Word of Mouth - Your best and worst Fly-fishing spots?

[Lichia amia]

Koos , what camera do you use ??

I use a Fuji Film XP20. No housings needed like on the Sea & Sea I had.

Thanks 

[E.T.]

I will treat you guys to a few more snaps....













All of these are shots from the Smalblaar.

[FCLoretz]

Koos , what camera do you use ??

I use a Fuji Film XP20. No housings needed like on the Sea & Sea I had.

The XP20's are great. in terms of waterproof cameras there are only two cameras I would personally buy. The Fuji XP20 and then my first choice is the Olympus range of waterproof cameras!

[travelmember]

Worst = any man made put and take stockie place.
Best = Witte, Lourens
The wilder and more pristine, the better.

[Ziggy]

Worst = any man made put and take stockie place.Best = Witte, Lourens
The wilder and more pristine, the better.

now, now - those are Walkers Killers favourite places fro trout

[WalkersKiller]

Worst = any man made put and take stockie place.Best = Witte, Lourens
The wilder and more pristine, the better.

now, now - those are Walkers Killers favourite places fro trout

Exactly 

[Wynand13]

  Koos really good pics, this is the best way to C&R underwater. Great fishing.

[Luke13]

  Assume its your boots, and not you holding the Camera?

[E.T.]

Assume its your boots, and not you holding the Camera?

Yes it's my boots. My mate took the snaps with my camera

[kp11]

E.T. your pictures are fantastic

[Luke13]

Best - Trout Hideaway Pilgrim’s Rest Must be the best spot (or at least in top 3) in South Africa, if you want to catch a 10 Pounder that is the place where you could hook one, I hooked a few big ones all left me but a great place, Rivers Dams and weirs...

[E.T.]

Best - Trout Hideaway Pilgrim’s Rest Must be the best spot (or at least in top 3) in South Africa, if you want to catch a 10 Pounder that is the place where you could hook one, I hooked a few big ones all left me but a great place, Rivers Dams and weirs...

Luke I tell you what, give me a ring when you are up there again, and I will take you close by for some of the best river fishing S.A. has to offer. I will put you onto Bows, Browns and the odd SS Yellow all in a days fishing.

[Luke13]

HI E.T

Thank you, That sounds great, I got a paid week as a gift a few months back, and must say I enjoyed the fising lost a few big ones, but had a great time the whole week. Will take you up on the offer when I travel there again..

[E.T.]

HI E.T

Thank you, That sounds great, I got a paid week as a gift a few months back, and must say I enjoyed the fising lost a few big ones, but had a great time the whole week. Will take you up on the offer when I travel there again..

I am not telling where, but you will understand once you see the water.
I am always keen fishing that stretch, so please do take me up on the offer  

[travelmember]

Is Trout Hideaway still going, and is Adolf still running it? Last I heard he was sick and it was for sale. For a time it was SA's premier water.
@ET, Rivendell and Highland Run nearby used to be very nice as well

[E.T.]

Is Trout Hideaway still going, and is Adolf still running it? Last I heard he was sick and it was for sale. For a time it was SA's premier water.
@ET, Rivendell and Highland Run nearby used to be very nice as well

I also heard that Trout Hideaway was for sale. Highland Run on the Spekboom I know of, but never fished it. There is another river in that area that holds the fish I mentioned. More I don't want to say, as that water is really fragile.

[Wynand13]

I am busy reading African Fly-fishing Handbook By Bill Hansford-Steele and he mentioned Trout Hideaway, as a destination he fished years ago, never been there and as per the book this place delivered the record trouts caught this should be a good place to go I assume? Are ther any places where we can get a 10LB + fish in local water?

[Wynand13]

    I can say what I experienced at Dullstroom I am sure  there`s many a trout over 10LB.. However I only lost a few tippets so won’t be  able to tell you how big they really are, had my spool ran out on me twice  during my week..  It seems as if E.T  might have your answer, then again, do you want to catch a 10lb trout in a weir  or dam where it’s been fattened “canned” for the lack of better term? I admit I  would like to catch one, and if my only chance in live is a canned one, I will propably  do it. It still takes skill to land it, canned or not. However I will not be  able to brag about it, as I can about the few wild trout that I`ve landed so  far, small on all accounts, but outwitting a wild one, that is a great  feeling..

[E.T.]

We do have Lakes/dams with Wild Trout in them in S.A.


Lakensvlei
Thrift
Swartwater - This dam held an unofficial Africa record a while back.
Koue Bokkeveld
And the list goes on


We also have one or two rivers that has some big wild trout in them. Some close to 10lb others even more. One or two Drakensberg Streams/Rivers and a few in the Rhodes area. But if you want monster trout in a river, then you better get yourself out to Lesotho.


Now I have fished once or twice at a "Stockie" venue and I will tell you this. It is not difficult catching fish this size and bigger on fly, it can be any fly as long as it's an Epol fly.....




Look closely, thats a 2wt in the background. Yes it was caught on a 2wt.


So what do I prefer? The Wild Open spaces where fish run wild. I prefer the upper reaches where the fish are smaller, but wily and hooking them is a challenge in it's own. Sometimes they oblige, sometimes they don't. So whats my biggest Brown to date? 16" from Lotheni.

[Luke13]

Nice fish E.T

Agreed that Stocked areas are not ideal, but its the answer to a lot of us as we do not always have access to or the means of getting to wild trout waters. That were all stocked at one time or another as they are alien...
I still want to do Lesotho but my best expierience so far, was as mentioned Trout Hideaway

Do you by any chance know what the Souther Africa record for trout are?