Lakenvlei Forest Lodge report back

[Michael]

Hi Guys

Spent the weekend at Lakenvlei Forest Lodge, between Belfast and Dullstroom.
This was more a family getaway, than a fishing trip...otherwise I would have probably gone somewhere else. This lodge is spectacular though, for spoiling the family, wife, girlfriend, etc. And the fishing is not bad.
There is horse-riding, and they give you two mountain bikes per chalet. Plenty of trails to ride.

The Chalets:


The chalets are log cabins, well appointed, self-catering and very comfortable. We had a 4 sleeper...one bedroom downstairs with a double bed, and two single beds in an upstairs loft. The atmosphere here is really special.

They provide you with enough firewood to last every night and day.


The view in the forest...the cabins all fall within the pine forest.


I only fished on Saturday afternoon from 2pm to 4pm...and trust me to catch the weather at it's worst. Howling wind, freezing cold weather...and 4 otters sharing the fishing hole in front of me to boot! Managed only two rainbows, of about 1kg each. Both caught on Pancora Wooly Buggers, fished on the bottom. At 4pm I called it a day and went to watch the rugby in the main lodge instead.

You can use the row boats on the dam, or float tube it. I fished from the bank, which proved tricky...there is only one spot open, about 5m wide, where you can fish from. I do believe there will be quite good fishing had off a float tube. The whole dam is reeded up and you cannot fish from the bank anywhere except this spot I found, near the outlet:

The reed patch in the centre of the pic, right to the right of the pic...is a floating island! It got blown over the dam to about 20 metres from me...effectively closing off the entire dam to me. I was now fishing a "little dam" about 20m wide and 100m long. The main dam lay beyond the island!

Otters came to spoil the fishing...


Another pic of the dam from where I was fishing. The island is in the foreground, having floated right onto the bank I was fishing. The main dam is in the background...with the main lodge in the distance.

(As you can see....the weather really went pear shaped...making casting quite a task in it's own.)

All in all, it's on the pricey side...but to spoil the woman, or the family, it's really brilliant. If you have time to fish the lake properly, you will be rewarded with some good fish I am sure. They need to sort out their otter problem though...those buggers will minimise the fish population chop-chop.

One problem I had, is their website is a bit mis-leading. The dam looks NOTHING like the pics on their site. It shows an open dam right in front of the lodge. Not so...it's not quite weeded up with plenty of reeds...with just a narrow channel going out into the main lake, that you can take a row-boat through. They should really update their pics, or get rid of all those reeds.
They also don't mention it on their site...but fishing is charged at R55 per angler per day. This they should mention under their rates, or their "activities/fishing" links. For the price they charge you, you'd think they would include the fishing!
it's graded 5-star...and I tend not to agree with it. There is room for improvement.
You can launch a float tube from where I was fishing though. (Just watch the floating island...so you don't get cut-off from your launch point!

However I would go back there again, the family really enjoyed it. Next time with more fishing days, and a float tube. There are some lurkers in that big lake.

Regards
Mike

[Jasper]

Hi Mike .. this is the place that was run by my brother Gordon (aka Matuka).

The only way to fish this lake is from a boat - even then it is difficult with all the weed. As for those damn otters they should be introduced to a 12 bore!!

But is IS a great place to stay, and the chalets and food was immaculate when run by Cheryl (Gordon's lady and mom of Dylan Isaacs).

There certainly are som every good fish in there as well!!

Cheryl with a fish
Attachment 6331

[Booger Rose]

When I was in the teambuilding business we used this as a venue. I helped quite a few old tannies to cast a fly-line as part of the course. Must be about ten years back I fished there last, but the otters were a nuinsance back then as well. The fishing is bloody dificult but few nice ones swim around in the lake. The reeds were also a problem back then so they really need to update their photos.

The lodge itself and the cabins is great!

[sofly]

Hey Michael
Ive been fishing Lakenvlei dam for about 3 years now. Have not fished it in the last 6 months though.
I spent last year in Belfast (dnt ask why) and got to fish the dam quite a lot. Let me assure you that the fishing can be really great and that there are big fish there. Ullie (the lodge manager) mentioned that a 3kg plus was pulled out of there recently. Yes the dam is quite weeded in parts, and there are bass in the dam, but I think this makes for some great fishing. In summer, the trout will attack anything that resembles a baby bass, and I'm sure there are some fat trout in there that probably turn their noses up at our "small" flies.
The floating island can become a problem, and I can tell you that it is quite scary when the island (>50m wide), "sneaks" up behind you whilst you are casually fishing away.
I will pass your suggestions on to the lodge manager, but do yourself a favour and give it another bash.

[Michael]

Hi Jasper

Yeah I asked about Gordon, your Boet...they told me he moved to the Eastern Cape now, after the fire they had which burned his place down there. Scary stuff!

The last time I was there was about 8 years ago. Decided to go there again as this was more for the family as I said.
However, I would love to give that lake a bash off a float tube, as you say sofly...there are some big boys there I reckon.

I never sampled the food Jasper...but I heard some other people say it was great. I really love the accomodation there though, those log cabins are great!

I see they have now paved the road right to the lodge, from the tar road. That's like 6km of paving!!! Must have cost a pretty penny, damn. But makes access a breeze. I remember 8 years ago the road was all dirt...when it rained and you didn't have a 4x4...big trouble.

I'd definitely go back again...but if it's purely for hard fishing, it's a bit pricey...unless you can fill the cabin and share the cost. Then it's about R 300.00 per angler per night, plus R 100 for two days fishing.

Mike