I love coming home for any amount of time. Not only are there a ton of surf spots that crank! There is more fishing than one knows what to do with! With two weeks to kill and a trail run as the only fixed commitment a little planning is not a bad idea. So I thought I’d share my immediate options.
Forget the fact that there are Yellowfish down the road and great trout fishing around the Cango Caves area. Forget the estuaries in the Mosselbay area – Hartenbos, Little Brak and Great Brak. I’m thinking closer to home… Knysna. Home. A massive twisting system of channels, mud and sand banks. The options are endless with great catches of Grunter, Leerie, Kob and Steenies being recorded annually. And every now and again throws a surprise out with a Skippie, shark, Mussel Cracker or, more rarely, Dorado!
Goukamma is unfortunately closed. May have to prospect for some Kob in the deeper holes but the grunter aren’t going to be too happy without regular push of the tide.
Same goes for Sedgefield and Swartvlei – again no tides. But Swartvlei provides a interesting experience for those willing to put the time in. BIG Leerie and Kob inhabit this deep lake. This makes me sad because it is by far my favourite challenge. Tailing grunts in crystal clear knee deep water, all as spooky as any Permit!
A little further down the road is the Touws River system at Wilderness. The Touws itself is well known for its Leerie population but joins up with Island Lake which also has damn big Leerie in it!
From a fresh water perspective, after a few days of winter sun the big Bass of Groenvlei start to move. This natural freshwater lake for a long time held the SA Bass record. Its white sandy bottom and reeded edges also makes it one of the prettiest lakes that one could hope to fish.
And then there are the Brown’s of the Knysna Forest. These piscatorial delights require some serious exploration, pliable farmers and a 4×4. But an easier option is the Kwaai River at The Outeniqua Trout. Easy to access and full of skittish browns. There is also the Keurbooms itself which has no shortage of Rainbow Trout for a keen fisherman to terrorise. And the Keurbooms is quite unique in that you can catch a Leerie or Grunter in the morning and a trout in the afternoon. The Ultimate Slam – a Leerie, Grunter, Rainbow and Brown from a single river? 
All in all I don’t think I have problem with options. Although I may well have difficulty picking!
