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So the long-awaited 1st of September river season opening day is here and through lucky intervention I managed to get some time out on the Bushman’s River. The first day of the season is never going to provide any fireworks, so the expectations weren’t all about fish; more about getting out and getting one’s feet wet in the river of life.
I received a last minute request to accompany Stefan Decker, who was out from Frankfurt, Germany for a few days this week, and was to be winging his way back home that same night. Since his connecting flight to Johannesburg departed Durban at 6pm, it was literally a flying visit.
We were pleased to be greeted by a small group of eland on our walk down to the river – but that’s unfortunately the only greeting we had. The Bushman’s is very low, crystal clear, and rather bracing. When I planted a foot in the river my big toe pegged the water at single figures, with the thermometer confirming a chilly 7 deg. C.
I turned over a few stones in the streambed and food seemed scarce – a couple of caddis here and there and then one lovely large clinger. Coupled with the very low and clear conditions there wasn’t a fish to be seen. Not a rise, flash at the fly, nothing. I was rather miffed as I had tied some flies especially for the day, and they didn’t even get a look see.
I did get my grubby mitts on two very nice new toys to test, a Redington 6ft 2inch 2wt fibreglass ‘Butter Stick’ and a Stealth ‘Infinity’ 10 ft 3wt. ‘Ooooh’ and ‘Aaaah’ is about all I have to say on both counts.
The Butter Stick is an amazing piece of work, light as a feather, but at 6ft 2in, a bit too short for my liking. I do, however, have my eye on a 7ft 3wt. In direct contrast, the Infinity feels much more a bull of a rod, but after a few casts, became the tool of choice for heavier nymphs and when the wind came up. And accurate doesn’t even begin to describe it. Your flies go where you point this long rod.
But Yay! – the rivers are open and now we just need to rain and a couple more degrees in water temperature to get the action back on track.
