TCC 2021 Leg 1

After 20 years of watching fly fishers pit their wits against the wiles of feral Trout, you would think that we’ d seen it all, yet every year at the TOPS Corporate Challenge something happens that beggars belief.

Usually it’s antics off the field that never fail to amuse and provide anecdotes that decades later still have us in stitches.

We’ve had anglers take on Jersey bull’s ( no prizes for who came off 2nd best), fly fishers park their new brand new 4×4’s in the dam and even a fisherman who caught a 10lb Trout, only to find it was on the completely the wrong dam, plus all manner of shenanigans in the Notties pub resulting in the walk of shame that embodies the Wildfly choice awards.

Yet this year, it was the Trout that remained the hot topic of conversation.

It was a reduced field in the 1st leg, due to level 3 covid restrictions, so only 48 fly fishers were allowed entrance, much to the disappointment of those that didn’t reserve their spot soon enough. This translated into less rod pressure and every team getting to fish the absolute finest waters in the Natal Midlands.

Which resulted in the first session of the TCC firing, with more 50cm plus fish caught and released than in any previous years. Although social distancing was strictly adhered to, the atmosphere at the outside lunchtime gathering was hence remarkably festive, as teams toasted their morning exploits and started to count their chickens.

The flies working were contradictory, but the common denominator was the fish were still feeding and not attacking gaudy patterns quite yet.

Those that didn’t charge back out on the water were soon scuttling to grab their gear, when the conditions turned South and the horrible wind started to dictate matters.

There are countless reasons in the fisherman’s bible of excuses, but in fly fishing wind will always be a determining factor and unfortunately baring a few windows of opportunity, it played the defining role for the rest of the weekend.

In total, 214 fish made it to the measuring tape, which considering the limited teams and blustering conditions wasn’t a bad result at all, unless you were one of the two anglers who didn’t trouble the scorers.

The stand out fly fisher became blatantly obvious in a single session, where he landed 10 fish over 50cm, needless to say he went on to take top honours with a grand total of 21 Trout, averaging 47cm.

But he didn’t stop there for the first time, the very same angler also caught the largest Trout of the weekend, being an 8lb, 62cm Rainbow Hen, take a bow Steve Benbow!

The teams that qualified for the illustrious final were, the very festive Fingerlings, Outdoor Warehouse, Smells Fishy, ZZ Tops and winning the first leg of the TCC, the talents of the TOPS fly fishing quartet.

History is a great teacher, but I guess one needs to be continually reminded that it is either the Weather gods or the Trout that will always have the last say.

Wild River Browns

At long last the river season is officially now open in the Natal Midlands, although we are still waiting and hoping for some early rains to flush the system and get those big Brown Trout moving.

The Snow melt would have certainly helped and with a little luck assisting in some respect to their successful breeding.

There are many rivers to choose from in Natal, with the wealth of our Drakensberg Catchment, but the Mooi still remains my firm favourite for good reason. Not only is the entire course of the Mooi from the Kamberg Nature reserve to the new Spring Grove dam largely protected from poaching by private landowners, but it also has very little intensive farming along it’s banks, conserving the water quality admirably.

I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy some incredible fishing over the last decade, from the headwaters at Riverside, compliments of the Mollers to the lower reaches of InverMooi that have been left as a wild fishery in which to stalk your prey.

At this time of year, the water is still quite thin, so one needs to tread stealthily if you expect to sight cast to your fish and more often than not you will find the more worthy specimens in the head or tail of the chain of pools that characterise the waters flowing through InverMooi.

River Browns are undoubtably the smartest of the Trout that we will find in South Africa, having the keenest eyesight accordingly to scientific journals. So here’s a few tips if you want to convert a few of your casts.

1. Pack away your big ugly patterns in Spring and have faith in that the wily brown will see your size 14 or smaller patterns.

2. A floating line is all you will need in this water level and current, as by simply lengthening your leader you can fish the entire water column, if you decide to nymph.

3. Make sure you don’t fish anything heavier than 4x tippet, preferably fluorocarbon and 12ft is a suitable leader length for your 3wt stick.

4. Less casting will equal more fish. If you believe the fish can see your small fly, then your fly line repeatedly hitting the water will definitely announce your presence.

