Fish and Fishing in Rooiels
Thanks to Ral Meredith for this article on Fish and Fishing in Rooiels
The estuary and open sea around Rooi Els are inhabited by many different mammals, birds, fish, not to mention kreef (west coast rock lobsters), abalone and many other organisms.
The Estuary Fish
A CSIR Report No 8 on the survey undertaken in 1982 to investigate the fishes of the estuary was compiled by
TJ Heineken. A follow up reserve determination study (RDM) by Dept of Water Affairs (Appendix 1 ) undertaken in 2016 cites ten fish species as being found in the estuary of which three are strictly resident.
A seine net, 30m X 2m X 12mm was used to collect fish for the study. Nine species were netted, the only one not netted being the Cape Sole (Heteromycteris Capensis). This can be explained by the fact that the soles spend most of their lives on or beneath the sand and mud bed of the estuary. The Seine nets would thus have passed over them.
The three estuarine resident species are:
Of these, Gobies and Silversides have marine breeding populations.
The following three species are dependent on estuaries as nursery areas:
Occurring mainly in the estuaries are:
Occurring in the estuary but generally more common at sea are:
No freshwater fishes were recorded but this may reflect the relatively high salinity levels in the areas sampled.
In the 2016 survey, Silversides and the Speckled Goby were the most numerous.
By percentage: Silversides: 69.32%
Gobies: 14.38%
Estuarine Round Herring: 7.11%
Leervis: 6.76%
Others: 2.43 %
By mass: White Steenbras, and Leervis were dominant.
White Steenbras ranged from 13-17 cm in length, and Leervis from 25- 30cm.
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Catch and release fishing, using flies or small spinners, can be fun catching these small Leervis in the vicinity of the bridge. Be sure to get your Permit for Fishing from the Post Office
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The fishes found around the Rooi Els shore are listed below. Wimpie Stals and his brother Robert, were introduced to fishing off our shore in the 1980's by their father Albie. Wimpie has presented a list of the fish species caught or occurring around Rooi Els. Some of these species are occasionally landed in kreef nets. It is hoped this list will be seen as a start to the building of a more comprehensive list. There is no doubt other fishermen will recall catching or seeing fish which can be added to the list, and any comments would be welcome. We encourage people to participate.
The estuary and open sea around Rooi Els are inhabited by many different mammals, birds, fish, not to mention kreef (west coast rock lobsters), abalone and many other organisms.
The Estuary Fish
A CSIR Report No 8 on the survey undertaken in 1982 to investigate the fishes of the estuary was compiled by
TJ Heineken. A follow up reserve determination study (RDM) by Dept of Water Affairs (Appendix 1 ) undertaken in 2016 cites ten fish species as being found in the estuary of which three are strictly resident.
A seine net, 30m X 2m X 12mm was used to collect fish for the study. Nine species were netted, the only one not netted being the Cape Sole (Heteromycteris Capensis). This can be explained by the fact that the soles spend most of their lives on or beneath the sand and mud bed of the estuary. The Seine nets would thus have passed over them.
The three estuarine resident species are:
- Estuarine Round Herring (Gilchristella Aestuararia)
- Knysna Sand Goby / Speckled Goby (Psammaagobius Knysnaensis)
- Silverside (Atherina Breviceps)
Of these, Gobies and Silversides have marine breeding populations.
The following three species are dependent on estuaries as nursery areas:
- Juvenile Flat Head Mullet (Mugil Cephalus)
- White Steenbras (Lithognathus )
- Leervis (Lichea Amia)
Occurring mainly in the estuaries are:
- Cape Sole ( Heteromycterus Capensis)
- Juvenile Groovy Mullet (Lisa Dumerilli )
Occurring in the estuary but generally more common at sea are:
- Juvenile Southern Mullet (Lisa Richardsonii)
- White Stumpnose (Rhabdosargus Globiceps)
No freshwater fishes were recorded but this may reflect the relatively high salinity levels in the areas sampled.
In the 2016 survey, Silversides and the Speckled Goby were the most numerous.
By percentage: Silversides: 69.32%
Gobies: 14.38%
Estuarine Round Herring: 7.11%
Leervis: 6.76%
Others: 2.43 %
By mass: White Steenbras, and Leervis were dominant.
White Steenbras ranged from 13-17 cm in length, and Leervis from 25- 30cm.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................
Catch and release fishing, using flies or small spinners, can be fun catching these small Leervis in the vicinity of the bridge. Be sure to get your Permit for Fishing from the Post Office
...............................................................................................................................................................................................
The fishes found around the Rooi Els shore are listed below. Wimpie Stals and his brother Robert, were introduced to fishing off our shore in the 1980's by their father Albie. Wimpie has presented a list of the fish species caught or occurring around Rooi Els. Some of these species are occasionally landed in kreef nets. It is hoped this list will be seen as a start to the building of a more comprehensive list. There is no doubt other fishermen will recall catching or seeing fish which can be added to the list, and any comments would be welcome. We encourage people to participate.
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