Bass fisherman goes fly fishing!
As someone who has spent the majority of my life learning, studying, and fishing for Bass, I never really had the chance to explore many other areas of fishing until recently.
During a random trip with my Brother to Dullstroom, I picked up a fly rod for the first time in years, and the bug really bit. Even though I don't like trout fishing, I dug more and more into the fly fishing scene and found guys who were successfully chasing carp and barbel on fly gear!
Although they are not the first fish you think of when someone mentions fly fishing, they definitely must not be overlooked!
Local Joburg ponds and rivers in Muldersdrift gave me an opportunity to mess around with my newfound obsession and chase after these often-overlooked heavy fighters, mostly before or after work.
My favorite spot is Cradle Moon, Muldersdrift. From sight-casting carp in still waters with a Carp Fritz and Carp Tugger to chasing barbel in raging rivers on a Catfish Vibrator, the fun never ends! They even have a healthy population of Yellowfish in the dam and river, which will keep the skilled fly fisherman busy for hours.
For the carp, I use a 9ft 5wt with floating line and varying light leaders and tippet, dependent on whether I'm fishing open water or near cover.
For the Barbel, I use a 9ft 10wt with floating line and a short 20lb Monofilament tippet.
I'm no professional fly fisherman, but I can't deny that it's good fun!
Bucket list fish on fly gear:
- 15kg Barbel
- 10kg Carp
Diego Gomes
@Dubz_Fishing_SA