5. Trout generally are easier to find in a river than a dam, as the obvious ‘lies’ will be were they have-:

a. Protection for predators – i.e. undercut banks or submerged structure

b. A break from the current – no fish likes to waste energy fighting fast flowing water

c. In well oxygenated waters – this is as important for the invertebrates on which they feed as it is for them.

All of the above, equals an opportunity to feed quickly and return to the safety of their lie.

6. Then it’s a matter of drifting the right fly over your designated spot naturally – water dragging on your fly line is what you want to prevent here. Only after you have presented and drifted your fly over the lie precisely a few times, should you think of changing fly or moving on.

7. Above all, don’t rush, it’s not about how much water you cover as you gradually move upstream, but more about covering the water properly.

Fishing for wild Brown Trout will teach you patience, but there is nothing more rewarding than seeing it all come together and earning your fish.

As I am fond of saying there is no substitute for time on the water and you can’y pay a good guide enough. Fortunately for fly fishers visiting the Midlands this season, InverMooi has just opened a range of luxury cottages, giving you access to a wonderful section of the Mooi, as well as some very productive still waters on this majestic farm…….Macnab and Malachite dam as they are known, actually caught the most fish in this years TOPS Corporate Challenge.

Get your booking in early, as this gem is without a doubt the finest new fly fishing venue around. Contact wendy@wildflytravel.com to reserve your space.

The Fly Shrink

How smart do you think fish really are?

I mean it’s not as if they’ve managed to crawl out the water……yet we seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to figure them out.

There’s a lot to consider when throwing a fly at a fish and some might say a little too many variables when it comes to the temperamental movements of Trout

So what is real food for thought and what is just giving the dumb fish too much credit?

If you take the time to read just a fraction of what has been published over the decades, you’ll soon realise that there are not too many startling secrets about catching Trout on fly yet to discover, but there’s always a lesson you’ll learn on every outing.

In the fisherman’s bible of excuses we’ll blame everything from wind direction to the alignment of planets, for why we didn’t score, however, some anglers just seem to a floating four leafed clover on the water, so what are they doing different?

Now, I’ve been extremely fortunate to have thrown a line with some talented fly fishers over the years and observed their consistent, and to be honest, annoying habit of netting a brace irrespective of conditions, which begs the question why?

1. They are by and large organised, from the gear they bring to the table down to the layout of their fly boxes. So before heading out on your next fishing expedition, put some preparation time in. You don’t have to have every toy to play, but you don’t want to arrive at the water without the right gear either. If in doubt, to give you the basics for Winter dam fishing in the mountains just contact stuart@wildfly.co.za who will give you the right advice to make sure your fishing session is not a fruitless one.

2. They always put the time in! I’m a self confessed social fly fisher, but when it’s time to dabble, I make my time on the water count. We all know that the more one practices the ‘luckier’ one gets, so make sure the time you spend is fishing and not unravelling birds nests. Polish up on your knots, rigs and even get your casting arm well oiled on the front lawn. Time on the water should be productive.

3. They have a plan before launching. As opposed to drift aimlessly around hoping to bump into a Trout, scope out the water and decide where to concentrate your efforts. Inlets, outlets, structure and weed beds will be your focal points with consideration for time of day and depth at which you’ll retrieve. On Fishtube, you’ll find a little free tutorial that’ll steer you in the right direction, www.fishtube.tv/findingtrout

4. They fish with the right fly, but ask them which one and you’ll get a multitude of different patterns. That’s because we’ve invented more flies than the food they feed on. So establish are they feeding or fornicating? If the latter then spawning fish will naturally attack colour more than pattern, so your disco imitations should get more attention. If feeding, then remember when fishing in the colder months, insect hatches are a lot smaller……so the size of your fly is a major factor. The fact is Trout rarely completely stop feeding, even when chasing tail.

5. They know how to fish their fly of choice. Stripping a little Zak nymph at the same pace as a Zonker just doesn’t make any sense. Knowing how to work that specific fly through the water in terms of the depth and retrieval method / speed is key. Too many details to delve into, but here’s a list of essential fly patterns for still water trout fishing and how to fish them.

