Calling the Fly fishing manne

[DJR]

So. after a couple of difficult outings, even one blank day, arrived April Fools Day! And I had a stunner of a day on the Smalblaar, a.k.a the Prince of Streams. I caught and released enough rainbows to give me plenty of chances to play a little with the camera. 

[bertusras]

On 4/6/2023 at 12:36 PM, DJR said:

So. after a couple of difficult outings, even one blank day, arrived April Fools Day! And I had a stunner of a day on the Smalblaar, a.k.a the Prince of Streams. I caught and released enough rainbows to give me plenty of chances to play a little with the camera. 

The Smalblaar is such a special stream, I've only once before had the privilege. 

[DJR]

Firstly, this is all cycling related - because the area around the very quaint little hamlet of Rhodes in the Southern Drakensberg in the Eastern Cape, IS a premier mountain bike area (especially for altitude training and lung busting with the higher routes going up to 3000m above sea level.)

But that's not what I did there last week, I was there for flyfishing a little slice of the over 200km of wild trout mountain streams. It was fantastic and highly recommended. Yes, take your bike too, you never know when the weather makes cycling a better choice than fishing. 

Lovely cockfish that came out of a pool the size of a jacuzzi at Tenahead, on the Upper Bell, where it is only a tiny little stream.

[DJR]

Naudes Nek Pass, don't try it in a platkar (and take a full suspension mtb and some lung capacity) or you will leave some plastic pieces on the mountain. To show the spectacular Maluti scenery where the high altitude, Alpine like, streams are. 

 

[DJR]

Further downstream, on the Lower Bell at Glass Nevin, the river is more pastural, peaceful, with lovely wild rainbows ranging in size from cocky little ****s to mean bruiser monsters.

[DJR]

And then you have the little town of Rhodes, with an old world hotel, pub, restaurant of two, friendly laid back locals and only sometimes internet. Just GO!