We headed down to Rhodes for our annual pilgrimage to meet new guests who would join us for an extended stay in the magical valleys we have fallen so in love with.
With the weather Gods not looking to favour either of our two weeks, we arrived to a high main river, not fishable at that stage, but with a promise of a few sunny days ahead we had high hopes of getting into the valley where we had had some of the most spectacular fishing and eye popping scenery the previous year.
Our guests, Shawn, Johannes, Kenny and Mark arrived later that day, just in time for an almighty downpour, leaving not only the main river but also the small feeders high and dirty… not the best welcome to paradise, but the guys still managed a few fish on heavy nymphs and Woolly Buggers.
We were fortunate however that the high-altitude streams cleared overnight, and we had some fantastic fishing to small river trout in tight quarters. All the guys being thrown into the deep end of technical small stream fishing on their first day and did incredibly well, despite a few trees, rocks and guides being hooked occasionally!
We moved halfway through the week to another beautiful farmhouse on the picturesque Bokspruit, one of the most photographed and revered rivers around Rhodes. The fire was lit immediately, and we settled nicely into an evening rise of beautiful mayflies on the run at the bottom of the garden – This is an absolutely civilised sport. Shawn braved the soft rain and cold water and was rewarded with some fantastic action with fish rising continuously and happily accepting the Dry.
We fished each day on a new piece of water, focusing on the higher beats to get above the colour in the higher water. We had some spectacular small stream fishing, with a few very respectable fish coming to hand and everyone not only enjoying this enlightening experience, but also learning different techniques, entomology, shit-talk-ology and how best to fall in a freezing river and make it look natural while icy water settles crisply on the nether regions!
We capped the experience off with a white knuckle drive up to a high altitude still-water where the gents teased out some stunning fish. The lake is naturally spawned and even the biggest fish are in the most incredible condition with not a speckle out of place. A few brutes were lost but a healthy tally of fat rainbows were accounted for before the bumpy ride back home was attempted.
All in all, an adventure in the highlands with amazing guests who left as friends and booked for the following year before the rain had washed the mud off the bakkies.