My wife and I are going to visit friends in Cape Town for a couple of weeks in late October/early November. It is not a fishing trip per se, and I think looking at animals in the wild will be the primary nature excursion. But I have been searching online and apparently there is some good fly fishing there (as well as other fishing, fresh and salt water). Assuming I am going to be able to sneak away for one day trip on my own, can anyone recommend a guide (fresh or salt) close to Cape Town?
Cape Town, SA
- Thread starter gpwhitejr
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karstopo
Well-known member
My cousin lives in Cape Town. My dad's dad's family is from the RSA. I sent her a message to see if she has any insight or fishing guides she knows.
dynaflow
Well-known member
I have collated the following info from the Australian Salt Water Fly Fishing forum that may be of assistance..I lived and worked in Cape Town 43 years ago,it's a beautiful city and the vineyards nearby offer exceptional wines
Trout season opens 1 September, but the rivers are generally too high to fish "safely". There are some good spots for trout within an hours drive from Cape Town.Have a look on FlyTalk.co.za for more info.Tiger fishing is a few hours drive or a short flight from Jo'burg. Great fish to target would be yellowfish...a 3wt or less is good for trout but for Yellowfish I'd go for a 5/6wt, mostly nymph style rod.Check out Flytalk.co.za for good info...Smallmouth Bass fishing within 2-3 hours of Cape town can be excellent,and if it still exists a visit to the Cape Piscatorial Society in Cape Town is well worth the effort...they used to love visitors and had a truly exceptional library.Also put the area around Ceres on your radar,it's about 2-3 hrs drive via the breathtaking Bains Kloof pass,there are SM and LM bass around there as well as Trout.In the blue water,large shoals of Snoek move down from the west coast in winter,and there's Yellowtail Kingfish off Capetown but it's more a summer thing.Good luck!
Cheers
Trout season opens 1 September, but the rivers are generally too high to fish "safely". There are some good spots for trout within an hours drive from Cape Town.Have a look on FlyTalk.co.za for more info.Tiger fishing is a few hours drive or a short flight from Jo'burg. Great fish to target would be yellowfish...a 3wt or less is good for trout but for Yellowfish I'd go for a 5/6wt, mostly nymph style rod.Check out Flytalk.co.za for good info...Smallmouth Bass fishing within 2-3 hours of Cape town can be excellent,and if it still exists a visit to the Cape Piscatorial Society in Cape Town is well worth the effort...they used to love visitors and had a truly exceptional library.Also put the area around Ceres on your radar,it's about 2-3 hrs drive via the breathtaking Bains Kloof pass,there are SM and LM bass around there as well as Trout.In the blue water,large shoals of Snoek move down from the west coast in winter,and there's Yellowtail Kingfish off Capetown but it's more a summer thing.Good luck!
Cheers
camelbrass
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Contact Big Catch Tackle in Cape Town, they have a FB page with contact details
I know some of the guys involved and although they're primarily blue water fishermen they get involved in all sorts of fishing. Justin Kemp (one of the owners) is a very keen flyfisherman.
Regards,
Trevor
I know some of the guys involved and although they're primarily blue water fishermen they get involved in all sorts of fishing. Justin Kemp (one of the owners) is a very keen flyfisherman.
Regards,
Trevor
robinfick
Well-known member
Go to the FOSAF website and contact the fly anglers that update their area catches. If you want to fish Trout in the Western Cape, I recommend you contact Tim Rolston. The rest of South Africa receives summer rain so rivers can be affected by dirty water.
robinfick
Well-known member
I fish salt on the Garden Route where I am based. Hard work for little return but target Grunter in the estuaries which are far more difficult than Permit. Also Leervis, Kob and Elf(Bluefish) around. Also look at the Feathers and Fluoro and Fly Talk Blogs, also plenty of videos on You Tube.
izak
Member
Fisrt things first, there are no tigerfish close to Cape Town. I used to live in Cape Town and there is pleny of fishing to be done! For freshwater your best bet is trout, I cant remember when the rivers open up but contact the cape piscatorial society.
https://www.piscator.co.za/CPS2/
This is trout fishing like you have never had before and I highly recommend it. If you are fit I would take the hike up to elandspad beat 4. Its an hours drive from Cape Town and another hours hike in spectacular mountain surroundings. If you are lucky you might even see the baboons on your hike in and out. a 3 weight rod is perfect for these streams, and the fish are not shy to take a dry from the surface. That said, the cape is expericencing the worst drought in recent memory so Im not sure how that would affect the fishing. There aro also bass in these rivers but they are considered unwanted and we kill them if caught.
Another fresh water species to catch is yellow fish, they are naitive to South Africa but it would be best to get a guide if you want to target them. They are very stong fighters and excellent sport.
Saltwater is a bit more tricky and your results from shore will vary. You could target Garrick using a 9 weight but they are not easy to catch. Unless you know when and where to go I would not bother. If you dont mind spending some money you could chater a boat for some saltwater fishing on conventional tackle, you could even target tuna if you spend the cash.
Good luck and report back.
---------- Post added at 04:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:52 AM ----------
Other than fishing I would recommend boulders beach near Simonstad. Its a surreal experience to swim between penguins.
boulders beach
https://www.piscator.co.za/CPS2/
This is trout fishing like you have never had before and I highly recommend it. If you are fit I would take the hike up to elandspad beat 4. Its an hours drive from Cape Town and another hours hike in spectacular mountain surroundings. If you are lucky you might even see the baboons on your hike in and out. a 3 weight rod is perfect for these streams, and the fish are not shy to take a dry from the surface. That said, the cape is expericencing the worst drought in recent memory so Im not sure how that would affect the fishing. There aro also bass in these rivers but they are considered unwanted and we kill them if caught.
Another fresh water species to catch is yellow fish, they are naitive to South Africa but it would be best to get a guide if you want to target them. They are very stong fighters and excellent sport.
Saltwater is a bit more tricky and your results from shore will vary. You could target Garrick using a 9 weight but they are not easy to catch. Unless you know when and where to go I would not bother. If you dont mind spending some money you could chater a boat for some saltwater fishing on conventional tackle, you could even target tuna if you spend the cash.
Good luck and report back.
---------- Post added at 04:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:52 AM ----------
Other than fishing I would recommend boulders beach near Simonstad. Its a surreal experience to swim between penguins.
boulders beach
dynaflow
Well-known member
I quoted someone else who said "Tiger fishing is a few hours drive or a short flight from Jo'burg"...I don't think anyone indicated that there was Tiger fishing near Cape Town...
Cheers
Cheers
We had an absolutely fantastic time in South Africa. We didn't do any fishing, but I met a guy whose son takes people fishing, so next time I will contact him. I am thinking about how to afford going back and bringing my kids, it was a great experience.