Monthly report on our waters 

August 2022

By Peter Arderne (FOSAF)

GUBU & MADEN DAMS.

Edward is in Gabon at the moment, but he assures us that the committee have all the arrangements set for the annual AFFC fund raising competition at Gubu from 2 to 4 September with tagged fish already in the dam and some very good prizes for the participants. Non-members are welcome to enter this event. For more information go to the club website at  https://www.amatolaflyfishingclub.co.za/.

Best of all the fishing to date has been good with browns from the most recent stocking already showing up in the catches and with dam levels standing at 100% the water looks great.

 Although Maden Dam has not been included in the competition it should not be ignored. At 9ha it is much smaller than Gubu at 109 ha and is more heavily stocked per hectare but has not had the same rod pressure. This is a pity as it has produced some excellent fish in the last couple of months.

CATA VILLAGE & WOLF RIVER

The AFFC has an agreement with the community to manage the nearby Mnyameni Dam. As is the case of Maden this dam is not as well utilised by members as Gubu and the club plans to encourage increased usage of this attractive stillwater.

This dam contains a good population of smallish rainbows which are all wild bred from the two streams that feed the dam. There are also browns in the dam and one can expect to catch at least one at each fishing session. It is hoped that they will also breed in the streams to set up a self-sustaining population although there are so many rainbows using the limited spawning area at a later time this may nullify the efficacy of the browns breeding attempts. In the meantime, the AFFC will continue to stock brownie fingerlings.

The club is also organising a wattle clearing project on the nearby Wolf River and donations towards this very worthwhile project will be appreciated by the AFFC. Some work has already been done and a new contractor is being sought to carry on with the project. The AFFC is still to arrange fishing access on the Wolf with the community.

LOCH LOCHIE

This fairly large water on the headwaters of the Klipplaat has some good trophy fish and is now actively managed by Kurt Anderson of the Glenara farm hatchery on the Hogsback and is also in the Klipplaat basin. This hatchery supplies the AFFC with rainbow fingerlings and apparently is now including browns in its stock.

Into a Maden Dam fish.