Groenkloof Fly Fishing and Adventure Camp

At Groenkloof, the Vaal River tells a story in every bend. There is such variation in the watercourse that a variety of tactics are the order of the day, ranging from mono and czech nymphing to a more technical approach like upstream dry or dropper fishing. With a bit of insight and reasonable skill, you may well find yourself making the catch of the day.

Oom Gert Visser, who owned the farm until a few years ago, had a pole outside the old farm house where he marked the size of all the fish he had ever caught druing his time on the farm - the biggest was 78cm! A big thanks to oom Gert and his wife Gesie who looked after this precious gem and saved it for all fishermen to come and fish here.

The river section on the Groenkloof, being under the Vaal Dam, Bloemhof Dam and the Vaalharts weir, has a predictable flow, and is clear most of the year. By clear, I mean that sight fishing really is at the order of the day.

Although the accomplished fly fisherman would probably focus on the more technical parts of the concession, there is a lot of water that allows for the novice, perhaps with a bit of tutoring to get into fish quite quickly. If we have a client who has never fly fished in his life, this is where we take him. These sections also allow for easy wading, which helps when teaching the younger generation. Within half a day, we could teach a 8 year old to not just get his first fish on fly - but to match his bag with his age. We would bet your largest fish on it!

An end note: This is a conservancy. Fishing, for us, is strictly catch and release – it’s about the experience. When teaching newcomers, a lot of emphasis is placed on the humane handling of fish to be released. We maintain the ultimate respect for the river, its pristine surroundings and its wily inhabitants.