Flyfishing report: Trout - Kwa-Zulu Natal Midlands

I heard an interpretation of el nino last week, in which the speaker said that the summer thunderstorms are going to start early this year. If last night was anything to go by, he was on the button. We have had a number of late afternoon rumblings, followed by news of isolated storms. That is the stuff of December, but we do seem to be getting that now. Just last week, we got nothing here in Hilton, while the Bushmans, Mooi and Little Mooi got storms producing as much as 45mm. Last night we got 30mm here, along with some exciting electrics. On Saturday I was toying with going to the Umtshezi, but I wasn't sure it would have cleared after a call to a friend on Thursday reported it high and off colour. So we fished our local river instead. It was flowing strong enough and beautifully clean, but gee it was warm!  To beat the heat, we headed out well before 5 am, and we were done by 9 am. I think that is the way to fish in mid-summer heatwaves (if at all!)  And the heatwave was indeed here last week....it was blistering! The water temp at Kings pool on Saturday was 21 degrees at 8 am! 

But I see my friend Sean got a nice river fish over the weekend, Sunday was cooler, and as I write this, it is beautifully cool with rain on the way.

Friends fishing a stillwater up at Kumalungana got about five rainbows each, ranging in size from 13 to 20 inches: hardly a bad score.

So, with soil temperatures not yet at their summer peak, and at least some cool days, I expect water temp peaks will be moderated for a while still. A bit of cool rain won't do any harm either. So we aren't entirely in the mid-summer doldrums just yet, despite the onset of storms and heat. 

It will just be all about watching the weather, doing an early start on hot days, and keeping one's ear to the ground as to what water is cool and of course clear.

On Saturday a friend and I fished micro streamers in the cool of morning, in deep water with high expectations, but no result. Then as it became hot and still, we bagged a few fish on very small nymphs. Mine was below a dry dropper, which I tied on after we saw the only rise of the morning. After a few test casts off to the side, I landed the first throw in the spot where we had seen the fish, and it was so satisfying to see the little Hog-Hopper I was using, dip gently, to indicate the fish had taken the #16 Slim Shady below it.  Google that pattern...by a bloke called Juan Ramirez in the USA...its a great pattern.

Gotta go...I am off to a meeting which is just over the uMngeni, and I can't wait to look over the bridge and see if last night's storm touched that catchment. I am also looking at the weather, and later this week looks promising. That is the kind of "ear to the round" stuff that is called for now.

Tight lines.

A Brown takes a nymph at Siesta Pool.