The fully subscribed 2025 Dirt Road Wild Trout Festival was a gathering of note that saw fly-fishing enthusiasts participating who came from as far afield as the UK and Zimbabwe. Others came from all over RSA and in particular, from the Western Cape, Gauteng, the Free State and KZN.
Four days of fishing and five nights of talking about fishing plus a mountain of other topics and idle chatter, kept participants and “sheppards” well-occupied. Chilly evenings found the gathered throng enjoying the warmth of the fleeces kindly provided by Dirt Road Traders who also sponsored the printing of the latest edition of the Wild Trout Association guidebook to fly-fishing in the Rhodes area of the Eastern Cape Highlands. This publication has grown from a 1/3 of an A4 page flyer into a magnificent 232-page book of note. It has finally entered into the realms of worthy publications, having been properly formatted and printed with a cover of note, designed at the behest of the sponsor.
The five nights chatter was interrupted by long moments of complete silence while the gathered throng tucked into fine dinners tabled with the help of a number of the local ladies whose culinary skills have been honed in the best traditions of the Platteland for many years. Home-cooked fare not often or easily found in restaurants in the Bright Lights that reminded folk of their early years and “Ouma se kos”.
In the course of the event, the catch returns submitted, numbering 139, reflected a total catch of 853 trout i.e. 6 per angler. In theory, there should have been 196 catch returns submitted. The reality is, unfortunately, the human element that has led me to think that at least one quarter of the participants are illiterate! Nonetheless, extrapolated, there may have been a total catch of 1200+ fish.
In comparison to many other festivals, this was a relatively low catch figure, but which can be ascribed to the late rains experienced immediately before the event. The strong flow made life difficult for both the fish and the anglers!
The annual festival charity auction amounted to a turnover R69 000 of which R12 000 accrued directly to the Rhodes Animal Care project where cats and dogs are vaccinated and neutered as well as any other domestic animals that are treated for whatever ailment it has at the time. Our sincere thanks to all of the donors and knitters of auction items that swell the charity kitty and allow the WTA to support deserved local causes.
The next Dirt Road Wild Trout Festival will be held from the 17th to the 21st of March 2026. The popularity of this event, as evidenced by having been fully subscribed for some time, necessitates applying to participate before the door closes on entries.
For information on the Wild Trout Association, see; www.wildtrout.co.za
For information on the next event, contact Dave Walker, dave@wildtrout.co.za.
Below are some of the photos from the event.
The opening dinner.
Auction night.
The table loaded with auction items.
Paulo Carreira at Glen Nebitt
Jan Korrubel on the Willow at Balloch.
Grevin & Tammy crossing a stream in spate.
Jan’s rainbow from the Bokspruit.
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