We were thrilled to welcome our first group of anglers to our annual Trout & About experience. It was a great to see familiar faces returning, along with some enthusiastic newcomers eager to explore the best stillwaters Dullstroom has to offer.
With the recent drop in water temperatures, the fish have moved into a mock spawn—bringing on all the accompanying behaviors. This made for exciting action on the water, with the more aggressive males taking a liking to flashy, larger attractors such as woolly buggers, papa roaches, psycho fritz, and the Fulling Mill hot head damsel. If there was one standout colour, it was olive.
A large cold front swept across the country by the end of the weekend, we adapted to the conditions and found success using small nymph and buzzer patterns fished on long, fine leaders like the Orvis Mirage Fluorocarbon Tippet in 4X & 5X (Pro Tip: Use Orvis Tippet rings to make attaching tippet or leaders quicker and easier to switch out and change) along the wind lines—perfect for tempting some of the older, resident fish. In the evenings, a hatch of large mayflies brought fish to the surface. We found that using a premium floatant like Loon Lochsa for a well-presented dry fly, matched in size, paired with a small emerging nymph suspended about 40cm below, covered the risers beautifully.
It was a memorable weekend spent between the banks of our pristine private waters and dinner side conversations. Many great fish were brought to the net—and more than a few fine bottles of wine were enjoyed. Dullstroom once again delivered in golden winter sunlight, offering something for everyone—from the early-rising anglers to those who prefer a gentler start with coffee in hand.
We still have limited availability for our July Trout & About weekend. To join, please get in touch at travel@flyfishing.co.za