Our first Pongola season of 2025 has come to an end. As always, this massive body of water underwent significant changes since we last visited in 2024. Weeks before our arrival in late April, the late seasonal rains caused the dam to surpass 100% capacity—the first time since Jozini Dam was originally filled in the mid-80s.
Met with a vastly different playing field, our prep days before clients arrived had us on our toes. Known areas were either radically different or completely gone, and the clarity was nowhere near what we had experienced the last 4 years. Once again us guides were looking at an incomplete puzzle we thought we had completed. Having operated on this dam for 20-plus years, we knew we would figure it out and provide our incoming clients with a world-class experience.
Fish patterns to previous autumn seasons were now a thing of the past. With all the freshly flooded banks the tigerfish, like us, were exploring new areas. The reduced clarity also proved to be more of an advantage than a hindrance. The spookish tigers we knew so well were now behaving like the apex predator they are. Adapting and changing presentations and approaches quickly enforced our confidence and put us back into the hot seat.
Throughout the entire autumn season, the fish numbers increased every week. However, not only was the fishery living up to its reputation of having an extreme abundance of tigerfish. Sunset beers would quickly turn to war stories of broken leaders and opened hooks. Big tigerfish quickly reclaimed their role as victors, leaving many 7wt rods unbent and anglers violated. Once again the drawing board had to be erased and redone. With changes to strategies we quickly added the first magical DD (Double Digits/+10 lb) of the season to the records. With our new techniques and tactics, the floodgates opened after that first DD. After the last group left we had eight DDs under the belt ranging from 10 lb on the dot to 12.2 lb. Yet the fish lost will always be the ones remembered most vividly.
Autumn was always seen as the lesser season compared to the spring, however with the typical balmy windless days and the trend of more and bigger fish being captured compared to prior autumns, our autumn season is quickly earning its spot as the time to experience this phenomenal fishery. What made it interesting for us guides was the fact that, unlike usual, it was not one certain fly or technique which caused the damage. Almost every few days another pattern would develop, only to be null and void a couple of days later. That is the biggest benefit of spending two months on the water every single day, change demands change and change isn't noticed if not observed.
The only downside to this last season was the lack of game sightings. One of the things that makes this fishery so unique is being able to watch game like rhinos and buffalo wallow on the edge of the dam while you hunt for the next hard hit. With the fuller dam, the banks were just thick acacia and bush, which limited the sightings of game. The keen eyes still spotted numerous animals but there were no intimate moments of watching the likes of rhinos mere metres away.
We are already only a few weeks out of starting our spring season and it is shaping up to potentially be a spring season which may even exceed our expectations. Be sure to reach out if you think your feelings won't be hurt after your first hiding from a big one.
Blog by Mike Dames