Lesotho - Semonkong Lodge & Ha Liphapang Village

[GrahamS]

The more money spent on fishing the river and the more the locals get from conserving the fish, the better as it will help conserve this great river (that tragically is busy going downhill very fast).

It's a wasted effort, sadly. The Chinese are dumping waste upstream of the lodge, the locals are washing clothes at the lodge, and the litter and pollution all gets washed into their 'pristine' gorge. The vaal is more pristine than that place!

It's the right thing to get tje local community involved (even though they have been for a number of years already). But it will be short lived unfortunately.

[AdrianPowrie]

I concur...

We drove from Joburg, Hiked down, slept in a ploughed field with cow pie everywhere and dodged more rubbish than I ever saw on the Vaal or the Klipriver.
The guides were half dying from what we though was TB or such, and around every corner there was a audience watching us...

Honestly, I felt it was a huge effort to get down there for not very much return. Yes the fish are beautifull and full finned and all that but if it was even a measly 10% more than what we paid I would have said it was overpriced. But at these new prices, they have lost their minds...

Epic hike though...

[Korrie]

I fished the river at Semonkong lodge, about 2 years ago.
Biggest fish a 60cm 6 pound brown trout and a number of other very large browns.

The locals have been washing their clothes in the river for decades, and it has never affected the fish.
They use the river as a source of water, for themselves, their livestock.
It has been part of their way of live/tradition.
Yes, I saw the odd plastic bag and some rubbish, but it was little, compared to the amount of people living there.
it might have increased by now.
Was it worth the trip, yes definitely, will I go again, probably yes. Based on my past experiences.
Do you need a guide, for me, it was not necessary. is the fishing easy? no, the altitude gets you, so hiking is tough, the fish are not everywhere, as it is with all browns.

[GrahamS]

Epic hike though...

Especially the hike out

[AdrianPowrie]

Good thing those Lavender bushes were so sure rooted...

Hahaha! How epic was it to get back to a clean bed and a shower...

[Korrie]

When fishing in NZ or other far of places, when someone hikes 10km, works hard and catch a big fish, it is great.
When they go to Semonkong, they expect to catch a big fish, every 100 meters.
(not all, but quite a few of the guys, I have met)
Big browns are few and far between and you have to work hard for them and have a bit of luck.

[GrahamS]

When fishing in NZ or other far of places, when someone hikes 10km, works hard and catch a big fish, it is great.
When they go to Semonkong, they expect to catch a big fish, every 100 meters.
(not all, but quite a few of the guys, I have met)
Big browns are few and far between and you have to work hard for them and have a bit of luck.

I have no problem with hiking, roughing it and working hard for fish, in fact I thrive on it. The standard of fishing at Semonkong was great, but I do have a problem with hiking that far off the beaten track only to see more litter, cow cr@p and locals mooching around than the spruit next to Alexander township.

Next time I do Lesotho it won't involve a border post and a lodge