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Thread: Lower Orange report back

  1. #11
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Gauteng
    Posts
    6,299

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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre View Post
    Yup, several fish were lost simply due to under gunning. There is definaly scope for a 7 or 8wt outfit with a 15 to 20 pound rig. I have never before hooked into so many big fish and lost them. The standard CZN setup with 5wt and 7 to 9 pound leader was hopelessly insufficient. It is heartbreaking to see a huge yellow, simply smoke you, with precious little to answer back with.
    Hmmm...after the first big boy snaps you up...you should already change to heavier tippet. Not only on the next trip...

    Excellent report Andre...great fishing! Like Herman, definitely on my list of places to visit soon. Would love to do a drift through the Richtersveld...like 5 days solid fishing. And it's not just about the fishing...being there, outdoors, nature, the whole 9 yards. Excellent!

    Regards
    Mike

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Wellington, NZ
    Posts
    894

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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre View Post
    The road from Pooitjies to De Hoop, goes through three passes, and although is only 45 km's, takes a good three hours of serious macho 4x4ing, with Akkedis pass, providing the less experienced off roader with a few interesting challenges.
    Lekker trip report Andre. Good now that the pont is operational, cuts out good whack of the alternative route thru Alex. Worth the border fees, especially if you driving up in one day.

    Just a note on Akkedis and De Hoop. More than do-able in 4x2 with high clearance. I did not engage diff-lock once. Last strech of river-bed into De Hoop is interesting, but decent momentum and you can still do it. When we were there the only other guys in the campsite had a normal Condor (not the 4x4 version).

    I don't want to start a 4x4 vs 4x2 debate, but if you drive like human being (i.e. leave the macho sh!t at home ), and use the appropriate speed, you can get around the Richtersveld park fine in 4x2. I would not tackle the river section between De Hoop and Richtersberg without 4x4, rather use the inland route.

    Awesome environment, planning on spending my 40th (next year, eek) in the Park
    Last edited by ebf; 26-08-08 at 07:03 AM.
    Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery element are made for wise men to contemplate, and for fools to pass by without consideration - Izaak Walton

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Rustenburg
    Posts
    340

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    Great report perfect to wet my appetite for our float and paddle trip. I'm beginning to relish the two day fishing more and more - instead of hiking up the Richtersberg.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Cape Town
    Posts
    1,899

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    Yes gents

    I believe that I am privileged (cursed?) to fish as much as I do. In reality a week seldom goes by when I do not fish and I am blessed to live in an area that boasts really beautiful and productive fishing venues.

    However, never before have I ever experienced a trip that matches the quliaty of this one.

    My first trip to the Richtersveld was a couple fo years ago with Darryl Lampert and Chris Bladen. We had an awesome time but unfortunately the fishing was relatively slow- thanks to the water flowing at between 400 and 600 cumecs!


    Last year December I again fished the Orange (Namibian side) with Grant Kieser and Johan (Bossie) Boshoff and whilst we had very enjoyable fishing we again struggled with the relatively high flow that greeted us.


    Whilst the fishing conditions left a bit to be desired during both trips, those trips nevertheless cemented the fact that fishing the lower orange is like fishing in ***'s own country.

    And so this is why I jumped like an epileptic poodle at the opportunity to return to the Richtersveld when I was offered a spot on this trip.

    I think that Andre has summarised the trip brilliantly but one or two added points.

    Both him and John Yelland of Upstream have got this trip nailed. The catering was simply superb and it was great to eat like a king in the middle of a rocky desert. Suppers consisted of lamb curry, stuffed chicken on the Weber, lamb knuckle potjiekos and a leg of lamb done on the weber- definitely no skimping here!

    Adding to this a wee dram of Pierre's finest whiskeys and it felt like I was being catered for on an upmarket Franschoek wine farm!

    The fishing, as Andre has stated, was technical but if you got it right then it was simply exceptional. There were times when Andre and I were literally laughing away on the water after yet another "double hookup".

    A personal highlight of the trip for me was the drift that Andre and I did. After catching a few smallies I changed to a largemouth rig and on about my 3rd cast I caught my first specifically targeted largemouth in my fishing career. The largie was small but I was so stoked that people would be forgiven for thinking I had just caught a 10 pounder.

