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.
JP Bartholomew and his GT on fly is written by JP, after an incredible encounter up on the north coast of KZN, South Africa, a while back. Enjoy the well written and entertaining account below…made me want to got fishing straight away!
“My day started like no other day on the North Coast, it was Saturday 5th of September I started my morning on the Tongaat River Mouth / Zimbali stretch also known as Long Beach, plugging for Garrick. The sea was choppy, the tide was going out and there was a slight SW blowing, perfect for targeting garrick; which unfortunately bought my morning session to a close with no garrick attacking the plug. I left for home where myself and the family were staying. I thought to myself ‘this afternoon I’ll park at Salmon Bay and walk the Zimbali stretch from north to south but this time with my fly rod catching the pushing in tide’ with the hope of catching a garrick before the day was up.
So Saturday afternoon I parked at Salmon Bay with my gear which consisted of my Shimano tackle back pack together with my 8/9wt Explore rod fitted with My 8/9wt reel with intermediate line using a 22 kilo leader fitted with a Black and Grey Lead Ass Mullet fly with a 5/0 Mustard Hook. I started my assault along the Zimbali / Long Beach, heading south this time towards the Tongaat River mouth. The stretch I was doing had a lot of structure with some nice deep drop off’s which, with a pushing in tide, made it that much more exciting and challenging with a nice SW slightly blowing.
I wasn’t even 200 meters when I saw some action just off a rocky ledge which formed into a nice covered bay where I always saw mullet and karratine shoals hiding away from those predatoryal game fish like GT’s, Garrick etc… I started stripping line from my Explorer 12 Wt fitted with a Lead Ass Mullet fly with a 5/0 Mustard Hook and started my descent on the area of water where I saw the mullet jumping. Was it garrick feeding or some other species? Never the less I started casting my fly towards the rocks where all the action was happening. I slowly built up my casting distance to where I wanted my fly to land in the strike zone, hoping to pick up whatever was terrorising the mullet. I was into my 9th cast slowly retrieving the fly towards me, changing to an erratic fast action to try and catch the attention of the fish that was scattering the mullet.
Not much longer into my retrieve I felt a bump. Not sure if it was the hunter or the hunted bumping my fly. I continually cast straight into the strike zone again, happy with my cast, I retrieved quickly from the start… Bang bang I was picked up with such force I nearly had the rod pulled out of my hands. I actually didn’t realise what had just happened it was so quick. I knew straight away I was into a buster of a kingfish, which species I could not say at that point in time, as I hung on for dear life as not wanting to lose this fish that had attacked my fly so ferociously on my retrieve. This boykie was not letting up! He was pulling my line quickly, before I knew it I could see my 150m of backing starting to disappear in front of me.
Not being equipped with a heavier set up which would have been my 12 Wt, I knew it would be a do or die situation. Deep breaths and patience was going to be my strategy and I was hoping my equipment would hold up to the pressure this beast was applying on both myself and my rod and reel. I was slowly having some say in this fight, managing to retrieve some of my backing and slowly getting some of my line. My hands and back were starting to feel the pressure and I just kept thinking ‘no pain no gain’. This could be the fish of a lifetime for me, I just bit the bullet and kept at it. Just as I was starting to get more and more line back what I was not hoping for happened; my 9wt Explorer locked on me, it seized, which meant I could no longer retrieve anymore line! What do I do? My equipment has failed, which was fully understandable as it was totally out of its depth with the size of whatever was on the other side of the line. Two options came to mind very quickly, give up which I wasn’t going to do or brace the moment and pull this boykie out by hand.
I quickly grabbed my line and wrapped it around my hand, thank goodness I had my Stealth hand gloves on. I started pulling slowly, moving backwards and at the same time retrieving my line wrapping it around my hand not wanting to pull too hard and risk the chance of losing this boykie, I had come too far for that. I slowly started to retrieve more and more moving up and down the beach, having a good work out at the same time. Finally the beast surfaced; it was a huge GT! My adrenaline picked up when I knew what it was and if I did land this beautiful specimen of an Ignobilis GT, it would be my best catch on fly, I was on cloud nine. Not on cloud nine yet I quickly got back into action wanting to get this boykie onto the beach as soon as possible as I was tired and I could see he was getting tired too but he still had a lot more kick in him. I just had to pick up my pace and keep up with him. I kept pulling at him slowly and wrapping more line around my hand and walking up and down the beach stretch; I had carved out a path with the continuous up and down while pulling him in and retrieving more line each time.
