Flyfishing Freebie - Contermanskloof

[Umhlangarox]

If I had to do that, I woud have to charge way too much! Nope, the price has to be in keeping with the other okes, and I also dont think it is fair to undercut guys like Philip at Eikendal who is doing a sterling job in maintaining a brilliant fly fishing venue. Philip is doing it full time and relies on your support!

Chris i think you might have missed my point! All i was saying is that an easy way to calculate what you may need to charge is to work out your cost

[Umhlangarox]

Chris how will you manage the dam over the summer months?

What i mean is will you leave the fish in and stock at the beginning of every winter or will you remove them and stock fresh every season?

[srt007]

pay your R2k and you can help me with the stocking!

I don't see a problem with that. So does the fee include fishing rights as well?

[Chris Shelton]

That is where my problem starts. R2k is a lot of money when you have to buy nappies and milk! My money for fishing is such that I might be able to pay R100 per day and fish the venue 4, maybe 5 times during the season eg. Ive fished Eikendal now 4 times during past winter - and will join jasper on Jonkerhoek to look for witvis for my 5th time. When I fish your venue, it would be one of these occasions, and then I would only be able to pay per day and not R2k for year. that is where the market changes to the exclusive side of ff, only a few people can afford it and a great venue can be build up around this core of flyfishers. This would be the safe way for you to go, get into the yuppie market!

It's not about willingly trying to be exclusive at all Eduard. It costs to produce a quality fishery, period....and unfortunately there is absolutely no other way around it....unless of course you've got a hot contact for free fish!

You guys would fall on your backs if you knew how much I have spent on stocking over the years, and some of these dams are so far away that I only got to fish them less than 4 times a year! Just last year I put together a 5 man syndicate to stock a private dam in the kouebokkeveld with Clanwilliam yellows. Only 50 juvenile fish cost us R2000!!!! Exclusive fishing....yes most definitely, but at a price! You get what you pay for.

[Chris Shelton]

I don't see a problem with that. So does the fee include fishing rights as well?

Absolutely! As I said, a full year of come and go as you please, whenever you like, as often as you like!

[Jasper]

Absolutely! As I said, a full year of come and go as you please, whenever you like, as often as you like!

except (I hope) a restriction on the number of guests

[Chris Shelton]

Chris how will you manage the dam over the summer months?

What i mean is will you leave the fish in and stock at the beginning of every winter or will you remove them and stock fresh every season?

The trick is to not overstock. Quality trophy trout is what I am after. It is all about maintaining just the right balances. The current climatic conditions and water tables are ripe for a stocking now.

Rainbows survived the summers no problem before, even through the recent droughts. Like I mentioned earlier, after 4 years since the last stocking, a huge rainbow was caught last December. The nice thing about this dam is it is not being used for water extraction at all, so the levels should hold nicely throughout the summers for at least the next 7 years or so. Like most good prospects, there is always risk, but going by my experience with this dam spanning some 15 years now, I'm prepared to gamble on a calculated risk.

[poppernel]

Chris how will you manage the dam over the summer months?

What i mean is will you leave the fish in and stock at the beginning of every winter or will you remove them and stock fresh every season?

Depending on summer conditions or water temp. will have to initially be monitored.

The fish are left, but restocking yearly to replenish lost fish.

R2K is a reasonable price per ff. Remember that it must also be worth it for the landowner.

Dave

[Chris Shelton]

except (I hope) a restriction on the number of guests

Guests must pay the daily fee...no freebies unfortunately

[srt007]

That's a done deal Chris!

Jasper, I don't know to many people that fly fish, even if I wanted to drag someone along I probably won't find someone that would go with (except a few flytalk members that I have met, so it depends on the rules I suppose, If I'm allowed to take a guest once a month I'll probably do that... If not then its also fine with me...)