During late November we explored yet another beautiful part of our stunning country. This time we were in the Western Cape travelling along a section of the famous Route 62 from Oudtshoorn to Barrydale. This area was made famous by David Kramer, and driving through quaint towns like Ladismith and Calitzdorp felt like a pilgrimage of sorts.
Although the sights were very interesting, we were there to do some fishing, but finding places to stay became a challenge. There are dams like Calitzdorp Dam and Stompdrift Dam, but accommodation (with fishing) was few and far between. In the end, and totally by accident, we stumbled across two farms that offered everything we were looking for, The Great Escape and Plaas Wegbreek.
The Great Escape – Oudtshoorn
Not too far from Oudtshoorn, on the way to George, lies The Great Escape (aka Beveras). You travel quite far down a dirt road (Zebra turn-off) to reach the farm, but it’s all worth it when you reach the serene location. It’s basically an old farmhouse that has been revamped, sitting right on the banks of a delightful dam, with mountains in the background.
The house is divided into 2 private sections, each with a kitchen, inside braai, and a separate bedroom. The bathroom facilities are outside just behind the main house. Outside you have a large porch with more braais, nicely sheltered from the Karoo wind. And there is even a hot tub on a small hill overlooking the dam. The lawns are manicured all the way to the water.
The dam itself is of a decent size and has lots of structure all around the edges. Getting to some parts isn’t possible from the side, but luckily there was a canoe that we could use. The owners added a sort of outrigger to it for extra stability, which was a nice touch. So as soon as we were settled we hopped onto that to go see if there were any fish around. And we were quickly rewarded.
Right from the start we started catching small bass almost everywhere. It was as if they had never seen the lures we were using. From craws to flukes to frogs, they were just gobbling up whatever landed in the water. We must have caught at least 60 on our first day which was really impressive for the size of the dam.
We also caught the odd bigger bass in between the chaos of the ravenous smaller ones. There weren’t many but again considering the conditions it was really impressive, and they gave us some proper fights. It was a good thing the canoe had those stabilizers.
The next day, after another successful morning, the owner invited us to go and see the other dam on the property. To our astonishment the second dam was at least twice as big, and as we walked towards the water you could see schools of bass swimming around! We were in heaven.
Here we didn’t have a boat, but it didn’t matter, the whole bank was easily accessible. Using small flukes we each caught a bass with each of our first 5 casts. It was just too easy in the crystal clear water. Again the smaller bass were just insatiable, but we did see a very big bass caught by one of the farm workers, so they are around.
In the end we stayed there the whole catching tons of fish and having a great time.
It was a great first venue and a fantastic way to start our road trip in the Klein Karoo.
Plaas Wegbreek – Barrydale
After a quick return to our base in Wilderness we headed west passing through Ladismith and Calitzdorp, and the picturesque Huisrivier pass in between them. Just before Barrydale we turned left into the Doornrivier farm, and followed the road to our next destination, the Damhuis at Plaas Wegbreek.
Once again we weren’t sure what to expect, and once again we were blown away by the spectacular setting. Driving up from the dam wall you are suddenly greeted by a massive dam in the middle of a fruit orchard, surrounded by hills. And on the water on the far side was the Damhuis, our home for the next few days.
The house itself is built on stilts right on the water, and has 2 sections: the bathroom with a shower, and a living area with kitchen and bedroom. Outside the porch has a braai which is actually hanging over the water (a new one for us), and there is a also nice jetty which was very handy for fishing.
Here you also have a variety of 2-seater canoes, and it didn’t take us very long to hop onto one and head out on the promising stretch of water. We already caught a bass from the jetty shortly after arriving so we knew this was going to be good, and we were not disappointed.
The fishing was very good, and as with The Great Escape, we must’ve caught at least 50 on the first half day. And even more the next day. Again the fish seemed ravenous, and again they were mostly small with the odd bigger fish. They loved almost anything, but especially watermelon red flukes. Even walking along the side proved very lucrative.
Doornrivier is a big farm, and amazingly it too has another even bigger, and mostly untouched, bass dam. We noticed it as we drove in, and after politely enquiring the owners said we were welcome to try it out. Unfortunately for this dam you will need a boat as there are very few opportunities from the side. But even in the 2 spots we were able to reach the water we managed to catch a dozen bass in no time, even doubling up twice.
This dam really excited us. It’s big and deep, with lots of structure, and the chances of big bass are undeniable. One thing is certain, we’ll be returning to it soon with our inflatable.
As usual we also spent some time at the local establishments, and Barrydale is one of those hidden gems. It’s one of the more popular stops on Route 62, and there are at least a dozen places next to the road for a delicious lunch, or just a cold one. Diesel & Creme stood out, but there are many others like Karoo Daisy, that offer really good food and interesting craft beer.
We even visited the iconic Barrydale Karoo hotel which is on the main road of the town.
And so, while watching the full moon spectacularly rise over the dam, and braaiing over the water, our first of many visits to the area came to a fitting end…
Summary
A very successful first visit to the Klein Karoo, the first of many. The fishing was unbelievable, and the scenery spectacular. Everything was perfect for us. We are definitely returning with our inflatable to explore the bigger dams at both venues where we are sure there are some monster bass lurking…
Finally here is a map of our travels on this trip.
(4 days)
bass x200 (small)
bass x10 (medium)
