Smallmouth yellowfish (Labeobarbus aeneus)

Photo by Brian du Preez on iNaturalist · CC BY-SA 4.0

FishActive now (October)

Smallmouth yellowfish

Labeobarbus aeneus

When
Mar–May, Sep–Nov — March, April, May, September, October, November. Earlier where the water warms first.
Where it holds
Clear runs, riffles and rocky glides of the Vaal and Orange rivers, and the big dams on them; introduced into a few other river systems.
How to know it
A big, streamlined, bronze-gold barb with large scales, golden fins and a small mouth.
What to know
The Vaal’s signature fish and the heart of South African fly-fishing for indigenous species. Catchable all year; October is the best month, with April and May close behind.
The tactic
Dead-drift a heavy nymph and a small caddis pupa through the riffles, or fish a worm or a small crab on the bottom.
Caution
The Vaal can rise fast when dams upstream release water — check flows before wading. Handle fish with wet hands and get them back quickly.

Seasons, size limits and catch limits change every year and differ by water body. Check the current regulations for the country and the water before you fish.

Smallmouth yellowfish facts

Also called
Orange–Vaal smallmouth yellowfish. Formerly Barbus aeneus.
Family
Cyprinidae, the carp and minnow family — a large African barb.
Native range
The Orange–Vaal river system: from its sources in Lesotho and the Mpumalanga highveld to the Atlantic at Oranjemund, through South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana and Namibia.
Introduced to
Moved into the Gouritz, Great Fish, Kei and Limpopo (Olifants) systems, and Kyle Dam in Zimbabwe; it has become invasive in some Eastern Cape rivers.
Habitat
Clear, flowing water of large rivers over sand and rock, and large impoundments. Adults are fairly territorial, often keeping to a stretch of 20 m or so.
Water temperature
A warm-temperate river fish of hot summers and cold winters. Spawning starts once the water passes about 19°C (66°F) in spring.
Size
Most adults 30–45 cm (12–18 in); the largest measured about 50 cm (20 in).
Record
No IGFA all-tackle category. FishBase lists a maximum published weight of 7.8 kg; FOSAF puts the species at up to 50 cm and 7 kg.
Lifespan
Up to about 12 years. It grows slowly, taking almost seven years to reach maturity at about 30 cm fork length.
What it eats
Omnivorous bottom feeder: insect larvae, water fleas, snails, small mussels, crabs, shrimps, small fish, algae and detritus.
Spawning
Spring to midsummer — October to February — once the water passes 19°C, usually after the first good rains. Small shoals run up to shallow gravel beds in flowing water; eggs go into a saucer-shaped nest and are covered with gravel. A 45 cm female carries about 30,000 eggs.
Teeth and mouth
A small mouth, built for picking food off the bottom; no teeth in the jaws.
Look-alikes
Largemouth yellowfish, in the same rivers, has a longer, heavier head and a much bigger mouth, and is a fish-eater. Other yellowfish species live in other river systems.
Eating
Edible, and readily caught by subsistence anglers on worms, crabs and minnows; most sport anglers release them.
Status
Least Concern, but vulnerable to pollution, water abstraction, over-harvesting and alien fish. Angling for it on the Vaal is a major industry.

Try it

How big does a smallmouth yellowfish get?

Slide it from an ordinary adult to the biggest one ever measured, next to things you know the size of.

38 cm · 15 inmost adults51015202530354045505560cm246810121416182022ina grown-up's hand · 18 cma loaf of bread · 30 cm

Most adults you'll catch: 30–45 cm (12–18 in).

This smallmouth yellowfish: 38 cm. Longer than a loaf of bread, shorter than a four-year-old.

The record

No IGFA all-tackle category. FishBase lists a maximum published weight of 7.8 kg; FOSAF puts the species at up to 50 cm and 7 kg.

Questions people ask about smallmouth yellowfish

When is the best time to fish for smallmouth yellowfish?

October, for size and numbers, according to the Federation of Southern African Flyfishers; April and May are also good. They can be caught all year, but summer floods colour the rivers.

How do you catch smallmouth yellowfish on fly?

Dead-drift nymphs through riffles and glides — a heavy dropper with a smaller caddis pupa or mayfly nymph is the standard rig, often fished Czech-style on a short line. In pools, black or olive Woolly Buggers and strip leeches work.

How big do smallmouth yellowfish get?

Up to about 50 cm (20 in) and 7–8 kg (15–17 lb). They grow slowly: a fish takes almost seven years to reach 30 cm and maturity, which is why anglers release the big ones.

Found in these regions

Checked against these sources ·

Sizes, records and ranges are for the species as a whole; local fish, and local rules, vary. Records change — the record-keeper named above has the current one.

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