REEL & WHEEL
Lure a black bass or throw a trout in the pan – before the year gets too hectic.
BASS LAKE LUXE CAMPING
There aren’t many campsites where you get greeted with a drink as would happen in a luxury hotel. At the Bass Lake lodge, your camp is barely pitched before the staff approach with a tray bearing a glass of juice for everyone. Get ready for a wonderful visit, because there is no shortage of hospitality here.
“Camp” and “luxury” aren’t often used in one sentence, but resorts increasingly focus on the comfort of campers, especially north of Pretoria. It’s clear that Leon and Meléne van den Heever, the owners of Bass Lake, have made this approach part of their management style.
CAMP LAYOUT
The 34 neatly demarcated stands are laid out on either side of two “main streets” and each has a neat curb all around with a garden bed next to it.
Leave your spirit level at home, because here you won’t have to struggle at all to get the caravan level. In fact, the green buffalo grass carpet on the stands is flat enough to make any bowling enthusiast’s heart beat faster. Like the fence, some of the trees between the stands are still on the young side, but the stands in the western row (19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 30) have some large trees that give wonderful shade in the afternoon. By the way, stands 28, 29 and 30 are best for people in a wheelchair because the bathroom facilities adapted for wheelchair use are close by. Most stands are larger than 100 m², and big enough to accommodate even the largest imported
caravan – standing straight or crosswise – and there’s plenty of room for your tribe.
The power points are between the stands in the garden beds; each point with its caravan-type socket is shared between 2-4 stands, and depending on where you are, you will need a 10-15m extension cord. You share the tap and garbage bin with your neighbour.
Next to the reception area is a small shop with sweet treats for everyone – from toffee apples and a variety of jams to rusks and cookies. You can also buy basic items such as wood, soft drinks and ice cream here. Although there are no credit card facilities, there is an ATM where you can draw cash.
WASH IN STYLE
Ask any camper what their first condition is for a decent campsite, and the answer will usually be the bathrooms. If prospective property owners want to see how this is done, pay this place a visit.
The two bathrooms are located at opposite ends of the camp. One is closer to the reception and pool, while the other is closer to the dam. From the outside, these round thatched buildings look ordinary, but walk inside and it looks like a bathroom in a wealthy neighbourhood. The basins stand on a marble top, and on the wall are mirrors in whose frames a Van Gogh painting would look good. It’s not only the finishes that are excellent, the layout is also practical: on the one end, next to the larger washbasins, the marble top is lower, with its own mirror, especially for the kids.
The shower cubicles are more like a wet room. You have enough hanging space for your clothes and there’s a bench on the dry side and a glass door on the shower side. There’s even a make-up room on the women’s side. Meléne says things can get quite busy in that room. Just like the bathroom, there is also a marble top with framed mirrors.
Next to the women’s facilities is a family bathroom for everyone, and both bathrooms have an undercover sink for washing dishes.
BRING YOUR FRIENDS
There’s also a private bush camp if you and your camping friends want to camp together. It’s secluded and about 300 m
Although you associate the name Cheburashka with a Russian comic book character from the 1960s, it is also the name of a piece of fishing equipment that comes in handy when trying to outwit a fish with artificial lure.
Fishing gear distributors Adrenalin imports the Cheburashka Jig Head from Poland. In essence, it is a loose lead weight that fits between the line and the hook. You do get hooks with a permanent weight – known as a jig head – but the Cheburashka is separate from the hook, which makes your lures more versatile in the water.
The weight has a flat hole through the middle into which a hooked shape wire fits, almost like a paper clip. When you push the wire through the weight, it forms an eye on either side. The hook’s eye fits through one eye and the line to your fishing rod knots to the other side.
So it’s a great combination for anglers using artificial bait, especially those wanting to catch bass, but the heavier weights work just as well if you’re in a estuary, for example, looking for a cob.
The weights are available in 10 different sizes – from 2 g to 40 g (the 28 g and 40 g work well for ocean fish).
In addition to the natural lead colour, you can also choose between black, red and olive.
Price Depending on the size, R30-R45 per pack of 10 (The 28 g and 40 g versions have five in a pack).
Contact Adrenalin Importers & Distributors (importers) 021 982 1510 adrenalinfishing.co.za catches@4adrenalin.co.za