Leeukloof

[Herman Jooste]

Had a great time at Van's about a year ago. Pellet fed stockies but there's nothing wrong with that. What worked best for me was  small mayfly nymphs fished underneath a dry around the inlet. Fish a long leader and don't false cast over water that you are going to fish. Also got a few big fish on a black muddler after dark.
I think that my mate Pieter is supposed to be there  with his SWAMBO this weekend.

Have a great time. 

I'm off to Lesotho for 5 days of big, wild browns

Basotho Poeth !!!!!! Enjoy buddie, hope you got the thermals sorted, I've a feeling it could be kinda cold. Just don't share a bed or bag with TOF ( Aaaarrrggghhh ). I've had to share a tent with him before. Not an experience to be repeated.

[Monster]

Eish Shlosie

That sounds awesome! Now I am green.

[Big Van]

Hi Guys
Good news for Leeuwkloof visitors. One more dam has been added to the amount of dams. All the dams with fewer fish will also be stocked on Saturday morning. The big dam is fixed again after the storm we had in December and water level is full this morning. So enjoy the longweekend fishing!!!!!
  

[Big Van]

Hi Monster
How was your weekend at the farm? Sorry I could not make it as I was kept with shad fishing with the good weather in Natal. Hope you got some pb fish.
Cheers

[Monster]

Morning Sorry Van I,m on site agian. So I will post some pics when we get back. Thank you so much It was awesome!

We went to Vans place over the weekend and were met by Oom Paul and Tannie Maggie at the gate. They immediately made us feel welcome and Oom Paul said the dams where stocked the weekend before.
This meant that no time could be wasted so I rigged up and went to the water. Between 16:00 and 18:00 6 fish where caught between 1kg and 2kg all on sinking line with a Yellow and Orange Streamer. As the sun settled the wind picked up and fish started feeding on the surface. The wind made casting a nightmare and surface flies out of the question. Big fish where eating terrestrials blown into the water by the wind and flying full length out of the water. Even the most salted fly fishermen would have had heart stoppages at the size and quantity of fish that broke surface. Including a golden trout as long as my arm!!!
The next morning was my mother’s birthday and we spent some time eating cake and celebrating the blessed day with her. This meant that I could only get to the water after 8( Our family is cursed by early rising so we were all up at 5 already). I started fishing at the top dam and spotted a school of trout lazily sucking insects off the surface. Tied on a DDD and made a soft cast making sure no fly line fell close to the fish and the fly only kissed the surface. The fish came to inspect but pulled up their noses at the hairy offering. So I reverted back to the Yellow and orange and landed the fly about a meter in front of the closest fish, in a wink the fly was slaughter by a fish I didn’t even see! We managed to land four fish in quick succession and even my girl landed a fish of about 700g. All the fish weighed between 0.5 Kg and 1.5 kg.  I went to the house at around 11 for brunch and a lazy afternoon snooze and was back at the water at around 15:00.
Some Neighbours had arrived and managed to catch three fish on a yellow hopper imitation, the wind was less than the previous afternoon and I tried the Yellow and orange again with no luck. I fogged the water for another hour and decided to change to a bling Dragon. Two casts later I had a strike but no fish and a couple of cast later managed to land a beautifully coloured rainbow of about 2kg. My brother came out to join me an also tied on the same pattern. He tried the earlier in the morning and the night before but the wind caused him to many frustrations (spider web’s hanging from his rod so, he decided reading  next to a good whiskey is the better option. He is also a lot smaller than my grizzly bear like appearance and does not have the necessary natural padding to insulate against the cold wind). He was promptly broken off by a massive fish on his first cast and decided to stay in the cold for a while longer. Before heading for shelter.  I caught another small fish of maybe 1kg.
The sun started to set and I tried the trusted DDD. Three fish missed strikes the fly and I pulled the fly out of the mouths of at least two more. My nerves were shot and I had more adrenalin pouring through my vanes than blood.  The fish moved closer to the shore and I could sneak up to fish right next to the dam wall. Making soft casts in a target area less than 20cm across with only the leader toughing water , the fish would swirl under the fly a couple of times. Making you sweat bullets and then the softest sound as the fish sucked in the fly. Absolute magic!!!!   I managed another three fish including a massive 2.3kg fish until well after dark and seeing the fish and the fly became impossible. I was hooked and couldn’t wait to get to the water the next morning.
A mother of a storm broke lose as just after we lit the fire and with the wind howling and rain battering everything in reach. We closed the braai and headed inside to the comfort of red wine, good company and the fireplace.
The next morning I was on the water at 6:00 with the fish again rejecting the DDD. I tried all the flies in my box the next two hours with no luck. The fish where eating terrestrials, but rejecting my beetle and hopper imitations.  I decided on a white booby with a short leader and tippet setup on a fast sinking line. In this way I could fish the surface as well as the deep with one fly. I watched for surface action and made the cast into the living water. A few casts later I was broken off by a bus that took the fly on the surface and come flying full length out of the water. The tippet was coiled into a small ball by the force.  I tied on an olive booby. This time it was taken on a fast retrieve by a fish of about 1.8kg that managed to rob the booby of one of its eyes rendering it unable to float.
 My last booby was massive and black and with hope I set it onto the water right into the middle of a big splash. it was taken almost immediately and all hell broke loose. The fish took me the entire length of the dam wall and every time it came close headed to the deep water again. After a lengthy fight that took me down it my backing a couple of time I landed the biggest fish of the weekend weighing in at 2.5kg. Big fat and fast as hell.
I would like to thank leeuwkloof for an awesome weekend of fishing. I bettered my PB from 1.7kg every day and it stands now at 2.5kg. The accommodation is prime and the welcome was heartfelt and exceptionally warm. I will be back again to come and tempt those golden and brown that where so elusive during this weekend and who knows maybe better my Pb again. I will recommend this place to any one!

[Homie]

 
Great report !!!


I cant wait ! I'll be there next weekend for my first Fly fishing trip !!!

[Rory]

Super report Nico! Man you got some huge fish - nice!! Looking forward to the pics!

[WalkersKiller]

Wow awesome report Monster cant wait to see those pics! Well done on the trout you caught and your PB 

[woerman]

Not many venues you can say    "I caught another small fish of maybe 1kg."

Top venue with top class fishing

[Big Van]

Hi Monster
Thanks for the great report. Iam glad you had a good weekend fishing and a good time with your family.  Yes Belfast has some different weather than what we are used to. Even summer can be cold. The big dam at the houses has about 8 fish (rainbows) that is over 4.5 kg. I would like to see how they have grown as there were not one caught for the last year. I will try to target them specifically.
Looking forward to your next visit.
Cheers Stephan

[Herman Jooste]

Fantastic report Nico. Cred to you!