Catch of the Week

Angler: David Gibbon
Catch of the Week: 64cm Smallmouth Yellowfish

Success on the Orange River

After a tough week’s fishing, time was running out for David to catch his dream fish on the Orange River. Both largemouth and smallmouth yellowfish, if any real size, had been evading us throughout the entire trip. David’s persistence and determination never wavered, and he continued to fish at every given opportunity. In the dying minutes of the trip, with everyone holding their breath, his dream finally came true.

Eyeing a few rocks situated in a good flow, David made a short but tactical cast into the perfect spot. Bang! He was on, and the fish was screaming down the pool. After a lengthy and nervous battle, we landed the beautiful fish. The entire group erupted in ecstatic applause, and David’s big smile made the whole trip worthwhile. An absolutely amazing moment to round off yet another drift with wonderful people.

Ready to create your own fishing adventure? Book your next trip now and experience unforgettable moments like David’s.

Smallmouth Yellowfish

The smallmouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus aeneus) is a hardy species found in South Africa’s Orange-Vaal River system, which stretches from Lesotho and the Mpumalanga highveld to Botswana and Namibia, draining diverse habitats such as grasslands, mountains, and desert. This system supports the Orange-Vaal smallmouth yellowfish, a favourite sport fish in South Africa.

The species is adaptable and can inhabit smaller streams due to its smaller size, reaching up to 9 kg. It is an opportunistic feeder, consuming plant material, aquatic insects, crabs, shrimps, and small fish. Slow-growing, it becomes sexually mature at around 30 cm, usually at seven years old.

During spawning, males develop rough skin covered in sensory papillae. Spawning occurs from October to February, triggered by water temperatures exceeding 19°C. The eggs, large and double-shelled, allow the fish to spawn in fast-moving, oxygen-rich waters. Juveniles are silver-bellied with olive-green backs and black spots, gathering in small shoals in ideal habitats.