Fishing The UHTFC

Fishing The UHTFC

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trip Report, Trout
Having been voted onto the UHTFC committee at the AGM, Neill and I decided that it was time for a club visit and informal committee meeting. In other words, it had been far too long since we'd targeted trout on fly and were itching to get back in the water. We phoned a few friends and had soon organised a group of 4 fishermen, and had booked accommodation at Twin Springs. I took the Friday off with the plan of heading to the Berg after my wife had left for the office. It was a good plan on paper, but fell apart when I tried to get my fly rods out of the garage after my wife had left for work. I soon discovered that she'd taken both garage door…
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The Bend Curse

The Bend Curse

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Randoms, Trout
I've now visited the Bend twice, both times in pouring rain with the river far too dirty to fish. But that's far from my biggest problem. On my latest trip, when everyone headed off for an afternoon nap, I decided to skip the river and give the still waters a try. I therefore got Dave to sketch me up a rough map of the dams on the property, grabbed my fly rods, and headed out for an afternoon session. My first stop was at Otter Dam which was too dirty to dedicate any time too. So I quickly popped over to Three Springs Dam which, although dirty, was fishable. I kitted up my rods and began prospecting the wall with minimal confidence. There was little sign of activity so after 15 minutes I called it and…
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Sterkfontein New Years

Sterkfontein New Years

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trip Report, Yellowfish
Sterkfontein remains one the premier fly fishing locations in South Africa, growing in popularity annually with no end in sight. Not only does it provide some of the best sight fishing in the world, but it also offers fishing for a purely South African species in a venue of unmatched beauty. But it's not all sunshine and roses. Sterkfontein is also known for it's tough conditions and unpredictable weather. Sunshine can turn to lightning (and pouring rain) in an instant, turning a once tranquil dam into a fierce, ocean rival, sinking boats caught unexpectedly in the storm. This is where we chose to camp for a week... [caption id="attachment_2926" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Sunset over Sterkfontein Dam[/caption] Sharon, Emma and I arrived at Sterkfontein on Monday morning where we met up with Nick, Tarryn…
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The Bass Are Back

The Bass Are Back

Bass, Fly Fishing, Fresh Water
[caption id="attachment_2116" align="alignright" width="225"] Nick with a bass[/caption] After months of waiting it was finally time to head back down to Inanda Dam for a little bass bashing. Sadly conditions were not what we'd hoped they would be. Heading north towards the Umgeni River revealed algae on the surface that was so thick it appeared to be paint. Throwing out a popper was useless as it would either sit on top, or work it’s way under where you could no longer see it. Fishing sub surface may have worked but we weren’t interested in sitting in the muck. We therefore headed towards the dam wall where the surface was thankfully clear of the green goo. There was however another problem in that the dam was so low that there was…
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UHTFC AGM And Fishing Festival 2014

UHTFC AGM And Fishing Festival 2014

Event, Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trip Report, Trout
A few months ago I received a phone call from Alan asking me to be the guest speaker at the UHTFC AGM. I happily accepted, feeling honoured that I'd been asked, and began planning my speech. The months flew by and before I knew it I was packing my bags (and laptop) for the trip up to Underberg, hoping my talk would be well received. I arrived at Twin Springs, just outside Underberg, at around 3 in the afternoon. It was overcast and misty, with temps in the single digits, and sporadic drizzle passing in waves. Neill and Derek had spent the morning on the water and were looking a little worse for wear, although they had picked up some lovely fish for their effort. We therefore decided to relax…
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Underberg, September 2014

Underberg, September 2014

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Trip Report, Trout
Having been far too long since I'd visited the trout bliss of Underberg I decided to put a quick trip together to right the wrongs. Sadly my trusty sidekick (Nick) was unable to join the adventure, so I headed up alone at lunch time on Friday. The plan was to meet up with Neill, Alan and Wayne for a weekend's fishing. I battled through the Durban traffic, making the mistake of stopping at McDonalds for a quick bite (which was anything but quick), and thankfully still reached Underberg just after 3pm. Neill was on his was to Trelevans II so I quickly caught up with Alan before heading across to the water where I joined Alan and Wayne. The level was good despite the dry winter, and before I knew it I…
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Custom Fly Fishing Nets by Mario Geldenhuys

Custom Fly Fishing Nets by Mario Geldenhuys

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Randoms, Reviews
This year I was lucky enough to receive this incredible net as a birthday present from my wife. It was hand crafted by Mario Geldenhuys of Custom Fly Rods. It's fair to say that the net is a stunner, and that the quality is impeccable. Much to my wife's dismay it will never touch the water, but it's a work of art fit to hang on the wall in my man cave. Warren's custom made fly fishing net With Baha Fly Fishing inscribed on one side And an inscription from his wife on the other
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