{"id":12317,"date":"2021-03-29T15:28:57","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T13:28:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=12317"},"modified":"2021-03-29T15:28:57","modified_gmt":"2021-03-29T13:28:57","slug":"lazy-boyz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=12317","title":{"rendered":"Lazy Boyz"},"content":{"rendered":"
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To tube or not to tube is a shouldn\u2019t be a dilemma.<\/p>\n

Although targeting Trout from the bank and stalking a fish is the way to go on arrival at any dam (as long as you get their at the proverbial crack of), to not jump in your float tube when fishing any decent sized dam is just limiting your options.<\/p>\n

The design of any established still water means that accessibility is limited from the bank, very often the dam wall and one side of the still water being your only vantage point from which to cast. And even if you have 360 degree access and can throw a line like the late Lefty Kreh, you\u2019re still only prospecting the fringes around the bank.<\/p>\n

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So when that sun starts to raise it\u2019s bright head and\u00a0you\u2019ve exhausted the sight casting opportunities should you jump into their domain and enjoy your floating Lazy Boy.<\/p>\n

And to catch any fish, you have to find them first.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No matter how great your cast, how perfect your presentation\u2026.even if you\u2019ve got that sure thing fly pattern\u2026\u2026if you\u2019re fishing in the wrong area, then you might as well be on dry land, so you should always take a moment to survey the water and plan your attack\u2026..and I revolve my approach around the structure.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Any structure affords fish cover or protection and this refuge is often also a habitat for aquatic life on which they feed. So look for rocky outcrops, overhanging trees or any variation in the dam floor.\u00a0Not all structure is visible, so if you can, get a height vantage point, aside from helping you to spot moving fish in clean water, you\u2019ll get to see what lies below.<\/p>\n

A lot of anglers moan about weed, but a dam without weed can\u2019t support an adequate population of insects or Trout food.\u00a0Weed is a fly fisher\u2019s friend<\/strong>, (in more ways than one). Find the weed beds and you will find the fish under, alongside or within striking distance thereof.\u00a0You need to find the spaces in between, so if you\u2019re in float tube, anchor yourself in the middle of the weed and cast into the channels or holes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>

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You want to put your fly on the edge,\u00a0 so the advantage of a tube, is that you can cast into the weed bed\u2026..you can also cast onto the bed and bring it over the edge, or you can cast along the wall of the weed, fishing the length of the channel .<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overthink it, just work the spaces in-between.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every dam has an inlet, this might be just catchment run off or fed by a natural spring, either way Trout naturally gravitate towards running water, which brings with it fresh nutrients and above all else oxygenates the water, so this is always a good bet on looking for moving fish.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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It\u2019s easy to find, but often not easy to access, it will inevitably be shallow, hence approach slowly, because in thin water you\u2019ll only get a cast or two\u2026.so make it count.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conversely is the outlet or spillway.\u00a0\u00a0If there is a running outflow then this moving water will be an attraction to fish, but even the inert spillway of the dam represents a structural change in which you\u2019ll find moving fish. Here the fish will have a drop off, just off the shallow spillway in which to lurk, so a cast just into this change in depth can sometimes be very rewarding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>

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Both the inlet and outlet of a dam are the shallow areas and in low light, both at dusk and dawn, you will often find fish brave enough to be milling in these areas<\/strong><\/p>\n

Use the technology at your fingertips, all of this can be done with a simple Google map search, well before you arrive at your venue, so you\u2019re not wasting time on guesswork\u2026.you go in with a plan\u2026.doing the groundwork for your next fishing adventure is half the fun anyway, so enjoy this preparation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What depth the fish are at depends largely on time of day and water temperature.\u00a0\u00a0Figuring this out, if not evident by rising \/ feeding fish, then simply work the water column.\u00a0I usually start at the top and work my way down<\/strong>, but when you figure out where the Trout are in the water column you\u2019ll know what line and fly weight to use.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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In low light they\u2019re near the surface and in bright sunny conditions you\u2019ll find them a lot deeper<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re in the right zone, accuracy and presentation trumps distance, you\u2019ll be surprised how many fish are within 10 meters of the edge of where you\u2019re positioned. Now I love casting, but no angler has caught a fish with his fly in the air, so don\u2019t spend more time trying to make longer casts\u2026.the basic maths tells you that the more your fly is in the water the more fish you will catch.<\/p>\n

Focus on putting the fly in the right spot as gently as possible\u2026.to much casting simply scares fish in the vicinity.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>

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Retrievals depends on fly and line selection and there\u2019s no definitive right or wrong way, my fast and your slow can be worlds apart and how short or long you strip is very subjective, let alone the pause in-between.<\/p>\n

