Smallstream Fly Fishing in the Western Cape

Smallstream fly fishing for wild trout is without a doubt my favorite form of fly fishing. There is nothing better than casting a small dry fly upstream and waiting for the take, the anticipation gets me excited each and every time! Not too long ago I went to fish the Smallblaar river in the Western Cape of south Africa. Only about an hours drive from Cape Town is one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen.

Now, unfortunately the wind was not kind on that day, and the fishing was not very productive. I did miss a few takes for which I have myself to blame but none the less, I did not leave the fair Cape empty handed as I managed to persuade a couple of Smallmouth Bass to eat my fly.

The Cape Streams are one of South Africa's best destinations for smallstream fly fishing and the waters are managed by the Cape Piscatorial Society or CPS. You can contact them to make a booking on the river of your choice to book a beat for a day, depending on availability of course.

I strongly suggest the use of a guide and there are many in the area that will be able to assist you. There is also a lot of information available online about the Cape Streams if you want to find out more. I would suggest a 2 or 3wt medium action rod that will be able to handle 6-8X Tippet and a DT floating line such as the RIO LT Trout.

Flies that usually work well: RAB, Klinkhamer, CDC & Elk, Para RAB, Mini Hopper and Darryl Lampert's High Viz CDC Midge.

I can also suggest getting a copy of Sean Mills' DVD "The Ultimate Guide to Fly Fishing Cape Streams".

Thank you to Nick Van Rensburg from FLYBRU for guiding me, it was an amazing experience although we only had a limited amount of time on the water. I will definitely be back sometime in the near future!

© 2014 Hunter Hennie. All Rights Reserved.