| Date of Report: Tuesday, 29th September 2026 |
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Name: Andre Burger Email: pafly@netactive.co.za Web: http://www.presentafly.com Phone: 083 632 8729 Eastern Free State. Andre says the local trout stillwaters although well stocked, have had a quiet month and most of flyfishers in this part of the world are waiting for the Sterkfontein Dam water temperatures to warm up so that the yellows start feeding in earnest which is normally only well into October. Although 60 ml of rain was recorded in the Clarens area in September the Klein Caledon is still on the low side for good trout fishing and still too cool lower down in the main Caledon for productive yellowfishing. The upper Ash River is another story entirely according to Josh Wampach of the Ash River Outfitters in Clarens (josh@ashriveroutfitters.co.za). This unusual river fishery which is the decant from the tunnel exit near Clarens which carries cool, clear water from Lesotho’s Katse Dam provides excellent trout fishing almost year-round in the first 7 or more kilometers below the outlet. Remarkable also is the size of some of the fish which are mainly rainbows. Water temperature now is around 11°C and although there have been good afternoon hatches conventional wetfly fishing with stripped leeches and minnow patterns have produced the best results. This is all done from a drift boat. Lesotho. Keith Clover reports that at Makhangoa’s main camp on the Bokong they are preparing for an influx of flyfishers who arrive in the large numbers once the migration of yellows starts upriver. In the nearby Bokong estuary on the Katse Dam the yellows are starting to assemble for their journey upstream. Once the migration starts there are always some resident trout to be caught amongst the predominant yellows.
A good-sized Ash River rainbow. |
