellow tail have made an appearance along with daga salmon. Snoek and garrick are around in shoals. Saturday a moderate south West blows from early morning with the swell running at 1.4m. Sunday morning a light north wind blows switching to a moderate north east later in the day. I would say both mornings early are good for a dive. Well done David Aldworth on getting the fish of the week a 19kg wahoo! Good luck to all competing in the Natal champs tomorrow. As always dive safe and straight spears
King Mackeral dominating underwater – KZN Spearfishing
” Jason Heyne reporting that king mackeral are still around and dominating everyones lives…” Xona
The diving conditions this week have been epic. Garrick have arrived, snoek are around in numbers and shoal cuda are thick. Saturday the wind blows offshore in the morning switching to a light to moderate north east in the afternoon with the swell picking up from 1m in the morning to 1.5m in the afternoon. Sunday morning the wind blows offshore switching to a moderate south West in the afternoon and the swell runs at 1.3m throughout the day. Viz was reported north and south coast today. So Saturday and Sunday morning look great for a dive. Well done to Duran Richardson for getting fish of the week a cuda of 19kg on a shore dive! As always dive safe and straight spears.
