Kamberg Bliss

Kamberg Bliss

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_384" align="alignright" width="300"] Another Rainbow Trout Release[/caption] Having spent the morning stocking some of the club waters Sharon and I decided to spend the night at the Kamberg Nature Reserve. We drove through the gate at 12am and I immediately became aware of the storm clouds which were already forming overhead. Worried that I wouldn't be able to fish later that day I cut a deal with Sharon which allowed me to fish while she unpacked the car. I fished the usual spots around Erskine for about 30 minutes with no luck. It was midday in summer and I wasn't expecting a lot so I continued fishing while enjoy the pair of Crested Eagles nesting in a nearby tree. It was at this point that I noticed a few…
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Lake Naverone (My 30th Birthday)

Lake Naverone (My 30th Birthday)

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_378" align="alignright" width="300"] Dragon Fly Nymph Comparison[/caption] Sharon decided to take me fishing for my 30th birthday so we drove up to Lake Naverone on Friday evening amidst the mist and rain. I didn't set an alarm but was awake by just after 6am on Saturday. We lazed around a little so I only made it onto the water at around 8am. I fished the large dam in partly cloudy conditions starting close to the inlet. Almost immediately I missed two strong hits which got me rather excited. Sadly I saw no more fish for the next hour. The inlet was heavily weeded so I made my way to the far bank which appeared to be the deeper of the two. I picked up one tiny rainbow but wasn't…
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The Uitzicht Curse

The Uitzicht Curse

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_373" align="alignleft" width="300"] Nick's Uitzicht Rainbow[/caption] So after a slow, shaky start due to the night before being Warren and Sharon’s engagement party, and the Tazz having morning sickness, Tazz and I made it to the customary coffee stop at 6.20am. The weather was not looking too good from home, but hey, I had to collect my jacket that I had left behind on a previous drinking trip (I mean fishing trip). As I had confirmed from Durban the weather was miserable; 10 degrees, rain, mist but no wind! I finally made it to the dam after some 4X4ing through the mud (manly grunt here). I must point out the actual Kamberg tar road is full of pot holes that even a 4X4 feels, it almost felt like I…
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Kamberg, Catch, Repeat

Kamberg, Catch, Repeat

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_369" align="alignright" width="225"] Clinton Nortje's First Trout[/caption] On Sunday morning I woke up at around 5:30am to far more light than I expected. By 6am I was at Nick's place where Clinton picked us up and we headed for Kamberg, stopping of course for a cup of coffee and a doughnut. We arrived at Kamberg at around 7:30am in thick mist and a little drizzle. From afar conditions were looking good and we quickly spotted two other fishermen on the water. A brief chat to them revealed they were staying there, had been fishing for a while, and had caught no fish. Not a good sign but nothing to worry about. Since the other fishermen were fishing Eland Dam we headed down to Erskine and got to it. Both…
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Lotheni’s Sneaky Browns

Lotheni’s Sneaky Browns

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_364" align="alignleft" width="300"] First Wild Trout On The New Rod[/caption] At 5am on Saturday morning we climbed out of bed, packed the car and headed for the Drakensberg. Stopping for petrol proved annoying when the standard garage told us they were out of diesel and we were forced to head into Pmb to find some. Otherwise all went well until we reached the Underberg turn off when I forgot that it was shorter through Nottingham Road and we headed for Underberg on my 111km worst road. After passing through Himeville the road turns from tar to dirt for the last 40kms. The dirt was in good condition bar the fact that they seem to be working on it. This meant large piles of rubble for long stretches leaving only…
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The Mooi River, Kamberg

The Mooi River, Kamberg

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_359" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Mooi River[/caption] Sunday morning started at the normal 5:30am for me when I packed the car and headed for the Kamberg Nature Reserve. Nick was heading up Sani Pass and so I'd decided to take the opportunity to explore the Mooi River which we'd always ignored for some unknown reason. Sharon was originally going to join me but ended up working at a golf day her company was sponsoring and hence I explored alone. When I arrived at the reserve I parked at the picnic site near the gate and walked down to the river. My first impression was "WOW, what a fantastic water!" Carefully I climbed into the crystal clear water, which was flowing steadily, and began the trip upstream. The upper Mooi River…
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Open Season (For Rivers Anyway)

Open Season (For Rivers Anyway)

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_354" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Nick Nortje On The Mooi River[/caption] Sunday saw Nick and I head out fishing once again. The rivers opened on the 1st September and we thought we'd go and look at a section of the Mooi River I'd fished two or so years ago. After the usual 5:30 start and mandatory cup of Wild Bean coffee we hit our first glitch...road closure in Pietermartizburg. A "quick" divert through town saw us arriving somewhat later than planned. We kitted up quickly and began the 5km walk downstream to the start of the beat. The water was surprising clear for Reekie Lyn and was low as expected. That said the higher than usual winter rainfall (and snow) meant the river was at least flowing. As an added bonus…
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Old Faithful, Kamberg Nature Reserve

Old Faithful, Kamberg Nature Reserve

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_346" align="alignleft" width="200"] Warren Prior With A Kamberg Trout[/caption] On Sunday morning I picked up Nick and Clinton and we made our way (via the coffee shop) to Kamberg for some Trout fishing. It was Clinton's first time with a fly stick so we were all hoping he'd pick it up quickly and get into at least one fish. By 8am we were all on the water. I headed for the shallows where I'd dominated on a previous visit while Nick and Clinton fished our famous jetty where it was easiest for Clinton to cast. Thankfully he picked it up amazingly quickly and, despite not having a long cast, he was definitely getting far enough to pick up a fish. Conditions seemed good for Trout. The pressure had been…
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The Boston Fly Fishing Festival 2011

The Boston Fly Fishing Festival 2011

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trip Report, Trout
[caption id="attachment_332" align="alignright" width="300"] Warren Prior At The Boston Fly Fishing Festival[/caption] Over the long weekend in June 2011 the Baha Boys headed to the Boston\Dargle area to fish the first ever Boston Fly Fishing Festival. Having never fished a competition before the drive up was with filled with both excitement and questions. We were unsure of the format of the competition and were left wondering how we would be monitored, what there would be prizes for, and whether the bar would have enough bottles of rum. Upon arrival at 4pm on Thursday we entered the hall to be greeted by an Xplorer branded tent, the registration table and a very enthusiastic Pete who was in charge of the whole thing. We chatted to him about some of the waters…
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Nick’s Uitzicht Curse

Nick’s Uitzicht Curse

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trout
[caption id="attachment_318" align="alignleft" width="300"] Morning Over Uitzicht[/caption] Sunday's fishing was as exciting as always. Nick's (read Tarryn's) Terios had gone in to have the tow bar changed but he had luckily been lent another Terios. After picking me up we stopped for the usual cup of coffee before heading for Uitzicht in the Kamberg area. The temperature was -1 when we passed through Nottingham Road which always makes me feel a little manlier. We set up the tubes, sipped down that final cup of coffee and kicked out onto the dam in what seemed like pristine conditions. The water was a chilly 9 degrees, crystal clear and looked like a mirror. My only real concern was that the fish would see us coming from a mile away, and for some…
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