Game On: Winter Species Fire Up the Coastline
 
Rock & Surf:
 
The coastline has truly fired up over the past week, and for those tuned in, the message is clear — the winter species have made their entrance, bringing with them a welcome surge of action. From shad to rockcod, the cooler shift has triggered a noticeable spike in activity, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting stretch ahead.
 
Rock and surf anglers have been on point, putting in the work where it matters most — studying the water, timing the tides, and backing their judgement. The results are showing. Fish are feeding with intent; rockcod are aggressive, shad are actively moving, kob are cruising the gullies, and bronze bream are holding strong in the white water, capitalising on the turbulence. When conditions align and the surf settles just right, it’s been full-on action.
 
One of the standout factors right now is how definite the seasonal change feels. This hasn’t been a slow transition — it’s arrived with purpose. It’s evident in the cooler air, visible in the water, and most importantly, reflected in how the fish are behaving. Feeding patterns have shifted into a more deliberate and aggressive mode. Opportunities are there, but success is leaning toward anglers who are prepared, observant, and adaptable.
 
Further north along the coast, the story remains consistent. A variety of species is moving through, with kingfish featuring regularly and surprise catches keeping things interesting. The anglers seeing success aren’t relying on luck — they’ve put in the groundwork. Time spent scouting structure at low tide and waiting for favourable conditions has made all the difference.
 
The central coastline has been a bit more mixed, with occasional discoloured water passing through, but it hasn’t completely slowed things down. There’s still decent fishing for those willing to put in the effort. Stumpnose, shad, and grunter are still around, with the odd grey shark adding a bit of excitement to the session.
 
Down south, conditions have improved noticeably. Uvongo Pier has been a major highlight, with some impressive GTs landed on both live bait and artificial lures. Grey sharks are as active as ever — reports suggest you can expect a hookup with almost anything in the water. Rock fishing has also been exceptional, especially for those targeting with prawn and chokka, while red prawn has proven especially effective under current conditions.
 
Looking ahead, things are shaping up nicely. If the current pattern holds — and all signs indicate it will — the coast is moving into a highly productive phase. With fish active, conditions lining up, and the seasonal push underway, the coming weeks could offer some outstanding opportunities for those ready to make the most of it.
 
Offshore:
 
Even with rough seas, strong winds, and a heavy swell making life difficult on the water, dedicated anglers still managed to turn the odds in their favour this past week. It was far from ideal fishing weather, but persistence, careful timing, and a thriving fishery rewarded those prepared to put in the effort. What began as inconsistent fishing slowly transformed into a far more productive weekend, especially for crews who had planned well and knew where to look.
 
As the seasonal shift continues, pelagic action has naturally eased off, but the rise in geelbek and daga salmon catches has more than filled the gap, dominating reports and social media feeds alongside a solid mix of bottom species. Success largely came down to sticking to the basics, locating productive marks, and fishing smart. For some, limits came quickly, while others had to grind through long hours before finding success.
 
The North Coast remained a standout area, with snoek catches staying consistent and larger fish coming from deeper water for anglers prepared to make the longer runs offshore. Couta and tuna added extra excitement, while dorado made occasional appearances along the colour lines. Durban also continued to produce decent fishing, with snoek still providing reliable action. Although smaller fish were more common, anglers who stayed patient managed to land quality bottom fish as well.
 
Further down the coast, conditions became noticeably tougher, demanding extra preparation and a careful approach at sea. Even so, anglers who picked their weather windows wisely and stayed committed were still able to put together respectable catches.
 
Looking ahead, the signs are encouraging. The transition into the new season is becoming clearer, and although the weather may still throw the occasional curveball, the fishing appears to be steadily improving rather than reaching a short-lived peak.
at once. For those willing to adapt and put in the time, there’s reason to stay optimistic.
 
Freshwater:
 
News from Jan : To all still here reading this – happy to note that your anchor system is fully functional, as some others were on the brink of failure and letting go as a result of the “strong breeze” (as noted by the Norwegians at YR)!  Not the weekend to be out fishing either, even though the pre-frontal weather seemed to be quite OK, the precipitous dive in the pressure gave another indication that there was something serious on its way.  The fish KNOW, and there was a distinct lack of interest in anything that was being thrown at them.  Last week had The Midlands get some more late rain – 10-15mm on average – with a bit more in a couple of places.  The additional moisture generated some snow up on top of The ‘Berg and Lesotho, hence the sudden arrival of winter proper.  Looks like there is some stable weather ahead, a tad chilly perhaps, but more amenable to getting out and throwing a line at whatever finned denizen tickles your fancy…
 
With a little more than 2 weeks left on the trout river calendar, the Natal Fly Fishers Club river anglers should be making the most of it before the long 3 month closure (last day of the season is 31 May, reopens on 1 September).  The Weatherman had other ideas however, and even though there was an attempt made on the browns of The Mooi River this past weekend, the fish were unresponsive and remained unmolested.
 
Apart from last week’s dribble of rain, river levels have stabilised, but surprisingly no further word from the “Scaly okes” trying to get their last yellows to hand before temperatures send them downstream to warmer climes.
 
Even with the stillwater event season kicking off this weekend, much the same applies to the NFFC stillwater anglers … though there was a brave attempt to get out on “The Day of The Big Wind” by one intrepid angler (or didn’t check the forecast!) … as per the return : ‘the wind won’, but not before a fish of 9-11 inches / 23-28cm succumbed to the wiles of the fly.
 
There have been some good fish coming from other waters in and around The Midlands, as well as further afield from the central Drakensberg however, so as things cool down, the stillwater fishing should heat up!
 
The freezer air coming down from up top has certainly given The Midlands that wintery feel, and the stillwaters will be cooling down nicely as a result.  Typical flies for this time of year are the ever-popular woolly bugger, dragon and damselfly patterns, as well as minnows and tadpoles, as the fish feed up on the larger food items, in preparation the cold winter waters ahead.  As the waters get colder, the larger prey items will thin out, and smaller prey like nymphs will be the main menu.
 
This weekend see’s the start of the Winter Stillwater fishing event season, with The Hastings Exclusive (on the waters of the upper Dargle Valley) and Leg1 of the TOPS Corporate Challenge (on the waters around Nottingham Road) – watch this space for news of the fishing!  Next month sees The Kamberg Trout Festival and The Boston Fly Fishing Festival, as well as further legs of the TOPS Corporate Challenge.
 
Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) continues to be a cause for alarm in The Midlands KZN … biosecurity remains a critical component of FMD control.  With the upcoming stillwater fishing events confirmed, all anglers are advised to take heed of biosecurity measures which will be in place at the Festivals and events, to heed the biosecurity notices / signage around The Midlands, and to please comply with any movement regulations, and assist where possible with hygiene and risk-reduction measures to safeguard local livestock. 
 
With the dearth of news of any bass catches locally (with the recent cancellation of the popular Albert Falls Classic, there is no need for anglers to get out on the water and practice), word from further afield is that last weekend’s KZN Small Craft Bass League Event 3 of 2026 at Inanda Dam yielded some fish of around the 1kg mark – we await the official results.
 
For the best in tackle and advice, pop into any of the eight Kingfisher stores, they are open 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm on public holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. 
 
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Please send any info about fishing or fish caught in your area to Vinesh Soogreem – vineshs@kingfisher.co.za