I finally started seeing more and more of the ignobilis which was a good sign that I was slowly getting closer to beaching him. Finally I was at a stage where I could feel myself starting to lose grip of the line and it was as if the man above looked down and threw me a lifeline; a wave appeared out of nowhere and helped bring this buster of an Ignobilis a little closer. I saw my son, who was with me, run into the retreating water and grab it with both hands, with the help of some of the bystanders. Finally seeing my trophy ignobilis safe on the beach, I fell backwards tired, shacking and with one very sore right hand. I just looked up and said thank you…..!! Trying to catch my breath and the bystanders shaking my hand and congratulating me, my son said “You did it, Dad, a whopper!”, as I laughed at him and thanked him for his contribution in helping me. Finally landing it safely 57min later, according to my son is how long I struggled and battled with this exceptional GT that gave me my best fight yet.
Getting my breath back I knew this boykie would be exhausted too. I had to get him back into the water as quickly as possible and revive him so he could return to the sea healthy, but first I wanted to tag him before returning him. I got my son to get my kit from my bag while I dragged him closer to the waters edge so that I could get the sea water to pass over his gills reviving him back slowly. I measured him quickly, measuring at a 106cm and then tagging him. My son and I got him into an upright position and carried him into deeper water holding him up so the water could pass through his gills even faster. 10min into reviving him I could feel him getting stronger, eventually his tail was starting to get movement back and in no time he was on his way back into the blue.
When we got back from our weekend up at Salt Rock that afternoon and finished unpacking and cleaning up, I sat down with my Length- to- Weight & Identification Guide to Southern African Angling Species Booklet by Chris De Vries, I went straight to the Ignobilis page to check out the size of the trophy GT I had caught Saturday afternoon. Running down the weight chart I finally got to see the size of the Ignobilis GT I had caught, which had seized my reel and gave me the fight of my life.There it was 106 cm and the weight was my best yet sitting at 23.2 kilos of solid muscle. Wow I was amazed, I had finally conquered my most sacred fish. Knowing deep down inside I had just conquered a piece of the Holy Grail and knowing that out there there are Ignobilis’s of up to 50 kilos and heavier waiting to fight and challenge any angler that crosses his path; the fighting passion that a Kingfish of that size can give a person is so pleasurable if set free to fight another day. So remember always let the big boys go to secure our breeding stocks for the younger generations to come and enjoy the moments that you so treasure, the memories of that big GT buster that didn’t get away on that special day where you got the privilege to earn a little piece of that sought after species of the Holy Grail.
JP Bartholomew and his GT on fly
Tigh Lines and let your fish roam free….
Cheers JP.”
Once again JP, many thanks for putting a huge smile on my face, as I read about you releasing such an amazing catch. And you caught it on fly? Kudos!
I found this beautiful old balsa Rapala, handmade three decades ago, in our lockup in Mozambique. Stashing it in my bag (in it’s box still), I dragged it all over on my work travels, until finally, I got to the KZN South Coast, for the winter estuary season. It was here, that I had in mind, for that Rapala.
Since we make the Mydo Luck Shots here upstairs in the old boathouse at The Umzimkulu Marina, I always fish with other lures too, to act as benchmarks. And this lure turned out to be a real hot performance benchmark!
The first charter I had for July, Yousef, caught his kingfish after only a hundred metres of fishing! On the Rapala! It was a good fighting sized baby GT, spirited as only one hook held him by the top of his head. Making for some serious negotiating. Luckily that skin on top there is tough as hell, and the fish came to the boat eventually. Still throwing a tantrum! But we soon had the photos and him back in the water. That was the only kingfish on that trip. The rest of the evening we targeted spotted grunter successfully. Even taking a nice big one back to be curry for Yousef, my guest.
The next trip was with Neill Campbell, who got to the rod on two amazing strikes in a row. Both on the Rapala! Both times the fish took enough line to create enough drag to straighten the ancient, but very sharp hooks. I was feeling rather bleak about the Luck Shots not going away. The Rapala was the furthest out, and the closest to the mangroves too…but so we persevered. In fact, Neill was so amped, he went back home and searched his garage for a very similair Rapala he had had for decades too – this one a bit smaller, and it swam even shallower. But with that same lazy classic action that made Rapalas so cool in the first place. Both were duly rigged with new 4X super sharp and powerful hooks. They hamper the swimming action slightly, but we had learnt our lesson!
So now we had two Rapalas of the right colour and swimming motion. And two Mydos. One tiny #1 with a milky split tail on a 3/0. And the other with a 7 inch split tail with a 5/0. The spread was working wonderfully and looking perfect. The next charter were three clued up dudes from Johannesburg. They booked an early morning trip. They casted and casted. I trolled and trolled. Nothing. Nothing at all. The tide was outgoing. Timing is everything.
Then The Roosta took a cruise, two stoked families also down on holiday. He took the first old Rapala, and put it back a bit. Next thing he was vas! So he called up on a young kid on the boat, and coached him in on his first Rock Salmon. Check the stoke on this kids face!
