Blog - Page 19 of 30 - Baha Adventures

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Touching Gold – A DVD Review

[caption id="attachment_800" align="alignright" width="300"] Touching Gold Screenshot[/caption] Touching Gold is the first fly fishing DVD filmed and produced by Rayno Egner of Safari and Film Africa. In association with Tourette Fly Fishing it transports the viewer to Free State's famous Sterkfontein Dam, regarded as one of the best sight fishing venues in Africa. Although Sterkfontein was originally fished for Trout (and contains many other species including Bass and Largemouth Yellowfish) this DVD shares with us the magical experience of sight fishing for Smallmouth Yellows. Anyone who's fished (or visited) Sterkfontein will be aware of the sheer size of this body of water as well as it’s incredible clarity. It can be hugely intimidating to anyone new to the venue and this DVD goes a fair way in giving a few…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior 5 Comments

Lotheni Nature Reserve

Reviews

[caption id="attachment_792" align="aligncenter" width="900"] View Over The Lotheni River[/caption] [caption id="attachment_793" align="alignright" width="300"] A Lotheni Wild Brown[/caption] Lotheni is most notably known for its beautiful scenery and many hiking options for people of all ages and abilities. That said, for us at Baha Fly Fishing, its known for its wild Brown Trout, Sime's Cottage and technical stream fishing. The fly fishing at Lotheni (mostly) takes place in the Lotheni River which runs below both the main camp and the camping site. It contains a healthy population of wild Browns and is in my opinion rather technical as the Browns seem far more skittish than those in the popular Bushman's River at Giant's Castle. The river is of course only open during the standard season running from the 1st September to…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Kamberg Nature Reserve

Reviews

[caption id="attachment_777" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Eland Dam, Kamberg Nature Reserve[/caption] [caption id="attachment_776" align="alignright" width="300"] The Kamberg Chalets[/caption] Kamberg Nature Reserve, located in the foothills of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, was once regarded the meca of KwaZulu-Natal fly fishing with big fish being caught often, five well maintained dams, a good stretch of the Mooi River and their own hatchery. Sadly things have changed slightly and the hatchery has long since been closed. The previous offer of five dams has also been reduced and they now maintain and stock only two of the dams on the reserve. That said the fishing in these two dams is still decent and the dams are well maintained. They seem to be stocked fairly frequently and as a result a lot of stockies are on offer…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

The Columbia Grendel

Reviews

The Columbia Grendel The Grendel has fast become a favourite item in my fishing arsenal for streams as well as those misty days on still waters. I love carrying a camera with me but wouldn't dare take the SLR onto the water in case I tripped or the rain came in. Thankfully the Grendel gave me the confidence to take my camera everywhere thereby improving my fishing photos tenfold. This backsack is comfortable to wear and, although not fully waterproof, is very water resistant. It's also stain resistant which means it always looks good no matter how many fish you catch. There's an easy to access, water resistant, back pouch for important items like cell phones and keys, while the main compartment has more than enough space for your jacket,…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

The Jvice

Fly Tying, Reviews

[caption id="attachment_754" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The Jvice[/caption] For over 10 years I tied my flies on an entry vice which I bought while on a limited budget at University. And for many years I believed that all vices were made equal; that was until the day I got to tie a fly using the Jvice. Suddenly I realised just how wrong I'd been. Yes, perhaps the final fly looked similar, but the process of tying it differed greatly. The Jvice was faster, more efficient and far easier to use. I was once again excited to tie flies and was suddenly tying twice as many in half the time. I immediately decided to review the Jvice and was lucky enough to meet Jay Smit and to spend some time with him at…

04Dec 2012 by Nick Nortje 2 Comments

The Xplorer Guide II (5wt 9ft 4 Piece Freshwater Fly Rod)

Fly Fishing, Reviews

[caption id="attachment_745" align="alignright" width="300"] The Xplorer Guide II[/caption] On first viewing this rod I was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the construction of the rod tube. It is made out of carbon fibre and has machined and polished end caps giving you a feeling of class. Unscrew the top cap and you pull out your four rod sections wrapped in a cloth sleeve. The rod is constructed using Xplorer's XP7 modulus graphite blanks, pac bay eyes and a lightweight aluminium up-locking reel seat with a high quality cork handle. I paired the rod with the Rio Mainstream intermediate, weight forward line and the Xplorer Eclipse 4-6wt reel. This combo I feel gives the rod a good balance. The rod action is medium to fast and can effortlessly cast…

02Dec 2012 by Warren Prior 2 Comments

Choosing A Float Tube

Articles

A few years ago, while in the process of buying my first float tube, I took the time to sit down and write an article on how to choose the float tube or boat which best suits you. Having not used many tubes at the time most of my information was gathered from the internet and, as we all know, everything on the internet needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. Over the past few years I’ve been far more involved in fly fishing and have had the pleasure of using various craft. I’ve also had the pleasure of chatting to several people involved in the industry and as such have had to reassess some of my original opinions. When I began my quest for a float tube…

02Dec 2012 by Warren Prior 1 Comment

Fly Fishing Myth Busters

Articles

There are many old fly fishing rumours, and this is where we bust them! Swimming In Waders Nick Testing Waders One hears so many horror stories about waders and how fly fishermen drown in them because they fill up with water and make swimming near impossible. For safety reasons the Baha Boys decided to put this myth to the test. So on a warm summer's day Nick pulled on his waders and jumped in the swimming pool. The first test was conducted using neoprene waders since these are what Nick usually fishes in. His first impression was that of surprise at just how buoyant the waders were. In fact he found it hugely reassuring that the waders kept him afloat without the need for him to try and swim. Being…

02Dec 2012 by Nick Nortje No Comments

Shad Bashing 101

Articles, Fly Fishing, Salt Water

[caption id="attachment_650" align="alignnone" width="400"] Warren With A Shad[/caption] [caption id="attachment_649" align="alignnone" width="400"] A Small Shad[/caption] Common Name: Shad Other Names: Elf Scientific Name: Pomatomus saltatrix Size: Shad can grow to be 120 cm long with a weight of 14 kg. Habitat: Shad are mainly found on sandy bottoms in clear water. They are also found close to reefs and rocky ledges where there is foamy water. Eating Quality: The fresh flesh of a shad is excellent to eat, but not after being frozen so only keep what you can eat. In this article I'll be touching on some of the things that have worked well for me over the years to target shad. Being an avid fly fishermen of both salt water and fresh water I am constantly looking for…

02Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Still Water Trout Lies

Articles

I often find it strange that people are intimidated by rivers and yet think of dams and lakes as their friends. Yes, it's true that still waters are often easier to fish, especially when they're maintained specifically for that purpose, but in rivers the fish have fewer places to hide and the water is easier to read. When one approaches a still water, especially a relatively large one, they are met with an expanse of water with endless places for fish to hide. It’s also relatively unclear as to what lies beneath that glassy surface. Is it deep or shallow? Is there a lot of structure? And most importantly, where are all the fish? As such deciding where to start fishing is not always an easy decision. I suppose one…