Reviews Archives - Baha Adventures

22Jun 2017 by Warren Prior 4 Comments

Castleburn

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Reviews, Trip Report, Trout

I was lucky enough to win a 5 day stay at Castleburn in last years Xplorer UHTFC Festival. After (accidentally) letting it expire I managed to get it extended by a month and took the family up for a much needed break. Having spent the weekend fishing the Boston Fly Fishing Festival this was intended to be a family trip. I did however manage to pack the fly rod and to sneak away for the odd hour here and there. And I'm certainly glad I did - the fishing was great. For the full (family) trip report please head over to my personal website. This blog post is going to be more focused on Castleburn's fly fishing, as well as any activities related to fishing. The Venue [caption id="attachment_2907" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Sunrise…

17Aug 2014 by Warren Prior No Comments

Custom Fly Fishing Nets by Mario Geldenhuys

Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Randoms, Reviews

This year I was lucky enough to receive this incredible net as a birthday present from my wife. It was hand crafted by Mario Geldenhuys of Custom Fly Rods. It's fair to say that the net is a stunner, and that the quality is impeccable. Much to my wife's dismay it will never touch the water, but it's a work of art fit to hang on the wall in my man cave. Warren's custom made fly fishing net With Baha Fly Fishing inscribed on one side And an inscription from his wife on the other

07May 2013 by Warren Prior No Comments

The Freedom Hawk, Freedom 12

Reviews

Having done my fair share of kayaking (including the Dusi Canoe Marathon and the 50 Miler) I've spent many an evening contemplating fishing skis and whether they're fly fishing friendly. The thought of combining the paddle with the rod definitely appealed to me and it made perfect sense for both estuary fishing as well as to open the doors to some "deep" sea fishing in the form of nearby reefs. But was the standard fishing ski (or kayak) a genuine option for a fly fisherman? I'd certainly heard of people fly fishing off of them but it sounded both uncomfortable and inconvenient. And then one day, while browsing fishing websites, I came across Freedom Hawk's range of fly fishing kayaks. My eyes widened and I immediately sent them an e-mail inquiring about availability in South…

13Mar 2013 by Nick Nortje 2 Comments

The Xplorer T-50 (9wt 4 Piece Saltwater Fly Rod)

Fly Fishing, Reviews

So after collecting my new rod from Xplorer I was keen to get it on the water to test out the much talked about T-50. My first impression was WOW! A beautiful carbon rod tube coated in a neoprene sock was handed to me by Xplorer, inside was a 4 piece, 9wt wrapped in a rod cloth. [caption id="attachment_1111" align="alignleft" width="200"] The T-50 in it's rod tube[/caption] Xplorer have really outdone themselves with the T-50. It's built on premium Japanese, high modulus carbon blanks which have ultra-fast tip actions and the grip is crafted from premium grade cork. The saltwater models have Alps Triangle anodized aluminium reel seats while the freshwater models have CNC machined, up-locking fittings with natural burl inserts. The eyes on the rod are REC recoil stripper guides…

29Jan 2013 by Warren Prior No Comments

The Xplorer XPS-S Large Arbor Fly Fishing Reel

Fly Fishing, Reviews, Salt Water

[caption id="attachment_1027" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Xplorer XPS-S with a decent wave garrick[/caption] The Xplorer XPS-S Large Arbor Fly Reel is Xplorer's premium range of salt water reels. They're designed to have BIG FISH stopping power and having fished with the reel I would certainly stand by that statement. Upon picking up this reel I was immediately impressed by the build quality. It is a fantastic looking reel which is CNC machined from bar stock aluminium. It has a black, hard anodized finish which means it appears as a slick black on your fly rod. I assume this comes from the good old days of fly fishing when reels were finished in black to make them less reflective and therefore prevent the reel from glinting which can easily spook fish. This may…

05Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Some of my Favourite Columbia Items

Reviews

Columbia Bahama II Long Sleeve Shirt [caption id="attachment_854" align="alignright" width="150"] Columbia Bahama II[/caption] Over my many years as a fly fisherman I've gone through piles of fishing shirts. That was until I came across the Bahama II by Columbia Sportswear. It is without a doubt my absolute favourite fly fishing shirt and I now have several in my cupboard. Although it does come in a short sleeved model I tend to stick to the long sleeved version to protect me from the sun. Thankfully this shirt succeeds in keeping me cool in even the hottest conditions thanks to the fabric and ventilation which is located around the arms and shoulders. It is of course also quick drying which proves useful in both hot and rainy conditions. This shirt is made…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

The Kingdom – A DVD Review

Fly Fishing, Reviews

[caption id="attachment_803" align="alignright" width="300"] The Kingdom Screenshot[/caption] Following on from Touching Gold, Safari and Film Africa take us on a journey through the beautiful and remote Lesotho highlands in search of the countries large, elusive and very wild Trout. SFA'a unique style can be seen throughout the DVD and is easily recognisable if you've previously watched Touching Gold. I find that fly fishing DVDs tend to come in two main formats; those which try to teach you something and those which share an experience with you. This DVD certainly falls into the second category and leaves you wishing that this was an experience you were part of. Tourette Fly Fishing guides are seen stalking both wild Rainbow and Brown Trout in the crystal clear streams of the Lesotho Kingdom. Throughout…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Touching Gold – A DVD Review

Fly Fishing, Reviews

[caption id="attachment_800" align="alignright" width="300"] Touching Gold Screenshot[/caption] Touching Gold is the first fly fishing DVD filmed and produced by Rayno Egner of Safari and Film Africa. In association with Tourette Fly Fishing it transports the viewer to Free State's famous Sterkfontein Dam, regarded as one of the best sight fishing venues in Africa. Although Sterkfontein was originally fished for Trout (and contains many other species including Bass and Largemouth Yellowfish) this DVD shares with us the magical experience of sight fishing for Smallmouth Yellows. Anyone who's fished (or visited) Sterkfontein will be aware of the sheer size of this body of water as well as it’s incredible clarity. It can be hugely intimidating to anyone new to the venue and this DVD goes a fair way in giving a few…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior 5 Comments

Lotheni Nature Reserve

Reviews

[caption id="attachment_792" align="aligncenter" width="900"] View Over The Lotheni River[/caption] [caption id="attachment_793" align="alignright" width="300"] A Lotheni Wild Brown[/caption] Lotheni is most notably known for its beautiful scenery and many hiking options for people of all ages and abilities. That said, for us at Baha Fly Fishing, its known for its wild Brown Trout, Sime's Cottage and technical stream fishing. The fly fishing at Lotheni (mostly) takes place in the Lotheni River which runs below both the main camp and the camping site. It contains a healthy population of wild Browns and is in my opinion rather technical as the Browns seem far more skittish than those in the popular Bushman's River at Giant's Castle. The river is of course only open during the standard season running from the 1st September to…

04Dec 2012 by Warren Prior No Comments

Kamberg Nature Reserve

Reviews

[caption id="attachment_777" align="aligncenter" width="900"] Eland Dam, Kamberg Nature Reserve[/caption] [caption id="attachment_776" align="alignright" width="300"] The Kamberg Chalets[/caption] Kamberg Nature Reserve, located in the foothills of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, was once regarded the meca of KwaZulu-Natal fly fishing with big fish being caught often, five well maintained dams, a good stretch of the Mooi River and their own hatchery. Sadly things have changed slightly and the hatchery has long since been closed. The previous offer of five dams has also been reduced and they now maintain and stock only two of the dams on the reserve. That said the fishing in these two dams is still decent and the dams are well maintained. They seem to be stocked fairly frequently and as a result a lot of stockies are on offer…

Category: Reviews