Cape Town : Offshore Saltwater

  • Location
  • Cape Town, South Africa
  • Type of fishery
  • Offshore saltwater, conventional and fly fishing
  • Season
  • October - May: Tuna & Yellowtail
    April - November: Snoek
  • Accommodation
  • Day trips only
  • Getting there
  • Departure from Hout Bay, Gordon's Bay or Simonstown harbours
  • Links
  • Fly Fish Cape Town

Tuna

In the deep indigo-blue waters off the infamous Cape Point, shoals of huge yellowfin tuna and smaller longfin tuna patrol the underwater canyons and warm oceanic currents. This area is renowned as a world-class fishery for record size fish, and conventional tackle anglers from around the world converge on Cape Town during the tuna season to tackle these trophy fish. The fishery regularly produces many fish around and above the 100 kg mark. Brave fly anglers do have the option of sight casting to these brutes, but tend to concentrate on the smaller specimens or the more manageable longfin tuna. Having said that, he largest specimen taken on fly to date is a massive 78 kg!

Because the tuna grounds are sometimes as far as 40 miles offshore, this fishery is weather dependant and a flexible schedule is recommended. Please note that bookings work on a full boat charter rate and are therefore ideally suited to groups of 4 - 6 anglers.

Yellowtail (amberjack)

In summer, schools of Cape Yellowtail (amberjack) congregate in the protected waters of False Bay around the Cape Point area. These aggressive and hard fighting fish are ideal quarry on the fly, and can be caught in good numbers under the right conditions. Sight casting to shoals of hungry yellowtail as the birds dive and crash around them is a thrilling and adrenaline pumping experience! Yellowtail average at around 3 - 5 kg, but can reach over 15kg.

Snoek

In the winter months, enormous shoals of hungry Cape Snoek magically appear in the waters around Cape Town. These ferocious barracuda-like predators eat anything that comes within range, and give a superb workout on a fly rod. Also averaging around

5 kilograms but reaching 9 kilograms, snoek hold slightly deeper in the water column. They have extremely sharp teeth and wire tippets are required to prevent bite-offs. Once a shoal is located, numerous fish can be hooked in quick succession. When the snoek are running, massive numbers can be landed in a day, leaving weary anglers and tattered tackle in their wake.

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