Category: Fishing Reports
Trout Report – Top Dogs
Tried and tested is many a successful anglers mantra. But, being creatures of habit does make stepping out of our comfort zone and fishing differently no easy task. Fortunately there’s always a common denominator when it comes to fishing the TOPS Corporate Challenge and that’s the comfortable company of colleagues and acquaintances that become friends in the celebrations that typify this hallmark event. Opening night of the TCC Final followed this familiar pattern, until a few curve balls were thrown at the entrants. Bonus points for fish over half a…
Trout Report - TCC Leg 3
956 Trout was the final tally for the qualifying legs of the TOPS Corporate Challenge, giving entrants from all around South Africa plenty to celebrate. The 3rd Leg of TCC was one for it’s history books, with the enthusiasts attending who had never caught a fish before, nearly outnumbering the returning faithful, a testament to it’s reputation for festivities. As you’re reminded of at every gathering, this event has far less to do with fishing than it does for the time spent rekindling great stories with old friends and making…
TOPS Kamberg Festival 2024
You can’t help but unwind and relax as you arrive at the TOPS Kamberg Trout festival. The magnificent backdrop of the Giant greets you as you descend into the Valley and the warm country hospitality makes you believe you belong. And, nothing quite compares to the atmosphere on opening night, rekindling old friendships, embibing a little and embellishing on the memories of past fly fishing exploits…..the truth should never get in the way of a great fishing story! 140 fly fishers were celebrating a long weekend in prime Trout territory!…
TCC2024 - Leg 1
There’s always a little trepidation before the official start to the Trout season. With the waters having been rested over the heat of Summer you are never 100% sure of how the Trout have faired or if they’ll react to your finest cast. Fortunately the 1st leg of the TOPS Corporate Challenge showcased what the WildFly waters have to offer and gave almost everyone cause to celebrate. As all who’ve enjoyed the festivities at the legendary Notties will attest to, these celebrations started well before anyone harrassed a fish. But…
California Dreaming
The Fall, as it’s fondly referred to in the US, is my favourite time to test out new fly patterns. It’s those golden weeks before the leaves turn brown that the Trout feed freely and often languorously so. It all depends on the water temperature, but before their often aggressive spawning behavior, there’s a window in which a Trout’s focus is exclusively on the food chain and it’s a real buffet for the fish’s’ palate. Minnows and Platanna abound, as do many invertebrates. The hatches might not equal the slightly…
Year of the Dragon
Everyone has Yellow Fever at the moment and when you see the quality of fish that Sterkies and select sections of the Vaal and Orange rivers are producing, you can understand why. But for me, it’s the start of Trout season that get’s my temperature spiking. Taking nothing away from the fighting qualities of our indigenous yellow fish species (which arguably can outstrip a Trout), there’s something just so majestic about a wild Brown gently sipping a dry off the surface and the speed at which a Rainbow attacks a…
The 5 friends you take on a Fly Fishing trip
It’s the one calendar entry that keeps any fly addict awake at night with excitement, a fly fishing epic that will potentially go down as the greatest adventure of your life! It starts with months of planning, hours on Google Maps, and researching the internet, and culminates in a weekend of festivities, with a bit of fishing thrown in the mix and a lifetime of memories to take home. The difference between a good fishing trip and a legendary adventure teeters on the “wolfpack” you choose to run with. We…
Fishing Festivities
That this event has less to do with fishing and more about celebrating with friends was resoundingly apparent this last weekend. By lunchtime Thursday, the festivities started and you could be forgiven for thinking that the anglers were toasting their catches, such was the infectious atmosphere. It never fails to amaze me how the prospect of a weekend of fishing gets the party started. Enthusiasm is at an all-time high and the great fishing stories of old are recounted, careful not to let the truth get in the way of…
TCC Leg 2
There are many factors that make a for great fly fishing event and surprisingly most of them do not revolve around the fishing. But if the Trout fail to make an appearance the atmosphere after a long day on the water can get a little frosty. Fortunately with the balmy weather playing it’s role, at the 2nd leg of the TOPS Corporate Challenge, the Trout came out to play, giving all the festive ingredients of this remarkable gathering a recipe that you just can’t replicate anywhere else. The legendary Notties…
