Banded tilapia: These fish have become very scarce due to the explosion in the bass population. There are however some trophy specimens still around and they are the prettiest fish in the dam. Your best chance at finding them is in shallow areas with abundant weed beds. Walk slowly through the weeds and try spotting the fish ahead of you. They are really well camouflaged and only move once you are on top of them, so keen eyes are a must. Fortunately, they are not very fussy and
52 SERIOUSFUN@JFFC MAY 2018
Time of the Year:
Bass are a warm water species, with the best fishing to be had during the summer months. Due to the cold highveld winters and the depth of the dam, the water usually starts warming up from the end of September or the start of October. At this time of year, the bass start moving into the deeper drop offs close to shallower rocky bays, in preparation to spawn. This is known as staging during the pre-spawn and often accounts for the largest fish of the season. If you find a drop-off that you can reach wading and casting to from the bank, these are the best spots at this time of year. Fishing bigger flies slightly deeper and slower along these drop-offs has produced the best results for us.
generally eat any fly small enough to fit in their mouths. Small #16-18 bloodworms and mayfly nymphs (unweighted or with a glass bead) generally get eaten when put in front of a sighted fish. They spit a fly very quickly and you need to lift the rod as the fish sucks the fly in. They fight well for their size and are a real bonus to catch.
Note the big head and small body of a post-spawn bass