Hi All,

It seems as the dust has settled on the reorganisation of my trip in May-July, the spare dates I had have almost filled up and I have kept a short break free for some R+R.

I am basically free from the 12th to the 16th of June which if we allow for a day each side for travelling will leave 3 full days for a spot of fishing in Moz. My RSA partner has some experience in this field and is busy putting together a couple of locations for some surf and saltwater fly fishing for those days.

I thought I would open the invite up to anyone that may find themselves in Mpumalanga on those dates and would like to join us to make an AR road trip out of it and make for a nice social get together.

This is a completely non for profit suggestion, which I thought would make for a good opportunity to get together, drink some beer and catch a few fish. Not to mention to share a few hunting stories.

If you may be interested, post below and I will endeavour to get a plan put together in the next couple of weeks for everyones approval.

Best regards,
Kiri

Barring bad news I'm in. I fill a passenger seat pretty well when drinking beer.

Willing to learn how to lie about the size and weight of a fish.

I'm wondering if a certain pensioner who recently migrated to Portugal will find the way?

Hi Kiri
If you coming down towards the KZN South Coast or Wild Coast and need a convenient place to stop on your way, my home is open to you. We have plenty of space and will be glad to have you all here for a gathering. We are right on the N2 so it will not be a big detour etc.

If "said pensioner" decides to make the trip you may bring him along too, just make sure he brings my rifle with.

If you guys are up for it we can hunt pigs over the hounds while you are here. They running thick and fast with the maize ripening now so we should have a lot of fun.
Give me a shout and lets organise.
Chat soon
Ian

Ian

Thanks for the invite. The plan is coming together so I am hoping to have an itinerary this week.

I am hunting until the 11th then heading to Nelspruit. I think we will drive across Mozambique on the twelfth. Three days of fishing followed by a drive back to meet clients on the 16th. I should then be hunting right brought to mid July so it is quite an intense schedule.

How far are you from Kroonstad area?

K

By he way the Portuguese pensioner has been very quiet. Has Susan put him back in the box for a couple of days?



K

Sorry for the delay in replying...... google Chrome kept blocking my reply function telling me AR had a malware problem but it now looks like it was a Chrome problem!

The Portuguese Pensioner would love to come along but it's not very likely at the moment I'm afraid as it's looking increasingly like I'm going to be tied to this area for a while as rumour has it we're probably going to be doing a new build next to a very beautiful piece of trout river.

And of course, if I can't come, I can't bring MY rifle which isn't for sale anyway!

quote:

And of course, if I can't come, I can't bring MY rifle which isn't for sale anyway! shame jumping

What makes you think you get to sell that rifle, you see the thing is, we are actually all just rifle custodians. You were granted the honour of looking after that one for the first portion of its life but it belongs to Africa and her nasties and as such you going to have to pass it on. To me, it is written....

Send some pics of the river, sounds like you have the right idea there.


Kroonstad is a bit of a haul from us here in Kokstad +- 8 hours, are you hunting up there with Kevin? Will try and see if there is anywhere closer to you that we can go after pigs, pensioner in tow or not...

Lets keep in touch and I will try figure out a place to kill a few pigs without the great trek.
Chat soon
Ian

quote:

Originally posted by Hunting the Box H:

Send some pics of the river, sounds like you have the right idea there.

Ian

I reckon it could do with a little bit of sympathetic work with a chainsaw to clear & improve it but it's a stunning piece of water.

My goodness Steve, that is pectacular.
How on earth did you stumble upon that peice of paradise.

We first saw it about a year ago but it was fresh on the market and vastly overpriced so as much as I/we loved it, we reluctantly decided it had to be a non starter....... then out of idle curiosity I rechecked the agents website a few weeks ago and it was still there but price had been dropped dramatically.

The property has several old buildings including 5 or 6 old millhouse buildings (right next to that weirpool) on it that are in various stages of disrepair so I'm now looking at build costs for a variety of options to see if it's going to be a viable proposition.

One major concern I have is will the local planners put awkward pollution rules in place to stop me laying concrete for a new build because it's so close to such a good and well known piece of trout river....... I hope to find out more about that in the next week or two.

so wish me luck!

Good luck Steve
Are the old structures dressed stone? If yes there may be stone foundations in place that you could simply cast over the top of.

That is an awesome spot, well done mate.

All are stone except one which is brick but most are right next to the weir & as wonderful as those old buildings are. I think the noise of the weir would drive me crazy so I have it mind to do a new build in the centre of the property but next to an old house that will become workshops & garage.

Fair enough, also need to figure out what the flood levels may be to avoid issues in wet years etc.

