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Korrie
12-10-17, 10:25 AM
With all the interest in the Lower Orange, surely there should be fantastic fishing in the Upper Orange river area.
I did a paddle from Lesotho to Aliwal North, 30 years ago. Stunning waters. At that stage I did not fly fish.
Any forumer with experiences from the top section? Aliwal North and upstream from that.

Korrie
12-10-17, 11:53 AM
Hi Mario
You are in that area, any news or info that you have?

Circus2
12-10-17, 11:59 AM
I suspect that the upper Orange is only clear enough to fish for a short time each year.
I've never seen the river by Aliwal North looking like anything except a orange/chocolate milkshake, even when the Kraai is low and clear. The same goes for Tella Bridge border post with Lesotho.

Korrie
12-10-17, 01:15 PM
It has to get clearer in the winter months, not as clear as Lower Orange, but with no rain and snow melt, the water cannot stay chocolate milkshake all year round.
The stretch that we paddled with Indian canoes, only had 2 short rapids that we ported, but should not be a problem with corcs.

On that stretch, there was a little hot spring, on the side of the river. The other guys knew about it, and we camp next to it the one evening.
It was like a jacuzzi, about the same size with this bubbling hot water. Man o man, it was fantastic, after 2 days of paddling to end up there for a night.
We spent about 5 hours that evening sitting in this natural jazucci.

Korrie
12-10-17, 05:51 PM
All it will take is 3 or 4 crazy fly fishers in 2 crocs to drift 60 or 70km from Lesotho, hook into a couple of MONSTER LM and this area will be "ON THE MAP"

Circus2
13-10-17, 09:49 AM
Korrie, you've messed with my work productivity today!
Some stats for anyone thinking about this: there is 153km of Orange river from where it leaves the Lesotho border to Aliwal North. The Orange runs along the border for 28km and there is about 62km of river within Lesotho from Mount Moorosi to the border.

From previous trips to Southern Lesotho (before the locals ate all the trout), I remember the Orange around Mount Moorosi being unfishable in March/April. I suspect this will be very different in the low flows of September given the Google Earth pictures.

The most interesting section to me looks to be about 50km upstream from Aliwal where the Wilgespruit enters. The river runs in a bit of a gorge here and there is less human settlement between here and Aliwal. However, above the Wilge it looks to be tribal trust land on South bank which may have more fishing pressure, but at least the access land is (probably) public.

And now I'm looking at the price of an Ark...

Korrie
13-10-17, 09:57 AM
Korrie, you've messed with my work productivity today!
Some stats for anyone thinking about this: there is 153km of Orange river from where it leaves the Lesotho border to Aliwal North. The Orange runs along the border for 28km and there is about 62km of river within Lesotho from Mount Moorosi to the border.

From previous trips to Southern Lesotho (before the locals ate all the trout), I remember the Orange around Mount Moorosi being unfishable in March/April. I suspect this will be very different in the low flows of September given the Google Earth pictures.

The most interesting section to me looks to be about 50km upstream from Aliwal where the Wilgespruit enters. The river runs in a bit of a gorge here and there is less human settlement between here and Aliwal. However, above the Wilge it looks to be tribal trust land on South bank which may have more fishing pressure, but at least the access land is (probably) public.

And now I'm looking at the price of an Ark...

You must know my work productivity. :) :)
Here I just post the stuff I make "public" what about all the Stream X and Place X things I research and do. :) :)

I really suggest that you go in a group of 2 boats. To make things I have heard about in the last year or so on solo missions and even in groups.
I used to think I was invincible and bullet proof, :) :)
After taking stock of some of the things that have happened to me over the years, it sometimes was a matter of an inch or 2 and I was gone.

Korrie
13-10-17, 11:37 AM
Korrie, you've messed with my work productivity today!
Some stats for anyone thinking about this: there is 153km of Orange river from where it leaves the Lesotho border to Aliwal North. The Orange runs along the border for 28km and there is about 62km of river within Lesotho from Mount Moorosi to the border.

From previous trips to Southern Lesotho (before the locals ate all the trout), I remember the Orange around Mount Moorosi being unfishable in March/April. I suspect this will be very different in the low flows of September given the Google Earth pictures.

The most interesting section to me looks to be about 50km upstream from Aliwal where the Wilgespruit enters. The river runs in a bit of a gorge here and there is less human settlement between here and Aliwal. However, above the Wilge it looks to be tribal trust land on South bank which may have more fishing pressure, but at least the access land is (probably) public.

And now I'm looking at the price of an Ark...

Imagine this works out to be a very productive section of the river. Only 6 hours drive from JHB.
you can leave on a Thursday afternoon, get to the river as it gets dark, spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning, drifting down the river, Pack up and leave by 12 and be back in JHB by 6 PM on Sunday evening. Not to bad. :)
Ask Mario Geldenhuis to drop you off at the river and leave your vehicles with him till Sunday. ON ONE CONDITION, YOU BUY ONE OF HIS NETS. :) :)

Circus2
13-10-17, 01:48 PM
Except I live in CT now. So if I leave the office in Durbanville at 16h00 on a Thursday, I'll get there at 2am.
And I'll have to ask Mario for a net at least a year in advance... :p

Easier to drive to spot x on the lower Orange. I'll just feel like less of an explorer.

