THE CHALLENGE OF FLY FISHING

Since April this year fly fishing for trout has become very challenging and exciting, but still very lively.

This Newsletter will endeavour to throw some light on the variables at work in this “gentleman’s” game.  For obvious reasons this sport/hobby is called ‘fly fishing’ and not ‘fish catching’ !

Over the past month I’ve decided to invite some of our neighbours to come and try our waters.

They were Johan Senekal from Greystone Lodge and John Hunter  from  Little Trout Beck.  Johan and John  fish almost every day of the week.  John is an experienced national angler from Scotland and has been on Little Trout Beck for quite a few years.

After  their  visit to Treeferns, we came to the following conclusions:

1. Treeferns Trout Lodge is a very popular fly fishing destination and more and more anglers come to try their luck here.  This is always good for business, but not always as good for the fishing.  95% of our anglers only ‘CAR’.  The problem with this is that our fish are getting more and more ‘fly shy’.  As we stock our dams every month, fishing is normally only good for thet week or so after we’ve stocked. After that…the same old story:  ‘Fishing is difficult!’. So, remember in future; CAR is “taking its toll”. (With acknowlegdement The Complete Fly Fisherman,  ————   ).
2. The other problem is the fact that almost 50% of the above mentioned 95% anglers fish with ultra light weight tackle.  Starting with the old popular 2-3 weight rods and tippets that is less than 8lb breaking strain:  The problem with this is that the longer the fight with the fish at the end of the line takes, the more stress  to the fish and the more lactic acids the fish is building up during this fight.  Even after proper reviving techniques, it’s certain that the  fish will not go for anything else but the ‘real thing’ over the next month or more.  And this was a small experiment I conducted in one of our weirs where there is almost no food at all for the fish.
3. All our dams are fed with natural spring water 365 days of the year.  Our dams are in an immaculate condition.  Anglers do not struggle with weeds, water grass and long grass around the dams.  Only 2 dams (no 8 and 9) have a small amount of reeds near the ‘inlet’ of the dam.  We are keeping it this way because these 2 dams are known for the trophy fish that have been caught in the past and to grow fish need some natural environment, insects etc.  The problem with these ‘clean dams’ is the fact that the fish are not blind, and they see the anglers a mile away!  Therefore  I like fishing when dressed in ‘camo clothing’ and fishing for me always has been good, but challenging.  Although you can see the fish, just remember that they see you first!  Most importantly:  The more anglers on a dam, the more difficult it becomes to catch that big one…..they are not blind and they  scare very quickly!
4. Weather patterns naturally also create havoc when it comes to fishing.  This part of the province is known for the sudden changes in  weather patterns.   This has a huge effect  on the fish.
5. Other problems are  poor management of  dams, predators, theft, PH levels etc.  But, I believe, this is not a serious problem at Treeferns!!
6. Remember to use the right fly for the right season and conditions. Unfortunately, when to use the right fly is almost another type of science.  If you’ve mastered this  your chances to land a fish are good,  and the only answer to this is to do  research and reading about the different flies for fishing.  The flies that produced good fishing in all types of conditions are the following:  Adams, DDD, Black woolly bugger, Red eyed damsel, White death, Mrs Simpson, Hamill’s Killer.  If you have these flies in your fly box, you are almost certain to catch a fish.

According to our records, through permits that we’ve issued since February 2010, and after we’ve subtracted 30% of the stocking for losses that we can’t account for, we have between 400 and 500 fish in the 7 bigger dams of the 13 on this farm.  This gives you an average of 60 – 70 fish per dam!.  For our size dams, this is a big number.

“What is the answer  then?”, you would ask.

We are considering the following:

1. Although we are eco friendly, and not in favour of killing fish,  to allow anglers to keep 2 fish to create a sound “turnover” or balance of fish
2. To make use of tackle at least from 5 weight rods  up
3. To not fish a dam where there are  2 or 3 other anglers already fishing
4. To rotate the dams, i.e disallowing fishing at one specific dam  per month and rotating all the dams every month.  This is just to give each and every dam at least a month’s ‘break’ from fishing and stress.
5. To separate the golden trout from the rainbow trout because of it’s nervous behaviour .

In conclusion:

Fly fishing is not suppose to be easy.  This is an art form with a lot of science to it. Fly fishing and hunting is the same.  It is an art to hunt down your prey.  If hunting was easy, then its not called hunting but slaughter!