Are there any heritage site issues to dodge around?

Good luck. Hope you get this one.

Flooding isn't an issue...... The river is about 45 or 50 feet below the house and we had some VERY serious rains a few weeks ago and the river only rose about 8 or 9 feet at most so I don't foresee any problems there.

I haven't looked into the heritage site thing yet but it is on the list....... I expect the concrete/pollution thing will be the most likely hurdle to get over though.

Hey Steve, as far as trimming trees, brush, and the likes go, leave it alone. Just learn to proper fly cast around all of those lovely branches and you'll do just fine! In fact, the brush and overhangs actually encourage insect life that make trout grow huge and hungry, and also provides them with some cover.

UEG,

Mate I agree in theory but you haven't seen my casting!

The river incidentally was one of the few used for the world championship fly fishing competition a few years ago.

I guess my other option is leave the trees as they are & buy a pair of waders but I'd feel & look a right tool if I lost my footing & got swept over the weir!

Roll cast- laddie - Roll cast--

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:
Roll cast- laddie - Roll cast--

Don't be silly...... the onions & bacon fly everywhere!

Are you insinuating that you are not using dry flies so small the trout need glasses to see them--



The shame---oh -the shame--

I learned on the Yellowstone if you could see the fly, you might as well drift live bait--

not that flyfishermen are snobs or anything----

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:
Are you insinuating that you are not using dry flies so small the trout need glasses to see them--



The shame---oh -the shame--

I learned on the Yellowstone if you could see the fly, you might as well drift live bait--

not that flyfishermen are snobs or anything----

You're right. Flies, esp dry or nymphs are always the most fun!

Although the weir pool smells of big barbel so baits may not be out of the question........

Have Luan send you some flat dogs---you will have the whole stream to yourself then.

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:
Have Luan send you some flat dogs---you will have the whole stream to yourself then.

He'd have to make it snappy!

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:

quote:

Originally posted by Cross L:
Are you insinuating that you are not using dry flies so small the trout need glasses to see them--



The shame---oh -the shame--

I learned on the Yellowstone if you could see the fly, you might as well drift live bait--

not that flyfishermen are snobs or anything----

You're right. Flies, esp dry or nymphs are always the most fun!

Although the weir pool smells of big barbel so baits may not be out of the question........

I too had the same thought regards to the trees and casting!!

As for sticking to the fly over bait, it has taken best part of two years of Steve leaving Africa that he isn't reaching for the hand grenades... Going fly only might take a little longer...



K

I'm obviously a crap fly fisherman as I didn't get a rise...

Time to go back to the cutlery.

K

quote:

Originally posted by Fallow Buck:
I'm obviously a crap fly fisherman as I didn't get a rise...

Time to go back to the cutlery.

K

Mate, the recent weather over there can't have helped any.

I've been trying to get out here as well but all the rivers are going like steam trains so we'll have to wait for things to improve.

I went to that riverside property today for another site visit and the river was so high, one could hardly see any white water on the weir at all as it was virtually the same height on both sides.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
All are stone except one which is brick but most are right next to the weir & as wonderful as those old buildings are. I think the noise of the weir would drive me crazy

You would not know the difference between the tinnitus and the water.

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
All are stone except one which is brick but most are right next to the weir & as wonderful as those old buildings are. I think the noise of the weir would drive me crazy

You would not know the difference between the tinnitus and the water.

Funny you should say that....... Er indoors said exactly the same thing!

I always sleep so much better when I can hear the sound of the ocean. Water is very soporific.

The pics look amazing.

K

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:

You would not know the difference between the tinnitus and the water.

Funny you should say that....... Er indoors said exactly the same thing!

How bad is yours, I can't hear a mossie much anymore, continuous and increasing memories of recoil shy clients.

I've lost 40% of my hearing in one ear and 60% in the other and the tinnitus simply never stops.

I hadn't been able to hear a jackal calling for many years but bought a pair of Walker's Game Ears a few years ago and if I have them stuck in my ears I can now hear jackals etc.

If I lay on my right side, I can hear my alarm going off but if lying on my left side, all I hear is a click, click, click when the clock beeps.

I also find it very hard indeed to filter out background noise when trying to listen to a conversation in somewhere like a bar or a restaurant etc.

It's a right bastard!

Steve can you just repeat that one more time please; a little louder if you can?

Shame, are you deaf too, Pieter?

Steve

Guys sorry not for replying im at my beach house fishing cob and grunter but steve i have my stella and shimano rods get that flatdocks im in for the hunt.

Luan

Buy the waders and stick to fly fishing. Get some cleats for your waders or wading shoes if need be. Even the deaf can do all of that!