Leervis at Salt Rock

[Muffin Man]

Hello chaps I am back after 2 weeks of fishing in the Transkei and Kenya. Much like the guys who fished at the sealine bash the weather in the transkei was not great. I put in alot of effort and managed to land 8 Leervis. The fish were all in the 4 to 5kg class.

My first cast at Kob inn mouth I got a follow and went tight on my 5th cast and I thought to myself wow I am going to hammer the Garrick. Needless to say it didn't pan out that way. The rain moved in and with it bigger swells. I then crossed the river and spent most of my time fishing Salt Rock. I got 5 in one morning session then returned in the afternoon and got one more. On another occasion I got the other one to make up the 8.

I was casting a 3 ounce white plug on a graphcast 4 rod with a trinidad 14. The wave breaks off the point of salt Rock on the Kob inn side then reforms again. Where it reforms again there is a clear patch of water with a foam line. That is where you must cast if you didn't go vas you would have a spectacular chase.

I took some of the other guests staying at the hotel with me and showed them where to cast and now I have some new friends for life. The one guy had his plug smacked so hard by a leervis that it was thrown about 4m into the air. The hotel also scored as every guest was now buying plugs.

Here is a pic of the area where you must retrieve your plug. I must say that my family and I really enjoyed our stay at Kob inn and have already booked for next year. Keep Well. Paul (MM)

 

[sebastiaan]

Sounds great! Where the pics of the leervis?

 

[tremosso]

Paul, still unpacking? Come on show us the pics.

 

[Muffin Man]

I do not have any pics of the Leervis but have quite a few from the Kenya trip. I took the photo of the water when I was having a smoke break at my bag as the camera was packed away because of the rain.

Julio I will do a post on the Kenya trip soon with all the pics of the fish our group caught. I got back on Sunday evening and we are in the process of having a disc made with all the photos and video footage we shot with the different cameras. I will put the post in the offshore section as all the fish we caught were off a boat.

Chow. Paul (MM)

 

[Mr J]

Hey MM

 

'Scuse my ignorance but where is Kob inn and Salt rock in TransKei?

 

Ta

 

[Muffin Man]

Hi, the Kob inn is in the transkei at the mouth of the Qora River on the northern side of the river. Salt Rock is on the southern side of the river plus minus a 15min walk from the river. A further few km I think 6km is Mazzepa Bay.

I walked across the river on a few occasions on the low tide and at neap tide low and its only waist deep in places I only did this when the ferry was not operating, early morning and after 4pm. The river has loads of potential but was dead when I was there, I threw plugs and spinners for hours and never had a knock or a follow. A local at Mazzepa told me that November is a good time to fish the river. I do know of an elf or two coming out in the river in the week that I was there.

November is also a good month for the big Leervis. I have stayed at quite a few places in the Transkei from Umngazi in the north to Kei Mouth in the south. I was keen to stay at different places each year but have decided to go back there again. I met really nice people who are now planning to go there annually in the September school holidays with kids the same ages as ours.

There is a relaxed atmosphere and the staff are friendly. I celebrated my birthday there and the bar staff kept the bar open till 1.30am when it normally closes at 10pm. Needless to say even the chef was battling in the morning. Other guests joined in and there was dancing and even langarm so ya its a cool place. My kinda people and they share the same passion fishing.

Cheers Paul (MM) 

 

 

[Juiceless]

Muffin Man

I am off to Mpame next week 22/10 and I would really love to nail a decent Garrick. Any advise would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

[tremosso]

Muffin Man wrote:

There is a relaxed atmosphere and the staff are friendly. I celebrated my birthday there and the bar staff kept the bar open till 1.30am when it normally closes at 10pm. Needless to say even the chef was battling in the morning. Other guests joined in and there was dancing and even langarm so ya its a cool place. My kinda people and they share the same passion fishing.

Cheers Paul (MM) 

 

Paul where shall we meet next year? You call it.

If Portugal qualifies for the World Cup I'll be around SA but priority is another dream vacation. Desroches is past and I need some new motivation now.

 

[Muffin Man]

Hi Julio, with regards to next year I haven't decided yet. Got a quote from Benguerra Lodge this week for the Misses and I R40 770 per person for a week which is pricey but it looks awesome. For fishing if I was to spend that kinda money I would rather go to the Seychelles.

I need to go to a place where the misses can join me otherwise my fishing hours will get seriously reduced. If you are in SA, you must let me know, surely Portugal must qualify we can go fish and listen to it on the radio I hear you saying, Ya right !!! I am not a big football fan.

I will keep you posted on my destination. I need to go get the boat sorted out, went to sea yesterday, caught a few tail and kantonkel then came home to watch the Currie Cup. My team WP got beaten by Morne Steyn(bliksem) so ya it was great game with a sad ending but both semis where excellent games. Chow Paul (MM)

 

 

[kitefisher]

Lekka Paul,perfect spot ,and pinpointed by you (can see time with Malcolm has paid off) LOL jokes aside.Anybody with an inkling to catch a Garrick on plug should save your photo,and try a few casts at every spot that holds that formation pattern,brilliant conditions.

Btw ,Do you use .40mm on your Trini 14 and if so do you use only a shortened leader of maybe, spectra.? Chisselnose "runner" for those conditions ?

 

 

[Muffin Man]

Hi Kitefisher. I used .47 Double X Hi-abrasion, no leader. I didn't fish with Malcolm as the weather was not great but chatted to him everyday to tell him what was happening. He was building at his cottage so the rain was not good for him either.

I will post a pic 2mrw of the plugs I was using, I was given a few as samples to try out. The blokes I took with me from the Hotel bought Malcolms Runners(connosiours).

Cheers Paul (MM)

 

[Muffin Man]

Hi Kitefisher. I used .47 Double X Hi-abrasion, no leader. I didn't fish with Malcolm as the weather was not great but chatted to him everyday to tell him what was happening. He was building at his cottage so the rain was not good for him either.

I will post a pic 2mrw of the plugs I was using, I was given a few as samples to try out. The blokes I took with me from the Hotel bought Malcolms Runners(connosiours).

Cheers Paul (MM)

 

[kitefisher]

COOL,How much .47mm goes on there  just a ball park figure, if you didn't measure it,would guess about 200-220m ?About the same as we got.40 mm,on the old abu 6500's.

 

 

[Muffin Man]

I would say its around that mark, I would prefer to use 20pound line for the Leervis. They are clean fighters as you know but most my reels are set up for Yellowtail so I just left the 35Lb on the spool. Cheers

 

[will101]

Hi MM well done on those leeries but then that's what we expected from you! By the looks of it we just missed the weather window in the Kei. The night we arrived we chatted to a bloke (Aziz) from Durban. He told us how he slid a live elf but he was bugged by the big leeries who kept on picking up his bait and busting him off. How crap does that sound? A week before our arrival some speoros got a leerie of about 25kg's - a BUS!
Dang there goes our plan to go to Benguerra! sheez! Gotta get our kicks back home I guess.
cheers tight lines
w

 

[Muffin Man]

Thanks Will and I read your post on your trip . Nice post. Another time and I am positive you would have been rewarded for all your guys effort.

Kitefisher I took the photo of the plugs for you lastnight and my cameras battery died when trying to load the pic will send it to you 2mrw when I am back at work. Cheers Paul(MM).

 

[kitefisher]

Thanks

 

[Muffin Man]

Here are the plugs Kitefisher. They weighed 3 ounces and are relatively new on the shelves here in Cape Town, they aren't Predator Plugs. Cheers Paul (MM)