DEcEMbER/JANUARY 2017/2018 ISSUE 257

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3 CONTENTS DEcEMbER/JANUARY 2017/2018 ISSUE FEATURES & FLY-TYING REGULARS Committed to Conservation Whether you re a winemaker or a fly fisherman, if we follow environmentally responsible practices, we guarantee the future of our planet. When is it Too Late? Unless we start making a concerted effort to help raise the awareness of pollution in our waterways, the writing is on the wall for the Vaal River. Ian Couryer reports. Stillwater Fundamentals: Dead-Drift Technique Part III Fred Steynberg talks fly selection when using the dead-drift technique. Behold, the Online Expert The Modern Fly Fisher Social media has turned everyone into fly fishing gurus, says Marcus Janssen, and as a result we re not learning anything. Encounters with Trout: Part III Downstream Dry Fly Unspoken Stuff That Works Reading water and then casting exactly in the right spot sounds easier said than done. Contributor Andrew Fowler reckons it pays to think like a fish In Search of the Golden Largemouth South Africa s iconic indigenous fresh water predator, the largemouth yellowfish, is known for being hard to catch. Garth Wellman finally strikes gold. Costa Rica s Monster Tarpon Fly anglers continue to raise the bar in the size of fish that gets caught, and Tom Lewin s recent catch sets new standards. TCFF Sterkfontein Experience 2017 Report-Back TCFF Editor PJ Jacobs reflects on this year s Sterkfontein Experience. Why so Small? Think big and tie small, so says Fly- Tying Field Editor Murray Pedder. What is an Emerger? One of the most overlooked stages of the life cycle of insects is the emergence. Arno Laubscher explains how to make the most of this important stage from a fishing and tying point of view. Go for the Gap Andrew Levy contemplates the merits of a gap year. 4. Editor s Cast 6. Letters to the Editor 12. Gear Bag 72. Product Review: Horizon s SST and GTS Fly Rods 74. Product Review: Cortland s Compact Sink Type 9 Fly Line 76. Book Review 78. Specialised Services 80. Outventure Guide ON ThE cover: 250lb monster tarpon PhOTO by: Warren Pretorius tcff DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017/2018 3

4 EDITOR S cast We should strike a balance Iread an interesting piece in The New York Times recently, titled Our Love Affair With Digital Is Over by David Sax. The writer finally comes to grips with the effect of the digital world and realises that something he once thought was great has become a burden. And he is not alone. As of late, there has been a resurgence back to analogue. He mentions that, according to the Association of American Publishers, book sales are up for the third year in a row, while e-book sales are declining. He states that independent bookstores are steadily expanding, because People are buying books because a book engages nearly all of their senses, from the smell of the paper and glue to the sight of the cover design and weight of the pages read, the sound of those sheets turning, and even the subtle taste of the ink on your fingertips. He goes on to say, the limits of analog, which were once seen as a disadvantage, are increasingly one of the benefits people are turning to as a counterweight to the easy manipulation of digital. This of course is music to the ears of all of us who love books and magazines, and publishers in particular. However, the most interesting part of the article relates to the fact that the drive back to analogue is through the younger generation, who have no memories of technology before computers. But the moral of the story is not that we should choose between digital and analogue, rather that we should strike a proper balance between the two. If we keep that in mind, we are taking the first step toward a healthy relationship with all technology, and, most important, one another. David Sax I am a fan. The Internet has provided us with many blessings, one of which is the ability to access information quickly. This has particular bearing on our pursuit, for it has, to a large degree, demystified fly fishing, and in that grows the sport. It also provides the means to interact with like-minded individuals, trade opinions and keep the interest alive. All good, but it comes with a caveat. And that, in part, is what killed the love affair. As much as it gives, the Internet can take, and more. Some chatrooms and forums become vicious portals for faceless individuals belittling others, assuming an air of superiority because of overestimating their own knowledge. Misinformation reigns supreme, resulting in a generation of fly fishers who have largely lost sight of the important fundamental principles which are the cornerstones of our