Although many of us passionate Fly-Fishermen don't admit it, our gear is held close to our hearts, and as in many sports, the fun bit is in the selection and testing of many different lines, rods and reels, these are the toys of our obsession.
There are many varying conditions in South Africa, different species in a multiple range of environments calls for changes in gear selection, although you can use rods which vary from double 0 weights for tiny stream and brook trout in crystal clear cape streams, to 15 weight double handed rods for sailfish and marlin behind a boat. Ill attempt to cover the most basic selection for river/stillwater trout, to yellowfish, and finally bass and tigerfish rigs.
RODS: In the earlier years of Fly Fishing for mainly river trout in South Africa, split cane rods were the norm, they were very fragile and delicate, but sensitive and many enthusiasts still own a couple.
Next came the fibre-glass rods, they were stronger, but heavy and tended to have a very slow action, meaning they were very flexible and soft, and couldn't load line at short distances well.
Finally came the graphite rods, stronger, faster and lighter, they were the revolution in all aspects of fishing, they are very sensitive and can be manufactured into stiff, fast action rods, these are the preferred choice among Fly Fishermen today.
The length of flyrods vary, but most commonly 8"6 to 10ft rods, with 9ft being the standard length.
Fast action rods are less forgiving, but can cast long lines with heavy, bushy, wind resistant flies more easily, good timing on the cast is needed to gain maximum performance out of these rods, the preferred choice for advanced casters.
Medium action rods are a little more forgiving, they are a compromise between fast and slow action rods, with a little more 'give' than the very fast action rods, meaning you can play fish a little harder without the tippet giving in.
Slow actions rods are mainly for short casts on large rivers, useful for Czech Nymphing on the Vaal, they load nicely at shorter distances, they are a little a sloppy if trying to achieve distance though. A good compromise would be medium/fast action rods, 10 ft rods are useful for Chech Nymphing, shorter rods are good when you want to fish a small river with lots of places to hang up on.
Many different manufacturers produce good quality rods, some local brands have decent rods at a fair price, while some imported brands have the advantage of being a reliable bet, are usually very expensive. If starting out, rather go for locally produced rods, the top of the range local rods are usually as good, if not better than the medium/top range imported rods.
Hardy, Sage, Orvis and Composite Development (CD) are the most prominent imported brands that have some very good rods, i myself own a Sage, fast action 9ft rod, it has given me many years of awesome casting and is still my favorite in my small forest of rods. Most Fly-Fishermen inevitably come to own. We need a different weight / action for all the species :]
Some good locally manufactured brands include Explorer and Stealth as well as many others which are generally inexpensive. Note that most good rods have a lifetime guarantee, which means if a section of a rod is broken, whether it be by a trophy fish or a car door closing, your local tackle store can send you a brand new piece at a minimal charge, this really is a blessing, as fly rods are fragile things, and buying one is an investment.
Below is a brief compilation of rods needed for different applications in South Africa.
3-4 Weight - Small rivers and streams - Trout/Yellows
5-6 Weight - Stillwaters and large rivers - Trout/Bass/Yellows
6-8 Weight - Large rivers and Lakes - Bass/Yellowfish/Tigerfish
8-10Weight - Estuaries/Inshore/Surf - Saltwater Species.
REELS: There is alot of debate about the importance of Reels, one school of thought argues that a good disc drag system is needed to handle the trophy trout that is ripping your backing off your spool, the other argues that it is there merely to hold the line. Personally i believe that 'palming' the spool is better than fighting a fish with the drag system, the next paragraph explains why. I believe that it depends on the species of fish you intend to tackle that will determine the importance of a reel.
When targeting large, strong yellowfish on a big river like the Vaal, the reel is vitally important as even relatively small fish will take you into the backing. The problem is that once your backing is out, strain on the tippet increases as the diameter of the backing is smaller, and there is alot more line in the water increasing the strain on the tippet, so the drag needs to be reset to maintain the correct pressure.
Again, there are locally made and imported brands which each comes with their pro's and cons. Disc drags are a luxury not really needed by the average trout fisherman, but essential when targeting large species offshore, another feature of some reels is the large arbour profile, the larger spool means that there is less 'memory' in the line, and the line retrieval rate is much faster with the larger spool, useful when the fish decides to run straight at you, slack line created by this can result in many lost fish when using barbless hooks.
