April promise for KZN trout anglers
April is considered a good month for trout fishing in KZN.
Trout
We believe April is prime time for fly fishing for trout in KZN. Places such as Underberg and Swartberg are already feeling the nip of winter and water temperatures have plummeted. This really turns the trout into breeding mode and flies resembling Dragon Fly Nymphs and small Minnows will produce lots of fish. Many of our dams have fished well and it is recommended to go have a throw while you can still comfortably stand in the water for a decent session. Most of the waters in the Underberg area (those that are not very dirty from the recent rains) have been fishing incredibly well.
Bass
All local dams are fishing very well, with most waters stained or off-coloured due to rains and fluctuating water temperatures. Inanda has become relatively green with algae growth recently, but is still producing fish. Expect to see water clearing up and becoming cleaner as the water temperature drops. While the water visibility is low, colours that have worked well include black, June bug and most chartreuse tailed lures. Dip and Glo is a must! All lures that have the profile which are able to accommodate rattles should be used deep with any form of rattle possible. Adding two glass beads above your hook will not only add a nice shine to your bait, but imitates the sound of feeding baptism or small coruscations. Hazelmere Dam has begun to fish much better recently with its increasing water levels, which have reached 42,.45%. This is a huge improvement and should be good for the anglers targeting bass on the float tubes and kick boats. Albert Falls is sitting steady at 35.32% and is fishing well at the moment, seeing some decent catches from the banks too. Inanda seems to have settled on 80.62% and has also had its fair share of fish in the 2-3kg range, a few of which were taken on the Daiwa D Frogs and various spinnerbaits.
Carp
A weekend spent at Shongweni Dam proved fruitless, with little or no fish action. Inanda has produced some stunning fish over the weekend, caught on FX boilies and the conventional anglers seeing good fish on aniseed and honey mielies. Albert Falls continues to produce quality fish on most baits. A cast into the depths has proven less productive than a closer cast, probably due to the fact that the dam has settled at its level and the fish are set on an ideal depth. After the rains, a few anglers had some fun at the slipways and had a variety of fish taking flying ants on floats including tilapia, barbel, bass and carp - this is exceptional fun for the youngsters.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
Twitter - @kingfisherdaiwa @SportswaveAndre
We believe April is prime time for fly fishing for trout in KZN. Places such as Underberg and Swartberg are already feeling the nip of winter and water temperatures have plummeted. This really turns the trout into breeding mode and flies resembling Dragon Fly Nymphs and small Minnows will produce lots of fish. Many of our dams have fished well and it is recommended to go have a throw while you can still comfortably stand in the water for a decent session. Most of the waters in the Underberg area (those that are not very dirty from the recent rains) have been fishing incredibly well.
Bass
All local dams are fishing very well, with most waters stained or off-coloured due to rains and fluctuating water temperatures. Inanda has become relatively green with algae growth recently, but is still producing fish. Expect to see water clearing up and becoming cleaner as the water temperature drops. While the water visibility is low, colours that have worked well include black, June bug and most chartreuse tailed lures. Dip and Glo is a must! All lures that have the profile which are able to accommodate rattles should be used deep with any form of rattle possible. Adding two glass beads above your hook will not only add a nice shine to your bait, but imitates the sound of feeding baptism or small coruscations. Hazelmere Dam has begun to fish much better recently with its increasing water levels, which have reached 42,.45%. This is a huge improvement and should be good for the anglers targeting bass on the float tubes and kick boats. Albert Falls is sitting steady at 35.32% and is fishing well at the moment, seeing some decent catches from the banks too. Inanda seems to have settled on 80.62% and has also had its fair share of fish in the 2-3kg range, a few of which were taken on the Daiwa D Frogs and various spinnerbaits.
Carp
A weekend spent at Shongweni Dam proved fruitless, with little or no fish action. Inanda has produced some stunning fish over the weekend, caught on FX boilies and the conventional anglers seeing good fish on aniseed and honey mielies. Albert Falls continues to produce quality fish on most baits. A cast into the depths has proven less productive than a closer cast, probably due to the fact that the dam has settled at its level and the fish are set on an ideal depth. After the rains, a few anglers had some fun at the slipways and had a variety of fish taking flying ants on floats including tilapia, barbel, bass and carp - this is exceptional fun for the youngsters.
(File Photo: Gallo Images)
Twitter - @kingfisherdaiwa @SportswaveAndre