pursuit, ethics being one of the first to leave the (chat)room. And that is something we can ill afford. Marcus Janssen s article Behold, the Online Expert touches on a subject which many of you will be familiar with and, most probably, have experienced to a degree. On a personal level, I note with admiration the keenness of the younger (and sometimes not so young) generation for all things fly fishing, but at the same time find myself on a river having just experienced two anglers passing me by with hardly a friendly nod, only to get into the river 20 yards in front of me. Striking that balance between what we pick up and learn from the digital world, books and magazines and what fly fishing is really all about is important; it will ensure that we endure and protect what is dear to us and our pursuit, for us and future generations to enjoy. And before this sounds like a sermon, let me leave you with a last thought. Read more books. Fly fishing has a wealth of them, and most authors are trusted and reliable sources. It may even be enlightening, but trust me, you will become a better fly fisher for it. That s it. I am off to my tying desk to tie up the last patterns for our annual New Zealand trip. I have found some interesting patterns in a book I read recently, most of which those browns down south have probably never seen, and they look deadly. Be safe out there, courteous to your fellow anglers, and most of all, have a good festive season. Tight loops see you downstream in PJ Jacobs - Editor PUBLIShER: Tight Loop Productions (Pty) Ltd EDITOR: PJ Jacobs editor@completeflyfisherman.co.za EDITOR-aT-LaRGE: Tony Biggs FIELD EDITORS Andy Coetzee Ian Couryer Marcus Janssen (UK) Dan Blanton (USA) COnTRIBUTORS Jonathan Boulton Keith Clover Dionne Crafford Miles Divett John Dreyer Horst Filter Andrew Fowler Ryan Hammond Bill Hansford-Steele Sean I Ons Arno Laubscher COPy EDITORS Janet Nowers Chris Whales Nicola Jenvey advertising & PRODUCTIOn ManaGER Lizelle Jacobs info@completeflyfisherman.co.za Tel: (012) ad DESIGn and PRODUCTIOn COORDInaTOR JP Koekemoer design@completeflyfisherman.co.za Tel: (012) advertising SaLES adsales@completeflyfisherman.co.za Tel: (012) accounts DEPaRTMEnT accounts@completeflyfisherman.co.za Tel: (012) SUBSCRIPTIOnS (hard COPy and DIGITaL) subscriptions@completeflyfisherman.co.za Tel: (012) OThER DIGITaL PLaTFORMS DIGITAL MAGAZINE STORE POSTaL address PO Box 1777, Ifafi, 0260, South Africa FInD US On FaCEBOOk thecompleteflyfishermanmag PaTROnS Cyril Ramaphosa Andrew Levy Murray Pedder Turner Wilkinson Steve Starling (Australia) Gerhard Laubscher Leon Links Malcolm Meintjes Jolyon Nuttall Rasmus Ovesen Ben Pretorius Keith Rose-Innes Richard Schumann Rob Scott Fred Steynberg Tom Sutcliffe All rights reserved, reproduction of contents of this magazine is prohibited without the written consent of the editor. Editorial opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher and editor does not accept responsibility for advertising content. Publishing and editing of material received will be at the discretion of the editor. Editorial contributions must be directed to: The Editor, via editor@completeflyfisherman.co.za. TCFF does not pay for unsolicited material. 4 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017/2018 tcff

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6 letters TO THE EDITOR Win a Sage Pulse 9ft, 5-wt fly rod valued at R7250, if your letter is chosen as Letter of the Month. editor@completeflyfisherman.co.za sponsored by Tel: /9 LETTER OF THE MONTH RIP Mrs Simpson My favourite brown trout stream is the Mkomazi; the fishing can be tough but also extremely rewarding. I have fished this stream since the early 80s, only ever upstream, with a floating line (dry fly, nymph or combo). On this day the water was just right, not too fast nor too slow, just clear and bubbling. I had worked my way slowly into a good position, knowing how crucial the first cast can be. Just off the eye of the pool went my DDD/dragonfly combo, only for it to be smashed by a 6-inch fingerling. That disturbed all my stealth and spun my brain, so I started stripping in my line. A dark shadow moved into view. I thought it would hit the dragonfly nymph, but instead it swam past and smashed the fingerling! I was dumbfounded as I watched this glistening machine of a fish with a fingerling in its mouth. By now they were near the end of the pool. I frantically mended my line to try to guide the fish into the closest runoff. As it came past me, I could see it had turned the fingerling and was swallowing it head-first, my leader now wrapped around them both. They were virtually at my feet as I swept my rod to the side, making contact for the first time, and