6. They are patient, knowing that it’s only a matter of time. You gotta have faith in what you’re doing. Second guessing your strategy and tactics will have you peddling around the dam creating wake that will spoil any potential action. The more time you spend casting and changing fly the less time your pattern is in the strike zone. So slow it all down, keep your fly in the water longer and be confident that the fish will eventually find your fly!

7. They enjoy every moment on the water, some due to their competitive streak, but most great anglers I’ve met treat a piece of water like holy ground. It is their sanctuary, where they can relax and all they have to think about is the fish. There’s no real pressure, nothing at stake, just the mystery of what will induce a strike to unravel, which really is a fisherman’s process, so remember above all that fishing is a pastime, not a profession.

We all think it’s all in the fly, but quite frankly it’s all in your head, hence be prepared, have a plan, be patient and appreciate the moment.

Lazy Boyz

To tube or not to tube is a shouldn’t be a dilemma.

Although targeting Trout from the bank and stalking a fish is the way to go on arrival at any dam (as long as you get their at the proverbial crack of), to not jump in your float tube when fishing any decent sized dam is just limiting your options.

The design of any established still water means that accessibility is limited from the bank, very often the dam wall and one side of the still water being your only vantage point from which to cast. And even if you have 360 degree access and can throw a line like the late Lefty Kreh, you’re still only prospecting the fringes around the bank.

So when that sun starts to raise it’s bright head and you’ve exhausted the sight casting opportunities should you jump into their domain and enjoy your floating Lazy Boy.

And to catch any fish, you have to find them first.

No matter how great your cast, how perfect your presentation….even if you’ve got that sure thing fly pattern……if you’re fishing in the wrong area, then you might as well be on dry land, so you should always take a moment to survey the water and plan your attack…..and I revolve my approach around the structure.

Any structure affords fish cover or protection and this refuge is often also a habitat for aquatic life on which they feed. So look for rocky outcrops, overhanging trees or any variation in the dam floor. Not all structure is visible, so if you can, get a height vantage point, aside from helping you to spot moving fish in clean water, you’ll get to see what lies below.

A lot of anglers moan about weed, but a dam without weed can’t support an adequate population of insects or Trout food. Weed is a fly fisher’s friend, (in more ways than one). Find the weed beds and you will find the fish under, alongside or within striking distance thereof. You need to find the spaces in between, so if you’re in float tube, anchor yourself in the middle of the weed and cast into the channels or holes.

You want to put your fly on the edge, so the advantage of a tube, is that you can cast into the weed bed…..you can also cast onto the bed and bring it over the edge, or you can cast along the wall of the weed, fishing the length of the channel .

Don’t overthink it, just work the spaces in-between.

Every dam has an inlet, this might be just catchment run off or fed by a natural spring, either way Trout naturally gravitate towards running water, which brings with it fresh nutrients and above all else oxygenates the water, so this is always a good bet on looking for moving fish.

It’s easy to find, but often not easy to access, it will inevitably be shallow, hence approach slowly, because in thin water you’ll only get a cast or two….so make it count.

Conversely is the outlet or spillway. If there is a running outflow then this moving water will be an attraction to fish, but even the inert spillway of the dam represents a structural change in which you’ll find moving fish. Here the fish will have a drop off, just off the shallow spillway in which to lurk, so a cast just into this change in depth can sometimes be very rewarding.

Both the inlet and outlet of a dam are the shallow areas and in low light, both at dusk and dawn, you will often find fish brave enough to be milling in these areas

Use the technology at your fingertips, all of this can be done with a simple Google map search, well before you arrive at your venue, so you’re not wasting time on guesswork….you go in with a plan….doing the groundwork for your next fishing adventure is half the fun anyway, so enjoy this preparation.

What depth the fish are at depends largely on time of day and water temperature. Figuring this out, if not evident by rising / feeding fish, then simply work the water column. I usually start at the top and work my way down, but when you figure out where the Trout are in the water column you’ll know what line and fly weight to use.

In low light they’re near the surface and in bright sunny conditions you’ll find them a lot deeper

When you’re in the right zone, accuracy and presentation trumps distance, you’ll be surprised how many fish are within 10 meters of the edge of where you’re positioned. Now I love casting, but no angler has caught a fish with his fly in the air, so don’t spend more time trying to make longer casts….the basic maths tells you that the more your fly is in the water the more fish you will catch.

