TCFF: You are probably one of South Africa’s best-known fly fishermen. Where did it all start?
MY: It all started in Krugersdorp on the Woes (West) Rand – I was exceptionally fortunate to have the Monument Dam just 100m from my home. The fishing bug caught me at a very young age, I guess around seven or eight, mainly bait fishing until my early teens when I started bass fishing. The fly fishing addiction would have started around 1980. My last year of schooling was at Damelin College in the then heart of Johannesburg in Bree Street. My guess is this is where things really went pear-shaped. You see, the door to Damelin was about a good cast length away from the famous Laxton’s Hunting & Fishing store, and it was there that I met the fly fishing and fly-tying lunatic Angelo Komis. The rest, as they say, is history and what proceeded was a slippery downhill slide into fly fishing nirvana and yet another five-star education squandered on fly fishing. We could debate “squandered” at length.
TCFF: You fish for everything that has fins, in both fresh and salt water. When and where did the yellowfish bug take hold?
MY: The yellowfish bug took hold in the late Seventies when I was introduced to the smallmouth yellows of the Vaal River. We fished venues like Eendekuil, Benjoh (now Vaal de Sioleh) and Vaal Hackle. I count myself as exceptionally fortunate at having the privilege of meeting and fishing with some of the early pioneers of targeting yellows on fly, the likes of Theo van Niekerk (originator of the famous TVN fly) and Charl du Plessis, both of whom also had a lot to do with catching largies on fly. There is no doubt in my mind that this is where my lifelong love affair with the Vaal River started and I owe those who introduced me to the river and its yellows a huge debt of gratitude.
Denne historien er fra December/January 2019/2020-utgaven av The Complete Fly Fisherman.
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Denne historien er fra December/January 2019/2020-utgaven av The Complete Fly Fisherman.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
It's Called Evolution
Our quarry constantly has to adapt to the everchanging conditions of their environment. It goes without saying then, that we, too, need to revise our fishing strategy to remain successful on any given day. Anton Hartman explains.
At The Gates Of Antarctica
Mauritia Kirchner falls in love with the farflung Falkland Islands.
Six Of The Best Largemouth Flies
FlyTying Field Editor Murray Pedder lists the top six largemouth yellowfish flies for the Orange, Vaal, Vanderkloof and Gariep dams.
Ascending caddis pupa
The ascending stage of a caddis makes easy prey for both trout and yellowfish – the reason why Arno Laubscher propagates tying a pattern that imitates it.
In Search Of Natal Yellowfish Top Scaly Rivers Of Kwazulu-Natal
Carl Freese shares his favourite home rivers for hunting KZN scaly.
A Rod Maker's Thoughts: Why Bamboo?
Stephen Boshoff elaborates on his passion for bamboo.
Rhodes AN ICONIC TOWN AND HOME TO fly fishing legend: Fred Steynberg
Like the prodigal son, we return to Rhodes to meet up with old friends and revisit rivers filled with memories and wild rainbows.
The TCFF Charity Initiative: FLY FISHERS GIVING BACK
After two and a half decades of publishing TCFF, we are honoured and blessed not only by the support of our readers, but also our industry in the main.
IN MEMORIAM: Gunga Donn
It’s always tough to lose a friend, but when that friend is a fishing buddy with whom you have shared boats, banks and lodgings, it is particularly distressing.
In pursuit of Weza
Sean I'Ons relates how it took 40 years for a story of a fishery and the people he got to know along the way to come full circle.