Posts Tagged ‘Rigs’
3 days at Amigo’s
January 17, 2010 | 
Author Day 1:
Arriving at the dam the weather is terrible, clouds are closing in from all sides, it’s starting to drip and the wind makes it difficult to get the second of two tents up. The second tent are up just in time to watch an enourmous storm unfold infront of our eyes and I feel a familiar pain in my heart as I realize that not much fishing will be taking place throughout the day. At about 10pm I decide to at least try and get a line into the water, but quickly decide against this idea when getting outside.
The two tents
Day 2:
The rain stopped but the wind is still going at it and the sun is nowhere in sight, at least I can prepare some bait now. The water is brown from all the rain and it’s probably best to stick with the stronger dips like mint, garlic, TCP and duiwelsdrek. 2 hours pass… nothing, the sun is starting to break through the clouds and it’s already 9am. The fish in Rietspruit love ‘Wit deegies’ with anything sweet and I decide to stay with the tried and tested. Knowing this dam I quickly prepare a combination of white dough dipped in pineapple and peach for each of my two rigs knowing that I should land my first fish within in the next 20 minutes or so. And surely enough 12 minutes later there is a slight pull… wait … (this must be one of the small muddies or smallmouth yellow’s, they are plentiful in this dam and they love the sweet stuff). There is a slight pull again and this time it takes the bait by full force, I lift the rod and can feel the fish will probably not exceed 300g. A minute or two later I’m unhooking the smallmouth yellow and putting it back into the water. Willem didn’t come with me on this trip and it’s just not the same giving this fish a name… (It’s just not that much fun sharing this tradition with MYSELF!)
The first fish of the trip
The rest of the day is rather productive, nothing big but every hour produces at least 2 – 3 fish all caught on white dough and sweet dips.
Day 3:
Day three starts with an exciting run on my left rod, as I pick up the rod I think to myself : “Wow it feels better than the 15 or so small fish caught on day two”. I’m still busy reeling in when there is a run on my right rod, now totally confused I put down the left rod and take my right rod, I can hear my left rod going at it again, the fish on my right rod do not feel that big and I decide to rather land the fish on the left first. +- 10 to 15 minutes later both are landed, a carp (not as big as hoped) and a small muddy.
The carp that exited me so much
The rest of the day was pretty much the same as day two.
About the dam
This dam probably have some of the best camping facilities that I have seen at a dam. The banks are beautifull there is electricity and the water is clean.
The neat bank - (With mr. SA himself) 
The dam
The dam is 99% safe and a great venue for children. My little niece caught 7 -10 fishes at a distance of +- 10m.
My little niece with one of her catches
GPS coordinates: 26o24’34.9″S – 26048’38.4″E
Fishing summary:
Conditions: day two: Overcast, day three: Sunny and warm
Season: Summer
Bait: White dough with anything sweet
Fishing spot: B2
Entrance fee: Apparently this venue is rather expensive compared to other dams, but according to me it wasn’t to bad. It was +- R300 for three days, 2 people
Posted in North West Dams, Rietspruit Dam | 
Tags: Amigos, Bait, carp, Muddies, Rietspruit Dam, Rigs, Small mouth yellow fish, Ventersdorp, White dough, Yellow | 
1 Comment »
Rietvlei dam – Our first trip
Fighting my PB!
I set out from my home in Linden Johannesburg at about 5:30. I will meet Willem and Joe at Centurion from where we will travel to Rietvlei dam. This is our first visit as fishing buddies to this location and I am somewhat exited!
Apparently this is one of South Africa’s most challenging dams and if your day doesn’t end with a blank ,it ends with a personal best. Or so they claim Unfortunately I do not have my bakkie yet so the rods are lined up on Gina’s roof with the essentials in the back.
Willem and Joe are a bit late and I decide to grab a ‘lekker koppie boere troos’ from the nearest Wimpy when they finally phone. I take a long look at the half full cup and think to myself … AAAH, screw the coffee! Today I want to catch a ‘LEKKER’ fish!
It’s a bit overcast but the admission fee is only R25 per person, the reserve is in mint condition and the banks are already packed with people. As always we leave everything else and start with the preparation of the rods and bait.
Not having a bait boat we fish at about 50 to 70 metres. Ok, so now the lines are in the water and it’s time to finish that coffee that I was ‘forced’ to leave this morning. There was no time for breakfast and it’s taking effect now, Joe is preparing his camera for ‘Daai GROTE’ while Willem is looking for the bacon and eggs. In the meantime I am 100% focused on preparing that coffee…
Our lines have been in the water for little more than an hour now. With our ’magies’ full and another pot of coffee brewing, we start to wait… As any group of respectable 24 year old males will do, we keep ourselves busy with a few constructive activities…
Willem doing constructive activity one - The snake man
Joe the camera man doing constructive activity two - Pink Tooth
FINALLY there is a big ZZZZZZZZZZZ at my left rod and I almost die trying to swallow my fizzer that I was using in the preparation of constructive activity three. I lift the rod and can immediately feel it’s rather big, surely this must be my PB! The fish at the end of the line is going wild and I must carefully give it some line to work with. The adrenaline is pumping and Willem is coming with the ‘skep net’, Joe is on the bank filming this glorious event. All that’s going through my mind is : “Don’t lose this one Andre, the fish is coming slowly but surely”. As the fish is coming closer it finally breaks the surface and my heart stops for a second or two. Willem take the words out of my mouth : “Dis ‘n LEKKER vis man!”
Pamela breaking the water for the first time
As a tradition we name the fish at first sight. As she is big and busty, she must be a Pamela! Pamela DOESN’T like the shallow water and I get a bit of resistance as she breaks the water surface for a second time.
Pamela breaking the surface for the second time
We move in a bit deeper, it’s always better to land a big carp in deeper water. The fish is tired now and Willem is moving closer with the landing net. This is a TENSE time, but Willem is an expert at this and finally after about 15 minutes PAMELA HAS LANDED.
Pamela has landed
Joe is just as exited on the bank as the two of us in the water. I don’t know if there is a better feeling than the one when you land that big fish! Pamela must be close to my PB Betty, a 7,2kg common carp. While I’m unhooking Pamela, Willem is getting the scale and… YES… she is a beauty at a weight of 8kg! I take back my previous statement, there is one better feeling than the one mentioned above and that is when you land that big fish and it is your personal best!
Pamela
Pamela
Pamela
With the excitement gone, we were waiting again, Willem always being his cool and collective self…
Willem being cool and collective
Unfortunately the rest of the day didn’t deliver any fish and Willem got his second blank at Rietvlei. So the myth might be true, if you do not have a blank you might just catch your personal best! Sorry Willem, hopefully it will be third time lucky as they say.
The days summary:
Fishing period: +- 7am to 4pm
Fish: 1 common carp of 8kg
Bait used: A Tutti Frutti Mielie on a hair rig
Distance the fish was caught at: +- 60m
Fishing spot: On the far left of the dam (left of the dam wall).
Conditions: Overcast
Posted in Gauteng Dams, Rietvlei Dam | Tags: Baber, Bait, Barbel, Canary Kurper, carp, Catfish, Gauteng Dams, Irene Dams, karp, Kurper, Pretoria Dams, Rietvlei Dam, Rigs, South African Dams, Specimen | 4 Comments »
