Wind or current may sometimes push you toward or away from the pier where you intend to dock. To find the direction and force of the wind or current, stop your boat someplace nearby and see which way it drifts—and how fast. Armed with that knowledge, you can plan your docking approach and avoid surprises. When wind and current come from opposite directions, they sometimes cancel each other out. Read the rest of this entry »
The Umkomaas River, a challenging stretch of water situated near thesmall village of Bulwer in the foothills of the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, provided good trout fishing to anglers for many years before the Natal yellowfish established itself in those waters. In particular, one fast-water section of this beautiful river used to captivate me with its dancing riffles and swift pocket water.
Here a large midstream boulder broke the current into two well-defined tongues; one of these was diverted, almost at right angles, towards the bank where it welled up as it struck the side, forming a deep undercut I knew held good fish. On two previous visits to this stretch of water, I had drifted a small rubber-legged Bitch Creek Nymph into the undercut and on both occasions the pattern had produced several yellowfish, some of respectable size. Read the rest of this entry »
