Every year , I arrange a team buiilding , pissup , fishing trip for top management in the group and top customers.This year in March , its De Mond. Here is the Invitation sent to the select few.This year the group is restricted to 6.That includes a proffessional fisherman/guide. So spots are tight and there is a lot of Josstling for a spot. So far we are keeping it to the family in the business ( 3 of us ) , and 2 clients.
WELCOME to all those joining us this year for our annual fishing trip to De Mond , near Bredasdorp.
The trip is booked for March 28 ( arrival date ) , to March 30 ( departure date )
We will be staying in a self catering cabin on the river front , in the De Mond Nature Reserve. As shown on this Google Earth picture. The cabin is right in the middle .
All the food and drinks will be catered for. All that is required is that you bring your fishing tackle along , sleeping bags and clothes for that period ( include a hat/peak that will cover your neck ) as well as a foldable deck chair , to sit on the jetty. There is an opportunity to do some beach fishing from the river mouth , but this would require a rather long trek carrying your gear , as boats are not allowed at the estuarie.
Fishing gear to take along for the river would be gear that is fairly light in nature. Rods of 10 foot maximum and reels such as coffee grinders are perfect for the river . The line can be light , I am fishing with 5 pound nylon and a small bait rod. It is also a great destination for the fly fisherman. If you can and have access to a fly rod , bring it along.At the river mouth , 13? or 14? rods with pen type reels are essential.
What is an estuarie.
Definition
In the southern African context the following is a generally accepted definition of an estuary. ?It is a partially enclosed, coastal body of water which is either permanently or periodically open to the sea and within which, there is a measurable variation of salinity due to the mixture of sea water with fresh water derived from land drainage? (Day 1980). Such water bodies are therefore linked to a river, stream or other freshwater input at one and to the sea at the other.
(7) Tides
Tides play a predominant roll in flyfishing/fishing as this effects where you will find fish.The best tide to fish is a Neap Tide but every river has a preferred tide, it all depends on which river you fish. It is easier to find fish on a low Neap tide as there is less water and hiding places for fish. The tide is effected by the moon, every 14 days the moon changes from Full to New Moon and this results in Spring or Neap Tides.The best time to fish is when you have severe water movement and the tide is the result of this occurrence. It is very important to plan your outing according to the tide,as your fish prefer certain areas of the river during a tide. As the tide starts to push make sure that you are on the dropp-off as allot of new food will be entering the river. Where you find food you'll find fish. The best time to fish the drop-off is two hours before high tide on a Spring Tide and one hour before high tide on a Neap Tide.
The tides for the period are as follows???
28 00H08 0.78 L
06H22 1.48 H
12H37 0.76 L
19H00 1.38 H
29 00H53 0.89 L
07H09 1.36 H
13H36 0.86 L
20H14 1.3 H
30 02H30 0.98 L
08H41 1.27 H
15H35 0.91 L
22H24 1.31 H
31 04H59 0.94 L
11H03 1.29 H
17H23 0.85 L
23H52 1.42 H
MOON PHASES ARE?..
Friday, March 28, 2008 Moon Rises: 21:59 Moon Sets: 12:18
The moon will be 21 days into the current cycle.It will be 404283 km from earth and in the Last quarter phase.
The moons position is : -4.42 Ecliptic Latitude and 261.8 Ecliptic longitude.
Will be in Scorpio Zodiac.
Saturday, March 29, 2008 Moon Rises: 22:54 Moon Sets: 13:09
The moon will be 22 days into the current cycle.It will be 401260 km from earth and in the Last quarter phase.
The moons position is : -3.72 Ecliptic Latitude and 273.69 Ecliptic longitude.
Will be in Sagittarius Zodiac.
Sunday, March 30, 2008 Moon Rises: 23:54 Moon Sets: 13:54
The moon will be 23 days into the current cycle.It will be 396966 km from earth and in the Last quarter phase.
The moons position is : -2.83 Ecliptic Latitude and 285.83 Ecliptic longitude.
Will be in Sagittarius Zodiac.
TRACES AND TACKLE TO TAKE ALONG.
GRUNTER / STEENBRAS TRACE
This rig is perfect for Grunter and Steenbras along the river. Sinker can be a barrel sinker or ball sinker. And a 2 O size hook.
PINKY / MOONFISH TRACE
Pinky trace . This is good for Moonies and blacktail , which can be used as bait. Small hooks and the sinker can be a bank sinker.
You can buy ready made pinky traces , with 10 traces in a pack.
KOB TRACE
Once again bank/sputnik sinkers or pyramid sinkers are good. This is normally in the surf so pyramids work best. A 5 O Hook at least must be used. I also use a fluorescent bead before the hook to attract the fishes attention. The float can be a cork , or half a cork.
LEERVIS LURES.
These are essentially lures .There are many on the market and your fishing shop dealer will advise you. I like a popper or a minnow lure fished with jigheads.
Otherwise a live bait trace can be used.
Types of fish you will encounter at the De Mond Estuarie.
Below are the main species that we target while flyfishing/fishing our estuaries. A number of other species have also been caught on fly but for the mean time we will concentrating these different species.
