Flyfishing report: Trout - Mpumalanga

DULLSTROOM.

John Hunter of the Village Angler reports that insect activity has increased with the warmer weather. Dry flies and buzzers are being used regularly at many venues. At Walkersons the Dingamalery fly (dragon fly pattern) elicited a good response while at Millstream the colourful Yellow Fritz and White Chartreuse flies worked well.

50 anglers have entered the annual Dullstroom Village Flyfishing Festival on 11–12 September and the booking is now closed. The event is an important fundraiser for local charities, and prime waters are made available especially for this event. More information is available at https://www.fosaf.org.za/calendar.php.

At the Dullstroom Fly Fishers Association AGM there was a huge turnout on Saturday 22 August. A lunch of delicious lamb spitbraai was served for all who attended which was followed by a very successful Trout-A-Faire afterwards. A substantial amount was raised by events and the raffle to augment stocking and maintenance. Nico Perd Louwrens won the annual Luke Potter Floating Trophy for the longest trout landed and safely released for 2026/2027. Philipp Allgeier won the Chairman's Cup Challenge with 5 feisty trout landed and safely released in the morning.

John Thoabala at Mavungana says that the warmer weather has increased the afternoon surface activity at their Laverpa dams and buzzers and CDC dry flies have worked well in the afternoons. Some good fish have been taken at their trophy dam at Birds of Prey and flies with bead heads fished with an intermediate line have proved popular. John will consider closing the trophy dam during October as soon as water temperatures increase significantly to protect these large fish until cooler weather in autumn. All Mavungana dams are day ticket venues and close to the village.

At the Transvaal Fly Fishers Middelpunt waters (www.tffc.co.za.) all 7 dams totalling 20 hectares are full and have been comprehensively stocked.

SABIE.

 Johann van Vuuren, chairman of the Sabie Trout Club at sabietrout@gmail.com. reports that they had a Ladies Day at the nearby Maggsleigh dams on 9^th August which was well supported and this venue has become popular family venue. These dams are now crystal clear and small attractor patterns and small zonkers are working well.

The Sabie River is running well for this time of year, and midge patterns and small bead heads are preferred but because of the clarity of the water a careful approach is required.   

On the weekend the club will be hosting the junior honorary rangers to teach them about flyfishing and the conservation measures for streams and dams.

Visitors wishing to fish the river may get day tickets at Merry Pebbles and Uvuvi in Sabie, or Angling and Outdoors in Nelspruit.  

Dam 3 at TFFC’s Middelpunt waters.

Janson’s Dam with the clubhouse in the foreground.

Johann with a Maggsleigh brown trout.