Focus.

The focused Fly Fisherman.

Click to enlage.

All photos by Enrico Bucceri, aka the Italian Leprechaun.

Fly fisher man.

Power stroke. Enlarge this photo.

Focused fly fisher.

The result. Four inches of small mouth bass. There were one or two others plus several long distance releases. 

First bass of Spring.

This past week we had 48 hours of almost non-stop rain, all in all more than 100mm, that's 4 inches. Walked down to the furthest pond on the farm with the dogs, they were ecstatic as with all the rain they hadn't been out for several days. The surface of the water was covered with rings of bass rising and taking emerge rs, there was also a fall of flying ants, (termites). Bass can be as picky as any trout when there's a hatch on, and today I only took a small foam popper with me. 

Usually you know when a bass takes your lure or fly, they are great smash and grab artist, but there are times when there takes are very subtle. So it was this afternoon, I was watching my popper lying on the mirror smooth water and giving it the tiniest of twitches  every now and again. Without me noticing it as bass sucked the popper under the surface and it was a long moment before I realised what had happened and tightened the line, fish on. It wasn't the worlds biggest fish, but it was the first bass of spring.

Click to enlarge.

Posed for a quick photo and international fame, next to my trusty 6 weight rod, and released again.

A bit later I walked up to the pond just below the cottage but here there was not a fish to be seen, although there were dozens of fluttering termites on the surface. The two ponds are only about a kilometer apart yet you will often catch fish in the one and nothing in the other.

The lonely swallow I posted a photo of about a week ago, has been joined by it's mate.

An interesting sunset to end the day with.
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Fly fishing at Injasuthi.

Remembered my fly rod this time and all the other bits and pieces one has to take along to catch a fish. One thing has me beat though, and that is how do you carry your landing net? I've tried to attach it to the ring at the back of my fishing vest, stick the handle down between my day pack and my back, (not very comfortable) attach it the front of my fishing vest, to my belt, carry it in my hand, nothing works. The fine mesh hooks onto every, branch, twig, thorn bush and even blades of coarse grass.  


Click on photos to enlarge.

Looking up the Injasuthi valley. 

Tried this pool first, but had no luck. The water was crystal clear and my 4x tippet looked like a ships anchor cable in the clear water.

Drove down the road about 4km's and parked on the side. Made my way down to the river over some very rough terrain. The river is only about 50 meters to the right but one has to work your way a considerable distance upstream before it is possible to get through the thick bush along the banks and into the water.

All along the way there are these small streams of water that join the main river.

Another little stream.

After I got to the river I worked my way upstream until I got to this long deep pool. Although the water was just as clear here I was standing below the bank and not so visible against the sky line. After 10 minutes of fishing I shortened my leader and reduced my tippet to a 5x. Almost immediately I got fish attacking my size 14 stimulator. It was as if they were trying to drown it before taking it. I changed to a size 14 DDD, a spun deer hair dry fly which floated better in the rough water. Again lots of splashy rises, one fish even jumped right out of the water and onto the fly in an attempt to drown it.


Looked through my dry fly box and found a size 16 Humpy. This fly I had tied with CDC feathers instead of deer hair and a bright green body of floss. A few strands of antron for the tail under CDC, and a CDC wing. This fly immediately got serious attention, but my strikes were either to quick or too slow. (There's a thin line between too quick and too slow with dry flies). 


But then a gentle sip, so slight I almost missed the take. This time I got the timing right and a feisty rainbow trout was giving me a run for my money, making full use of the strong current in it's efforts to get free. After a bit more than a minute I was able to land the exhausted fish. I held it in the water for about a minute so it could get it's "breath back", before posing it for a quick photo.

The fish had swallowed the fly quite deep but I had no problem removing the de-barbed hook with my forceps. Then I noticed that it was bleeding badly so I decided not to release it to die anyway, but killed it quickly. Now residing in my fridge and will make a nice breakfast. 


Don't ask me how I got the fly line so tangled around the handle.


When I gutted the fish I saw that it was gravid with roe, the next generation of trout. More's the pity at having to kill it. Trout will start spawning in our rivers by May as winter sets in and water temperatures drop. Stream and river fishing for trout are closed from the 1st of May until the 1st of September. So I've got a bit more than a month's stream fishing left, then it's still water fishing for trout through the winter.


The weather had turned hot and sultry with huge banks of clouds massing over the Drakensberg. When I heard the first rumbling of thunder I decided to pack up. It does not pay to wave a long piece of carbon fibre around when there's thunder and lightning about.
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Highmoor.

Took a trip to Highmoor Nature Reserve in the Drakensberg today, Sunday 15th. They don't call it Highmoor for nothing, it is high, about 2000 metres. The road to Highmoor , is the same road through the Kamberg valley that I took going to Kamberg Nature Reserve, but instead of turning off as you do to Kamberg you carry straight on.

Took some photos of the Berg as I approached. I had never been to Highmoor before, so it was a surprise for me when I saw how close I got.

Giants Castle on the left of the photo, Well tended farm in the foreground.

Took this photo, on the way, of the avenue of trees leading into Brackenwaters farm. This farm has a large dam, which the fishing club I belong to has access. Good fishing for bass in the summer and trout in the winter.

Narrow bridge on the road to Highmoor. The last bit of the road to the gate is gravel, but well maintained.

Mountain stream upstream of the narrow bridge.

Down stream of the narrow bridge. The water below the bridge was quite deep. Looked so cool and inviting, had to fight the urge to jump in. This is a tributary of the Little Mooi River, a brown trout stream. The Little Mooi flows into the Mooi river, also brown trout water. (Mooi, Afrikaans for beautiful, or pretty) Brown and rainbows don't occur in the same water together. Though both were seeded in these waters. In some streams Rainbows took over, in others brown trout.

Entrance to Highmoor.

Warning sign at the entrance, and they ain't kidding.

Start of the climb into the mountains.

Looking down into the gorge from the road. A long way to the bottom.

Fore head, nose and chin of the giant of Giants Castle. Taken on the trail to the first dam.

This is for Kay in Canada. The Rainbow trout in South Africa originally came from the Kamloops area in Canada.

I still have a lot of photos of my day in Highmoor, but I'll save them for another post.

Rule no 1 when fishing in the high mountains, taken warm clothing. The weather changes in minutes. I rediscovered that today.

No cabins at Highmoor, but you can camp, the cost R25 per person, about US$7.50. Just come prepared for cold nights.