Kokstad fly fishing club Flyfishing Festival 2019 The Kokstad Fly Fishing Club hosted it’s 21st Flyfishing Festival over the weekend of 3 to 5 May 2019.
to be very productive. Wayne Miller took the lead with a beautiful 66cm Rainbow caught out of East Hebron. Photos and
Wayne Miller's winning fish
Eighty flyfisher men (and woman) descended onto Kokstad from all over the country. We were treated to a full house, with the festival being fully sold out more than a month earlier. Heavy late summer rains ensured all our dams were full to maximum. This heavy late unseasonal rain did discolor some of the dams, that would make fishing some of the water challenging. The format of the festival is catch and release. Flyfishermen were required to photograph their fish caught in a gutter against a ruler and then safely return it to the water. Trout over 50cm in length could qualify for individual honors.
witty remarks were shared of catches and more on Whatsapp, spurring on those less fortunate to keep trying. As the day progressed the weather started to change and the second session during Saturday afternoon tested the flyfishermen’s endurance with temperatures dropping and cold mist settling in on the higher situated dams. Some unfortunate local flyfisherman, that will remain unnamed for his own wellbeing, blamed his wife for removing his warm jacket from his vehicle. He found out the hard way that you always take a jacket or two if you plan to fish EG. On the positive side he did manage to sleep in warm bed that night.
The festivities started Friday evening at the Kokstad Club with registration, the briefing, and the allocation of dams. This was followed with a braai giving both locals and visitors the opportunity to sample some of the finest meat and hospitality East Griqualand can offer. Stories were told around the fires over a nice cold one while Jamie Renton entertained the folk with song and guitar play. As evening moved to the wee hours of the morning, some brave souls joined in song, or at least something resembling song, breaking the crisp autumn night air with the odd cat scurrying for cover.
Evening saw flyfishermen, some colder than others, converging on the club to submit their catch returns. Jamie with guitar in hand, soothed the body and soul around the bonfires. Forgotten were the hardships of the day, some good food, fellowship, and lubrication for the creaky
Early Saturday morning vehicles carrying kick boats of all sizes and shapes could be seen heading out to the various dams to be fished. The morning session turned out www.saflyfishingmag.co.za
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