When I got back on the boat with my next guests – Sean van Tonder and his son, we only managed one baby kingfish on a fly…another species though – a tough littleblack tip kingy this time. We got some fun video…
My next guests were commercial diver guys on leave and really in the mood to fish. I reset the Hawaain Diamond spread I was using, putting the tiny drop shot on the port side in my new out-rigger style holder – putting that lure way out the side. Then I put the next Mydo, and the two Rapalas making up the starboard points. It was amazing as the little Mydo, now in the right position, just never stopped getting all the strikes. And the Mydo next to it. A little fire-tiger paddle-tail model. Fish after fish. And nothing on the Rapalas!
And so the benchmarks met their match.
It really has more to do with where you set your lures, and where you fish them, than which particular lures to use. As soon as I put the Luck Shot out the side, it was the closest to the mangroves. And then the next one way back but also within fish sight from the mangroves, where they ambush from. These two lures got hammered and the plastics replaced a number of times.
And then when Andrew van Biljon and Matt Wainwright rocked in to get in on the action, they had an absolute blast flicking and trolling the little Mydos, all over the river. Andrew’s kids Dustin and Tristan having ALL the fun!
You can watch how to fish the #1 Mydo Luck Shot on this video…
Small stream trout fishing in Lydenburg (Mpumulanga, South Africa) is an exciting winter prospect. River caught trout are known to be far more voracious and cunning than their bigger dam raised counterparts. River trout are free range hunters that patrol the shallow flowing waters using their camouflage and stealth – to ambush prey.
Waking up early, very early – coffee and rusks to get you on the go. The sun – nowhere, but first light helps you make your way carefully, down to the river. Rushing waters and waking birds guiding you all the way.
Sneaking up to the river bank, ever aware, you imagine you can see the trout you are after, swimming in the clear current, just downstream. Stripping out some line, you carefully approach, your camo gear helping you stay hidden. Quiet steps. And you cast. A small, gentle, but accurate cast – you only need a few metres most times. Your 2 or 3 weight fly rod, with floating line, and a short five foot or so fluorocarbon leader, is a cinch to operate. Your neat little Red-eye Damsel fly – deployed for the ambush. Mimicking a Dragon Fly Nymph.
Encouraging your offer to drift towards your prey, you start to twitch it as you retrieve your line against the flow of the lightening stream. As the fly reaches the small pool you thought you saw the fish in…
Bang! An explosion in the water right in front of you and your rod tip is violently jerked downstream and you set the hook! The sun is rising, the birds are cheering, and the fish are biting.
Dreams are coming true!
This is the time of the year, for this type of trout fishing action.
Trout fishing in Lydenburg…at Highland Run Fly-fishing Estate
In the Mpumalanga Drakensberg, 17 kilometres out of Lydenburg, is Highland Run Fly-fishing Estate. Tucked away tightly up into the Drakensberg mountains. With the trout filled Spekboom River flowing right through it. 5.1 Kilometres of pristine, crystal clear trout stream.
The nature-centric development of three lodges, on a grand piece of mountain range, available via shared ownership, is great opportunity, to realise stories like the above. It includes shared ownership of the land around the houses – so you are also contributing to the conservation of the area, by investing. And then reap the rewards of ownership in a unique and worthwhile project like Highland Run, by Dream Resorts, in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Bazaruto fly-fishing: chuck a fly in here and see what happens next!
Early season in the Bazaruto Archipelago sees shoals of baby black marlin on the hunt in the shallows. Often this Bazaruto fly-fishing opportunity happens only a mile from the lodge! Captain Duarte Rato and crew of fishbazaruto.com are geared up for this ultimate type of fishing. Years of experience have seen many fish successfully caught and healthily released.
At these small sizes, from 20kg’s and upwards, the fish are far more resilient and hardy – and man can they jump to heights way out of proportion to their small size.
As this recent report just in from Captain Duarte Rato shows, the fly is deadly fun up there, and a wide range of gamefish are prepared to gorge them…
“On the first day they had an absolute ball at 25 mile releasing several different species including king mackerel, indian mirrorfish, GT´s, golden trevally, talang queenfish, prodigal son and yellowspotted kingfish. On the second day they found a crazy mayhem of game fish just north of the lighthouse and spend the all day in the area catching and releasing few different species but mostly YFT and lots of nice size cuda.” – Thanks Duarte!
This big couta was the only fish not released, it was not able to be revived, after a long fight on such light gear. All the rest of the fish fought that day, are alive and swimming…
For more information on how to get tangled up wto a mean tempered baby black marlin, head on over to fishbazaruto.com and get in touch with Captain Duarte Rato.
