Sterkfontein is regarded as one of the premiere sight fly fishing venues in the world. Who wouldn't want to cast to sighted smallmouth yellowfish in crystal clear waters, ever fearing the imminent Berg storm. http://www.youtube.com/embed/iydiRETssBw
Sterkfontein remains one the premier fly fishing locations in South Africa, growing in popularity annually with no end in sight. Not only does it provide some of the best sight fishing in the world, but it also offers fishing for a purely South African species in a venue of unmatched beauty. But it's not all sunshine and roses. Sterkfontein is also known for it's tough conditions and unpredictable weather. Sunshine can turn to lightning (and pouring rain) in an instant, turning a once tranquil dam into a fierce, ocean rival, sinking boats caught unexpectedly in the storm. This is where we chose to camp for a week... [caption id="attachment_2926" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Sunset over Sterkfontein Dam[/caption] Sharon, Emma and I arrived at Sterkfontein on Monday morning where we met up with Nick, Tarryn…
After Nick's successful new year's Sterkfontein trip it was quickly decided that the Baha Boys needed to get up to Africa's premier sight fishing venue before the season ended. So after a quick look at our calendars we booked a long weekend in March and did the necessary planning - calculating how much booze to pack. I got to Nick's house at around 4am and we promptly hitched up the boat. He was packed and ready so it should've been an easy departure. That was until his dogs escaped which cost us half an hour. None the less we were on the road by 5am, grabbed a coffee and pie for breakfast, and made haste for Harrismith. After stopping in Harrismith for some firewood we took on the dreaded R74.…
[caption id="attachment_1750" align="alignleft" width="200"] View at Sterkfontein[/caption] On the 30th of December I packed up the family, camping gear, and boat for a 5 day getaway to one of the Free State's best kept secrets – Sterkfontein Dam. It was an early 4am start to get to the dam and set up camp before searching for some gold. Thankfully the drive was uneventful and, after stopping for the mandatory cup of coffee, we shot through to Harrismith via the N3 as reports were coming in that the R74 was impassable. After topping up the tank of the Terios (to avoid being raped a further 50c/litre due to a petrol price increase the following day) we headed for the dreaded R74. The road now has an unmanned stop/go and is basically a…
[caption id="attachment_800" align="alignright" width="300"] Touching Gold Screenshot[/caption] Touching Gold is the first fly fishing DVD filmed and produced by Rayno Egner of Safari and Film Africa. In association with Tourette Fly Fishing it transports the viewer to Free State's famous Sterkfontein Dam, regarded as one of the best sight fishing venues in Africa. Although Sterkfontein was originally fished for Trout (and contains many other species including Bass and Largemouth Yellowfish) this DVD shares with us the magical experience of sight fishing for Smallmouth Yellows. Anyone who's fished (or visited) Sterkfontein will be aware of the sheer size of this body of water as well as it’s incredible clarity. It can be hugely intimidating to anyone new to the venue and this DVD goes a fair way in giving a few…
[caption id="attachment_247" align="alignright" width="300"] Flies For Sterkfontein[/caption] Sterkies was to be the first official fly fishing trip of the Baha Boys. That said, there were only 2 fishermen amongst the 6 of us so it was going to be tough to get in a lot of time on the water. Even after a difficult drive to Sterkies (thanks to some car troubles) Nick and I were in high spirits as we discussed the mornings fishing plans over a rum at midnight. Despite being the last to bed we were the first up and were ready to go. Sadly we got off to a rather slow start, sorting out the boat etc, but this was to be expected on the first morning. When we eventually got into the water we headed…
