After a long stint abroard i'll be back in SA for
- Thread starter Cockatoo
- Start date
Grunter on fly is certainly one of the hardest fish to catch on fly. Grunter is extremely spooky. I've tried fishing for them at Keurbooms but only got hit twice. No hookups unfortunately. Any small prawn pattern or crab pattern should work. Charlies should work very good. I don't have any pictures of this fly but the one that got me the hits was the M.O.E fly. Try google it . Hope you have more luck than me.
I wont call it constantly but I get them now and again. I use a long leader with floating line which I camoe die with blue.
Normally standing on the clear banks i sight fish for them. Casting upstream and letting the current drag your fly into the striking zone. Then I use a jerky retrieve(short strip) to entice a strike.
Try not to let your fly drag on the sank as it spooks the fish. Even the shade your line makes on the sand spooks them. You will see they wont easily swim over the shadow line.
The fly I use is a homemade job. Grey wool and little clear flash. Will post a pic later this week.
Normally standing on the clear banks i sight fish for them. Casting upstream and letting the current drag your fly into the striking zone. Then I use a jerky retrieve(short strip) to entice a strike.
Try not to let your fly drag on the sank as it spooks the fish. Even the shade your line makes on the sand spooks them. You will see they wont easily swim over the shadow line.
The fly I use is a homemade job. Grey wool and little clear flash. Will post a pic later this week.
Cheers guys.I've caught one a few years back in Natures Valley on a flashy Clouser(at about 11pm,it was the only way I could get bit),but seeing that I'll be back for a while I might as well try gat bit more often.Sounds like Bonefish flies might work.
Any more help will be welcome.
Tight lines
Any more help will be welcome.
Tight lines
Jacque you boskak!!! Lekker to see you on here boet.
Grunter on fly make bonefish seem stupid mate... And it often depends on where you are fishing... up the East Cape way, Swartkops and what not, you get the prawn "walks" which wash alot of prawns off the banks and then the Spotties can be taken on Mud Charlies, Grnuter Charlies, as well as floating deerhair prawns, as during these times, the prawns are so thick and on the surface, that the Grunter will sip them off the top.
Down in the western Cape, its 99% a site fishing situation, and a case of a 1000 casts per fish... Here like, ghost has said, long flouro leaders, down to around 8lb, and silicone prawn patterns, specifically the JAM fly as designed by MC Cotzee and 2 mates is what you are looking for. This is sight fishing at its best and toughest.
As I said, it'll make the Barkers point Bones look like the Dyke Canal snook in comparison!!
When you okes coming back? We must hook up for some fishing for sure...
Take it easy boet, we'll chat soon. Catch a Tarp or two for me!
Nepps
Grunter on fly make bonefish seem stupid mate... And it often depends on where you are fishing... up the East Cape way, Swartkops and what not, you get the prawn "walks" which wash alot of prawns off the banks and then the Spotties can be taken on Mud Charlies, Grnuter Charlies, as well as floating deerhair prawns, as during these times, the prawns are so thick and on the surface, that the Grunter will sip them off the top.
Down in the western Cape, its 99% a site fishing situation, and a case of a 1000 casts per fish... Here like, ghost has said, long flouro leaders, down to around 8lb, and silicone prawn patterns, specifically the JAM fly as designed by MC Cotzee and 2 mates is what you are looking for. This is sight fishing at its best and toughest.
As I said, it'll make the Barkers point Bones look like the Dyke Canal snook in comparison!!
When you okes coming back? We must hook up for some fishing for sure...
Take it easy boet, we'll chat soon. Catch a Tarp or two for me!
Nepps
Howzit Nepps.
Ja did my first post shortly after you left here.We will be back in the middle of Dec and be around for about a year befor we are off again.I'll pm you when we are back and get some info on flies then.
Cheers for the info.
PS: Hooked and fought an 70lb Tarpon on my 9wt for about 20min befor spitting the fly.Gave me new respect for my TFO TiCr.Strong stick.
Ja did my first post shortly after you left here.We will be back in the middle of Dec and be around for about a year befor we are off again.I'll pm you when we are back and get some info on flies then.
Cheers for the info.
PS: Hooked and fought an 70lb Tarpon on my 9wt for about 20min befor spitting the fly.Gave me new respect for my TFO TiCr.Strong stick.
petercoetzee
New member
does anyone have a clearer pic of the JAM fly?
petercoetzee
New member
...also what is used to tie the JAM ? thanks guys 
Riaan_The_Legend
Senior Member
Take a baking tray and line it with wax paper. Then cut out long sections of polar fiber and lay it in the tray. Use tan and light pink colors. Then take silicone and wipe it along the polar fiber length ways and essentially create a mixture which dries thin and smooth. Then cut out the shapes required to build the fly. You will need mono to create the ridges in the back and try a yellow or pink chinielle underbelly to add some flash, but not too much. You'll be fishing gin clear water and those fish are ultra, ultra spooky so realism is the order of the day. Good luck with the fly and the fish. Now watch as I get shot for telling about that fly. Haha....
Riaan_The_Legend
Senior Member
What exactly does that mean? You think I'm taking the mickey?
Hi Cockatoo,
I am not sure where you are from, suggest you get your details on the board.
Grunter is most likely the most difficult fish to target on fly, but when you get him extremely rewarding.
