From the mountains of Lesotho and the Bokong river to the Nubian Flats of Sudan, African Waters’ guide Tim Leppan’s career is in the ascendancy.
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5 best things about where you guide?
- The people you get to meet. I never thought I’d have the privilege of meeting the guys and girls that I have whilst guiding on location. Truly it’s been amazing.
- Seeing angry GTs and happy triggerfish over the course of the last three months has been out of this world. Being able to walk out onto a gin clear flat every day has been a dream come true.
- A fellow guide and very close friend, Brent Poultney, sat me down prior to guiding and ran me through what I could experience on location. What stood out the most for me was when he mentioned the friendships forged between guides and how tight a guiding team can become. It couldn’t be more true, I’ve felt a part of a family whilst on location and am incredibly grateful for it.
- Lesotho and Sudan have been an absolute eye opener for me, not only from a fishing perspective but also from a cultural perspective. Being able to experience polar opposite cultures and countries has been one of the biggest highlights for me, hands down.
- Lastly, the photographic potential on location has been second to none. I doubt I’ll ever get the chance to pull out my camera this much. Especially from a fly fishing perspective.

“Lesotho and Sudan have been an absolute eye opener for me, not only from a fishing perspective but also from a cultural perspective. Being able to experience polar opposite cultures and countries has been one of the biggest highlights for me, hands down.”
5 fishing-connected items you don’t leave home without before making a mission?
- My trusty Nikon Z7. Leaving my camera behind on a fishing trip is criminal. A good photo means as much as a good fish to me and so having the opportunity to do both is a win-win situation.
- It sounds clichéd, but sunscreen. Tanned skin is not something I’m familiar with and so leaving sunscreen at home usually ends up being catastrophic.
- Tying materials. Often I’ve had days where fish have zoned into a specific colour, profile or weight, whatever it may be. There’s nothing more frustrating than running out of a successful pattern whilst away on a fishing trip.
- Sweets are a must. I’ll leave lunch and water behind before I leave the sweets. Orange-flavored Super Cs to be precise.
- Blister plasters. The quickest way to ruin a great trip is a blister or three.
5 bands to listen to while on a road trip?
- Fleetwood Mac
- Van Morrison
- The Beegees
- Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Can’t go wrong.
- Dire Straits, once more a must.
5 things you are loving right now
- Hardy rods and reels. I’ve always been against Hardy in a strange way. They are typically over-priced compared to competitors and I often thought it was purely a brand name you were paying for, like most things. But damn my mind has been changed. The Zephrus range of rods and the Fortuner reels are next level tough.
- Sigma Art lenses. The price point and quality is mind blowing. Cheers to my photographer friend Ryan Janssens for this bit of advice from a long time back. I’ve never looked back!
- I’ve never been a fan of watches, I’ve just found them uncomfortable and a liability more than anything, until I got my hands on a Garmin. Having a watch and subsequently being punctual whilst guiding is non-negotiable and so a watch was compulsory. I must admit, I don’t think I’d be able to operate without it going forward.
- Harvest, the only decent fast food outlet in Port Sudan. The grilled chicken on change over day is revolutionary.
- Snacks that guests leave behind. Nothing like a bit of Woolworths on the Red Sea.
5 indispensable flies for saltwater?
- Flash Clousers.
- Flexo crabs, they’re just that good.
- Tan brush flies.
- Silicone mullets.
- Ice white DMAs.
5 indispensable flies for freshwater?
- Foam Hoppers.
- Articulated dungeons of all sorts.
- The undisputed black muishond.
- Belly scratchers.
- CDC Klinks.

5 favourite fly fishing destinations across South Africa/ Africa?
- The Cederberg for Clanwilliam Yellowfish.
- The Orange river.
- The Breede River, Witsand side.
- Struisbaai, where it all began.
- Kariega River in Kenton, that place is off the charts.
5 favourite fly fishing destinations globally?
- Miyum, a tiny white sand island in the middle of the Red Sea, south of Port Sudan.
- Poivre Island in the Seychelles. Having only experienced the fishery for a day, I constantly think back on the numbers of permit we saw that afternoon. One day when I’ve grown up I’ll be back.
- The many lagunas around Jurassic Lake in search of brown and brook Trout.
- Joe’s near Poivre.
- Lastly, the flats of Desroches Island. To this day I haven’t seen GTs of that size and magnitude as I saw on those flats.
5 of the worst things you have picked up from guiding?Â
- A sock tan that makes cyclists look normal.
- A coffee and sea sickness medication dependency that will never be rectified.
- Permanent inner thigh chafe.
- Worn down teeth from all the 16lb tippet knots.
- A craving for better internet connectivity.
5 flies to pack (in the smuggler kit under your driver’s seat) to cover most species?Â
- White foam dungeon.
- Flash clousers of all sizes.
- Foam bass poppers for when times get desperate.
- Black woolly buggers.
- Black CDC nymphs.
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5 people you would like to guide or fish with?
- I would do anything to turn back time and have the opportunity to guide the late Mark Moses chasing Atlantic Salmon in the Ponoi River. The father-figure who instilled my passion for fly fishing will never, ever be forgotten. RIP to a true legend and lifelong inspiration.
- Having an opportunity to guide my father, Chris Leppan, on a white sandy flat for GTs would honestly be a dream come true.
- Exploring and fishing Socotra, South of Yemen, with Nicola Vitali would be completely out of this world… the GTs that come out of that region are truly cosmic.
- One day I’d love to fish with both Tony Kietzmann and Marius Rosseau in the Cederberg in pursuit of large Clanwilliam Yellowfish. That would be special.
- Walking a flat or river with my mother, Fiona Leppan, would be absolutely incredible. She needs to understand why I’m so addicted to this strange sport.
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Get stuck into the rest of Tim’s High 5s and more in issue 28 of The Mission. As always, it’s free.
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