Sterkies never fails to educate and entertain. Every summer we make multiple pilgrimages when we know that the water temperature is optimum….which was the first lesson learned on this incredible body of water. It unequivocally the finest dry fly venue for small mouth yellow fish in South Africa…..if not the world. The small mouth yellow contrary to popular fly fishers belief is not just attuned to caddis or mayfly nymphs and the array of dries […]

 “Snapped up, hook straightened, stuck me in the weeds” are common overtures that you hear at any pub on a typical fishing weekend. “ Thepressure bottomed out and that darn Easterly blowing” can compliment these commiserations over a wee dram. There is no shortage of excuses when it comes to not catching fish! In fact a great idea for a Fishing smart phone App would be to produceoriginal explanations for why we failed on the […]

Let the fish find your fly is advice that only after chasing too many trout have I begun to truly appreciate. The problem is that when you see any fish moving, the temptation to pick up and throw your line in their path is too tempting. The dilemma being that when you see lots of trout activity in every direction, you spend more time with your fly in the air than the water and the […]

  The weather was sublime, with frosty mornings being complimented by wind free balmy winter days and hence the fish played ball.  

It was a frosty start to the TOPS at SPAR Corporate Trophy Challenge, with a cold front sweeping across the Natal Midlands, dusting the mountains with a white coat last weekend. Cold water temperature is what every fly fisher hopes for at the start of the still water trout season, but a howling South West wind tested the metal of every angler on the opening day. Only a rabid fisherman would unpack his rod in […]