Fly Fishing, Somerset East, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Fishing in the Karoo? Yes, Wild Fly Fishing in the Karoo!

Somerset East is an oasis close to the eastern boundary of the Karoo. Even though the Karoo is always imagined as semi-desert, it is far more diverse than that. Somerset East has four biomes within 20km of the town. These biomes include Savannah, Grassveldt, Karoo and Indigenous Forest. The Boschberg Mountain that hugs the town of Somerset East also creates a microclimate, which, under normal circumstances, provides us with an average of 30 inches of rain each year. In good rainy seasons, fifteen waterfalls can be seen from the town of Somerset East on the Boschberg Mountain.

The Angler & Antelope has secured exclusive access to several dams and stretches of river in the Somerset East district for fly fishing. When you fly fish these exclusive Angler & Antelope waters, you will experience the majesty of the Karoo, with no interruptions – well, except maybe a trophy sized trout at the end of your fly line!

Don't worry about the non-fishing ladies, there's plenty of activities to keep them occupied! Activities for ladies ...

For pictures of the flies tied at the Angler & Antelope, please visit our Gallery page.  Flies can be ordered via email or by phone, and have been sent all over the country!  Mouse over the pictures for the names.

Although the indigenous smallmouth yellowfish have been in the Little Fish River for some time, the locals have only recently cottoned on that they are great sport to catch on fly. The yellowfish are obliging enough and can be caught in summer as well as winter. The Angler & Antelope has exclusive access to fly fish on over 25km of the Little Fish River, and offers excursions as far as Cradock for targeting these fantastic indigenous fish.

The Bankberg Troutfishers Club manages six still waters and a section of the Little Fish River. These fly fishing only waters consist of Bestershoek Dam, Mountain Dam, the three Glen Avon Farm dams, the 90m Glen Avon Falls and the Naudes River, Buffelshoek Dam and the pools on the Little Fish River. Bestershoek dam is situated next to the Somerset East golf course in an amphitheatre created by the Boschberg Mountain. It is a spectacular setting, and very accessible as it is only 5 minutes from Somerset East, by motorcar. The Glen Avon Dams are also accessible by motorcar, and are 15 minutes from the Angler & Antelope in Somerset East. Mountain dam is on top of the Boschberg Mountain, and is the premier water of the Bankberg Troutfishers Club. Mountain dam is not accessible by normal motorcar, as a higher clearance is required. This dam is considered one of the best for fly-fishing for trout in South Africa, where prolific mayfly and caddis hatches occur.

Buffelshoek dam and the pools in the Little Fish River are open to members of the Bankberg Troutfishers Club only, unless our REFFIS accredited guide accompanies you. To fly fish the small stream sections of the Naudes River and below the 90m Glen Avon falls, visitors must be accompanied by a Bankberg Troutfishers Club member or our REFFIS accredited guide.

Somerset East is one of the few venues in South Africa that boasts 8 freshwater species that can be caught on fly, within 20 minutes of each other. The Hobson’s Choice Festival, usually in October each year, challenges the avid fly fisherman to target a rainbow trout, black bass and yellowfish, all bigger than 30cm in length, on the same day.

This comfortable venue, with an excellent single malt whisky collection in an old church, a fly fishing shop in the old confessional, and a resident guide, with diversity in landscape and fly-fishing opportunities, is a must to any fly fisher’s to do list.