Focus on putting the fly in the right spot as gently as possible….to much casting simply scares fish in the vicinity.

Retrievals depends on fly and line selection and there’s no definitive right or wrong way, my fast and your slow can be worlds apart and how short or long you strip is very subjective, let alone the pause in-between.

Remember to hang your fly. By simply lifting your rod slowly with about 8 meters of line still in the water (most fly lines have a hang marker), changes the angle of the fly through the water column, which often induces the strike, if a fish is following……and you’d be amazed how many fish follow without you knowing!

What fly works has fuelled more debates on bar stools than I care to remember and there’s a library of books to prove it. Colour and how the fly swims are my main criteria when it comes to streamer selection. Obviously only when you enjoy some success with a particular pattern do you gain the required confidence, which is key to stop you changing flies too frequently.

The Purple Patch

I like to think that life is a cycle and the wheel turns, it’s what gives me hope that my personal best will not remain just that.

I’ve spent more hours on a bar stool than I care to remember, listening to stories of big fish landed and larger ones lost. The yarns and tales turn into fables as time ticks by and so they should, as anecdotes are by design there to entertain.

This Trout season will see a few of those narratives evolve, and one in particular needs recording, so the history books reflect the facts as they would be hard to embellish, father time’s Alzheimers notwithstanding.

Enter our protagonist, a humble and talented mechanic whose stature belies his peaceful demeanour. He’s by nature an outdoorsman, but relatively new to the art of fly fishing, so his expectations on any angling session are basic, just simply catch some fish. Like his chosen trade he approaches the task methodically, wanting to understand how Trout work and cleverly he does not overcomplicate matters with intricate rigs.

“Find the fish and put the right pattern in their path!”, it’s a mantra that is as practical as it is successful to all who have faith.

This competition is a single day on the Mooi River, and for his sins he has the fly fishing zealot Sven Turner as his partner, who has him at the waters edge at an ungodly hour, casting in the pitch black to sounds of feeding Brown’s. His aim is true and the contact startling. You expect to harass a few wee Trout on this river, but after a heart stopping bout trying to keep it out the sticks, he landed a 57cm wild specimen, which is tantamount to a trophy fish, and thus he deservedly claimed the title.

Now a lot of people think kicking around in a lazy boy on a dam is all about potluck, but the format of the TCC rules out any flukes! And John knows if you want to consistently catch fish, find the weed and fish the spaces in between, less movement translating into more fish. A strategy he proved by drilling the fish in session one. Now you might lay claim to such good fortune at the dam’s feet, but he proved in the next 3 sessions, fishing completely different waters, that his technique played the pivotal role. 27 Trout over the weekend, comfortably filling each session quota earned him the accolade as the top fly fisher of the whole tournament.

He had peaked at precisely the right time, or so one would think.

I had the pleasure of awarding him both trophies and more enjoyably joining him and a few other reprobates at this year’s Swartberg Trout festival. Being the old bullets of this squad, myself and Grevin Price, sensibly joined the lads the morning after the FNB, arriving at the dam to the shock of all three of our team mates fighting fish. Never have you seen tubes pumped and rods rigged so fast!

The fish weren’t feeding, they were feasting and everyone had the opportunity to make the proverbial hay.

And although everyone was catching, on everything from Taddies, Damsels and Minnows to small nymphs and even dry flies we weren’t quite measuring up to the size Trout that John was doing battle with. We all lost big fish, except the man who was riding his purple patch like it was Sea Biscuit!

You know you’re in the zone when your buddies start referencing your beloved mum, whilst hurling abuse at your good fortune.

‘It’s a Slab’ got upgraded to ‘another Bus’, which comments we started to ignore, such was the man’s action, but when this was replaced by a strange silence, broken by a screaming reel and ‘@#$$ it’s a Tank!’ we all snapped to attention.

After a bruising bout, it was the fish we all pray for….a double digit, 70 cm Rainbow hen and one that John Larter confidently brought to the net, which at 10.5 lbs was his personal best and the biggest fish of the event.

He had pulled off the trifecta, a feat I dare say will probably not be repeated by anyone else. So, in my not so humble opinion, he is the undisputed 2020 individual Trout champion

The lesson I took from witnessing his remarkable achievement was that any day you spend on the water could be your day, so don’t stop casting.

