Flyfishing report: Saltwater - South Coast

The sardine hype that hit the headlines in mid-June, has taken a back seat, and there has been very little action except for six nets that were pulled in Port Edward, Shelly Beach, Port Shepstone, Pumula and Umtwalume. Sea temperatures are still in the lower 20’s and little action can be expected until they drop to below 20 degrees.

Despite the no-show of sardines, shad, garrick and kob have arrived in their numbers and are being caught by bait anglers at the normal spots from Port Edward to Hibberdene.

Fly anglers have generally not fared well in the salt; rough seas and strong winds have dissuaded the faint of heart to rather stay at home. On a recent outing to the Shelly Beach area, members of South Coast Fly Anglers, (SCFA) were unable to persuade any fish to their offerings of Crazy Charlies, Deceivers and Crab patterns.  

Bass dams are out of favour at present, and most fly anglers will wait for the warmer months of spring, before they launch onto local dams.

 The trout in the Kokstad area were not totally co-operative when South Coast Fly Anglers visited that area in late June. Six anglers managed to land a total of fifteen fish over a long weekend. Sizes ranged from fish of 20cm to 2 kg, although as usual the biggest fish were returned via the long-line-release method, to the consternation of the disgruntled angler.

The Umzimkulu River at Port Shepstone is running very clean at present, but the water is cold, due to the run-off of water from the Drakensberg Mountains. SCFA members have not tried this promising looking stretch of water for a while and now may be the time to give it a go. Watch this space.

Events calendar for the South Coast Fly Anglers Club.

South Coast scene.