Anbgling Book section of The Southern African Trout and Flyfishing Directory

The book is a fascinating insight into Southern African trout fishing from the turn of the century. No dry historical thesis this, but a collection of illuminating anecdotes by some of South Africa's most esteemed flyfishers. You'll enjoy it for each article has been selected for its entertainment value.

If you've never fished Southern Africa, you may be surprised at what is on offer.

EXCERPTS FROM "THE TROUT AND THE KINGFISHER"

…. Many of the earlier anglers were of British origin and by various fortunes found themselves in South Africa at the early part of the century. One of these was Lieutenant - Colonel HenryBirch-Reynardson:

My fishing in South Africa began one summer afternoon in Jonkershoek many years ago; to wit in February 1927…..However of course anyone who could catch trout on the Test couldn't fail to on the Eerste! That's what I thought - to begin with.

Well my charming young ghillie (Mary Chaplin) more or less took charge of putting up my tackle, fixing a silver-bodied March Brown (rather large I thought, but didn't dare say so!) to a 3x cast. I was then conducted to the river and urged to get on with it - she would follow a hundred yards or so behind me.

So I got on with it. Or tried to. I suppose I was nervous. Nothing went right at first: trees, grass, palmiet, rocks - I hooked the lot, even my own hat….But I cooled off after a bit and my line went more or less where I intended : but no touch from a fish; not a sign of a rise. Oh well, of course they weren't moving this afternoon. Just bad luck…I looked back to summon my ghillie for a chat: and I remained looking back - with my mouth open; she was into a fish! Yes, into a fish: and she landed it, banged it on the head and popped it into her bag; started in again and - believe it or believe it not (I didn't really at the time) - she was into another fish with the same result. And within ten yards of me as I stood there dribbling in wonder, she killed a third fish. Really it simply wasn't decent.

I said "Good Lord - how do you do it?" She answered very demurely, "Perhaps you haven't done a great deal of this kind of fishing. You see…….."

Each trout river has its "crocodile" and some even attain more than provincial fame. The Cape rivers had their leviathans; trout which were so well known that they were christened. Harold Saunders put together a file on some of these famed characters:

The difficulty with really big trout is to induce them to take a fly at all. How many of the scores of anglers who have fished the Upper Berg river, for example, have succeeded in interesting "Henry VIII" in a fly? Over a period of several years I have heard of only one instance when this monster was hooked and the angler was a lady. The manner in which "Henry" promptly broke away rather nullifies the assumption that he may have taken the fly out of chivalrous regard for the fair sex!.

"Disraeli" in another pool on the same river, has given one angler a hectic few minutes and, before breaking away, a thorough ducking….

The most amazing experience I have had with one of these legendary monsters was with "Palmiet Piet" on the Witte river a few years ago. Having been warned about this big fellow, I approached his pool very cautiously from downstream, and stood in the narrow swift run at the bottom. Within inches of my right foot was a bunch of waterweed and I felt that I was well concealed. Very carefully I dropped my fly on the water, about halfway up the pool, let it sink about a foot, and retrieved in short, quick jerks. A huge dark shape moved in the palmiet roots, but………….

ORDERING YOUR COPY OF "THE TROUT AND THE KINGFISHER"

This book is available from The Entrepot, P O Box 2459 Edenvale 1610, South Africa at a price of R 99.00. Please add on R20.00 (SouthAfrica) for packaging and postage. Or e-mail us