Interchangeable spools is another useful feature which saves money and difficulty when you want to change lines while on the water. A floating line on the reel with a sinking line on the spool makes it simple and easy to interchange between them, simply reel up the current line, take out the spool and click the new one into the reel. This saves the necessity of having different types of reels which are bulky and generally more expensive.
One last tip about spools, when that trophy fish is ripping line off your reel, be careful when palming the spool, misplaced fingers will result in a nasty rap on the knuckles, also apply steady pressure when palming, the exact amount of pressure to apply will come with experience.
LINES: I wont say much about lines, simply because there isn't much to say about them, unless you want to go into complicated discussions on materials etc.
Unlike reels, the line is probably the most important part of the equipment. Cheap, badly manufactured lines will frustrate your best attempts at casting, good lines should have less 'memory' in the line, and will shoot better, and will generally do what they are supposed to. i.e not sink when supposed to float, and will generally give you a better fishing experience. Skimping on lines and ending up with a badly designed line is akin to trying to drive a golf ball with a putting iron. It will put you off . Get the best you can afford.
Sinking Lines: These do exactly what the name implies, they sink. Various sink rates are used for different depths, i do not particularly like sinking lines for trout fishing, and own only 1 which i seldom use, when fishing of a dam wall or off a watercraft like a float tube or boat it's useful, but i generally find that it forces you to retrieve too quickly, a habit which many beginners and even some more advanced fly-fishermen are guilty of, however for Saltwater and tigerfishing these lines are very useful in their own right, DI7 and lead core lines are used when trying to get down in a fast current or getting depth over a reef. Ill cover retrieve rates in a later section.
Intermediate Lines: The bread and butter of Stillwater fishing for trout in South Africa, my favorite types of lines, the line sinks at a very slow but steady rate, meaning i can let my line sink, and fish my pattern where i want to, and keep it there during the retrieve, 1-2 inches sink rate per second is my preferred line. Clear intermediate lines shoot very nicely and in my opinion are less visible to fish. Deeper sections of the dams can be covered with an intermediate by adding a relatively new addition to the arsenal of fly fishing, the polyleader, its basically an addition to the end of the line, which can make it sink faster or allow the tip to remain above the weed, thereby causing less snags. different sink rates can be obtained and when prospecting the depths, a fast sinker will take your intermediate line down pretty fast.
Floating Lines: I particularly like fishing with floating lines, as they cast much better than sinking or intermediate lines, with some tactics, you can virtually fish any depth with these lines, a long leader and heavy nymphs will get down to fish and you can even utilise the wave action to impart an irresistible motion to the flies that trout in particular seem unable to resist, and impossible to duplicate with a normal retrieve. Almost exclusively the line used on rivers for Yellowfish and Trout, if i could recommend a line for a beginner, this would be it, ill cover the tactics for the different lines abit later.
MISCELLANEOUS: Then there are all the little things, some an absolute necessity, and some just useful to have, gadgets and little bits that add to the overall experience.
Needs: Pliers: These serve to flatten barbs and remove hooks from deeply hooked fish.
Clippers: A must have for cutting line and removing tag-ends off flies.
Floatant: Keeps your dry-flies high and dry
Hat: Preferably wide-brimmed for max protection against SA's notorious sun.
Sunglasses: Preferably polaroid to cut glare, this is something i see many fly-flyfishermen
without, an eye is the last place you want to remove a hook from.
Fly boxes and vest, something ill cover in a later section.
Net: Ever lose that trophy trout because of negligence to bring a net? non-negotiable, get a soft, knotless mesh net to avoid scraping scales off or damaging the fish.
Sunscreen: The climate in South Africa is very harsh, particularly in summer months, a good sunscreen is a must for the sun, try get a 35+ spf water-resistant make.
Proper Clothing: Something i have learn't from experience, it pays to use layers of clothing instead of a big, bulky jacket, in this country, we can have literally all 4 seasons in a single day, from hot and sunny to windy and hailing in a couple of hours, a breathable long shirt is advised, with a thin fleece jersey and a water-proof wind-breaker ontop is the best combo for me, K-way and First Ascent have very effective, weather repelling clothing. Remeber to use neutral colours, i advise dark greens and browns to blend in.
