Hi guys
I thought I should share this heart warming story with you. This last week my family from JHB joined my wife and I (from DBN) for a 5 day stay at Underberg’s Crystal Waters, a very special spot down the Bushman’s neck road. The plan was to have a special chilled holiday where we could chill out, relax and obviously fish.
My younger brother (Steve) is quadriplegic and therefore is very limited in his fishing opportunities and abilities, although he is a passionate fisherman and has not his disability get in the way of much adventure. We often go fish together and have caught many species together, from Lesotho rainbows and wild yellows, to Vaal barbell, yellows and muddies, grunter, perch, kobb to carp on fly and many a JHB bass.
For some time now Steve has longed for some quality trout fishing, in a still water as he was used to before his accident which rendered him unable to fly fish. Crystal waters offered such opportunity. The owners of the venue gave Stevo permission to use normal tackle (rod and reel wise) because he is unable to use a normal fly rod set up. With high hopes we set off on a small duck with an electric engine to go searching for some still water trout (on fly).
Well 5 days and 8 sessions later we had landed 56 trout between the two of us! Most of them were stockies ranging between 300- 600g but we caught 3 good fish (3lb, and 2 of 4lb). Each fish would take line, jump up to 6 times during the fight, it was spectacular fun. Stevo out fished me, catching over 30 of our 55 fish. I should add that the fish were all released except for one small chap who provided us with a delicious lunch.
On Saturday morning, Stevo having already landed 9 to my 1 (he was just doing something very right) he hooked a fish that will always be remembered. Stevo caught his personal best and first brown trout, of 4lb! I just about fell over in the boat holding the net when I first realised it wasn’t just a big fish but it was a brown. The trout fisherman amongst us will testify as to how special brown trout are and how rarely they actually get hooked. It was a beautiful specimen and after a few pictures she was released to grow even bigger, leaving Stevo and I in absolute awe of what just happened. It was like our Father had just spoilt us both with something very special indeed, a spectacular fishing memory but even more so, a spectacular memory together..
It was a very special trip for a number of reasons (including the Boks win over Oz) So here is some encouragement for all those flyfisherman who still haven’t caught that special brown – pick the right fly, fish the right area the right way and you never know what may bite ;)
A few photos to follow..
