Ed Herbst reports from Rhodes that the annual Wild Trout Association Epson Fly Fishing Festival was held at Walkerbouts Country Inn in the Eastern Cape village from 20 to 23 March – and proved to be a great success.
The Fly Fishing Festival was first held in 1996 and has since become a hardy annual and a firm favourite. Many participants book immediately for the following year’s event and it is easy to see why.
(Click in images to enlarge them)
The upper section of the Glen Nesbit stream, a tributary of the Bokspruit, proved one of the most popular streams fished during the festival.
One gets the opportunity to fish some of the finest streams in the country for trout and yellowfish in the company of some of the country’s top guides, such as Tony Kietzman, Tim Rolston, Miles Divett, Mike McKeown, Jacky Lamer and others. In the evening one can swap yarns in one of the country’s most highly rated bars (101 Beloved Bars of Southern Africa by Chris Marais and Pat Hopkins – Zebra Press, 2007), the Thankshjalot Pub at Walkerbouts Inn, watch fly tying demonstrations and simply immerse oneself in matters fly fishing with likeminded people.
Andre Fisher fishing the upper Hillbury beat of the Bokspruit
By now, Dave Walker and his team have mastered the art of making fly fishers feel at home and, weather permitting, providing them with good fishing in beautiful surroundings.
http://www.tomsutcliffe.co.za/fly-fishing/friend-s-articles/item/172-profile-on-dave-walker.html
The participants caught more than 1600 trout and yellow fish, averaging eight fish per person per day, although the real figure was probably higher as not everyone filled in catch returns.
Russell Dickson on the upper Glen Nesbit.
Mike McKeown of Frontier Fly Fishing in Johannesburg was auctioneer on the final night and the auction realised R34 500. One of its highlights was the bidding for a split cane fly rod donated by Stephen Boshoff which will be named the “Tom Sutcliffe Special” in tribute to the contribution that Tom has made to fly fishing and fly tying over several decades. Two thirds of the R12 000 realised will go to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust, a cause very dear to Tom’s heart. The winning bidder was Gavin, the husband of Sharland Urquhart, who is playing a significant and philanthropic role in promoting the participation of women in the sport and South African craftsmanship in fly fishing.
Artistry in wood: two split cane rods, a chest fly box and a landing net all crafted by Stephen Boshoff.
Sharland Urquhart and Ian Cox admire Steve Boshoff bamboo fly rods.
http://www.westerncape.gov.za/redcrosshospital
http://childrenshospitaltrust.org.za/
Sean de Wet ponders the bids already submitted for the auction held on the final night of the Festival.
Also auctioned were two blankets which were assembled from squares knitted by participants in the “Stoepsitfees” (porch sitting festival) which was held in the village recently. They were bought for R2000 by Miles Divett and the money will be used to buy blankets for the needy in the nearby township of Zakela.
Dave Walker with one of two blankets constructed of squares knitted by participants in the recent Rhodes Stoepsitfees.
An undoubted highlight of the festival was the latest edition of the WTA’s “Guide to fly fishing in the Eastern Cape Highlands” which started as a small, single-page flyer in 1991 and is now a superbly printed 131 pages packed with both anecdote and information. Martin van Riet of Epson, a regular visitor to the festival over many years, sponsored the Guide and also provided a fleece jacket for each of the participants.
A plump rainbow caught on the upper Hillbury section of the Bokspruit.
The bargain of the auction was a Sage Circa 7 foot 9 inch two weight which retails for about R7000 but went for R4500.
The 2014 event will be held on 19-22 March. You can contact Dave Walker on 045 9749290 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">
Ed Herbst - Rhodes