Remember to\u00a0hang your fly<\/strong>. By simply lifting your rod slowly with about 8 meters of line still in the water (most fly lines have a hang marker), changes the angle of the fly through the water column, which often induces the strike, if a fish is following\u2026\u2026and you\u2019d be amazed how many fish follow without you knowing!<\/p>\n

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What fly works has fuelled more debates on bar stools than I care to remember and there\u2019s a library of books to prove it. Colour and how the fly swims are my main criteria when it comes to streamer selection. Obviously only when you enjoy some success with a particular pattern do you gain the required confidence, which is key to stop you changing flies too frequently.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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My simple rule of thumb is try\u00a0keep your fly in the water longer<\/strong>, again logic dictating that you can\u2019t catch a fish with your fly out of it.<\/p>\n

So,\u00a0Let the fish find your fly<\/strong>\u2026..this is a pearl\u00a0that only after chasing too many trout have I begun to truly appreciate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To tube or not to tube is a shouldn\u2019t be a dilemma. Although targeting Trout from the bank and stalking a fish is the way to go on arrival at any dam (as long as you get their at the proverbial crack of), to not jump in your float tube when fishing any decent sized dam is just limiting your options. The design of any established still water means that accessibility is limited from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":12336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22,23,70],"tags":[200,292,46,307,306,220,198],"class_list":["post-12317","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fly","category-fly-fishing","category-south-africa","tag-brown-trout","tag-fly-fishing-in-the-midlands","tag-fly-fishing","tag-kzn-midlands","tag-still-waters","tag-stillwater-fishing","tag-trout"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Lazy-Boyz-Banner.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2685,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=2685","url_meta":{"origin":12317,"position":0},"title":"Midlands Trout Season","author":"Gareth","date":"May 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"The first frosts of the season is something worth celebrating from a Winter fishing perspective. It is a time in which the Trout embrace the colder water temperatures and feed a little more aggressively before they switch into spawning mode. \u00a0 We have started to record minus degree Celius mornings\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/b2ap3_thumbnail_thumb_IMG_2862_1024.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15667,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=15667","url_meta":{"origin":12317,"position":1},"title":"The Trout Report","author":"Gareth","date":"November 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"That it was a cold Winter in the Natal midlands few would argue and these sustained sub zero temperatures translated into the fish staying in their uncooperative spawning behaviour beyond the normal few months. Tough fishing it certainly was for most and those that refused to change their habits struggled\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fly"","block_context":{"text":"Fly","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=92"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/the-trout-report-banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/the-trout-report-banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/the-trout-report-banner.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/the-trout-report-banner.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/the-trout-report-banner.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/the-trout-report-banner.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9754,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=9754","url_meta":{"origin":12317,"position":2},"title":"TCC Leg 1","author":"Gareth","date":"September 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"There are many elements that will determine how successful any fishing outing is, not least of which is our attitude. \u00a0 In the lead up to any trip, it\u2019s that element of excitement, finally being able to get back on the water, receiving the nod from your boss and better\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tops Corporate Challenge"","block_context":{"text":"Tops Corporate Challenge","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=279"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TCC-Leg-1-FB-Image-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TCC-Leg-1-FB-Image-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TCC-Leg-1-FB-Image-copy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TCC-Leg-1-FB-Image-copy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2776,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=2776","url_meta":{"origin":12317,"position":3},"title":"The Infallible Trout Fly","author":"Gareth","date":"April 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Floating around a lake, stuffed into a tube is to many a gentleman fly fisher like replacing a chess set with checkers pieces.\u00a0It\u2019s still a game but lacks the same finesse and skill or so many traditionalists would have you believe. But is it legalized trawling? Gently finning with your\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/b2ap3_thumbnail_Ariel-Dalcrue1.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15031,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=15031","url_meta":{"origin":12317,"position":4},"title":"Habits 7 of Successful Fly Fishers \u2013 Part 1 Winter","author":"Gareth","date":"July 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Mindset might be everything, but I\u2019m no shrink and I\u2019m not going to pretend that the positive laws of attraction are going to get you more fish. But what is proven, is if you fish with confidence, you don\u2019t second guess what you\u2019re doing all the time and hence stick\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fly"","block_context":{"text":"Fly","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=92"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Banner-copy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9431,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=9431","url_meta":{"origin":12317,"position":5},"title":"Paying it backward","author":"Craig Thomassen","date":"August 18, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to do something really special. My Dad turned eighty during Covid19 lockdown and there was no way of celebrating it properly. As soon as we were allowed to travel within the province, I took him on a short outing to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fly"","block_context":{"text":"Fly","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=92"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Paying-it-backward-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Paying-it-backward-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Paying-it-backward-copy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Paying-it-backward-copy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Paying-it-backward-copy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Paying-it-backward-copy.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8sv9-3cF","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12317","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12317"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12317\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12319,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12317\/revisions\/12319"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12317"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12317"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12317"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}