2020 in Hindsight

It’s been a bit of a mother-in-law year, in that we all want to see the back of it, but we can’t honestly say that we haven’t learned a lot from the last 12 months.

This time last year, murmurs of a new contagion once again emanating from behind the great wall were rife, but it wasn’t anything new to be taken seriously…Bird Flu, Swine Flu, hell it might as well have been DonkeyKong Flu for all we cared, ‘another storm in a tea cup’, was the average consensus.

If there ever was a lesson to be taken seriously.

One can never speak lightly of the tragic human toll, but we’ve all had this hit home and are no doubt unjustly tired of the bad news selling doom and gloom, so as a by no means tongue in cheek perspective, think about the fish it has cost you?

We’re not getting any younger and opportunities to experience the great fishing destinations are far and between, miss your window and you might just fail to open another. Add to this the fact that fish function in their own timezone / season and a few years in lockdown can cost your dearly.

Self isolation can also be a vicious circle, it’s quite easy to get too comfortable connecting to the digital world….you’re reading this after all…..and living vicariously through a screen watching great fishing action just isn’t the same, lest you forget.

So get up off your arse and cement some dates with the fishing buddies that you’ve only been engaging with on WhatsApp!

I’m not saying unplug….god forbid…..as you still need to get the inside track on where the fish are running. But that also presents another dilemma, who the hell do you believe? The era of fake news is upon us!

With your digital feed now customised according to your browsing history, algorithms are our new school masters…..Lord help us!

If Mr. Make America Great was the unbridled architect who held such sway over the masses, then how on earth are you meant to believe the latest post by any angler. That old adage of all fisherman being liars apart from you and me….and I’m not too sure about you, is the ultimate truism.

Breaking Records - TCC Final

Breaking Records – TCC Final

The Yamaha boat, sponsored by Natal Marine and Caravans might have been the motivator for the quick exodus from The Legendary Notties as anglers went in search of the elusive tagged fish, but I think the sheer amount of action spurred everyone back onto the water. A further 97 Trout were recorded in that afternoon session, witnessing some very weary anglers returning, many having spent the last 12 hours searching for that double digit specimen.

Day one of the TCC Final set a new record for amount of fish caught in a single day and after a hearty meal, new plans of attack echoed around the event arena.

Of course, no one bothered to consult the fish about these best laid plans or make an offering to the weather gods.

Session fishing is always a diminishing scale of returns, with rod and a little peer pressure taking it’s toll. Hence why the rule of 4,3,2,1 fish to count in respective fishing sessions is a great handicap……for the Trout in particular. And the fishing session total slid down to 92 Trout in the 3rd and plummeted to only 39 fish in that telling final session. You would think that with 425 fish landed in two days that many anglers would have caught their full quota (without having fish bequeathed), but only two fly fishers managed this task. Neil Westerhoff came a close second, but it was John Larter with his 27 Trout that walked away with a new Sage X compliments of Frontier Fly Fishing, taking top honours as The Best Fly Fisher for the TOPS Corporate Challenge.

Chasing the current 2020 record of 66cm, caught by Gavin Cowell that weighed 9lbs saw Hendrik Fourie land a beautiful Rainbow Hen of 61cm from InverMooi Estate, which earned him biggest fish in the final, also walking away with a hamper of fly tackle compliments of Greys.

With every team who made the final guaranteed a fishing holiday, compliments of WildFly Travel and Easy Holidays anticipation reigned over supper as the results were tallied. With trips to the incredible Baines River Camp and renowned Matoya Tiger Lodge as well as adventures down the mighty Orange with Kalahari Outventures and Trout getaways at Semonkong, Fordoun, Loxley House, Highland Lodge and Giants Cup, every team was winning.

In 3rd place was the solid performance of the ‘Nymphmaniacs’, but it was the contest for the illustrious title that was only defined by 3 placing points, with ‘The Outdoor Warehouse’ team taking Silver.

Entering for the very first time and proving their fly fishing prowess were the talented Artav 4X4 team, our 2020 TOPS Corporate Challenge Champions.

With 1167 Trout landed in this year’s event, the Wildfly waters delivered yet again! Here’s to keep everyone in casting distance and spending more time on the water in 2021!!

