The good news is that the shad are here and the bad news is that this is the only good news.

Good numbers of mostly small shad are present much of the time in little or medium sized pockets all along the Maputaland Coast. They move around rapidly and many of the shoals are tiny and often move off after one fish is caught. They seem to spend most of the time right close to the shore in the white water where the waves break.

As with the shad in most KZN areas this year they seem to vary in size from about 280 mm to about 330 mm, the legal size limit being 300 and the bag limit being four fish. There are reports of some much larger shad in the southern areas but very few seem to yet have moved north. Even so, there is a significant difference between a 280 mm shad and one of 320mm (apart from one being legal and the other not.)

They are to be found erratically along the shore in both rocky and sandy areas but usually in gullies or backwater areas and they often feed very enthusiastically and it is all too easy to forget about their teeth. Saving your fly from being completely mangled takes second place to saving your finger from being completely mangled. You need to check your leader after every fish as they often take the fly so enthusiastically that they swallow the whole fly. Wasting time when having landed one fish often results in the shoal having moved off before you cast out again.

Fishing is best on an incoming tide as, although they seem to frequent very shallow water, they quickly head off to deeper water if disturbed on an outgoing tide.

There have been reports of very large giant kingfish herding shoals of shad in the shallows. This is an amazing spectacle as you can see the shoal of "terrified" shad in the waves with a huge shadow right behind them but it you cast in they will still usually take the fly. It would be very interesting, for about two milliseconds, if you hooked a shad that was then taken by a huge kingfish.

As is usual if there are shad around they seem to stir up all other species. Spotted pompano, bastard mullet and many species of (small) kingfish are being reportedly caught in amongst the shad. There have also been some nice greenspot kingfish around the edges of the shad shoals.

The best places for shad are still the bays such as Black Rock and Bhanga Neck but they are scattered along the whole shore. KOsi Mouth is also good but the shoals move around a lot and there is quite a bit of disturbance with visitors and people bathing.

From a fly fishing perspective the lakes are pretty much dead at present.

Tight lines,

Scotty.