I have fly fished extensively for Grunter in Durban Harbour and in the Umgeni River Estuary with a fair amount of success, my best Grunter was around 5Kg, and on a 4wt rod.
This is what worked for me - Use it don't use it.
Grunters like to feed mostly on small crustaceans, and they do this by forcing a jet of water into the sand which blows out the crustaceans which they can sense and from there they eat them. You now need to try and get your fly into this jet zone and this is mostly done by sight casting, which is the only truly succesfull way I have managed to get all my Grunter with the exception of 1 fish (my biggest) which I got stripping a large pink clouser on the top, I am still trying to figure that one out. But there are only general guide lines to fishing, and the fish do what they want. Still I only call a method once it has produced several fish.
I have found that the Grunter like to come onto the sand banks and start feeding as the tide starts coming in, and this is even more so the case when the incoming tide is in the late afternoon.
You need to go light so a 4wt - 6wt rod is what is needed, at Umgeni Mouth I use a 4wt as the Grunter are generally smaller and in Durban Harbour I use a 6wt as the Grunter are generall larger.
Sinking Line DI3 or 4, I use DI3 which is perfect as you are generally fishing for them in 500mm or less of water. The reason for the sinking line is to get it on the bottom so you do not line him or spook him, let it sink out of sight. I like using a dark brown line.
Leader 4lb to 6lb flouro (the lighter the better the chance of a hook up) and 2.5 - 3m long. It must be long as when you sight cast for them your fly must pass him, but not your main line.
Fly: I tie a small modified Crazy Charlie with a slightly longer tail than usual using white feather hurls and white rabbits hair dubbing on the shank with copper wire wrapped under the rabbits hairwith very small black bead chain eyes. It must be a light gauge size 10 trout hook. The copper wire wrapped creates an electro field and I then also magnetise the hook and keep them on a magnet right up until I need them, the electric feild is important. I also rub the fly in the sand before I use it to dirty it a little and take the brightness of the white.
You will see them tailing on the banks (this is when they areblowing the water jets into the sand) right into ankle deep water, you then watch and see what direction he is moving and cast your fly, but not the line past him and let the line sink and settle. Then you time him and slowly slowly twitch you fly into his path, and hopefully it blows up with all the crustaceans and he senses the magnetic field and takes your fly.
Hope this helps. :fishn
See the pic of my one around 5Kg attached that I got in Durban Harbour, I got him right in the shallow water by Cafe Fish standing in the parking area by my car at night whilst going for Sea Pike on a Size 1 Pink Clouser stropped fast on the surface. Figure that. Prooves my theory that the best way to catch fish is to get your line in the water.
I am not sure where you are from, suggest you get your details on the board.
Grunter is most likely the most difficult fish to target on fly, but when you get him extremely rewarding.
I have fly fished extensively for Grunter in Durban Harbour and in the Umgeni River Estuary with a fair amount of success, my best Grunter was around 5Kg, and on a 4wt rod.
This is what worked for me - Use it don't use it.
Grunters like to feed mostly on small crustaceans, and they do this by forcing a jet of water into the sand which blows out the crustaceans which they can sense and from there they eat them. You now need to try and get your fly into this jet zone and this is mostly done by sight casting, which is the only truly succesfull way I have managed to get all my Grunter with the exception of 1 fish (my biggest) which I got stripping a large pink clouser on the top, I am still trying to figure that one out. But there are only general guide lines to fishing, and the fish do what they want. Still I only call a method once it has produced several fish.
I have found that the Grunter like to come onto the sand banks and start feeding as the tide starts coming in, and this is even more so the case when the incoming tide is in the late afternoon.
You need to go light so a 4wt - 6wt rod is what is needed, at Umgeni Mouth I use a 4wt as the Grunter are generally smaller and in Durban Harbour I use a 6wt as the Grunter are generall larger.
Sinking Line DI3 or 4, I use DI3 which is perfect as you are generally fishing for them in 500mm or less of water. The reason for the sinking line is to get it on the bottom so you do not line him or spook him, let it sink out of sight. I like using a dark brown line.
Leader 4lb to 6lb flouro (the lighter the better the chance of a hook up) and 2.5 - 3m long. It must be long as when you sight cast for them your fly must pass him, but not your main line.
Fly: I tie a small modified Crazy Charlie with a slightly longer tail than usual using white feather hurls and white rabbits hair dubbing on the shank with copper wire wrapped under the rabbits hairwith very small black bead chain eyes. It must be a light gauge size 10 trout hook. The copper wire wrapped creates an electro field and I then also magnetise the hook and keep them on a magnet right up until I need them, the electric feild is important. I also rub the fly in the sand before I use it to dirty it a little and take the brightness of the white.
You will see them tailing on the banks (this is when they areblowing the water jets into the sand) right into ankle deep water, you then watch and see what direction he is moving and cast your fly, but not the line past him and let the line sink and settle. Then you time him and slowly slowly twitch you fly into his path, and hopefully it blows up with all the crustaceans and he senses the magnetic field and takes your fly.
Hope this helps. :fishn
See the pic of my one around 5Kg attached that I got in Durban Harbour, I got him right in the shallow water by Cafe Fish standing in the parking area by my car at night whilst going for Sea Pike on a Size 1 Pink Clouser stropped fast on the surface. Figure that. Prooves my theory that the best way to catch fish is to get your line in the water.