KABELJOU
Argyrosomus Japonicus Also known as COB, KOB, DAGA, SALMON OR SNOTTY, this fish is plentiful in the surf and in the many estuaries of the Eastern Cape. It has a long body body,getting thick towards the shoulder area, its overall colour is silvery and has a pearly- pink sheen in its live form, a row of"portholes" can be seen on its flanks, its fins are a translucent dusky colour. The Cobs diet consists of small fish,prawns, crabs and when available squid,. To hunt their prey they rely on smell and sense, instead of sight. This will account for why they are often caught at night and in discoloured water . The Cob is a sluggish fighter, strikes fairly hard and then takes off on a short run.Will normally sound when nearing a boat. This is a good fish for the beginer to target as it does not have too many tricks to perform on the unsuspecting angler, the Cob has small sharp teeth, but are not saw like.,and unlikely to cut your line. Cob are not that fussy so we suggest"match the hatch" for best results, the retrieve should be steady and not to fast.Hookups will occur throughout the day but without doubt just before sunrise and just after sunset produce the best results. March/April and August September October are considered the best although catches can be made almost any time.As this species is under threat please keep only one fish between 1 and 5 kg, return all the rest.
LEERVIS
Lichia amia
Also known as GARRICK, this aggressive predator is widespread in the Eastern Cape,both in estuaries and in the surf line.Its name is derived from [lichia] meaning corpse-like, a reference to its leathery grey like skin; [amia] an ancient name for bonito like fish. It has distinctive body shape with tiny scales, a very pronounced lateral line and its colour is prodminantly silver /grey, with tinges of blue/green on its shoulder and back. These fish feed mainly on Shad,Mullet,Streepies and Pinkies. They can be seen in the shallows , "herding" schools of Mullet before they tear into them, this is a sign to look for when hunting the Leervis.A clean fighter, the leerie will take off on an initial long run close to the surface moving extremely fast,thereafter its runs will be shorter but just as strong, you will normally see the fins slicing through the water during the fight and as it gets closer to the angler it will "boil"on the surface.Although you will hook up at any time of the day we find early morning and evening to be "prime" time, particularly on a falling tide and disturbed surface water. September through May are the months that most fish are takenEnjoy catching this mighty fish , and please revive it and release it so your children can one day have the same pleasure.
Spotted Grunter
(Pomadasys commersonnil)The Spotted Grunter has a long, compressed body with a long, sloping forehead and pointed snout. The body is silver-brown with distinct mother-of-pearl sheen on upper flanks. The dorsal surface is covered with rows of small dark brown spots which extend onto the dorsal fins but not the head. There is a black blotch on the gill covers and the fins are translucent or dusky.DistributionThis is an Indian Ocean species extending along the East coast of Africa to Cape Agulhas. Also occurs in the far east.FeedingThey feed on worms, crabs, mud prawns and cracker shrimps, sea lice and bivalves. Spotted grunter are often seen with their tails waving out of the water on shallow banks during feeding. They use a pump action in the form of jets of water through the mouth to blow prey out of the sand. They inhabit shallow coastal regions, bays, brackish water of estuaries or sheltered lagoons and can tolerate fresh water. Tagging results suggest this species is resident. One individual was caught, tagged and re-caught 8 years later in the same place.ReproductionSpotted grunter spawn in open sea from late winter (July to December). The newly hatched fry and post-spawning adults make their way into estuaries.GrowthMaturity is at 40 cm or approximately 3 years. They can attain a size of 80 cm and the SA record is 9,5 kg (greater than 15 years old).FisheryThis is a fine table fish caught by surf fishermen and spear fishermen. Scientific knowledge of the population status of this species is limited. However, it is vulnerable due to its reliance on estuaries.
Management Minimum size 40 cm, Bag limit 5 per person per day , No closed season, A recreational fish that may not be sold
White Steenbras, large inshore fish occurring only along the coast of South Africa. The white steenbras can grow up to 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in length and attain a weight of 30 kg (66 lb). The body is silver with several slightly darker vertical bars down its length. The head is large with a long, tapering snout and thick lips. The fish frequents estuaries and relatively shallow waters off sandy beaches. It is a popular angling fish as it puts up a good fight, and its firm, white flesh makes excellent eating.
The white steenbras feeds on burrowing invertebrates such as the bloodworm and the sandprawn. These it 'blows' from their burrows with a strong jet of water. The prey is taken into the mouth whole and ground by the flat teeth. When feeding in shallow water, the tails of the white steenbras often thrash the surface, a phenomenon known as tailing.
During winter, adult fish undertake a spawning migration to the eastern coast of South Africa. The eggs and larvae drift south and westward in the Agulhas current, and end up in estuaries along the south coast of South Africa. These estuaries are important nursery areas for the white steenbras, providing it with abundant food and shelter from predators.
Scientific classification: The white steenbras is placed in the family Sparidae. It is classified as Lithognathus lithognathus. The name is derived from lithos (stone) and gnathos (jaw), and refers to their grinding, stone-like teeth.
Fishing rods and reels
For surf fishing.
for river fishing
Fly fishing
How to get there.
Take the N2 Caledon. Turn into Caledon and travel through Caledon towards Bredasdorp. From Bredasdorp follow route 316 to Waenhuiskraal , until you see a signboarded road on your right indicating De Mond. Its a dirt road .