Self Isolating Trout - TCC Leg 3

A few anglers thought that the Trout were adhering to the Covid regulations this last weekend as they certainly were reluctant to come within casting distance, let alone out to play.

Weather is always a go-to excuse, but 34-degree heat and Trout do not mix well, let alone the toll it takes on fly fishers adrift in a tube for 10 hours in the blazing sun. It’s why the TOPS Corporate Challenge is traditionally held at the beginning of Winter and despite 270 fish being recorded in the 1st Leg and 315 in the second, boding well, the first taste of a pending Summer had the Trout diving for cover.

Only 90 fish were recorded on the first day (less than what was caught in the first morning of the previous two legs) and some tired and weary fly fishers, looking a little shell shocked, were quenching a well-deserved thirst that evening. It wasn’t just a lack of action or a mild case of sunstroke, but more the fact that some didn’t even see a fish move. Lack of oxygen in the top layer of the water column will account for that, yet to add insult to injury, a few anglers managed to figured out how to target Trout in these conditions and had subsequently filled a scorecard.

A Spring / Summer fishing strategy is in stark contrast to Winter and the best suggestion I could ever offer is to slow it all down and let the fish find your fly! In such warm conditions, the Trout isn’t going to chase as aggressively and if nothing else slowing it all down keeps your fly in the water longer, which mathematically increases your chances. You also end up fishing deeper and trust me, the Trout on a hot day will be right down there.

A storm that night injected a little oxygen into most waters and saw a marginal increase in the 3rd session, with 48 Trout succumbing to the fly, but the rain had woken the bigger fish up.

And Gavin Cowell hit it out the park with a 66cm beauty from Lochwood in the final session, not only giving him the biggest fish, but also top fly fisher for the weekend. The final tally for the TCC 3rd leg was 161 fish.

Top honors went to a new team, Artav 4×4, who consistently out fished their fellow entrants in every session winning the 3rd leg of the TOPS Corporate Challenge.

In a few weeks, the final will decide the 2020 champions and with all the rain on the horizon, I think it’s going to turn the fishing on its head once again.

Big Trout Weekend - TCC Leg 2

What makes big Trout suddenly come out to play?

Gavin Baily with a Beautifull Brown Trout. — Gavin Baily with a gorgeous Brown Trout.

The weather obviously has an impact, as barometric pressure is unequivocally one of the few legitimate excuses in every fly fisher’s bible of reasons why we didn’t trouble the scorers.

Their temperament could be another, although this insinuates that they have a personality and short of their urge to feed, flee or fornicate, I just don’t give them that much credit. That said, they have the ability to both excite and frustrate and if that isn’t reminiscent of your better half then counseling is in order.

Feeding fish is what defined the 2nd leg of the TOPS Corporate Challenge and some chunky Trout saw fit to grace us with their presence. In the first session, Alex Bidder landed a 60cm Rainbow from Oakbrook, setting the benchmark for other contenders who landed 57 and 58cm from dams in the WildFly stable, with Hendrik Fourie getting three such beasts before lunch, only being outshone by his fishing partner, Rhuan Nel who nailed a 59cm beauty, this being his very first Trout on fly, caught at Loch Bess. It set the tone for a Trophy Trout weekend.

The great fare from the legendary Notties, with entrants respecting the new normal of social distance but still engaging in some festive banter across the tables, saw the Top Dogs (#1 fly fisher in each team) and Blobs (the unfortunate souls that caught the least) swapping tales and misleading fly patterns. Deciphering the red herrings, it became apparent that black and olive strip leeches along with red eyed damsels were doing the damage.

Scott MacIntyre with his beautiful Rainbow.

As one can expect from the Midlands weather, the wind drove the fishing down from 137 in session one to only 72 Trout in the 2nd session, but to get an opening tally of 209 fish in a day (with only 12 teams due to Covid event restrictions) had every fly fisher up before the sun on the second morning. Mist and drizzle coupled with a plummeting thermometer was the order of the last day, and yet many more fish breaching that 50cm mark continued to get everyone’s adrenalin pumping.

