Equipment Outfitters

Rivers are rated on a scale of 1-6. The higher the number, the greater the degree of difficulty. It is important to acknowledge that river sections can vary dramatically in difficulty, and it is not uncommon for a river to change from class 1 to class 6 within a matter of meters. Again, it is vital to get local information on the river before going downstream. The following outlines the classification system:

• CLASS I – easy, occasionally small rapids with few obstacles

• CLASS II – moderate, small rapids and waves which are easily navigated
• CLASS III – difficult, rapids, hazards, and irregular waves which should be scouted from shore ahead of time; complex maneuvers will be required CLASS IV—very difficult, tong, large rapids and falls with dangerous hazards which must be scouted; precise moves will be required, including rolls; rescues will be difficult Read the rest of this entry »

Standing on the shore of a raging river is an explosion of visual and auditory sensations. There is a primordial feeling that rushing water sets off in us. To prove your mettle on a raft, canoe, boogieboard, or kayak against the most violent of nature’s forces—the fury of moving water—is to participate in one of the most adrenaline- pumping of extreme sports.

THERE ARE VARYING DEGREES of difficulty to consider when choosing which watercraft best suits the needs of the rider. The first and least difficult method of getting down whitewater is via a raft, which can be easily found for hire near any thriving river community. Whitewater rafting is a big business, as it offers the opportunity to enjoy the rush of the ride without most of the risks associated. Read the rest of this entry »

Jungles

To go to the other extreme, let us examine the tropical rain forest, or jungle. The first priority for entering the tropics, even without leaving the city, is to check on local and endemic diseases.

These thrive in the hot, humid, steaming tropics, so it is advisable to get a full range of vaccinations, inoculations and pills. Anti-malaria tablets need to be taken before the trip starts, and personal hygiene is most important.

The humidity in the tropics can be enervating, and time for acclimatization is advisable. Read the rest of this entry »

Stories of fishing spring creeks, with their selective rainbows, slow, clear water and heavy insecthatches, have always captivated me. I have dreamt of fishing one spring creek in particular, the Harriman State Park water on the Henry’s Fork in Idaho. While South Africa is not blessed with spring creeks, the Witte River in Bain’s Kloof Pass, although a freestone river, possesses so many spring creek characteristics that it could well be called a freestone spring creek. It lacks the heavy insect hatches that make other spring creeks world famous, but holds trout that, at times, can be infuriatingly selective. Its waters are as clear as any other blue-ribbon stream and it has slow, flat- water sections that will tax an angler’s casting and presentation abilities to the fullest.

Some time ago Ed Herbst and I were wading the Witte’s quiet waters; by late afternoon we reached a section known to me as ‘Guy’s Glide‘. This slow-water section ends in a deep tailout, which poses presentation and concealment problems. The river’s wary browns almost always hold at the tailout in the shadow cast by the bank and, since the glide must be approached at close quarters concealment is always a problem. Coupled with this is the fact that the trout have ample time in which to scrutinise the angler’s offering during the fly’s drift through the slow water. Read the rest of this entry »

I first met Ed many years ago during a fishing trip to the streams of the Western Cape: I had spent a long day on the upper Elandspad River with two friends and was making my way downstream when I happened across two anglers fishing a quiet run on the bend of the river. One waved me a cheerful greeting as I walked behind through the bush, giving them ample berth to continue their upstream angling. These two anglers, it later transpired, were Ed Herbst and Tony Biggs’s late son, Damon. Though we did not meet officially that day on the Elandspad River, I followed Ed’s writings with interest. His experiments with artificial flies interested me because he was forever importing unusual fly-tying materials to try in his patterns. To me, Ed is the Gary LaFontaine of South African fly-tying, and I believe that in the Xmas Xaddis he has developed a patternthat will come to be regarded as an African fly-fishers.

The Xmas Xaddis, like many successful South African dry flies, evolved on the fast, tumbling mountain streams of the Western Cape. Ed says the pattern is a combination of existing facets of fly design and two new materials - Cactus Chenille and nylon organza - which, when incorporated into a dry fly, significantly enhance its appeal. Read the rest of this entry »