Bloody Baetis
As fly fishers we are always dialed into the weather. Seasonal changes are picked up almost as second nature and as a hatch junkie , I get a strange excitement stirring inside , when almost subconsciously I become aware that the sky starts to lose its summer haze. There’s dew in the morning , a […]
From El Nino to El Nina and the Sweet Bits in Between
On the Highveld our warm season has been a case of famine or feast. Spring didn’t last long as the drought conditions put strain on the streams and the fish. Even our tailwater fishery below the Barrage took strain. One fish that’s not put off by low flows and high temps are carp. They regularly popped […]
Thing 1 & Thing 2…The History of the Plaza Pupa
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been scratching around the streambed, turning over rocks & studying the little bugs clambering around on their undersides. What first prompted me to go in search and identify the bugs found in the underwater nooks & crannies of the stream bottom; I can’t recall. I probably read about this, while […]
Stickman on the Orange
Some time ago , I was invited by friends to join in on a float / flyfishing trip down the Orange river , below Augrabies falls. I decided to make it a father-and-son affair and booked my son , Luka (aka Stickman) on the trip as well. With little time to practice his nymphing skills […]
Autumn Footnotes – Part 2
Global Warming ? The winter just isn’t coming. In fact we are experiencing hot weather , by Autumn standards , and we’re a month away from winter solstice. The unseasonal temperatures has put a bit of a damper on the Beatis hatches , but at least the fish are hanging around longer before retracting to […]
Autumn Footnotes – Part 1
Similar to last year the Autumn on the Highveld is lingering longer than usual and we are experiencing wonderful warm days in late May. This can of course change very quick with the arrival of serious cold fronts. But for now the days are balmy with little wind , which is great for fish and […]
Smallstream Surprise
Recently I decided to drop in on a new piece of water that’s been haunting me. Blueliners will know how unknown possibilities can chip away at you. You just gotta scratch that itch. The water looked small , thin and off colour due to rains. Doubt started welling up as I “trekked” downstream to a […]
THE RIVER
I have been climbing into rivers for the past 20 years . First with the single minded purpose to catch a fish. I caught my first fish in flowing water on a river , which over time , became my companion and I its friend. We’d share our different moods and together welcome and take […]
