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 swinging streamer that never ceases impress. It’s horses for courses, with water temperature dictating terms, yet regardless of your species preference, to bastardise a phrase, the Trout will always come home to roost.

Typically here in the Natal Midlands, after the rivers have flushed and in the lower reaches burst their banks, the equilibrium of the current returns to a robust flow rate, allowing the larger Trout to leave the comfort of their pools and move confidently through the river course. The timing is everything and never an exact science, but if you’re fortunate, the increased water level is constant and will clear, no where near Gin, but a far more forgiving dirty Martini, providing the ideal conditions in which to convince those wise old Trout to come out and play.

These are water conditions you can fish throughout the day, just changing tactics as the sun moves across the horizon.

We all love to throw a dry, but at this time of year, it generally only delivers a consistent result at first light to moving fish, on a quick drift through structure or the insect hatch in the late afternoon / last light. Hoppers and Caddis remain my firm favourites and rarely disappoint in late Summer.

But if you resolve to spend more time fishing this year, it requires dedicating the whole day, leaving many hours in-between to fiddle with a bigger fly.

Sticking with a floating line for ease on control, my first-pick fly is this years’ namesake, the Dragon, which is one of the most versatile flies you can strap on. The more imitative the better and any colour as long as it’s green is my motto. It is a fly that can be fished on the fringes, drifted across any structure or simply laid to rest in the slow water. Not many trout refuse this meal and the Big Browns of the Natal Midlands resemble any addict in the way they chase the Dragon.

Despite all of these flies mimicking what you will see all around the river bank, I can’t help but resort to some Guerrilla tactics, just to keep busy during the inevitable slack periods. We all have those ugly, go-to streamers, that practically kick down the door of where a trout might be holding and for me there’s non better than the Bully Bugger! As crass in appearance as the name implies, it’s effect on River Trout in South Africa re-enacts the charge of the light brigade, with the same result, if it wasn’t for the fact that we release our fish. I’ve yet to throw this fly on any day and not elicit a chase or a solid take, but predictably not all with a happy ending.

So make sure you spend more time Trout fishing in 2024, and with this being the ‘Year of the Dragon’, here’s wishing the fish find your fly.

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 all have our selected group of fishing mates but the ones who make a fishing expedition truly epic are cast in a certain mold.

The Researcher

Without him, there probably won’t be a trip, he’s the guy who spends more time on Google Earth than Rassie Erasmus does on Twitter. He starts tracking weather patterns 2 months ahead, and on the day of departure will hand out a travel kit that includes, a full trip itinerary with a time schedule, hand-drawn detailed maps of the water that will be fished, a blank catch logbook, and number 2 pencil.

A vital part of the team “The Researcher” makes sure no unexpected, unpleasant surprises pop up.

The chances of him catching the biggest fish of the trip…? very good, he knows which flies work where and which areas will be most productive. If he spends this much time planning a single trip you can bet his fishing skills have been refined and tailored with the same amount of effort.

Gadget Boy

The name says it all… No situation arises that he can’t handle with a piece of technology. Gadget Boy has the latest and greatest tackle and apparel, his boots and waders look like they were designed by NASA and even though the lodge you are staying at is fully equipped, he brings along a complete pop-up dining set and compact kitchen just to make sure. On the water, he looks like a walking talking Icast tackle trade show, and whatever you do don’t ask him about the fishing apps he has on his phone.

If you do forget something at home or even break a rod on the trip, “Gadget Boy” has got your back.

Don’t worry about him catching the biggest fish of the trip, he’s usually preoccupied with his toys.

Bear Grylls

This dude was made for the outdoors. He is in his element when he is outside in the wild, he doesn’t own a pair of waders and wet wades in 9 degrees Celsius, he gets by with a few of his favorite flies pinned to a faded John Dear trucker cap and a Swiss army knife hooked on to his belt. He loves to give “Gadget Boy” a hard time.

When things go wrong in the wilderness, this is the guy you want by your side. Your group’s very own Bear Grylls.

Probably has the best chance of hooking the big one, I mean this is his backyard.

Beer Can

The life of the party… He will lose his sense of humor if there is no space in the car for at least five cases of beer, avoid a very unpleasant situation by dedicating packing space for beer. He refuses to drive and usually rides shotgun because traditionally he cracks the first cold one as you leave the driveway and follows up with “Let the games begin boys” or something to that effect.

“Beer Can” will serve as entertainment for the week, armed with tons of outrageous stories and inappropriate jokes, there is never a dull moment with him around.

He irritates the rest of the crew with the amount and quality of fish he tends to catch… With beer in one hand and a busted old fly rod in the other don’t be surprised if he catches the big one.

The Instagrammer

Often you forget what his face looks like because it is constantly hidden behind a camera lens and or iPhone. He’s got a thousand gigs worth of sunsets, emerging insects, and close-up shots of fly fishing rods clasped by some hand model and he can list every photography filter known to man but struggles to recall the name of the fly he just tied on.

The bonus is, your trip will be well documented with this fellow on tour and he has a knack for making 10 inches look like 20.

It’s hard to operate a camera and fly rod at the same time so I wouldn’t bet on the “Instagrammer” to nail the big one.

If you had preordered the weather, it couldn’t have been better.

A bite in the air,

cold enough waters to entice some feisty Trout and the beautiful backdrop of the Giant in the picturesque Kamberg Valley, all without the interference of any wind….what more can a fly fisher ask for?!