Till next time!  Enjoy fishing.

Morne.

Manager, Treeferns Trout Lodge.

Related Blogs

Once again accolades to Oom Chris and his team on site for making my fourth return trip to Treeferns one to remember. It went from terrible weather, challenging fishing, throbbing icicles for fingers , frozen rod guides to electrifying takes on the dry fly and heart stopping takes on the wet. The fishing here is the best I have come across. The farm is in great condition,  accommodation comfortable as always. I can’t wait for my next trip to Treeferns. Again well done and thank you for making a venue like yours available to the fly fishing community. See you in October.

Tight Lines
Christopher Barnard
13 – 16 July 2010

The flyfisher’s news update:

It’s been exactly one year that my wife and I decided to exchange the rat race for Treeferns Trout Lodge.

Over the past few months, I realized that there is more to life….and fly fishing is one of those things that fills up some of the blank spaces in a dull and colourless life.

I am in this fortunate position to fish at least 5 times per week and with 13 dams to choose from…..well, what can one say ? With an abundance of fish that vary from 600 grams to almost 4kg’s, the fishing on Treeferns’ dams  provides me with everything a fly fisherman can only dream of !

Nine out of 10 clients ask me when is the best time to fish, and I think a lot of anglers will differ from  what I have to say about this:

For the past 2 years, I’ve fished most of the waters in our region (Dullstroom and Belfast) and for me the best time to fish is only starting now in August up till April. During the winter months with the sudden drop in temperature, spawning season and a dry, cold weather fishing is more challenging. However, I like the months October – March. What I noticed was that the fish were more active this time of the year especially after rain and thunder storms because new hatchings of insects then take place…and more fish will be attracted to these spots.

BUT: This is not necessarily the situation at all the lodges. What makes Treeferns unique, is the fact that all our dams are fed with fresh cool spring water 365 days of the year and  the water temperatures are a degree or 2 cooler than your normal trout dams.

We have also implemented a new permit system to keep record of each and every dam and it’s fishing population. This helps us a lot to stock the right fish at the right time in the right dam.

The best is yet to come. Our first Treeferns Trout Classic will take place on 30 October 2010 Unfortunately, we’re already fully booked for the competition. So, remember to book this date in your diary: Saturday 29 October, 2011!!

In conclusion…fishing was fantastic the past 12 months thanks to all our angling friends’ advice, participation, and their passion for fly fishing. The record for this year stands on 3,8 kg. Let’s see who’s going to break this one! Our best fly patterns for the past months was Black Woolly Bugger (‘Mpumalanga Spietkop’), DDD and  White Death.

Till next time then!

Morne van Rensburg (Manager @ Treeferns)

072 403 1895.

Her personal best, a 2.8 kg rainbow, congratulations Charne !

On the week of the 21st to the 24th of July my wife and I came to our beloved fly fishing spot, “Treeferns Trout Lodge”. This is our home away from home, the fishing was very difficult because of the spawning trout, but any avid fly fishing angler will tell you to stop and look what is happening in and around the water, you will find the answers there. We saw that the trout were feeding on the surface of the water. So we changed to dry flies, with great success. My wife caught a beautiful 2.80 kg cock trout, which was her personal best, and I cashed in later with a few big brown trout, the biggest being 2.90kg, followed by a hen trout at about 2.35kg. The fishing only stopped at 18:30 with my last fish weighing in at 3.1kg. All I have left to say, is thank you to such a great place and wonderful people at Treeferns, Oom Chris and tannie Marietjie (owners) and Morne (Manager), for hosting us in such a beautiful place. All we can say is “THANK YOU”.

This 2 kg rainbow trout did not survive the catch.

One of the most frequent causes of fatalities among trout or for that matter any fish, is catch and release, mostly called C.A.R., done in a wrong or careless way. Therefore we thought it apt to also publish here the basic rules of C.A.R. :

1. Remove the hook whilst the fish is still in the water.

2. If you have to take the fish out of the water, wet your hands thoroughly before touching it. Do not wear gloves. Do not throw the fish back into the water, and most importantly, put  it back as quickly as possible.

3. Photographs are regular fish killers. Ask whoever is going to photograph your trophy to be ready when you lift the fish out of the water, and to adjust his exposure settings beforehand allowing you to put the fish back as quickly as possible.

