geelvis

[HENRYHOEK]

Good morning all

So saturday I went for a quick fish on a private stretch of the vaal near Villiers.
I have been fishing this area for the last 20 years but for the last 5 or so years I started fishing the lower areas of the vaal in the Potchefstroom area.

One thing that is as clear as day is that the yellow fish population is much much healthier in fact the whole system seems much helthier below the vaaldam than above the vaaldam.

Also after 20 years I caut my first grass carp this weekend in the vaal system. As a kid they were unknown in the villiers area and now suddenly they are apparently quite common place.

I am no expert on water health but it seems that something horrible has gone wrong in the upper vaal that never spilled over the dam wall to the lower areas.

I would really like every ones input ant take on my observation.

Thanks

 

[The Owner]

I will check out the river at Parys tomorrow, I hear the water is in very good condition and extremely clear. I have no idea what has affected the upper vaal. How was the fishing on Saturday?

 

[HENRYHOEK]

Fishing was quite bad compared to the past but I know its because of the cold front that came through. I caut 2 small carp 1 grass carp and one small muddie.

Fishing below the vaal dam has been exelent the past few years, my friend caught a 4.something small mouth yellow a year or so ago.

As far as I know the "lower vaal" is dirtier than the "upper vaal" but it is possible that the lower vaal has much more rapids which is more conducive to the yellows spawning. I will be going back to villiers to another private farm that I've seen 5kg large mouth yellows come out in years back.

Maby just maby the yellows are there still.

 

[steelpulse007]

I've read some worrying news reports in the last couple of years about sewage flowing into the Vaal river below the Vaaldam wall. Some reports on sealine about greenpoint prison mentioned that the water condition there was dirty, fish dying, etc. I've also read some news reports about sewage flowing into the river in Parys, the last was last year I think.

As to the fishing, I dont usually target specifically yellows, but I've noticed that catching carp has become somewhat more challenging directly below Barrage, and I toyed with the idea that it might have been the pollution, but I also wonder about the floods and the river bursting it's banks circa 2009-2011. In Parys though, fishing seems different than in the Valderbijlpark area just below Barrage. I cant really comment about the yellows too much, but I've had some good experiences in Villiers, not so much below Barrage of late.

The differences in areas and venues sometimes astounds me, where on some weekends people at one of the resorts didn't have anything to smile about, but at private venues, along just about the same stretch of water or general vicinity, the guys were doing exceptionally well, so that variable might need to be considered. I remember fishing a venue on the Vaal dam a while back during spawn, and did very well, but heard that guys at some of the more popular venues sulking about blanking, go figure.

 

[superb]

I was in Potch this past weekend and all I can say is that the Yellow fish population is extremely healthy , they were feeding on sedges the whole weekend from about 4pm until late and came out on white floats also. I caught about 50 or so. That is without the one big one.