So after a lot of planning and long hours in the office I finally broke out last Thursday to go and visit school friends in the Dullstroom area over the weekend.

On planning the trip I was told to make sure I bring my trout rod as well...
What a question.

A friend let me fish on his dam of around 3.5 ha. Not very deep at the deepest point maybe 4 meters but this dam has a lot of grass with a lot of food and some good size fish have been caught in the past.

Friday I spend on the new Explorer Journey.

With an very cold east wind mist and soft rain at times I had no option but to anchor and work the deeper areas.

There were a couple of patches of water grass in the deep water making good structure and this is where I decided to target for trout feeding close to the deeper water.

After about 2 hours I finally connect with a trout. Got him quickly on to the reel and then the fish woke up on his 1st run he ran so hard I had an over wind on the reel and before I could clear it the 6lbs tippet popped ....

A few choice words was in the order of the day on this "appy" mistake.

Rest of the day nothing. Not a touch and the wind kept on blowing non stop. It really felt like a winter day in early Feb.

Saturday morning saw me on the water just after 07:00 after I had to go back to the house 10k's away cause I forget to load my wading boots and flippers ...

The easterly wind was still blowing and I moved out to the same spot where I lost the fish on Friday.

As I anchored and let out line lowly to get into casting distance I saw a nice fish feeding in the middle of the water grass ...

Decided to keep looking and see if he keeps on working the area and if he does I will cast a dry to him.

In the mean time I will work the deeper area's with the 4wt sinking line and an olive dragon.

2nd cast and I am "VAS" !!!

Determined not to make the same mistake as on Friday I got the fish on the reel and double checked to drag setting.

On one run he again created an over wind but I managed to clear it. I decided to let my palm also work on the reel to assist the drag.

After a couple of good runs the fly popped out...

Maybe not hooked good has I had a lot of good pressure on the line.

I worked the same area for a while without any success and decided to move around the grass island change to an olive Hammils Killer and started working the point area.

On the 2nd cast I let it go deep and as the retrieve started I got hit. Good fish and I quickly released the anchor and started following the fish and just in time as she went deep and picked up a lot of grass on the leader. Reached it and cleared the leader and the fight was on!!!

Finally got her to the tube and she was a beauty !!!

But as summer time there is not a lot of O2 in the water I could not revive her after working hard for more than 5 min's...

6.1lbs - 23 inch rainbow my trout PB...







Will post more photos tomorrow !!!

Nice fish mate!

I'm going to Misty Mountain later this month and hope to have a few hours of wetting a line then.