4. Always hold the fish properly. The most sturdy part of a fish is towards its tail. Do not use the other hand to support the fish behind the gills. Most of a fish’s sensitive organs are located directly behind the gills. Therefore, support the fish by placing your hand under its chin, if necessary.

5. Never squeese the fish behind the gills or on the stomach. This will cause internal damage to heart, lungs or liver, probably all three, and will most likely kill it.

6. Prior to releasing, always ensure that the natural pH balance of the fish has been restored. This is done by firmly holding the fish by the neck of its tail in the water, assuring that it remains in the upright position, and gently holding in into the current. Do not move it back and forth as this will be detrimental to the fish’s gills and will most likely lessen its chances of survival. Hold it this position until it swims away of its own free will. Even a stressed out fish might try to break free initially but you will soon be able to tell the difference between the struggles of a revived fish as opposed to a stressed out fish’s natural instinct to break free.

7. With big fish lifting the fish out of the water by the tail  will injure its spine. Try to avoid this.

8. Use barbless flies.

9. Do not play the fish for an unnecessary long time.

(By courtesy The Complete Fly Fisherman Magazine)

GOOD LUCK

The  slideshow  of a rainbow that swam away after release, will demonstrate some of these steps :

In order to better control our trout stocking levels, we have recently introduced a system of angling permits. Anglers are required to pay a deposit of R100 for a permit on which all fish caught and kept have to be recorded. A refund of R50 will be made for all completed permits handed in. This also assists us to comply with trout stocking regulations. Treeferns Trout Lodge itself is in possession of a trout stocking permit issued by the Department of Nature Conservation.

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At last the day of departure arrived and excitement filled the air. After all, we’ve been looking forward to this trip for almost six months.

Upon arrival at Treeferns the reception was an immediate indication that this was going to be an experience of Low-veld hospitality at its best. I’ve visited the Low-veld a number of times and only once have we felt as welcome as we did upon arrival at Treeferns.

The rock style chalets were warm and welcoming with a rustic feel to it. Upon reflection I would say it was very befitting the environment and surroundings in every aspect. We occupied two of the chalets, Ribbok and Panorama, both had their own spectacular views and appeal. Fully equipped down to the most unexpected detail such as scales to weigh your quarry, a log book to capture the details of your victory among other details and necessities one normally take for granted – the clear sweet 100% natural spring water in the fridge was a real surprising highlight, especially considering it was December and the sun was a scorcher.

The only drawback found with the accommodation from my side was the fact that the shower was a bit narrow to my liking and the shower head was a bit low. I’m not the tallest of people standing at 1.68m and did not expect the shower to mainly spray against my neck. It’s not a real problem but as I said, just not what I expected. Another suggestion I have would be to roof the “braai” area at Ribbok chalet and maybe to install some shade netting on the sides of the patios that one can let down should the rain insist on blowing straight on to the patio where one is relaxing during the glorious thunderstorms should they occur.

The befitting patio blending seemingly into the rock structure provided a relaxing area to really kick back and admire our surroundings whilst enjoying each other’s company and a real “lekker braai” in the only fashion we South Africans know how. The abundant plant and bird life in the area combined with the awesome views of the veld, the gorge, dams and streams provided sweet eye candy for one and all and seem to have a soothing effect on all of us. Even the non fishing members of our group could not stop chattering and reflecting on their experience and the impact the environment had on them. This in itself was worth the planning long wait for our trip to Treeferns.

Now to get to the real reason us fisherman wanders out of our comfort zones.

We obscurely push away all technology to go hunting. Rod in hand, stalking ever illusive fish for hours on end and sometimes driven by pure obsession, will not quit till we feel the fast familiar tap on the line, the reaction instinctively follow, line tightening and instant reaction follow in the water. This is what it’s all about, the pure adrenaline rush one experience and the feeling of victory over your quarry.

Don’t be fooled, fishing at Treeferns is hard work and a load of patience is needed to accomplish the feeling of fulfillment and victory. You know you were spotted long before you spot the roaming trout in the crystal clear water. This only serves as a reminder that you’re now attempting to enter a realm where the trout is king and you’re the obvious suspicious outsider causing the fish to be even more weary and cautious.

We must have easily presented hundreds of different flies in different sizes and combinations before we found what seemed to be the closest pattern resembling the preferred source of food in size, color and imitation. To be truthful, there were three or four flies that did the trick for us, though all of them did not work every day. One could say it’s a “seasonal preference” on a daily basis such is the diversity of the flies preferred at the time.

