Blog - Page 18 of 30 - Baha Adventures

23Dec 2012 by Nick Nortje

Springer Into Action

So after a very successful Midmar trip the Baha Boys decided to give the salt a bash before they parted ways to their various holiday destinations. The location was Durban Harbour. Warren arrived at my place at 04:15, hooked up the boat and we made our way down to the bay. The weather was as humid as hell (even at 4am) but thankfully we had our Columbia Sportswear shirts on to sort that out. [caption id="attachment_917" align="alignleft" width="300"] Nick With A Springer[/caption] Arriving at the bay just before sunrise we eagerly kitted up and launched the boat. After having great success at the Silt Canal we made our way up to it, stopping along the way to fish the drop off at various points and to test out the newly…

17Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Midmar Bass Bashing

Bass, Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trip Report

[caption id="attachment_888" align="alignleft" width="300"] Launching At Midmar[/caption] Amazingly it had been 8 years since Nick and I last visited (and camped) at Midmar Dam in the Kzn Midlands. Yes, it's not as scenic as the mountains and bass are not as fondly thought of as trout by most fly fisherman; but we're not most fly fisherman! So when a long weekend popped up just before Christmas we packed the vehicles, hitched the boat, and took the families up to Midmar for a relaxing weekend with a "little" fly fishing. We arrived at around 6pm on Friday evening which left us just enough light to pitch the tents and get camp ready before darkness fell. Then the beers came out, the fire was lit, and we began the usual discussions of…

05Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Some of my Favourite Columbia Items

Reviews

Columbia Bahama II Long Sleeve Shirt [caption id="attachment_854" align="alignright" width="150"] Columbia Bahama II[/caption] Over my many years as a fly fisherman I've gone through piles of fishing shirts. That was until I came across the Bahama II by Columbia Sportswear. It is without a doubt my absolute favourite fly fishing shirt and I now have several in my cupboard. Although it does come in a short sleeved model I tend to stick to the long sleeved version to protect me from the sun. Thankfully this shirt succeeds in keeping me cool in even the hottest conditions thanks to the fabric and ventilation which is located around the arms and shoulders. It is of course also quick drying which proves useful in both hot and rainy conditions. This shirt is made…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

The Kingdom – A DVD Review

Fly Fishing, Reviews

[caption id="attachment_803" align="alignright" width="300"] The Kingdom Screenshot[/caption] Following on from Touching Gold, Safari and Film Africa take us on a journey through the beautiful and remote Lesotho highlands in search of the countries large, elusive and very wild Trout. SFA'a unique style can be seen throughout the DVD and is easily recognisable if you've previously watched Touching Gold. I find that fly fishing DVDs tend to come in two main formats; those which try to teach you something and those which share an experience with you. This DVD certainly falls into the second category and leaves you wishing that this was an experience you were part of. Tourette Fly Fishing guides are seen stalking both wild Rainbow and Brown Trout in the crystal clear streams of the Lesotho Kingdom. Throughout…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Touching Gold – A DVD Review

Fly Fishing, Reviews

[caption id="attachment_800" align="alignright" width="300"] Touching Gold Screenshot[/caption] Touching Gold is the first fly fishing DVD filmed and produced by Rayno Egner of Safari and Film Africa. In association with Tourette Fly Fishing it transports the viewer to Free State's famous Sterkfontein Dam, regarded as one of the best sight fishing venues in Africa. Although Sterkfontein was originally fished for Trout (and contains many other species including Bass and Largemouth Yellowfish) this DVD shares with us the magical experience of sight fishing for Smallmouth Yellows. Anyone who's fished (or visited) Sterkfontein will be aware of the sheer size of this body of water as well as it’s incredible clarity. It can be hugely intimidating to anyone new to the venue and this DVD goes a fair way in giving a few…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior 5 Comments

Lotheni Nature Reserve

Reviews

[caption id="attachment_792" align="aligncenter" width="900"] View Over The Lotheni River[/caption] [caption id="attachment_793" align="alignright" width="300"] A Lotheni Wild Brown[/caption] Lotheni is most notably known for its beautiful scenery and many hiking options for people of all ages and abilities. That said, for us at Baha Fly Fishing, its known for its wild Brown Trout, Sime's Cottage and technical stream fishing. The fly fishing at Lotheni (mostly) takes place in the Lotheni River which runs below both the main camp and the camping site. It contains a healthy population of wild Browns and is in my opinion rather technical as the Browns seem far more skittish than those in the popular Bushman's River at Giant's Castle. The river is of course only open during the standard season running from the 1st September to…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Kamberg Nature Reserve

Reviews

[caption id="attachment_777" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Eland Dam, Kamberg Nature Reserve[/caption] [caption id="attachment_776" align="alignright" width="300"] The Kamberg Chalets[/caption] Kamberg Nature Reserve, located in the foothills of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, was once regarded the meca of KwaZulu-Natal fly fishing with big fish being caught often, five well maintained dams, a good stretch of the Mooi River and their own hatchery. Sadly things have changed slightly and the hatchery has long since been closed. The previous offer of five dams has also been reduced and they now maintain and stock only two of the dams on the reserve. That said the fishing in these two dams is still decent and the dams are well maintained. They seem to be stocked fairly frequently and as a result a lot of stockies are on offer…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

The Columbia Grendel

Reviews

The Columbia Grendel The Grendel has fast become a favourite item in my fishing arsenal for streams as well as those misty days on still waters. I love carrying a camera with me but wouldn't dare take the SLR onto the water in case I tripped or the rain came in. Thankfully the Grendel gave me the confidence to take my camera everywhere thereby improving my fishing photos tenfold. This backsack is comfortable to wear and, although not fully waterproof, is very water resistant. It's also stain resistant which means it always looks good no matter how many fish you catch. There's an easy to access, water resistant, back pouch for important items like cell phones and keys, while the main compartment has more than enough space for your jacket,…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

The Jvice

Fly Tying, Reviews

[caption id="attachment_754" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The Jvice[/caption] For over 10 years I tied my flies on an entry vice which I bought while on a limited budget at University. And for many years I believed that all vices were made equal; that was until the day I got to tie a fly using the Jvice. Suddenly I realised just how wrong I'd been. Yes, perhaps the final fly looked similar, but the process of tying it differed greatly. The Jvice was faster, more efficient and far easier to use. I was once again excited to tie flies and was suddenly tying twice as many in half the time. I immediately decided to review the Jvice and was lucky enough to meet Jay Smit and to spend some time with him at…

04Dec 2012 by Nick Nortje 2 Comments

The Xplorer Guide II (5wt 9ft 4 Piece Freshwater Fly Rod)

Fly Fishing, Reviews

[caption id="attachment_745" align="alignright" width="300"] The Xplorer Guide II[/caption] On first viewing this rod I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the construction of the rod tube. It is made out of carbon fibre and has machined and polished end caps giving you a feeling of class. Unscrew the top cap and you pull out your four rod sections wrapped in a cloth sleeve. The rod is constructed using Xplorer's XP7 modulus graphite blanks, pac bay eyes and a lightweight aluminium up-locking reel seat with a high quality cork handle. I paired the rod with the Rio Mainstream intermediate, weight forward line and the Xplorer Eclipse 4-6wt reel. This combo I feel gives the rod a good balance. The rod action is medium to fast and can effortlessly cast…