I marvelled at how the animal’s greying mane seemed to glow in the moonlight and, when he dashed away, I realised I had one of those life snapshots that will never fade. The best time of year in terms of size and numbers of fish is October. Kalahari Water Holiday Farm, Keimoes Set … Tel: 079 186 6423. During a rising full moon the valley transforms as each rock face and bright beach is floodlit a different shade of grey It gets bright enough that tying on a fly without torchlight is do-able. Store Information. When the barometer is steady or on the rise. Mountain rivers and streams flourish with brown and rainbow trout. Text and pictures: Edward Truter. Another good time is during April and May when water clarity and levels are back to ideal. Premium. In a world where we play God, altering our environment to suit our needs, it is perhaps a workable compromise, like having our fish cake and eating it. Returning to her tent after trying her luck in the river; Amanda discovered that what she called the ‘big black monkeys’ had done some breaking and entering.There must have been a few mommy baboons in the mix because stepping through a ripped doorway into the disaster zone, Amanda found her make-up kit had been well sampled, if somewhat untidily. Minor periods last for about one or two hours. GOOD day means that you will catch enough fish to feel gratified. One of the best techniques to catch these fish that I have found is known as "The Wacky Rig" It froze there, stock-legged; I relaxed instantly knowing we weren’t about to be minced by buffalo feet. Albert Falls Dam also holds a world record for the largest bass catch in one day, six bass totalling 24kg. Article from the September 2012 issue of Country Life Magazine. Bass Fishing in South Africa. Regardless, I’ve never stopped going; there’s a lot more in the wildness of the place than just the fishing. Little understood outside the few anglers who’ve lucked into getting to know them, smallmouth can be to flyfishing what Bakkies Botha is to rugby – scrappy but keen and bringing a lot to the game. has a Enjoy our fishing calendars and discover the best fishing times each month. Black rhino are in another part of the Kloof but in an area without any fish that will take a fly, so I’ve not had to go anywhere near them.The sandbanks along the river read like a who’s who in the zoo. BEST day means that you will catch something almost every time you cast your line in the water. Season: The best times to catch smallmouth bass are in spring and autumn; in summer focus on early mornings and late afternoons. 31.000642. (But even during stormy … The Largemouth is a very popular freshwater angling species in South Africa and many anglers spend a lot their fishing time targeting these "Little Green Fish" as they are sometime called. A sleeping bag lay abandoned in the dust 50 metres from the tent. the There are literally hundreds of accommodations across South Africa that offer fishing on-site or within a few hundred metres away. Just about wherever they’ve got their whiskers through the door they’re having negative impacts on aquatic life. ShowMe™ and Country Life bring you some of this magazine’s top notch content right here on our site. The Dorp's River is a perennial stream that runs for 3 kms through the Stonecutters property. The bass or Largemouth bass (micropterus salmoides) is a fresh water game fish in the sunfish family, a species of the black bass native to North America. Smallmouth bass are the fishing attraction of the Kloof. Among the most common bass fishing tips is the recommendation to go fishing during the lowest light hours of the day for the most bites. visible. Catch & Release Bass Fishing ONLY, “fly-fishing” or “lures” only with barbs removed from hooks. Hi F-H generally the pattern with Bass in South Africa is that the colder the water the less active they are. Local and reliable products and services. But if other factors See below for more info on the last issue and find out how to subscribe. My first memory is of us pulling off the road to take in the mountains, and then my parents bundling me back into our Land Rover; with gunshots ringing off the krantzes and the sight of two men legging it between distant spekboom clumps. When you cast, stop halfway instead of following through, similar to a check … The best time to travel to South Africa depends on which parts of the country you want to visit and your interests. As most of the dams are on private property, it is best to contact Craig McClean, who can take you to all the best spots. Snakes like the bright green water snake and the not unspectacular Cape cobra are nearly everyday sightings too – I once caught a Baviaans bass that had just swallowed a snake. Stonecutters Lodge is situated in the trout triangle of Mpumalanga - arguably where the best trout fishing in South Africa occurs. A Brazilian student, a town girl from Bahia