UK winter fly fishing
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With our rivers and reservoirs (largelakes) closed down through winter, photographing winter fly fishing here in the UK for the magazines revolves around small “stillwaters” (small lakes/ponds) that are full of stocked rainbow trout. A case of making sometimes slightly “sterile” locations look as good as you can on the day. Here are some samples from a recent job – got a cover out of it, so I was pleased. Wide angle, big country stuff it ain’t. But it’s work.
How badly do I want to photograph some US fly fishing in the depths of winter with snow covered mountains and icy cold rivers ? Not sure how realistic this is, but gotta do it someday…….
Thanks Mike – just sent a couple of yellowfish articles out to some European magazines in fact. Now those are awesome fish………I shot the photos around Parys.
Hey Henry –
Great shots; it’s always interesting to me to see more of the ‘real’ way people fish in different parts of the world.
Thanks Mike – just sent a couple of yellowfish articles out to some European magazines in fact. Now those are awesome fish………I shot the photos around Parys.
Ja, just planning a trip to Stekfontien Dam for the best sight fishing this side of Bone Fishing… 5 to 7X all dry’s to 5 to 7lbs power houses…
Next time you’re down, please pop me a pm or mail, I would love to have a good cupajava with you.
Nice shots Henry. Thanks for sharing. That does look like a fairly mild winter. I am used to being knee-deep in the snow this time of year, over here! 😉
Mike – as and when I head down next, will be in touch for sure. Have heard plenty about Stekfontein, I bet that place is a blast…….there is a big part of me that could move to South Africa tomorrow. Last time I was down I spent a few days at Kosi Bay and then went to Parys for the yellows. Been lucky enough to do lots of fishing related work in different parts of Africa and I have only ever had awesome experiences. So badly want to head back to southern Angola and also to Gabon……….and also to Jeffrey’s for the big kob. Too much to do.
Corey – I live in the south west of the UK, and any meaningful snow is very rare down here. Got some the other day though, but the problem was that most of these small fisheries we have to photograph in the winter then went and froze over. Went out sea fishing instead, I do a lot of this (being the useless fly fisherman that I am) and got these kinds of photos here
http://www.henry-gilbey.com/fishing_pictures/cornwall_winter_bass_fishing.html
Mike – as and when I head down next, will be in touch for sure. Have heard plenty about Stekfontein, I bet that place is a blast…….there is a big part of me that could move to South Africa tomorrow. Last time I was down I spent a few days at Kosi Bay and then went to Parys for the yellows. Been lucky enough to do lots of fishing related work in different parts of Africa and I have only ever had awesome experiences. So badly want to head back to southern Angola and also to Gabon……….and also to Jeffrey’s for the big kob. Too much to do.
Jip, I got an Irish passport, and with all the crime and violence down here, I keep threatening to vacate the country… But there are other benefits to living here.
Kosi is killer, excellent fishing and a great group of beach bums…
The Vaal is in full flood at the moment, running at 2000 tons below the barrage, but they opened 14 gates on the dam, and it take about 24 hours to past the barrage, so we can expect the river to be at 4000 tons by tomorrow. That’s big enough to flood Parys, and almost anything near it.
Ton = 1 cubic meter of water per second = 35 cubic feet
4000 tons = 140 000 cubic feet per secondConsidering it normally flows between 20 and 30 ton (700cf to 1050cf), that’s a heap of water.
Kob at Jay Bay, up the Gamtoos River, KILLER.
I got reports of 20 to 80lbs fish taken very high up, 10 to 15 km’s from the mouth, over Xmas, mostly on bait, but I saw a pic of a +/-40lbs fish taken on a Rapala and a mates got a couple in the 25lbs range on fly.He tells me it was some of the most exciting fishing he has had in long while, they were watching the Kob climbing all over the bait fish on the prawn banks. To top it off, there were Skipjack and Garrick in the mix.
I was sight fishing to Grunter over Xmas, 10lbs fish tailing in about 3 foot of water, and don’t go with anything more than 4 or 5x on 5w’s, and Charlies tied on 4’s to 8’s… and you best have haubos of backing… when they go for open water, they tear serious string. I got spooled with about 75 yards of string, so I striped the backing off my 9w and went back with 150, but didn’t get them to eat again. Seriously spooky fish, and very leader and line shy…
7 days fishing, sunrise only, pinned 3 fish, brought 2 to hand, both babies at about 3lbs.
Have heard plenty about those grunter, that sounds like a blast…………and as for the kob, I love them and need to spend more time around them.
The southern tip of Angola is where I want to go for the kob – smashing them in the surf on plastics and the fly, seen a photo of a 100lb kob on the fly when I was staying a bit further up the coast at Flamingo. Had some nice garrick on chisel plugs, such fun.
That is a serious lot of water flooding down the Vaal !!
Love Ireland with a serious passion, but it rains a bit……….
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