    Later on that evening I decided to go and target the little largie's bigger brothers. I strolled down to a nice rocky point with a good channel lined by some interesting weed growth. After casting for a while and enjoying the last rays of sun, I noticed what I thought was a small fish just break the surface. As I was busy casting in that general direction I simply changed my angle slightly and covered the rise. The size 4 black cactus fritz landed with a plop and I immediately began an erratic retireve. On the second strip the water exploded around the fly in a way that puts every leerie I have ever caught to shame! I went "vas" and so started a fight that I am having nightmares and trippy daydreams about.

    The fight was short- most probably 2 to 3 minutes long- but in that time there was only one player in control- and it was not me. The more I tried to tighten the drag and stem the fish from his frenzied run, the faster the largie skimmed line off my reel. But alas, just as I was thinking about jumping into the water and swimming to the next rocky outcrop (a better position to fight the fish from) he snagged me and a few seconds later I felt that dreaded feeling that every fisherman worth his salt has felt too often before- the sudden slack in the line and the simulataneous sight of the flyline slowly wafting back towards you.

    Now I am not the kind to freak out when I lose a fish but I must admit that I felt a little embarrassed after I had calmed down this time. Kyle's tightlipped and wide-eyed expression said it all as I let the baboons across the river know exactly how I felt about losing what would have probably been another fish to remember for a very long time.

    In retrospect, I realise that I was horribly undergunned. I was using my gt4 5 weight and 10 pound line. What irked me the most is that I had my 6wt TFO and 9 weight Horizon at the campsite but I was simply too lazy to rig them up (with a heavier breaking strain tippet as well).

    But the more I think about it the more I believe that it was the most fitting way to end the trip. Andre and I caned the smallmouth yellows but in the end it was a largie that had the last laugh- a largie who showed me that I still have some work to do before I can even attempt to say that I have things taped.

    It was a wonderful trip and one that will fill a special space in my memory bank for all of those days when I am stuck in traffic, in the office or any other place for that matter- far from the rumblings of a yellowfish filled rapid.

    My thanks to Andre and John Yelland and to all the guys on the trip who made the fishing and cameraderie around the campfire so enjoyable.
    " Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are good is like expecting the bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian." -Dennis Wholey

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Pretoria
    Posts
    1,617

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    Great report Andre.

    More than enough to make this junkie leave the office for an afternoon on the vaal. I know, I know, it is not the Richterveld but it sure beats the office and i never tire of some yellows.

    Any of you others in the office care to join me????

    Tye? Dave? Ferdie? Bertu? Werner? Chris? Jules? Herman? any one - just PM or sms me in the next half hour

    Evening rise here we come (if i can get it right)
    The best day to go fishing is any day that ends in a "y"

  6. #16
    Booger Rose Banned User

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Cox View Post
    Yes gents

    I believe that I am privileged (cursed?) to fish as much as I do. In reality a week seldom goes by when I do not fish and I am blessed to live in an area that boasts really beautiful and productive fishing venues.

    However, never before have I ever experienced a trip that matches the quliaty of this one.

    My first trip to the Richtersveld was a couple fo years ago with Darryl Lampert and Chris Bladen. We had an awesome time but unfortunately the fishing was relatively slow- thanks to the water flowing at between 400 and 600 cumecs!


    Last year December I again fished the Orange (Namibian side) with Grant Kieser and Johan (Bossie) Boshoff and whilst we had very enjoyable fishing we again struggled with the relatively high flow that greeted us.


    Whilst the fishing conditions left a bit to be desired during both trips, those trips nevertheless cemented the fact that fishing the lower orange is like fishing in ***'s own country.

    And so this is why I jumped like an epileptic poodle at the opportunity to return to the Richtersveld when I was offered a spot on this trip.

    I think that Andre has summarised the trip brilliantly but one or two added points.

