2012 Groen Kloof Adventure, Northern Cape, SA.

September is always a good month for fishing as it heralds the promise of summer to come and in the larger river systems in the north of the country marks the arrival of  warmer temperatures which in turn acts as a environmental que for the small mouth yellowfish - our intented quarry, to start feeding.

Accomplices on the trip were Nick aka “ruskman”, Kurt aka “koeksister”, Kyle aka “the apprentice ” and myself now also known as Yellowfish Dave as main partner in crime in organising this trip.

We were based in a comfortable and very relaxed outdoor campset built by our competent guide and fellow fly fisher ~Etienne. The camp is situated right on the Vaal river on private water and is an excellent base to fishing the many yellowfish hotspots around the farm. There is also very good large mouth water although we only targeted the small mouth.  In the evening we could relax around the fire while fishing for barbel (sharptooth catfish) right in front of us with a line in the water from our deck chairs.

The first two days proved to be frustrating as the fishing was tough due to cold snap just prior to our arrival but with the onset of some better weather the water warmed up and we got stuck into some good fish for the second half of the trip. We caught and released a total of 74 yellowfish. So all in all a great trip, good times and some new friends - Kassie and Haasie.

Techniques used were predominantly czeck nymphing targeting good looking pools and runs with decent water flow allowing our team of 2 or 3 flies to get puched through the runs with the water flow. Strikes were most often pretty aggressive with some of the more sly fish taking very gently. Biggest fish of the trip was a 3.2kg fish with several in the 2 to 2.5kg class and most 1 to 1.5kgs.

We are looking forward to our next visit!

YELLOWFISH FEVER!

Catching yellowfish on fly rates as my best freshwater fly fishing experience - period. If you are a keen fly fisher and want a new experience of a life time I would not hesitate to recommend booking a trip.

Experience fly-fishing for powerful yellow fish in the contours of the Vaal and Orange River, as it cuts through the rugged semi-arid interior of central South Africa. Hear the majestic call of the Fish Eagle, while enjoying the company of friends and family as you fish the clear waters of these legendary rivers.

These trips are run on private waters in peak fishing time. What this means is that you are guaranteed excellent fishing on your own private stretch of river. In addition expert guides are provided who know the water, techniques and fly patterns that produce excellent catches. Tuition in both fishing and fly tying disciplines are provided. Recommended trip lengths are 5 days, we can of course also tailor make packages that will suit your specific requirements.  Trips are scheduled from  September through to January. A base camp is set up on the banks of the river, accomodation is in the form of a comfortable tented camp. Below is our report from our last Safari which was a huge success. For more info please fill in the make an enquiry form available on the left hand side of the site. Alternatively email me directly at dave@tosf.co.za

ORANGE RIVER GOLD

We have just returned from our Orange River Fly Fishing Safari. All I can say is Wow! what insane fishing! Between the 8 of us we landed and release over 285 yellowfish -no jokes - all on fly tackle, and by the way this was pretty slow - when the water is just a bit warmer the fish really go crazy! The fish were all in great condition and very strong giving an excellent fight. You literally can catch fish on consecutive casts and I even landed two at once! Most of the fish were targeted in the faster flowing water and I often hooked into big fish in shin deep water. After a very aggressive take the yellowfish often jump right out the water and speed off making for adrenaline packed fishing.

This safari rates as one of the best fly fishing trips I have ever done. The weather was fantastic with warm days and cooler evenings. We camped on the river bank meters away from fishable water. It was great to relax around a camp fire in the evening swaping fishing stories and tying up fly patterns that “cooked” on the day. There were even a few new killer patterns we came up with. Most importantly we had several of the top fly fishers in the country giving expert advice and tuition and for the less experienced in the group this was invaluable. The old hands even learnt more than just a  thing or two…

The good news is that  we can offer fully catered for taylor made packages from as few as two people to larger groups.  So if you are interested in an unforgetable fly fishing experience and want to sharpen up your fishing skills why not join us on a Yellowfish Safari. We cater for novices right through to experienced anglers. For more info please email dave@tosf.co.za

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