JVice tools accessory
Ever innovative, Jay Smit, maker of the now internationally acclaimed JVice, has come up with a tool rack (tool caddy) that attaches neatly to the pillar of the vice. He has also produced the ‘Rolls Royce’ of dubbing spinners that I will feature next week.
Click in images to enlarge
A gift for Sharland Urquhart
The person who takes my vote as South Africa’s First Lady of fly fishing, Sharland Urquhart, got a pleasant surprise this Christmas, the brain child of fly tyer Gordon Van der Spuy.
Sharland Urquhart, Pott River, Eastern Cape. Tom Sutcliffe photo.
He tied her an immaculate traditional salmon fly, the Silver Grey, after the style of the famous tyer George M Kelson, photographed below.
To add to that he got Ruhan Neethling, arguably the best traditional salmon fly tyer in South Africa, to tie Sharland a Greenwell, photographed below.
He got me to chip in with a water colour of the head an Atlantic salmon and to bring the gift together, he gave the lot to Stephen Boshoff to frame. True to the Boshoff reputation for excellence he did a magnificent job, adding a cross section from a bamboo fly rod that can be seen between the two salmon flies in the image below, something Steve Boshoff says he ‘just could not resist’.
The final product
You might ask why Gordon came up with the idea in the first place and why we all so readily jumped on board to contribute. Well, the answer is that Sharland does a huge amount of good for South African fly fishing and for South African fly fishers, never mind her invaluable work for many worthy charities, so this was a heaven sent opportunity for us to thank her and show our appreciation.
Stephen Dugmore, bamboo rod maker tests flies for Ed Herbst
I have posted an interesting piece on my website written by Steve Dugmore where he tests three of Ed Herbst’s recent pattern designs on two Cape streams, the Elandspad and the Olifants River in the Witzenberg Mountains near Clanwilliam, and comes up with some intriguing findings.
The flies he tests are:
Ed’s Squirmy Wormy
Ed’s version of Jeremy Lucas’s Plume Tip
and Ed’s simulid nymph pattern.
Read more at http://www.tomsutcliffe.co.za/fly-fishing/friend-s-articles/item/984-field-testing-new-patterns-%E2%80%93-by-stephen-dugmore.html
Quotes of the week
This week I have selected quotes from before the turn of the 19th century because I suspect that we secretly believe all ‘good’ writing on fly fishing is the product of more recent times from well-known, pedigreed fly fishers. Try these two quotes from earlier times:
Stalking along from log to log, or plunging their long legs into the oozy swamp two large herons paid no attention to my presence, but occupied themselves with their own fishing arrangements, as if their wilderness were their own.
W.C. Prime I go A-Fishing (1873)
I chose my cast, a march brown and a dun,
And ran down to the river, chasing hope.
Wilfred S Blunt A New Pilgrimage (1889)
Kia scissors back in stock
Gordon Van der Spuy has let me know that he has received additional stock of the popular Kia fly tying scissors. He will also soon be landing a small shipment of Coq de Leon feathers from Spain.
Contact Gordon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Images of the week
On the Glass Niven section of the Bell River in the Eastern Cape Highlands
The Sterkspruit on Birkhall Eastern Cape Highlands
On the Smalblaar River Western Cape Province
Sean Mills, well respected Western Cape fly fisher reports
I started off 2015 with a bang... Some nice carp caught on my carp fritz and a bass of close to 2kg also on a # 8 Carp fritz from a private lake in the Durbanville Winelands. The bass was very strong and even took some line and the carp took me nicely into my backing.
Sean’s Carp Fritz, below and his magnificent fish
One tip that I can give your readers is to always have a tube of Loon UV Knot Sense in your fishing vest. It has saved me on many occasions. It can be used to fish leaking waders or float tubes, fix big cracks in fly lines, fix broken flies or flies that are coming apart, make knots smoother etc. Just apply in shade and then expose the knot sense to the sun and it cures instantly...
See Seans range of fly fishing DVDs at
www.seanmillsflyfishing.weebly.com
Gavin Heath writes
Here are some pictures of the Bokspruit that I am sure you will like. One of the most beautiful rivers in South Africa, and I have seen many! I was continually staggered by the beauty of the valley- some cattle-induced erosion obvious on the sides. But overall it is so spectacular.
Some insights from Dave Walker proprietor of the Walkerbouts Inn in Rhodes
A view of the Bell River at the bridge in Rhodes taken yesterday - still flowing very strongly but clearing in visibility. Photo per Dave Walker.
The two snowless years and extended periods of drought in between and then a huge flood in the Bokspruit seems to have taken a toll on the fish population but which is not bad thing at all. Fly fishers have complained about only catching a handful, if any and when told that fishing is as good as the fisherman, some took umbrage while others had a good laugh.
When there are plenty of fish, they complain about the small sizes. When few and far between but of better size, they complain about the paucity of trout.
Such are the cycles of Mother Nature that constantly oblige enthusiasts to adopt their tactics accordingly and those who don't improve their skills whinge!
Rhodes news
The village of Rhodes information centre is now putting out a regular newsletter. For those of you who, like me, love this village and would like to receive a copy, contact Jess Walters on:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." target="_blank">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Tel: 0459719003
The village of Rhodes looking south from a nearby hill. Tom Sutcliffe photo
Jan Korrubel’s report and photos from KZN
Says Jan:
Having received a mere 3mm this week, the rains appeared to have slackened off somewhat. While the Midlands is picture perfect, verdant green, we need more rain to top up those stillwaters that are still low. Apart from the irrigation dams, of more concern is that Midmar isn’t topping over yet, and one might even say that it’s getting almost too late for that to happen this summer. The new Spring Grove Dam behind Rosetta (reportedly sitting at 80% full currently), should be coming online this year, as there appears to be much activity going on with the pipeline that will deliver the Spring Grove water to the Mpofana River, then into to the Lions River, and finally into the Umngeni River feeding Midmar.
The Spring Grove Dam
I had the opportunity to guide father and son Neil and Ryan on the Bushman’s River recently. After guiding the week before, this stretch had clearly seen some rain as the river was somewhat higher and faster.
While Neil had clearly fished rivers before, it was son Ryan’s first introduction to small stream fishing on the dry fly.
I am pleased to report that the Bushman’s Brownies were on their game and willing to play – the flies responsible were Royal Coachman, R.A.B. and a small Rubber-leg Stimulator (also deadly in the rivers around Rhodes).
Bushman’s River landscape
Thank you Jan
Next week I will bring you some news on Ian Cox’s new UV resin fly patterns inspired by Ed Herbst’s simulid nymph.
Tom Sutcliffe