for whom the Baviaans was another world in every way, was among our group. Best fishing times are indicated by the four solunar periods of high feeding activity. The current moonphase is a Waxing Gibbous and 81 percent of As a North American bass they’re considered alien invaders that gorge on our aquatic biodiversity, which is partly true. Soon afterwards Smallmouth Bass were introduced, their descendants have thrived and expanded. The first major solunar feeding period starts at 07:35 am. ) and is a poor day for fishing. Knowing the best time of day to fish for bass helps you select the bass fishing lures that will be the most productive. My most recent trip was March 2012. And being weekend and all, I assume our hairy fiends were maybe headed to high tea on the neighbour’s cliff-top deck and, wanting to smell good all-round, they finished off the toothpaste too, I think the mommy baboons found the ‘Rich Coffee’ tone of Amanda’s foundation off-colour though, and doused the tent interior and all her clothes with it in their disappointment. Be in no doubt that bass hunt at night. With the gentle tranquillity of the Midlands countryside calling and the opportunity to catch a trophy trout, outsmart a wily bass or engage the challenging indigenous yellowfish, what are you waiting for? Three of the Big Five inhabit the Baviaans and, come dark, a lot of things go grunt in the night. Black Bass fishing in South Africa goes back to the late 19th century when the first Largemouth Bass fry were imported to the country. If you enjoy serenity and beauty, and getting away from it all, subscribe to Country Life to be transported every month to a different back road journey. Craig works out of the River Hill Lodge, where Michele can help you with accommodation. Learn the best time to catch bass and other fish by using our solunar fishing calendars. 1 out of 4 rating FAIR day means that you may catch one or two fish but you will have to work hard to do so. Best Summer Fishing Times As mentioned before, the sun plays an important role in how eager the fish are to take your bait, so timing your fishing expeditions is important. Try to get to your fishing spot about an hour before sunrise or an hour before sunset because the bass bite more at these times when the sun isn't too high overhead. Common areas to find them in frequent numbers and of … Carp fishing can actually be the very best time of year to target carp as they will be moving into shallow water bays and lagoons hungry from a leaner winter. The baboons of course had welcoming party plans of another nature. Smallmouth bass are the fishing attraction of the Kloof. If you happen to fish during the middle of the day, look for the bass in shaded areas away from … Northlands Pets pet … Perhaps peaking through the mozzie mesh, the intruders felt the Checkers packet with a tatty jar of camphor cream wasn’t worth the effort. This is generally prior to the start of the rainy season, conditions are stable, and fish are feeding avidly before spawning between November and January. The Midlands Meander is one of the most popular fishing destinations in the country; with some of the best landscape and fishing waters in South Africa. During the rise and set of the Moon. Bass and carp fishing is also available, yet catch and release are encouraged. Casting a line between 11am and 4pm is not recommended, as this is the hottest time of the day and fish will swim to deeper, cooler water. Albert Falls: There is not much doubt that this ranks among the country’s top … According to CHANÉ, SPEAK is a song of hope and faith. or thats what i have heard. Fishing astro tables will help you plan your next fishing outing. good day to all! The second minor solunar feeding period starts at 02:34 pm. The Smallmouth Bass is known to reach lengths of 60 centimeters, and the South African angling record is close to 3 kilograms at the time of writing this article. Feeding is said to be less vigorous. Returning to her tent after trying her luck in the river, Amanda discovered that what she called the ‘big black monkeys’ had done some breaking and entering. The two major solunar periods last for two hours or more and normally produce best results. KwaZulu-Natal. Check out those days when they happen during sunrise or sunset for an extra boost. See what ShowMe™can do for your business! See what’s in the latest exciting issue of Country Life. ( Rumple-browed we asked, ‘Why?’ Amanda explained that she had learned at school in Brazil that AIDS came from monkeys in Africa and she wasn’t taking any chances. The sun will rise at 05:37 am and sets at My tent did not attract any real attention. We believe part of the secret is closing the dam for a month after the Bass Classic to allow the fish to spawn. LOCAL TIME: 04:54 pm | Sunday, 24 January, © Copyright 2008/9 ShowMe™ Community Websites | All Rights Reserved, South Africa’s Major Cities and International Airports, Facts about South Africa – what you should know, More info on the Baviaanskloof Region area, Armchair escape to the quieter, simpler life that the platteland offers, Explore our beautiful country and visit the hidden delights of our dorpies, Buy the arts and crafts, and discover the heritage of our Rainbow Nation. In the winter months Bass still feed, however they wont waste their energy chasing small prey or baitfish they will rather wait for … Get instant access to the best bass fishing in South Africa. On hikes into the Kloof we’ve sometimes lazed around the fire until midnight and then gone down to our camp pool to swish big bugs across the cobblestone shallows. The sun will rise at 05:34 am and sets at 07:04 pm while the moon rises at 12:52 pm and sets at - . EARLY MORNING. One can’t see the fly at the end of a cast but if you pop it loudly you can fish with your ears. Country Life magazine captures the essence of life in the South African countryside. Smallmouth bass prefer cooler water, so expect good catches in winter too. The best time of day to catch carp during the springtime is mid-afternoon very early in the spring and then early morning and late afternoon towards the middle and late spring as the water warms up. Smallmouth Bass are an invasive fish species in South Africa, and they are a huge threat to our smaller endemic fish species , such as the barbs, minnows and redfins. Sign up to receive our digital newsletter and get the heart of the countryside – features, events and competitions – delivered to your inbox weekly. like Blooop … balooop … blooop … it will come, me always imagining the hackle feathers froggy-kicking against the moon’s silver mirror and then BOOOF! is 03-.jpg. The whole truth though is that, in places like the Baviaanskloof the bass live in the main rivers (the Kouga and Baviaans), while the many tributaries that trickle between quartzite walls are habitable only to populations of indigenous fish. Little understood outside the few anglers who’ve lucked into getting to know them, smallmouth can be to flyfishing what Bakkies Botha is to rugby – scrappy but keen and bringing a lot to the game. No treble hooks, no live bait, no bank fishing. For Bass fishing fans this is great news with some world class Bass angling to be had within 2 to 3 … The same sand forms white beaches that are a feature of the Kouga riverbanks. It came from a hospital cardiac ward and the voice had been told to say that my fishing buddy, Zak wouldn’t be coming as he’d been admitted with his heart racing out of control. Angling Notes. NORTHERN CAPE 1. To save you trawling through pages of Google hits, we’ve compiled a list of 48 fantastic – and some lesser known – fishing spots in South Africa. i am going to try my luck this weekend in the Bronkhorstspruit area,while going for Carp,and have heard that they do still feed in winter,just not as active as summer. weather, tides, sunrise, etc are favorable those times could be just as good as the major times. The two major solunar periods last for two hours or more and normally produce best results. It stands to reason that you should focus your efforts where there is an abundance of rock. Bass fishing is one of the most popular freshwater angling facets in South Africa and many fishermen compete in Bass fishing tournaments and fish recreationally for Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and Spotted Bass. slow fishing and small lures will probably work?? It was a typically sweaty day in the Kloof, which probably explains why the baboons also emptied the anti-perspirant deodorant. “It is a song about a modern-day Samuel. You will be able to ignore the call for only so long, It may even become a monkey on your back, just take care that it’s not a big black one trying to steal your Lip-ice. Skip Your Bait. The Cape has warm, dry weather in its summer months (November to February), for instance, but the prime whale-watching season is September and October. Before my logic could lock into the picture, a bushpig sort of pranked out of mid-air and onto the ring of white sand in front of where I lay in my sleeping bag. But the Baviaans wasn’t made for farming, a sentiment summarised on a rusting sign I once read along the Kloof’s Uniondale road: ‘Ons boer met skuld en geduld’ (We farm with credit and patience).Thirty years later; Eastern Cape Parks manages nearly half a million hectares of state and private land as part of the Baviaanskloof Mega-reserve and it’s better for everyone that way. It was one of those cheap and not-so-fluffy ones from the corner store, certainly not up to scratch as required for rock-hard bush living. I remember the farmers’ ruddy-leathered skin and how the ruggedness of the land seemed ploughed into their faces. The Largemouth Bass can live over 15 years and can attain a weight of 12 kilograms, this is uncommon in South Africa