There are many other little gadgets available, try not to go overboard, a minimalist approach is usually more practical.
There are many varying conditions in South Africa, different species in a multiple range of environments calls for changes in gear selection, although you can use rods which vary from double 0 weights for tiny stream and brook trout in crystal clear cape streams, to 15 weight double handed rods for sailfish and marlin behind a boat. Ill attempt to cover the most basic selection for river/stillwater trout, to yellowfish, and finally bass and tigerfish rigs.
RODS: In the earlier years of Fly Fishing for mainly river trout in South Africa, split cane rods were the norm, they were very fragile and delicate, but sensitive and many enthusiasts still own a couple.
Next came the fibre-glass rods, they were stronger, but heavy and tended to have a very slow action, meaning they were very flexible and soft, and couldn't load line at short distances well.
Finally came the graphite rods, stronger, faster and lighter, they were the revolution in all aspects of fishing, they are very sensitive and can be manufactured into stiff, fast action rods, these are the preferred choice among Fly Fishermen today.
The length of flyrods vary, but most commonly 8"6 to 10ft rods, with 9ft being the standard length.
Fast action rods are less forgiving, but can cast long lines with heavy, bushy, wind resistant flies more easily, good timing on the cast is needed to gain maximum performance out of these rods, the preferred choice for advanced casters.
Medium action rods are a little more forgiving, they are a compromise between fast and slow action rods, with a little more 'give' than the very fast action rods, meaning you can play fish a little harder without the tippet giving in.
Slow actions rods are mainly for short casts on large rivers, useful for Czech Nymphing on the Vaal, they load nicely at shorter distances, they are a little a sloppy if trying to achieve distance though. A good compromise would be medium/fast action rods, 10 ft rods are useful for Chech Nymphing, shorter rods are good when you want to fish a small river with lots of places to hang up on.
Many different manufacturers produce good quality rods, some local brands have decent rods at a fair price, while some imported brands have the advantage of being a reliable bet, are usually very expensive. If starting out, rather go for locally produced rods, the top of the range local rods are usually as good, if not better than the medium/top range imported rods.
Hardy, Sage, Orvis and Composite Development (CD) are the most prominent imported brands that have some very good rods, i myself own a Sage, fast action 9ft rod, it has given me many years of awesome casting and is still my favorite in my small forest of rods. Most Fly-Fishermen inevitably come to own. We need a different weight / action for all the species :]
Some good locally manufactured brands include Explorer and Stealth as well as many others which are generally inexpensive. Note that most good rods have a lifetime guarantee, which means if a section of a rod is broken, whether it be by a trophy fish or a car door closing, your local tackle store can send you a brand new piece at a minimal charge, this really is a blessing, as fly rods are fragile things, and buying one is an investment.
Below is a brief compilation of rods needed for different applications in South Africa.
3-4 Weight - Small rivers and streams - Trout/Yellows
5-6 Weight - Stillwaters and large rivers - Trout/Bass/Yellows
6-8 Weight - Large rivers and Lakes - Bass/Yellowfish/Tigerfish
8-10Weight - Estuaries/Inshore/Surf - Saltwater Species.
REELS: There is alot of debate about the importance of Reels, one school of thought argues that a good disc drag system is needed to handle the trophy trout that is ripping your backing off your spool, the other argues that it is there merely to hold the line. Personally i believe that 'palming' the spool is better than fighting a fish with the drag system, the next paragraph explains why. I believe that it depends on the species of fish you intend to tackle that will determine the importance of a reel.
When targeting large, strong yellowfish on a big river like the Vaal, the reel is vitally important as even relatively small fish will take you into the backing. The problem is that once your backing is out, strain on the tippet increases as the diameter of the backing is smaller, and there is alot more line in the water increasing the strain on the tippet, so the drag needs to be reset to maintain the correct pressure.
Again, there are locally made and imported brands which each comes with their pro's and cons. Disc drags are a luxury not really needed by the average trout fisherman, but essential when targeting large species offshore, another feature of some reels is the large arbour profile, the larger spool means that there is less 'memory' in the line, and the line retrieval rate is much faster with the larger spool, useful when the fish decides to run straight at you, slack line created by this can result in many lost fish when using barbless hooks.