The inclement conditions were ideal for the Brown trout, which accounted for a surprising amount of catches, but proved to be too much for some, who retired gracefully to the warm embrace of Notties. Comparatively, only 106 fish were recorded in day two, which was attributed more to air than rod or competitive pressure. But to get 56 Trout over the half-meter mark making it to the net you didn’t have to wonder why so many smiling faces anxiously awaited prize giving.

Biggest fish was ultimately decided by virtue of species, being a gorgeous Brown of 60cm from InverMooi Estate caught by Gavin Bailey and top angler was justifiably given to Eddie Kriedemann from ST Fergusson for his total of 22 feral Trout.

Qualification for the illustrious final has never been closer with 9 teams in contention, but the last telling session witnessed WBHO and RoadSpan Royals being outshone by Bophelong Construction who took top honours. Hardy, Sage, Greys, Horizon, Xplorer, Airflo, Scientific Anglers and Rio left all the entrants with a bucket load of prizes, along with a dram of Bains to raise a glass in celebration.

Bophelong Construction – Winning Team of Leg Two

With just one leg of the TCC left and the grand final being held in the 1st week of November, Spring and the subsequent hatches are sure to see many more hungry Trout looking for a playdate.

TCC Leg 1

There are many elements that will determine how successful any fishing outing is, least not of which is our attitude.

Stan Chubb with a beautiful Rainbow Trout from Lochwood Dam.

In the lead up to any trip, it’s that element of excitement, finally being able to get back on the water,

receiving the nod from your boss and better half (which hopefully aren’t the same thing) or as of late, ‘Big Brother’.

On arrival at our destination this enthusiasm peaks, which one has to temper so as not to go too large on the first night……good luck with that.

When at an event, this atmosphere is so charged with bravado that it’s difficult not to be swept up in all the emotion and be realistic about expectations.

No safer way to social distance than fishing alone on the water.

But this is something you never want to damper and despite all the sensible restrictions of social distancing at the 1st leg of this year’s TOPS Corporate Challenge, the electric air of anticipation was intoxicating. Needless to say with brands the likes of Hardy, Sage, RIO, Horizon, Xplorer, Scientific Anglers, Greys and Airflo supporting SA’s leading fly fishing event, participants had a lot to fish for.

It was planned with all consideration of the current Corona epidemic, everything digitised to minimise any physical interaction and with face masks, buffs and sanitisers part of their ‘TOPS grab bag’. There’s no safer way to social distance than fishing alone on the water, so the fly fishers set off at the crack of, in search of some obliging fish.

The weather couldn’t have been more accommodating, resulting in a very impressive 131 Trout being caught and released in the morning session but the predicted wind arrived on cue, pressure plummeted and the afternoon witnessed a bunch of weary fisherman return with only 52 fish to show for all their efforts.

Being Spring, the fish had started to feed again, albeit on the smaller invertebrates hatching. Still, a Dragon, Damsel or Minnow pattern still had the Rainbows and Browns reacting up until a point. As closely guarded as any fly fisher might be about his pattern that triggers a Trout, the consensus was any colour was working as long as it was Olive!

Accommodating weather resulting in a very impressive 131 Trout being caught.

Although the weather couldn’t really be blamed in the 3rd session, everyone was reaching for an excuse for the paltry 53 fish recorded, but having spent some time guiding over the weekend (with admittedly unimpressive results), the secret was in the size and specific insect surfacing en mass. A midge isn’t many casual fly fisher’s go to fly, let alone in its larvae stage as a bloodworm, but having pinched one from my mate Sven’s box and presented it on my 2nd cast with a floating line, just over the weed bed, a 60cm cock fish made a convincing argument.

Kobus Potgieter with his beautiful Rainbow Trout.

The elements as always had the final say, bitterly cold, with a biting wind heralding the arrival of the cold front, which drove most people off the water within a couple of hours. Fourth session tally, a meagre 34 fish, giving the 1st leg a hard-earned 270 Trout. Neil Westerhoff caught 22 of these, making him top fly fisher and Herman Barnard got the largest Rainbow of 58cm.

As usual, it all came down to the last session to determine the finalists, with NOVUS Print taking top honours as the winning team.

The only element missing at this renowned event was understandably the hugging and handshaking, but it did go to prove that you can still have a glass of not so serious in a responsible fashion.

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