The call of the trout

If you love camping and trout fishing, boy, have we got good news for you...

KINGFISHER LODGE FISH LIKE A KING

The Kingfisher Lodge is on the alternative N4 route between Machadodorp and Mbombela that runs through Schoemanskloof. The lodge added a campsite, and the owner, Gary Roberts, added a bathroom for every stand.

As you enter the grounds of the lodge, you’ll spot some blesbok, sheep, donkeys, and mules. The four trout dams are on your left, with the pool close by. The two camping terraces are just in front of you and farther to the right. You get a welcome drink, and then it’s time to unwind.

On one terrace are six wooden buildings, while the other terrace has nine in a row. These are the bathrooms. Each 9 x 15 m stand has grass. The bathroom of four stands on the first terrace are among some pine trees, while the rest are out in the open.

You have everything you need on your stand. There’s a fixed braai (with grid) in front of your stand, and the rest of the facilities are at the bathroom. The bathroom has a patio with an outdoor sink for the dishes, plus a power point (ordinary domestic socket). Inside is a basin, toilet, and spacious shower cubicle with a gas geyser for hot water.

The lodge also has a restaurant, and when they confirm your booking via WhatsApp, the menu is included. (The codes you need for the two electric gates are also in the message.) The bar works on an honesty system, and the shop stocks the essentials – including fishing tackle and bait.

The Swartkoppiespruit runs through the 120-hectare grounds, and at the point farthest from the entrance is a 100 m waterfall – its top end is around 200 m from the last stands.

All four dams have trout, and you can expect to hook one that’s between 500 g and 2,5 kg. There’s a fee of R100 per day to fish, and it’s not seasonal – come try your hand at any time of year. In winter, the catch-and-release rule applies, but in summer you have to keep what you catch (and pay R150/kg).

If you’d rather see whether the carp and kurper bite, head to the fifth dam on the left of the resort entrance. There you fish for free.