    Both him and John Yelland of Upstream have got this trip nailed. The catering was simply superb and it was great to eat like a king in the middle of a rocky desert. Suppers consisted of lamb curry, stuffed chicken on the Weber, lamb knuckle potjiekos and a leg of lamb done on the weber- definitely no skimping here!

    Adding to this a wee dram of Pierre's finest whiskeys and it felt like I was being catered for on an upmarket Franschoek wine farm!

    The fishing, as Andre has stated, was technical but if you got it right then it was simply exceptional. There were times when Andre and I were literally laughing away on the water after yet another "double hookup".

    A personal highlight of the trip for me was the drift that Andre and I did. After catching a few smallies I changed to a largemouth rig and on about my 3rd cast I caught my first specifically targeted largemouth in my fishing career. The largie was small but I was so stoked that people would be forgiven for thinking I had just caught a 10 pounder.

    Later on that evening I decided to go and target the little largie's bigger brothers. I strolled down to a nice rocky point with a good channel lined by some interesting weed growth. After casting for a while and enjoying the last rays of sun, I noticed what I thought was a small fish just break the surface. As I was busy casting in that general direction I simply changed my angle slightly and covered the rise. The size 4 black cactus fritz landed with a plop and I immediately began an erratic retireve. On the second strip the water exploded around the fly in a way that puts every leerie I have ever caught to shame! I went "vas" and so started a fight that I am having nightmares and trippy daydreams about.

    The fight was short- most probably 2 to 3 minutes long- but in that time there was only one player in control- and it was not me. The more I tried to tighten the drag and stem the fish from his frenzied run, the faster the largie skimmed line off my reel. But alas, just as I was thinking about jumping into the water and swimming to the next rocky outcrop (a better position to fight the fish from) he snagged me and a few seconds later I felt that dreaded feeling that every fisherman worth his salt has felt too often before- the sudden slack in the line and the simulataneous sight of the flyline slowly wafting back towards you.

    Now I am not the kind to freak out when I lose a fish but I must admit that I felt a little embarrassed after I had calmed down this time. Kyle's tightlipped and wide-eyed expression said it all as I let the baboons across the river know exactly how I felt about losing what would have probably been another fish to remember for a very long time.

    In retrospect, I realise that I was horribly undergunned. I was using my gt4 5 weight and 10 pound line. What irked me the most is that I had my 6wt TFO and 9 weight Horizon at the campsite but I was simply too lazy to rig them up (with a heavier breaking strain tippet as well).

    But the more I think about it the more I believe that it was the most fitting way to end the trip. Andre and I caned the smallmouth yellows but in the end it was a largie that had the last laugh- a largie who showed me that I still have some work to do before I can even attempt to say that I have things taped.

    It was a wonderful trip and one that will fill a special space in my memory bank for all of those days when I am stuck in traffic, in the office or any other place for that matter- far from the rumblings of a yellowfish filled rapid.

    My thanks to Andre and John Yelland and to all the guys on the trip who made the fishing and cameraderie around the campfire so enjoyable.
    This was a lekker read - I feel the pain inflicted on your poor soul - that fish is waiting for your return!

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Pretoria
    Posts
    177

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    F@ck, what a load of fish! Well done and thanks for the report

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    edgemead
    Posts
    1,869

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    Kevin...Andre......could one specifically target these largemouths?or are there certain areas that you fish that will just hold smallies only?
    stephen is wishing he was fishing location x right now.......



    Stephen Smith

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Pretoria Gangsters Paradise
    Posts
    5,453

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    Target the Largies !

    They're there in between the SM at times. I'll post a pic of a 7.6Kg beast picked up no more than 15M below a long stretch of rapids in water no more than 1-1.5M deep.
    "Hierdie drol het baie vlieë" - Ago 2014.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Dullstroom, Mpumalanga
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    8,467

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    Brilliant fill-in report Kevin! I can almost taste it myself. Thanks for the nighmares that are about to follow!

    Tell me something, is their life afterwards? I wouldn't blame you if you gave the 1st of Sept on the streams a miss quite honestly....it's fine Kevin, really it is, you really don't have to be there!
    "Innocence is a wild trout. But we humans, being complicated, have to pursue innocence in complex ways" - Datus Proper

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