in one movement they were out the run and on the bank. The fish spat out the fingerling, and I promptly released them both. This was a 26- inch fish, highly peeved and full of attitude. With a mouth that size, when does a fly become a lure, or since when can a trout not open its big mouth? The next day back at UHFTC, I told my story to a wide-eyed Bob Crass. Hail Mrs Simpson and Lionel Walker, your flies will always have a place in my heart, and box. So who am I to judge, with my graphite rods, PVC lines and an array of fly-tying materials? I may only use them on stillwaters, but hell, they must have pulled some good fish out of the rivers too. Malcolm John Sharp. (Letter shortened.) Malcolm great story, thank you. At 26 inches, that was some fish; no wonder even somebody like Bob Crass was amazed! I am going to award you our Letter of the Month prize, which happens to be a great Sage fly rod to the value of R7250, compliments of TCFF and Frontier Fly Fishing. I think you ll find it perfect for the Mkomazi. Contact our offices on Tel: (012) with your details, and the rod ll soon be on its way to you. Enjoy, Ed. no fish, but lots of happiness Although it sounds like a cliché, this is a true story of finding inner peace and self-worth, assisted by the beautiful medium of fly fishing. As an aquatic biologist, I had the good fortune recently to spend three weeks on the Mozambican side of Lake Malawi conducting scientific research. I (obviously) took a fly rod with me. My base of operation was a small town called Metangula, a very rustic town with little to no amenities but filled with Mozambican charm and the always-friendly Mozambican residents. On the afternoon of our fourth day on the shores of Lake Malawi, I hastily assembled my 10ft 4-wt fly rod, tying on an ever-enticing self-tied GRHE in tandem with a small baitfish pattern. This will definitely get them going, I repeatedly muttered to myself as I made the 100-yard dash to the lake shore, full of complacency, eagerness and hope. And for a full 30 minutes, I threw out long, beautiful, unfurling casts into the crystal-clear depths with absolutely no result! I frantically changed flies several times, switching to #14 and #16 bloodworm imitations, PTNs, orange Hot-Spot and Flashback Nymphs, and even sizing up to 1/0 and 2/0 Clousers, all with the exact same result not a touch. You can just imagine my disappointment. But as I stood there on a small rocky outcrop, with a menagerie of curious but very confused Mozambican onlookers gathered around, watching this mzungu (white man) conduct some strange invisible orchestra with his odd-looking stick, I was suddenly overcome with a real sense of fulfilment. For the first time in a very long time, I was totally at peace with myself and my surroundings. And I found myself inexplicably, yet overwhelmingly and unequivocally, happy! I was happy to be alive, happy to be in such a beautiful surrounding, happy to be able to peer into the sapphire blue of a lake that I have dreamt of visiting for years, but, more importantly, happy that, once again, fly fishing had brought me so much joy, regardless of whether or not I caught fish. It just goes to show that every once in a while we all need to take the time to truly appreciate our surroundings and revel in the beauty that is Africa. May your next fly fishing outing bring you as much joy as mine did. Tight loops and tight lines. Jeff Hean. (Letter shortened.) The poor man s milkfish I ve been fishing the Vaal for about seven years and, in that time, have caught lots of smallmouth yellows, some big common carp, sharptooth catfish, millions of muddies and two big grass carp. Of all these fish, the grass carp were the strongest, incredibly strong. The sad thing is the impact they have on water clarity. They eat huge amounts of water plants each day to sustain their very rapid growth, which takes away a lot of the natural filtration of the river system and directly translates into less visibility. Smallmouth yellowfish rely greatly on sight to feed. That is why they love Hot-Spots. There is a direct link between visibility and catch rate when you are nymphing on the Vaal, and a direct inverse link between the number of grass carp around and the number of yellowfish we catch. At the beginning of this season (spring of 2017), I saw plenty of huge fish grass carp in the shallows like mullet picking off algae from the rocks. Both fish that I caught were on a Prince Nymph, which suggests that they do take insects and this also suggests that the amount of vegetation has dropped considerably. continued on page 77 6 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2017/2018 tcff

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