though and on average the Largemouth will attain a weight of 1 … The best time to catch a Yellowfin is between May to November, they are good fighters and one of the most sought after game fish in South Africa. Country Life – the Real Heart of the countryside! Have been visiting the Baviaanskloof to fish since I was five years old. The best times of day to catch a bass are the early hours of the morning and the last hours of the day. The highlands are great for seasonal flyfishing, increasingly popular in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and Eastern Cape Provinces, and the rest of South Africa. They normally live to about 16 years of age and the female bass is larger than the male bass. The second major solunar feeding period starts at 08:03 pm. The … On a recent fishing hike, when my open-air roommates tell me I was cranking out the nasal tunes louder than a bakkie full of the local Working for Water employees chainsawing through the wattle scourge, I was awoken by something charging through the shallows.To be yanked from deep sleep by the sound of hooves clacking on rocks and no idea if it’s coming or going sets the gears in one’s head simultaneously freespooling backwards and forwards and sideways. Once in the valley you are in the thick of it and I predict that, after you’ve fished there, the Baviaans will sneak under your skin the way the river sand presses through a stone-rubbed seam into your wading boots, and niggles. ... South Africa-29.813201. 02_8.jpg. It was a young lady the lighter shade of pale who walked up to us, holding crumpled garments with long fingers and arms outstretched to the max, She asked if any of us had brought washing powder. ‘Gees, I thought, ‘that’s the first time someone has been so excited to go fishing with me that they ended up in hospital.’ The rest of us did the trip, the Baviaanskloof (Valley of Baboons) welcoming us with splendid summer greenery. moon while the moon rises at 03:34 pm and sets at 01:36 am. There are basically three times during a 24-hour period that are usually the best time to fish for bass. World Of Fishing, 189 Beyers Naude Drive Northcliff Johannesburg South Africa 2195 Call us now: 011 782 6969 Email: info@bass.co.za info@bass.co.za Selling my fly fishing tackle in great condition 33x Salwater flies 10x Largemouth Bass flies 119x weighted flies 71x Dry flies 4x waterproof fly boxes 3x Saltwater tapered leaders (NEW) 4x Spools mono tippet (about 5m of 2x left) Box of clips to clip flies Line clipper tool Scissor forceps (NEW) Box of fly fishing line weights Polarized sunglasses (shock resistant) Case to hold all items. BSL Batt B-LFP-100 12V, 100Ah Lithium Ion Deep Cycle Battery Features: 12.8V 100Ah Capacity >2000 Cycles at 0.2C 100% DOD 1280Wh IP56 14.03kG Email: info@bass.co.za or telephone: +(27) 11 782 6969 R9,614.00 The first minor solunar feeding period starts at 12:36 am. Catfish (aka barbel) will colonise almost anywhere that seems even a little bit damp. The criss-crossing spoor of kudu, eland, buffalo, red hartebeest, bushbuck, grysbok, mountain reedbuck, grey duiker klipspringer; leopard, caracal, water mongoose, otters, tortoise, leguaans and others, turn nearly every bare patch of ground into a road map with a story. I’ve had a leopard pass so close I could hear paws pressing into the sugary, drizzle-dampened sand around my tent. In May there is NO bank fishing permitted but from June to end of August, due to reduced divers and swimmers, using water, you may fish from the bank, on the west bank, away from other day visitors, swimmers and divers. PS: Zak’s heart was fine; he pitched for the next fishing trip. The record for the largest bass caught here is currently 5.642kg. And that’s just the thing. 01_4.jpg. According to our calculations, today Jan 24, 2021 Couta (King Mackerel) Couta (King Mackerel) The King Mackerel, commonly called the Couta is one of the most abundant saltwater game fish in the east coast of South Africa. It started off shaky when I received a phone call at 06h30 the day before departure. Nowadays, the quality of Baviaans flyfishing is far from its near world-class status of the 1980s, but the bass appear to be adapting to the catfish and the numbers are up. 07:03 pm Baboons and people of the tenting type don’t always make for happy camping. During the “morning rise” (after sunup for a spell) and the “evening rise” (just before sundown and the hour or so after). It all changed in the 1990s, though, when sharptooth catfish (a local and more rampant invader) spread through the catchment. Carp are also plentiful, with specimens of 10kg being caught. It was something straight out of a Western movie, a thought that lingered after we later met the shooters, who explained that they had been harvesting feral cattle. can anyone tell me what the best time (season) for bass fishing is? 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