Reflections from July – September
Good day to our flyfishing family, which is growing so quickly!
Where do we start? July, August, and September were incredible. The “pound for pound” river champions, the Scalie, kept us on our toes. The rivers were crystal clean, and levels were good. Some of you got to catch your first Scalie on a fly rod—the joy and stoke was real, and many a beautiful moment was shared on the river banks. What a privilege it was to share skills, techniques, and tips together, learning as we progressed.
It was an honor to take a family of three generations on a Scalie outing; this will be in my memory banks forever. Grandfather, son-in-law, and his grandsons, young David and Luca. The day was too short as we were absolutely blessed with an abundance of Golden Scalie, from “river monsters” (Young David’s comment) to Luca’s “double ups.” Our joy tanks were overflowing as the day disappeared too quickly.
From beginner to advanced fly fisherman, we promised to take you on a journey of improvement and gain insights to getting to the advanced levels. This we did, and what a joyous journey we had, constantly learning from one another and having such fun. Many friendships were formed and continue to flourish as we go into our new adventures chasing new species locally and abroad. KZN simply has the most amazing river systems, and we are truly blessed to spend time on them.
We fished the mighty Tugela, Umkomass, Bushman’s, Umgeni, and some tributaries off the grid. Once the trout rivers opened after the annual spawning break, wild rainbow and brown trout adventures began. Many of you landed your first rainbow and brown trout, and some of you got some trophy fish—well done!
We are in the middle of the river season, and it has already been memorable. As the rains arrive in the catchment areas, the rivers rise and the fishing turns on. All those lessons learned Scalie fishing have been put to the test, and the results have been so exciting.
Please look out for upcoming trips or give us a call at any time to arrange a customized trip, day trip, or a weekend away chasing these amazing fish.
Best regards,
Fred le Roux
