Stonecutters Lodge

Saturday, 2 June 2012

Early on Saturday morning we departed from Johannesburg towards Dullstroom for a relaxing weekend at Stonecutter Lodge. On our arrival we where greeted by Margi Butler, one of the owner, and soon afterwards we joined her at the Stone Manor for a scrumptious breakfast.

After breakfast we decided to walk around and explore all the waters while we waited for a cottage to come available. The river looked promising and I could not wait to get cracking. We passed by the small dam and spotted quite a few fish hanging out in the shallows. This got us excited and I told my girlfriend that we will start at the small dam just to open the account for the weekend. We headed to the bigger dam and spotted a fish under the jetty and a few cruising in the lanes between the grass. Quite a few rises where also taking place in the middle of the dam, not surprise as people where fishing from the bank and probably spooking the fish.

We headed back to our car and the staff said we can occupy one of the Cobbles units. After unpacking we quickly got our rods ready two for my girlfriend for the dam and my 3 weight set-up for the river. Arriving at the small dam I spotted a small Rainbow in the corner of the dam and directed my girlfriend where to cast. The fish was not interested in her offering and she headed down to the bigger dam. I presented a Puterbaugh Caddis to the same fish and after a few twitches got him to take it!

I joined my girlfriend at the dam and explained to her how to fish a Papa Roach. During this process I spotted a Rainbow cruising towards us and luckily the fly was still in the water. I gave the fly one quick twitch and the fish jumped on it! This opened my account for the dam and I decided to leave my girlfriend to fish the river.

The cruiser caught on a Papa Roach

The close-up

Nice pink cheek!

I spent quite a while on the river with no luck. I tried various techniques from dry fly, dry and dropper and nymphing. I eventually spotted a small fish in a slow riffle, but only manage to spook it.


My girlfriend phoned me and she is joining me on the river as she was struggling to hook fish in the dam. I switched to a Spietkop (black woolly bugger with blue flash) and decided to fish the deeper pools on a long leader. I must admit this is not my favourite technique to use in a river, but I was quite desperate! When I got to the pool at the two umbrellas I got an energetic take on the fly! After a very frantic fight I landed the fish in the end of the pool. My girlfriend was just in time to take a photo and decided to give her a try on the pools on the way back to the dams!

First fish in the river safely in the net!

The strong little fighter

Interesting colouration on this fish!

We fished our way back towards the dams with no success until we reached the pool at the access gate. I showed my girlfriend a spot where is saw some fish rising earlier and on her third cast she quite her first fish in the river. A managed to stuff up the photo where after the fish wriggled out her hands straight into the river.

A good example of  how to stuff up a photo!

On our arrival at the dam there where a few people fishing the dam with no success. I reckon they where just causing to much commotion with all the bad casting that most fish where holding to towards the middle of the dam. As the sun was setting people where leaving the dam until it was only me and the local guide on the dam. I noticed that fish where striking short on my Papa Roach and decided to trail a San Juan Worm behind it. On the next cast I hooked into a feisty little fish that gave a good acrobatic display.

Fish on a San Juan worm

As sun set I realised that it was full moon and this would allow me to fish until quite late. Frogs where calling loudly all around me and I remembered that I recently tied a nice fly imitating a tadpole. I made a cast across the right corner of the dam and got a strong take from another feisty little fighter! I decided to make a last cast at the inlet of the dam and got a very subtle take on the tadpole fly. This fish gave a slow powerful fight and I knew straight away it was a bigger fish! 

First fish on the tadpole!

Second fish on the tadpole!

After this fish I head back to the Stone Manor where we had a perfect meal with the fire place flickering in the background!

Perfect ending to the day!

Sunday, 3 June 2012

Early the Sunday morning I decided to fish the large dam before breakfast. With it being the perfect time of day to take photos I decided to take some of the large dam. 

Left side of the dam at inlet

Middel section of the dam where most fish where holding!

Right hand side of the dam

Full view of the dam at sunrise

After my photos session I decided to fish a White Death with a fat retrieve under the surface and soon afterwards had my first fish before sunrise.This was followed with another few fish in quick succession.

First fish of the day!

Another average one before breakfast

The close-up

Another fish that fell to a White Death

The close-up

My girlfriend joined me and I gave her a go, which resulted in another fish with her first few casts. We decided to take a break and went up to the Stone Manor for another great breakfast!

My girlfriend's first fish on the dam

After breakfast I headed down to the river for a quick session before our trip back to the city. I managed to catch a fish straight away on an olive woolly bugger at the same spot where my girlfriend caught her fish the previous day! I headed down stream and switched to a small epoxy baitfish. I noticed a fish rising behind a log in a slow flow and made a cast towards it. The fish hit the fly very hard and headed down stream. It turned around and wrapped itself around a log where after the leader parted. I was so disappointed as it looked like a very nice fish!

Nice fish out the river

After loosing the bigger fish I headed upstream to the pool at the two umbrellas. This proved to be a good decision as there where quite a few fish chasing my fly. I caught  two fish in quick succession on a woolly bugger and a small olive zonker.

