We went to Field & Stream with fishing taking a backseat to mountain biking. Martin was doing the Avendurance National MTB race at Dunkeld but we also wanted to try for some trout while in Dullstroom. Field & Stream sounded like perfect accommodation and wasn’t too far from the race start.
FISHING
I went for some fly casting lessons presented by the local fly-fishing shop The Village Angler with mixed results. At least I now knew the basics and I just needed to practice. I really enjoyed it though and Field & Stream provided the perfect setting. There was lots of space and no-one around to laugh at me 🙂
We mostly used black woolly buggers, especially with an orange head. And I managed to catch a trout which was super exciting. However the fish were porpoising and apparently this means they were feeding on hatching insects. This in turn meant we were supposed to use a washing line rig with two or three buzzers on to mimic the hatching larvae. We only realized this back home, we’ll try that strategy next time…
accommodation
As for our accommodation it really was ideal. There are a few different houses on the farm and we stayed in Eagle’s Crest which overlooks the feature dam and the valley. Truly beautiful setting.
Inside it looked like a spacious fly-fisherman’s cabin with all necessities including fireplace (essential in this area). Two rooms with views on either side, each with own bathroom made it the perfect getaway for two couples.
On Sunday I saw Dunkeld while picking up the mountain bikers. Also a beautiful setting and perhaps a bit more upmarket. I think I counted around 6 dams/ponds with very active fish, and massive open expanses to explore and hike through. Definitely a future destination.
Summary
Lots of fish, even though we struggled to catch many. The accommodation was great, perfect for two couples. Beautiful views with wide open spaces on the farm, and not too far from Dullstroom. Fantastic trip in general.
(2 days)
rainbow trout x2 (medium)