Korrie
13-10-17, 02:08 PM
You are in CT and you have not stopped for a cup of coffee. :( :( :(

Korrie
13-10-17, 02:09 PM
Except I live in CT now. So if I leave the office in Durbanville at 16h00 on a Thursday, I'll get there at 2am.
And I'll have to ask Mario for a net at least a year in advance... :p

Easier to drive to spot x on the lower Orange. I'll just feel like less of an explorer.

I will invite you on the next Lower Orange trip. :)

smallstreams.co.za
14-10-17, 09:00 AM
Hi Mario
You are in that area, any news or info that you have?

Orange just go to that level that is was starting to clear to about 1m - 1.5m viz. Catch 22 though, that means very low and dry conditions. Thankfully we did get some rain, which of course is crucial to the predominantly farming driven area, but muddied up the river again.

Korrie
14-10-17, 11:15 AM
Orange just go to that level that is was starting to clear to about 1m - 1.5m viz. Catch 22 though, that means very low and dry conditions. Thankfully we did get some rain, which of course is crucial to the predominantly farming driven area, but muddied up the river again.

Thanks Mario
With a 1meter to 1,5m viz for us, that is super for fishing, escpecially LM.
I am sure the fish loves 1m viz.
After the first rains with a bit of run-off, it will change as you mentioned, but if you can have 2 or 3 months of fishing in that clear water, AMAZING

smallstreams.co.za
14-10-17, 03:18 PM
Thanks Mario
With a 1meter to 1,5m viz for us, that is super for fishing, escpecially LM.
I am sure the fish loves 1m viz.
After the first rains with a bit of run-off, it will change as you mentioned, but if you can have 2 or 3 months of fishing in that clear water, AMAZING

The water below a couple of large weirs clear fairly quickly, or rather, quicker than in other places. If you know where to go the fishing can be pretty good yes. In Aliwal (town area itself) the water is generally never too great, but within about 45mins of driving you can have some seriously good sight-fishing opportunities.

That said, I'd give up 2-years of fishing if we could just get decent consistent rains for the next 6 months.

JadeDsantos
15-10-17, 08:42 PM
Cheers to that Mario - I am down in CT at the moment and its terrible.

Korrie
16-10-17, 08:02 AM
The water below a couple of large weirs clear fairly quickly, or rather, quicker than in other places. If you know where to go the fishing can be pretty good yes. In Aliwal (town area itself) the water is generally never too great, but within about 45mins of driving you can have some seriously good sight-fishing opportunities.

That said, I'd give up 2-years of fishing if we could just get decent consistent rains for the next 6 months.

Mario
I am with you on the rain scenario.
The Cape is bad.
they predict 8mm of rain and then we have 8 drops of rain.
I think whilst it is so dry and water will be relatively clear, you should do some recce trips to find the LM waters. :)

JadeDsantos
16-10-17, 08:51 AM
Hi Korrie

I am down in the Southern Suburbs and it rained well yesterday and is currently raining, and will continue to rain the whole day. Something I noticed flying in, was that in some areas farmers dams are full, on other catchments, its looks like Mad Max. We just need it to rain consistently in the right places now.

Glad to see guys have been catching in the streams though.

Korrie
16-10-17, 08:56 AM
The beauty of the LM yellow fishing, I think, is that if offers you the opportunity to do proper long casts, against a wily opponent (fish), with a big fly and do all the "classic" things we have read and seen from fly fishing, mending, swinging etc and end the end have a just reward for all of above mentioned.
Little streams are great, but you cast 10 or 15 meters, land the fish in 15 seconds.
With a decent LM, you do long casts, work for your fish, and then have a decent fight at the end.
The same applies for SM on streamers, which have become very popular of late.
More and more the fly fishers are realizing that the large SM are a very good quarry on fly and offers fantastic fun and requires a good skill level,

smallstreams.co.za
16-10-17, 11:38 AM
I think whilst it is so dry and water will be relatively clear, you should do some recce trips to find the LM waters. :)

Wish I could, but just soooo many other things that are requiring my time and attention at the moment :-( Some good, some bad. That's life however - will get better in the near future I suppose :-)

Korrie
16-10-17, 04:56 PM
Wish I could, but just soooo many other things that are requiring my time and attention at the moment :-( Some good, some bad. That's life however - will get better in the near future I suppose :-)

I am with you on this one. :( :( :(
it seems that the older I get, the less time I have for fishing and it should be the other way around.
I work harder and longer hours than ever before. (my own stupidity. more staff, bigger company)

But with the economy where it is, you have to take what you can and make every opportunity count.