Icy conditions but lots of fun at the Matatiele Mountain Lake competition

WE ARE now well into winter and the trout fishing patterns have definitely changed.

The minnows and frogs have moved out of the shallows and into the deeper water as all other aquatic life has slowed down. The fishing only gets moving in the mornings after the sun is out.

In the early mornings you should start fishing on the surface and should get some bites. It is a good idea to add some colour into your fly patterns such as your pancora, woolly buggers, red setter, Mrs Simpson and hamills with a yellow and orange marabou tail.

Well done to team Afri-Guide for winning the Corporate Challenge over the past weekend and Brad Stevens for getting the most fish. Team Sasfin came in second and the biggest fish was caught by Greg Freese from team Sasfin. Greg caught a lovely cock fish of 58cm on Loch Bess. Minnow, streamer and egg patterns seemed to the popular choice.

With the threat of cold weather and rain one just knew that it was the weekend for the annual Matatiele Mountain Lake Fly-fishing competition, reported Dale Tribe.

Friday, May 26, saw the first anglers arriving quite early… one wonders if it was to get the best camping spots or to simply take in the fresh air and sit and wonder what the next few day were going to hold and where they were going to catch the winning fish .

The evening was spent reminiscing and catching up with old friends while standing around the braais. Everyone had their own ideas on what flies to use, what tactics to employ and where and how to catch these fish.

After much banter and enthusiasm the anglers disappeared to their tents to prepare for the start at 6am.

Saturday greeted the anglers with a thick bank of mist lying over the lake, the siren sounded and the game was on. The organisers were still busy when an out-of-breath Bianca Luther, one the women entrants from Port Shepstone, came running up to weigh her first fish. It weighed a credible 1.62kg. Fishing was proving to be a bit slow, with not many fish being weighed in.

By lunch the leading fish was 1.8kg from Dean Angrove. Then Werner Grobler caught a fish of 2.1kg. Then back to one of 2.2kg from Dean. By the end of the day a rainbow trout of 2.3kg was caught by Lyle Miller and he was leading.

Sunday beckoned with a sunrise that only the lake has to offer with all her grace, and the temperature a chilly -3°C. Tents were frozen and looked like igloos and anything left outside was frozen stiff.

Day two began with the overnight lead of a fish of 2.3kg. Few fish were weighed in on Sunday, but eventually a brown trout of 2.34kg was weighed in by Clyde Kemp, which proved to be the winning fish. By noon most anglers were off the water and busy with the tedious job of packing up.

The siren sounded and the competition was over. All that was left was prize giving.