This is a step-by-step of the Tarantula Prawn fly that I, based on Neil Rowe's experience with tan EP fibre prawn imitations, used very successfully to fool spotted grunter and steenbras (see: Prawns in Tandem) in a Western Cape estuary. The articulated fly is a simple tie; it is made from a tan Enrico Puglisi [...]
Many people – mostly those in the full-time employ of someone else – think freelancers are always on holiday. Truth is, when you work for yourself you never really have ‘leave’ in the traditional sense. No graft, no pay. Sometimes then, you just have to disappear. This is a story of one of those days. Actually [...]
A few months ago I had a good chuckle on Facebook when a friend took a bit of abuse because of an old worn out cap he had on. His last response was, "..well say what you want, lucky caps catch fish". Ray has a lucky buff, I have a lucky hat, and Francois has a [...]
There's something about waking up in dark to head out fishing. Launching the boat with nothing but a dim haze over the eastern horizon. The crisp air as it cuts, even in midsummer, through your layers as the boat plains over a mirror of water. The day is full of potential and all you really [...]
It was at a time that I was scrambling for a formula that worked for Garden Route Grunter, long before I realised there were many formulas, for many situations. Id been up every weekend for a year, walking, wishing & working. A process that I enjoy far more than any other aspect of the [...]
After yesterday's frustration with murky water, today I headed towards the Heads and fished the flats around the "Grass Atoll" - small mud bank whose sedge grass resembles the shape of a tropical atoll. It's a spot where we've got grunter before and also Steenies on prawns. I've been wanting to fish a pushing spring [...]
On a recent trip to the Breede with MC Coetzer, Denton Ingham-Brown and Jannie Visser, we were met by really tough conditions. Lots of fresh water run-off after heavy rains. We were chasing grunter and it was not going well. At dead low Jannie and I spotted a dead fish. It was a nice [...]
It started with a rumour. A call later my mind was blown. Ian Kitching was his name, and he'd caught close on 20 grunter in two days. That doesn't happen. Not in the Garden Route. I had to go and see. Sure enough, Ian had stumbled across the prawn walk I've written so much about. [...]
