Fly fishing for Catfish

Fly fishing for the Southern  African sharptooth catfish (Clarius Gariepinus) and the Vundu (heterobranchus longifilis ) in Zimbabwe and upwards could perhaps be the most underrated or should I say undiscovered fly fishing adventures especially for the big fish hunters. I would go further to say that it could be the most underrated or again undiscovered species (from an angling perspective) in the world taking in consideration its distribution, success as a species, tot...

Fly fishing for mudfish

There are at least 80 species of Labeo or mudfish’s. They are specialised feeders of algae and have large inferior mouths with developed complex lips with grinding teeth in the pharynx and very long, coiled intestine.

The “Labeo umbratus” group consists of four species. They all tolerate low oxygen levels and have small scales except the seebri .They do well in dams. They also have two pairs of barbells. They turn a very dark almost black when spawning. Eggs hatch ...

Fly fishing for smallmouth yellowfish

Where to go for them

Many anglers don’t know the difference between the large and the smallmouth especially when they are around 300 mm especially beginners to the sport of fly fishing. Especially as some smallmouth yellowfish don’t have the very thick lips that most possess. They have two pairs of barbells though and eyes that are able to see below and to the sides. They occur higher than the largemouth yellowfish in smaller tributaries. They prefer cl...

Fly fishing for Largemouth Yellowfish

The Largemouth Yellowfish or Barbus Kimberleyensis is the largest scale bearing fish in Southern Africa and indeed in South Africa. It has a larger mouth than other yellowfish that terminates in thin lips. It has two pairs of smallish thin barbells with dorso –lateral eye placement. One of the differences between it and the smallmouth yellowfish is that you cannot see the eyes from below and more visible from the top. In other words they are good hunters...