Entomologist Christian Fry and yellowfish guru Garth Wellman break down why leaden labeo (aka the bushveld grayling) are a notch more special than your everyday barb and should be on your fishy wish list, as seen in The Mission Issue 48.

WHAT – Christian Fry

Leaden labeo (Labeo molybdinus) with their inferior mouth parts and well-developed lips with keratinised edges (specialised as scrapers) feed on algae, detritus and animals adhering to the river substrates. With this feeding mechanism, they play an important role in algae control and maintain a balance within the aquatic environment through nutrient cycling.

As prey, they are an essential food source for larger fish species, and terrestrial species (birds). L. molybdinus reach about 380 mm with the SA record reaching 1.7 kg (Skelton, 2011). Together with redeye labeo (Labeo cylindricus) they fall within the Labeo forskahlii group, which tend to be more streamlined; they are fleshy-snouted with tubercles (small fleshy appendages) and occur in faster flowing waters.

“They play an important role in algae control and maintain a balance within the aquatic environment through nutrient cycling.”

WHERE – Christian Fry

Leaden labeo are distributed from the Tugela River system to the mid and lower Zambezi. They tend to prefer deeper pools of seasonal rivers, but will move into rapids to feed, often encountered alongside the redeye labeo. They can be found within stillwaters like Lake Kariba, Loskop Dam and Lake Sibaya.

HOW – Garth Wellman

Leaden labeo often occupy and feed in fast-moving water alongside the largescale yellowfish. When they are mooching around in slow water they can be very difficult to entice, as with all labeo species. To target them, I use the same nymphing tactics that are used for yellowfish in fast water: euro techniques and indicator nymphing.

They are easiest to catch during pre-spawn in spring time but feed throughout summer in the riffles and glides. Three- to 5-weight rods in 9-10-foot are most effective for nymphing. They are suckers, excuse the pun, for imitations of the usual invertebrates that hail from the zone they feed in. Mayfly nymphs, caddis larvae and more natural imitations with just a touch of hot orange in the fly have worked for me.

WHO – You?

If you’re looking to tick this species off, it’s a DIY kind of thing.

Read the rest of The Mission Issue 48 below, for free.