Interchangeable spools is another useful feature which saves money and difficulty when you want to change lines while on the water. A floating line on the reel with a sinking line on the spool makes it simple and easy to interchange between them, simply reel up the current line, take out the spool and click the new one into the reel. This saves the necessity of having different types of reels which are bulky and generally more expensive.
One last tip about spools, when that trophy fish is ripping line off your reel, be careful when palming the spool, misplaced fingers will result in a nasty rap on the knuckles, also apply steady pressure when palming, the exact amount of pressure to apply will come with experience.
LINES: I wont say much about lines, simply because there isn't much to say about them, unless you want to go into complicated discussions on materials etc.
Unlike reels, the line is probably the most important part of the equipment. Cheap, badly manufactured lines will frustrate your best attempts at casting, good lines should have less 'memory' in the line, and will shoot better, and will generally do what they are supposed to. i.e not sink when supposed to float, and will generally give you a better fishing experience. Skimping on lines and ending up with a badly designed line is akin to trying to drive a golf ball with a putting iron. It will put you off . Get the best you can afford.
Sinking Lines: These do exactly what the name implies, they sink. Various sink rates are used for different depths, i do not particularly like sinking lines for trout fishing, and own only 1 which i seldom use, when fishing of a dam wall or off a watercraft like a float tube or boat it's useful, but i generally find that it forces you to retrieve too quickly, a habit which many beginners and even some more advanced fly-fishermen are guilty of, however for Saltwater and tigerfishing these lines are very useful in their own right, DI7 and lead core lines are used when trying to get down in a fast current or getting depth over a reef. Ill cover retrieve rates in a later section.
Intermediate Lines: The bread and butter of Stillwater fishing for trout in South Africa, my favorite types of lines, the line sinks at a very slow but steady rate, meaning i can let my line sink, and fish my pattern where i want to, and keep it there during the retrieve, 1-2 inches sink rate per second is my preferred line. Clear intermediate lines shoot very nicely and in my opinion are less visible to fish. Deeper sections of the dams can be covered with an intermediate by adding a relatively new addition to the arsenal of fly fishing, the polyleader, its basically an addition to the end of the line, which can make it sink faster or allow the tip to remain above the weed, thereby causing less snags. different sink rates can be obtained and when prospecting the depths, a fast sinker will take your intermediate line down pretty fast.
Floating Lines: I particularly like fishing with floating lines, as they cast much better than sinking or intermediate lines, with some tactics, you can virtually fish any depth with these lines, a long leader and heavy nymphs will get down to fish and you can even utilise the wave action to impart an irresistible motion to the flies that trout in particular seem unable to resist, and impossible to duplicate with a normal retrieve. Almost exclusively the line used on rivers for Yellowfish and Trout, if i could recommend a line for a beginner, this would be it, ill cover the tactics for the different lines abit later.
MISCELLANEOUS: Then there are all the little things, some an absolute necessity, and some just useful to have, gadgets and little bits that add to the overall experience.
Needs: Pliers: These serve to flatten barbs and remove hooks from deeply hooked fish.
Clippers: A must have for cutting line and removing tag-ends off flies.
Floatant: Keeps your dry-flies high and dry
Hat: Preferably wide-brimmed for max protection against SA's notorious sun.
Sunglasses: Preferably polaroid to cut glare, this is something i see many fly-flyfishermen
without, an eye is the last place you want to remove a hook from.
Fly boxes and vest, something ill cover in a later section.
Net: Ever lose that trophy trout because of negligence to bring a net? non-negotiable, get a soft, knotless mesh net to avoid scraping scales off or damaging the fish.
Sunscreen: The climate in South Africa is very harsh, particularly in summer months, a good sunscreen is a must for the sun, try get a 35+ spf water-resistant make.
Proper Clothing: Something i have learn't from experience, it pays to use layers of clothing instead of a big, bulky jacket, in this country, we can have literally all 4 seasons in a single day, from hot and sunny to windy and hailing in a couple of hours, a breathable long shirt is advised, with a thin fleece jersey and a water-proof wind-breaker ontop is the best combo for me, K-way and First Ascent have very effective, weather repelling clothing. Remeber to use neutral colours, i advise dark greens and browns to blend in.
There are many other little gadgets available, try not to go overboard, a minimalist approach is usually more practical.
No comments:
Post a Comment