KarMichael And The UHTFC
A few friends and our families headed to Underberg for a relaxing weekend at KarMichael B&B, located on the outskirts of Himeville. This of course meant that we were within spitting distance of the UHTFC waters; a temptation too good to resist. Alan warned us that many of the waters had inverted thanks to the first cold snap after a warm summer. Apparently the waters were muddy and fishing was slow. It was an ominous sign but certainly not enough to stop us from wetting a line. So after a relaxing first day we were up early on the Friday morning for a quick session before the Sharks game at 11am. We opted to fish Trelevans 4 with Rory and I fishing off a boat while Jared headed out on…
A Dry Lesotho And Weekend In Underberg
[caption id="attachment_1443" align="alignleft" width="300"] Top of Sani Pass[/caption] After days of planning (ok, a cold beer and an idea) we left at 4am for the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho. Tents and sleeping bags were packed, firewood was at the ready, and the Captain Morgan was prepped for an adventure worthy of Kingsley Holgate. We stamped through the SA border at 7am and were proudly the first car up Sani Pass for the day. It was at this point that the adventure was downgraded by a level or two. Since our last trip up Sani a lot of work has been done. The road has been widened, retaining walls have been erected, drainage has been installed under the road, and ice corner has been defeated. The pass as we knew it…
The UHTFC AGM And Festival
[caption id="attachment_1421" align="alignleft" width="199"] The New UHTFC Banners[/caption] Once a year the UHTFC host their AGM and, in order to make it more exciting and to improve attendance, they throw in a small fly fishing festival as well. The general format is a meet and greet on the Friday evening (where waters are drawn), fishing on the Saturday, and then weigh in followed by the AGM and dinner on Saturday evening. Not wanting to miss out on any fishing time Neill and I planned to leave Hillcrest at 1pm in order to get in a short afternoon session. Sadly things went a little pear shaped from the start. Firstly, on my way home, I stopped off to pick up some new Baha decals only to discover they weren't finished yet.…
A Long Weekend in Underberg
If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times...no long weekend should ever go to waste. And since it had just been Nick and Tarryn's birthdays, we decided to do a family trip to Underberg for a little fishing and relaxation. Sadly my Jeep was in the shop so I borrowed my mom's Corolla and quickly packed it on Friday morning before the 7am departure time. Amazingly it almost seemed to fit in more than the Jeep and we easily packed all my fishing equipment, including my float tube, as well as Emma's pram and various other bags. I was truly impressed. [caption id="attachment_1349" align="alignleft" width="300"] A misty afternoon at Lund's Dam[/caption] We met up with Nick, Tarryn and Mila at our usual garage on the N3 and…
A Family Fishing Trip To The UHTFC
Since the birth of my daughter fly fishing has taken a bit of a back seat but, being who I am, that was of course definitely not sustainable. So when I was told that Peter Hayes was offering a clinic to the Aids orphans in Underberg I immediately took Friday off, packed up the family, and headed for Underberg. Neill was meeting us there but sadly Nick was unable to make it. Strange that we fish together almost weekly and yet have never done an Undies trip together. Anyway, moving on. Sharon and I were woken at 4am by a sick daughter. This was not the start I was hoping for as we trolled the internet in the dark working out whether, at 6 weeks old, we needed to worry…
A Morning At North End
Since I was camping at Lotheni for 5 nights and the river was (sadly) unfishable we headed into Underberg for the day. After a quick cup of coffee with Alan we shot across to North End due the thatch gazebo which offered some shade for Sharon in the 30 degree plus heat. On arrival (at 9am) I noticed two other fisherman on the water. I quickly kitted up one of the boats and then rowed out onto the water. The other fisherman looked less than pleased that I was there (I guess the boats are a little noisier than float tubes) but after a brief chat all was resolved and we got down to fishing. Apparently they'd landed just one 4 pound rainbow between the two of them that morning. And with…
Nick’s Underberg Virginity, Broken
Friday the 24th finally saw Nick head out to test the much talked about waters of the UHTFC (in Underberg) with Neill in tow to show him the ropes. After a late start due to an issue on the N2 we departed Assagay at 17:15 in high spirits. [caption id="attachment_863" align="alignright" width="226"] UHTFC Sign[/caption] The drive up was uneventful and tales of how the waters were dominated on past trips filled most of the 220km road trip. I was praying silently that I would A) catch a fish, and B) it would be a lunker. We pulled into Undies around 19:30 and headed to “Woolies” hoping to grab some meat. Unfortunately they were closed so we opted for KFC. We pulled into our accommodation, scoffed the KFC, cracked some ice…
Another Underberg Himeville Trout Fishing Club Trip
[caption id="attachment_585" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hail On Arrival In Underberg[/caption] Having been up to Underberg earlier this year I was quick to accept another invitation to go up and fish a few of the UHTFC (Underberg Himeville Trout Fishing Club) waters. I put in a half day’s leave and met Neill at Plantations at 1pm. We promptly packed up the Jeep and were soon on the road to Alan’s house in Underberg. After weeks of rain (over 400mm in a month which normal has around 90mm) I was glad to see that the weather sites all agreed that it would be a sunny weekend. That said there was a severe storm warning for the Underberg area on Friday and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Thankfully we had just carried the last of…
Underberg Himeville Trout Fishing Club (UHTFC)
[caption id="attachment_505" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Turners Cottage[/caption] The weekend got off to an early and exciting start when I left the office at lunch time. The UHTFC (Underberg Himeville Trout Fishing Club) had been kind enough to invite me up to their waters for the weekend to see just what the club had to offer. It was an opportunity I certainly couldn't turn down. After a quick lunch Neill picked me and we started the journey to Underberg. One of the committee members, Alan, had offered to host us for the weekend so we headed straight for his house. Upon arrival we quickly unpacked a few of our bags, threw a few beers into the fridge, and Alan then took us straight to our first water, Finelands. [caption id="attachment_507" align="alignright" width="225"]…