Another on at the two umbrellas

The third fish at the two umbrellas 

After these fish I headed back to our chalet. I met up with my girlfriend and to my delight she told me that she caught a fish on a White Salty Bugger. I found this very funny and unusual, but at least it gave her a great result! Two fish in the river and one fish in the dam!

A feisty river fish on a Salty Bugger...

The close-up

A map of the weekend events:

View Stonecutters Lodge in a larger map




Please also see my review of Stonecutters Lodge at: Flyloops.net

Amatola Mountain Lodge

Friday, 6 April 2012

On Easter weekend my girlfriend and I headed down to the Eastern Cape to review Amatola Mountain Lodge for www.flyloops.net. Please keep a look-out for the review that will appear on the website soon, for more information on the venue visit www.amatolaflyfishing.co.za. We left Johannesburg at the ungodly hour of one in the morning and started the 1000km drive down to Amatola that is situated close to Hogsback in the Eastern Cape. The route to Amatola is quite an easy drive from Joburg, first heading towards Bloemfontein on the N1 then getting on the N7 that heads to East London. We passed through several towns that included Aliwal-North, Queenstown, Catchcart etc. Eventually you turn off the N7 at Stutterheim and you start a 40km drive on a gravel road to Amatola. On the gravel road we passed Gubu dam that is set between plantation and looks like a very good option for a future trip.

Gubu Dam

After getting confused with a few turn-offs we eventually figured out how to get to the lodge. The last section of road is tarred and we followed it up the hill and found our temporary home for the next few days. The lodge is set high on a hill and has a very scenic view with the Cata Stream and dam in the valley below, surrounded by mountains with indigenous forests!

Amatola Mountain Lodge

Our Chalet

A Close-up of our chalet

After arrival we quickly unpacked and headed down to the river to have a quick look around before the sunset, we had no success but we where full of enthusiasm for the next few days! 

My girlfriend fishing in the lower reaches of the Cata Stream

Another section of the lower reaches of the Cata Stream

The evening we had a relaxing braai in the braai area in front of our chalet and discussed that we would fished the dam the next day and the river on the last.

Braai Area

Braai Area View

Saturday, 7 April 2012

On the Saturday we woke up to quite dismal fishing weather, with gale force winds and a chill in the air. We were met by the local guides and we headed of to the Mnyameni dam that is about a 15 minute drive away from the lodge. At our arrival I was again surprised by the scenic setting of the dam high up in the catchment of the Mnyameni River. It is truly one of the most beautiful dams I have fished in I a while! We fished the dam until about 2 pm with no luck and decided to call it a day, the weather was deteriorating and the wind was getting stronger which was making casting nearly impossible.

Mnyameni Dam!

Another view of the dam!

Casting myself to death, at least the view was pretty!

Our patient guide at the inlet of the dam

Sunday, 8 April 2012

On the Sunday morning our two guides joined us again and we headed down to a little bridge where we would leave our car for the day. We fished the lower reaches of the river for about an hour with little luck. I only noticed one fish interested in a size 18 Zak nymph that I drifted passed some reeds, but I was to late on the strike. We headed into the forest and after about another hour of fishing I was starting to get a bit discouraged. 

Upper reaches of the Cata Stream

Bow-and-arrow casting territory!

Bow-and-arrow cast!

As these negatives thoughts where passing through my mind, I made a bow-and-arrow cast in a pool above me with a Puterbaugh caddis and a Zak nymph dropper. As the flies drifted towards me I saw a white mouth appearing from the depths that in an instant swallowed my fly! The ice was broken and I was thrilled with my first little Brown Trout safely in my landing net.

The fish that made my trip!

The Close-up!

I decided to take the dropper of and fish with the caddis pattern the rest of the day. This proved to be a good decision as I quickly caught another fish soon after that was hiding under a branch of a tree hanging in the stream. This was the trend of the day with fish sticking close to structure in deeper pools, attacking the Puterbaugh Caddis with speed as the fly drifted past their lies.

More fishy photos:

At around 3 pm we decided to call it a day and hike up to the waterfalls and to the hiking trail up on the plateau. This was quite a good break to the tiring and challenging fishing conditions in the dense growth of the indigenous forest. On our hike we spotted some weird looking frogs, insects and on our way up to the plateau we were even surprised by quite a large Bushbuck ram. By sunset we eventually got back to the car, both quite spent from a long days fishing and more walking than I have done the whole year combined.

Our guides from Cata village

One of many waterfalls!

A scenic view of the Cata forest 

The plateau overlooking Cata village and dam

Monday, 9 April 2012

The Monday morning I was quite sad to leave this place, the friendly people, the scenic nature scenes and the intimate little Cata Stream with its beautifully colored little Brown Trout had made quite an impression on me. This is one of those places where I felt at one with nature and truly felt closer to my Creator, hopefully I will visit this magical little forest soon…