Lazy 8 River Lodge

Keen, wild fish in an unspoilt river which you have all to yourself... What more can a fly fisherman ask for? TCFF explores 13km of pristine Mooi River in the Eastern Cape.

The Eastern Cape is synonymous with fly fishing, from crystal-clear rivers teeming with trout and yellow fish, to huge lakes that regularly produce double-figure trout. A fresh 3am start saw my ghillie Corrie and I leaving the Big Smoke for the long drive to the northeastern Cape. The journey was made short by the constantly changing surroundings as we made our way through open grassland to mountainous passes. There were even some eye-openers like cattle being skinned right next to the road and the derelict one-horse town of Wepener (not a recommended fuel stop).

We edged our way forwards over endless river crossings, including the Kraai and Karringmelkspruit, craning our necks for any sign of fish movement. Ugie was our go-to point and upon arrival we were greeted by Dean and Melissa Naude from Lazy 8 River Lodge.

After a quick meet and greet we were off again, following them on the short 22km drive out of town to the lodge. A scenic drive later, we arrived at a picture-perfect setting where vultures and buzzards could be seen riding the thermals over the expanse of mountains that lay spread out before us. The valley was lush and green due to all the late rains, but Dean informed us that although it is normally brown and bare at this time of year, the seasons are changing.