John’s antidote to anxiety

Lots of my guests ask me what I do for relaxation. Here is the answer! I fly-fish for Brown and Rainbow trout in the magnificent landscapes of the Western Cape.

This photo was taken a few days ago at a lake called Lakenvlei, in the high mountains above the fruit-growing valley of Ceres.

Fly-fishing for trout in the Cape lakes and streams began with the importation of brown trout ova from Scotland in 1886. They were incubated and hatched in a purpose-built hatchery in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, and from there the fingerlings were introduced into the free-stone rivers of the Western Cape mountains.

Needless to say, environmentalists have decried the presence of these alien fish in South Africa, and their future is not bright.

I am highly conflicted here as I am implacably anti-alien when it comes to vegetation. But when it comes to trout fishing, I have been immersed in the mythology of this sport for over forty years. And as the photo shows, these fish select the very best of the wilderness waters as their home.

I no longer offer fly-fishing on my itineraries, but if you would like to travel through this kind of spectacular countryside, please contact me on john@bigblueskytours.co.za.