A few Trout perhaps? Well seven Hundred and Four of them made it to the net in this year’s TOPS Kamberg Trout Festival, with many more lost and some really big fish poking their heads out the water.

Being the largest fly fishing festival in any one gathering held in Africa,

everyone always arrives expecting to get a little action on the dams. But, the real reason the majority of guys beg a pink ticket for this weekend,

is the time they get to spend on the bank-side with great mates, reliving the good times.

The format of every team fishing together guarantees these social festivities and many teams spend more time off the water than in it, content to embrace their time in the country.

But it takes just a single big fish to motivate some casting and word of a 60cm Trout in the 1st session had us all rummaging in our fly boxes for that killer pattern.

What fly was working was certainly a point of animated debate over lunch. In the highlands of the Kamberg,

the water temperatures measured a frigid eleven degrees, galvanising that spawning urge in the Trout, dictating that colour of fly was a key factor.  Yet, in the heart of the valley it was a difference of up to four degrees warmer, with the fish still chasing some Minnows and feasting on a range of natural imitations.

The variety of dams and distance between meant that you got to

experience the full spectrum of water and enjoy some spectacular scenic surrounds, such is the bounty of Trout waters in the Kamberg.

By Friday evening a few more trophy Trout made it to the weigh-in with a monster of 68cm being landed by Michael Kollmorgen.

Despite many flies being thrown at the cause on Saturday and lots of fish eclipsing the half-meter yardstick netted, no-one was able to surpass that impressive benchmark. Louise Steenekamp walked away with the top lady fly fisher with nearly seven and a half meters of fish measured and the best male angler was Jasper Ward with over 8 meters of Trout recorded.

But the talk of the festival was the Tendela development team, who took 3 of the top 7 positions in total Trout caught and managed between them to register nearly 22 meters of fish.

A huge congratulation to Richard Khumalo, Tembi Ngxongo, Mvelo and Nkosinati for their outstanding performance.

A true credit to the local community that they represent.

The wonderful aspect of this fundraiser is that the whole Kamberg

community comes together and their hospitality is second to none. There are too many people involved in Steve Edkins team,

who organise everything, to give everyone the real kudos they deserve, but a huge shout out must go to the Kamberg ladies, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep all the anglers very well fed with their hearty country fair.

The generous support of TOPS at Spar, WildFly Outfitters, Hardy, Greys, Airflo and Xplorer had all the prize winners ginning from ear to ear and it is only through the Kamberg Farmers Association, with Garth Ratsey in the chair that this event is possible, giving all the entrants access to the Kamberg waters.

Hat’s off to the Kamberg community for hosting us fly fishing fanatics.

In a country with hundreds of volcanoes of which 30 are in constant turmoil, you might think this an ancient land of upheaval, but it’s quite the contrary, this activity is constantly creating new ground, making Iceland one of the youngest countries in the world.

Characterized by a continual upsurge of water, there isn’t a mountain from which water doesn’t emanate, with springs quickly developing into streams, and the gradient creating powerful rich rivers that feed the surrounding ocean.

Being at the edge of the artic circle these ice-cold waters have created the perfect conditions in which gargantuan fish grow! Prehistoric Browns that have been resident since the ice age, Artic char and a population of migrating salmon that almost defies belief is what had drawn us to sample the majestic lakes and rivers in the Southern region of this remarkable country.

We arrived to picturesque conditions, with clear skies and not a breath of wind, leaving us wondering why we even packed our Winter woolies, but this meant it would be very difficult fishing for the primeval Brown Trout, being our first target species.

We had designed a baby Artic Char pattern, learning that the big fish in these lake systems feed on little else and this soon caught the attention of the cruising Trout.

My fishing mate Shane Fergusson opened his account with a personal best, which is one hell of a way to start a fishing expedition!

But the bright sunshine did not make the fishing easy.

Our guide Mattius was willing the faint hint of changing skyline to bring in the clouds, knowing overcast weather would draw the Browns closer to the shore.

You should always be careful of what you wish for!

Over the next few hours we encountered a weather pattern that was reminiscent of a approaching cyclone, but we had travelled 15000 kilometers to experience lake Thinkvatlavar, so stupidly we took on the elements. But eventually we had to admit defeat and wait it out, until we could actually cast beyond our feet. So, our first session only really kicked off at 4pm.

Dressed to impress Eskimos, as the wind abated we waded in and started casting to the moving Trout. My better half immediately hooked up and also joined Shane in notching up a PB, which was closely followed by Fred Poeggenpoel joining this club.

It was bitterly cold, drizzling rain and exactly what the fish were waiting for. We all know Browns love a miserable day, but in this lake they demand it!

Over the next 4 hours it would not be an exaggeration to say that we hammered the fish, landing 16 incredible Brown Trout, forgetting all about the freezing water in which we were fishing.

My very first cast yielded a 77cm 15lb beast of a Brown and my last cast a 72cm double digit beauty.

Our team didn’t land a fish under 60cm, so understandably you couldn’t wipe the smile off our faces, I can safely say that I have never seen a Trout fishing session like this in my entire life…..it was off the charts.

To exceed every expectation from your first cast is a feat I doubt I’ll ever repeat but it’s certainly one that I’ll never forget. Thankfully I had some great friends to experience it with, which we’ll be celebrating about for many years to come.

From here we were heading to the famous West Ranga Lodge to meet Harpa and Stefan the pioneers behind Iceland Outfitters, hoping to tick off an Artic Char on route before tackling the Atlantic Salmon…….our journey had just begun.