Over the period of five days we caught a number of trout varying in size, releasing all but five to feed our taste buts. These included two wonderful trout, a hen of 1.54kg and a cock of 1.36kg (photo’s included). Curiously enough both were caught on the same day an hour apart with the same fly in almost the same spot. It took three days of meticulous elimination of flies and selection of sizes and combinations to hook in to these wonderful fish.

We know there are monsters lurking in the waters at Treeferns. Experience taught us an expensive lesson when we lost a number of flies, tippets and even a leader and a bit of fly line during our stay. These losses might be considered part of the game and acceptable under any circumstance; but let me reiterate, it hurts to feel and hear a monster tearing line off your real only to leave you in shame and without everything up to your fly line. Yes… flies, tippet and leader all gone in an instant. There we were, thinking our X4 tippet was strong enough to handle anything in the waters before us, just to be brought back to reality by a monster taking the leader as well.

All things considered, we were sad to leave when the time came and we really did not want to return to our dull daily lives and the so called “civilization” of which we are a part. Our first time visit to Treeferns will forever be imbedded in our hearts and minds and the wonderful time and experience will be with us for the rest of our days.

Plans are already under way to revisit this heaven and relive our experiences and create new ones… why does next year suddenly sound so far away? We just can’t wait to return for the next round.

Written by Douw O’Kelly as a reflection of experiences in December 2009.

At Treeferns Trout Lodge we are proud of our trout management policy. Foremost we selected a professional and reliable supplier in Katrinasrust Trout Farm. Tim and Leslie-Anne Brewer and team render an excellent service not only in regard to the quality of fish, but also in the numbers and sizes that we order. We stock on a monthly programme, which results in our dams rather over-stocked than under-stocked. It also means that the fish stay and grow. We have recorded sizes up to 3.6 kg, not to mention the “big ones” that got away.

Rainbow trout are mostly stocked, and brown and golden whenever available.

Slide show follows in a few seconds, enjoy.

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T

he Editor of The Complete Fly Fisherman (TCFF), P.J. Jacobs, lodged objections to the responsible authority, The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, against the listing of trout as an invasive species. He also invited concerned parties to contribute to the campaign by sending their support by e.mail to TCFF, magads@gonet.co.za. The letter follows :

The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Attention: Bonani Madikizela
Fedsure Building
315 Pretorius Street
Pretoria

30 April 2009

By e-mail – bmadikizela@deat.gov.za

Dear Mr Madikizela

This letter serves as the lodging of a formal objection to the proposed
regulations for the NEM:BA Act 10 of 2004 (as published in the Government
Gazette on 2 April 2009), on behalf of the Complete Fly Fisherman Magazine,
its employees and shareholders, and specifically as far as the listing of
trout is concerned.

We wish to place on record the following:

1.   Trout are non-invasive in South Africa, and there exists no scientific
proof to the contrary. Its present listing as “alien invasive” in terms of
Schedule 3 is therefore incorrect, and can only be based on incomplete,
incorrect information or assumptions. This is contrary to the requirements
of the Act.
2.   Where they presently occur, trout present no threat to any indigenous
species and are naturalised.
3.   Trout are self-regulatory and need not be zoned. Zoning and the permit
system will have a detrimental effect on the trout industry.
4.   The present listing of trout will do great harm to the trout industry,
with a consequent substantial loss of jobs, especially in the lower income
segment.
5.   Trout fishing is a way of life for many South Africans, and the present
listing infringes this right.
6.   Trout contribute enormously to the economy, and the present listing
will limit that contribution in the future. It also impairs the right of the
industry to expand and grow.
7.   The listing is flawed, in that correct procedures were not followed as
stipulated in the Act, inter alia in so far as not enough funding was made
available to properly research the status of trout prior to and leading up
to its listing as “alien invasive” in terms of Schedule 3. Many interested
and affected parties were not consulted or invited to workshops,
insufficient workshops were held and evidence presented at workshops were
not procured or evaluated as is prescribed in the Act.

Consequently, we request that trout be re-listed as non-invasive in terms of
schedule 1.

We reserve all rights.

Yours faithfully,

PJ Jacobs
Editor

See also the Editorial of the December/January 2008/2009 issue of TCFF

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