A public consultation notification about manganese and iron ore mining prospects in the Cederberg (in the Twee River and Leeu River confluence area to be specific) is doing its rounds at the moment. A company called 'Orren Capital (PTY) Ltd' is planning to prospect for these mining activities in an area with scarce indigenous species, [...]
Exploring remote valleys with no paths, no reception and no easy way in or out, three anglers throw caution to the wind, extend a middle finger to the slow rot of age and bundu-bash their way to great fishing. This story by Conrad Botes is from issue 32 of The Mission. Photos by Paul Botes. [...]
What if we can have the best of both worlds – brilliant trout fishing in the mountains of the Western Cape AND new (yet ancient) fisheries for large indigenous species that readily take a fly? If game-changing conservation biologist Dr Jeremy Shelton’s vision for the future is accurate, that will be the reality if stakeholders [...]
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. 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 [...]
So it's no secret that Clanwilliam yellowfish were stocked into the Berg River back in the day (from 1964). I've been trying hard to find remnants of these stockings, but even though I've hiked and fished most of the Berg River main stem and tributaries over the past thirty years, I've had no luck. [...]
According to my knowledge, in fly fishing 'bloodworm' may refer to three different things: 1) Red midge larvae, 2) reddish coloured freshwater annelids (aquatic oligochaetes that are the freshwater analogs of terrestrial earthworms) including tubifex worms (sold as 'bloodworm' in frozen blocks to feed aquarium fish), and then 3) the well known marine bloodworm (a [...]
Fly fishing and off-road motorcycles seem like the perfect fit so for issue 24 we teamed up with BMW Motorrad for a mission into the Tankwa Karoo. It involved two riders on the GS Urban and the F 850 GS bikes, two target species in Clanwilliam yellowfish and smallmouth bass and one giant storm. Check [...]
To further bury an already very dead cliche, ‘I’ve had the privilege of’ interviewing some greats over the years. GOATS the likes of Kelly Slater, Greg Minnaar and Kilian Jornet. Seven-time world champion Conrad ‘The Caveman’ Stoltz, Christoph Sauser and my skinny-ass bro from Hout Bay, Ryan Sandes, who just happens to be one of [...]
I dig fishing big dry flies with long 'legs' or rubber appendages for extra movement. The bigger flies are more buoyant and therefore also highly visible, they float longer than tiny dries and they can work charmingly well as 'indicators' when a dropper nymph is attached (I prefer 'New Zealand style' for this). Big dry [...]
From body-boarding to skateboarding, exploring the Vaal River and its tributaries for amazing yellowfish action, or inventing fly patterns like the brilliant Papa Roach, whatever our issue 21 Lifer Herman Botes does in life, he does at full tilt.
