Needed to get away a bit so headed to Bonnievale f

[Occie]

Needed to get away a bit so headed to Bonnievale for the weekend. I could do a little bit of fishing and could keep the wife happy with some wine tasting during the heat of the day.

While setting up the rods got this little guy of the front "stoep".



Managed to hook into a real beast of a grass carp that kept me busy for a while.The dam has really steep banks and I had forgot my net in CT. Thought I would try and get it to the one side of the dam where it looked a little shallower. Turned out it wasnt so shallow and the fish managed to get snagged. Went in after it to try and free it but IT managed to cut me off.

After loosing it I had that "the one that got away" in the back of my head that night. Went into the local genral dealer to get some groceries the next day and luckily theY had a little fishing section where I got the only net the had.

Round two and success. Net was a little small.











Managed a couple of carp too and a nice kurper (no photo).

 

[rbacht]

Beautiful looking fish - That's a monster Grassie!

 

[jacques9]

looks like a very nice place.
What's the name of the venue.

 

[Occie]

Hi Jacques.
Its outdoor Arena.
Not 5 star but very comfortable and if I can fish from my front door im happy.

 

[jacques9]

Thanks occie
Fishing from your stoep sounds awesome.
Do you know if there is bass there

 

[Occie]

Yes bass,carp,grass carp,kurper,blue gill and barbel.

 

[EugeneC]

Nice going, that grassie is a beast!

 

[snymancm]

Excellent post with great pics! Well done, it looks like a great venue, thanks for sharing

 

[Fishpaste]

 

[Enigma]

rbacht wrote:

Beautiful looking fish - That's a monster Grassie!

No, that's a whole Lawn (Lawnie) and not just Grass

 

[R4z0r]

Very nice @Occie!!

 

[Arlu Vorster]

Nice fish man! I am no expert but that fish does not look like a grass carp to me, or am I mistaken because it is so fat? They usually have long thin bodies, and the scales are also big like a carps scale? Could it be possible that we can see a breeding between normal carp and grass carp? Just for interest sake? But anyways nice looking fish man!!

 

[aquadementia]

gee awesome man!!! i'll definintely be checking that spot out since we're moving to Robertson at the end of the year. Are there similar venues nearby? what pattern did the grassie take?

 

[Occie]

thanks guys.

Arlu think it was just a very fat fish but who knows. The place actually specialises in breeding sterile grass carp that the sell for weed control.

Aqua not sure of other dams but im sure there is. We normally go camping along the breede river which flows past Bonnievale which has some really strong river carp in it. Caught it on a olive unwieghted wooly bugger. Fished just under the service trying to intercept the cruising fish as the fly slowly sinks. Lost a same size fish on a GRHE. Common was on a black DDD.Love catching them on dry flies.

Was really impressed by the stamina of the fish it just didn't give up.