Wild fly fishing in the Karoo - Cradock Region

Imagine the fly fishing opportunities in Cradock, Eastern Cape, South Africa. 

The water from the Orange / Fish river Canal system is tunneled from the Gariep dam and pumped into the Brak river, north of Cradock.  The Brak river joins up with the Great Fish river some twenty kilometers north of Cradock.  Here, the water of the Great Fish bubbles from its source - fountains in the mountains - between Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg.  This fountain water is generally nice and clear, and offers refuge and food to the hoards of fish that have been battered and bruised coming down the underground tunnel from the Gariep dam.  The muddy brown water cascades down the Brak river past the clear water of the Great Fish river, offering exciting sight fishing opportunities to indigenous smallmouth yellowfish, moggel and Orange river mudfish, as well as monster sized carp and barbel.  Wild fly fishing in the Karoo ...

A little closer to Cradock, the Paul's river, whose origins are also fountain sourced, hold several old hippo holes with clear water that also connects with the brown Orange / Fish river water.  The fish (yellowfish, moggel, mudfish, carp and barbel) move up the clear Paul's river in search of food and gravel beds to spawn.  Here, patience and stealthy water craft has the fish literally nymphing at your feet.

Targeting indigenous yellowfish, moggel and mudfish, as well as barbel and carp, offers a truly South African experience of Wild fly fishing in the Karoo.

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