Yellowfish Fly Fishing

What a week in the Bokong catchment! The Yellowfish fly fishing was tough, no doubt—very little rain and low water levels. Most of the fish were holed up in the deep pools, and the rest were clearly on a break. Stealth was the name of the game, and you’d better believe we were sneaking around like ninja anglers.

A Mixed Bag of Anglers

The group was a diverse mix—Cecile, Caleb, Ilyas, Andrew, Leon, Garth, and Piet all managed to get on the board early—except Howard. Stealth? Not exactly his strong suit. We certainly didn’t let him forget it. As the last day approached, Howard, desperate to catch a yellowfish without snapping his 6X tippet, finally succeeded. With some divine intervention from Prophet David Taylor, he landed a yellowfish and, well, we didn’t hear the end of it for the rest of the evening!

Cecile: The Bokong Legend

Cecile, the Bokong legend (as we like to call her), had one of the toughest trips of her career. She fished like a pro, showing off her stealth skills and catching a decent number of fish on both nymph and dry fly. But one evening, guide Aiden and Cecile had one of the most ridiculous dry fly sessions ever. The sun was blinding, the wind was howling, and there we were, casting into the abyss. Almost every time, yellows rose and ate the dry fly, and we missed about 45 fish in two hours. Aiden was squealing in her ear like a banshee, and Cecile, stomping her feet and swearing like a true Zambian, missed nearly every single one due to the glare. Chaos, frustration, and pure comedy—it was one of the funniest moments of the trip, especially with the rest of the group watching and laughing from the sidelines.

Caleb: South Coast Special

Then there was Caleb, our South Coast special. A die-hard bait angler, Caleb was game for anything—dry fly, dry dropper, double nymph rig, bread dough—you name it, he tried it. And of course, he brought that Berotse flair with him. Caleb hooked the biggest fish of the week—two beauties measuring 56cm and 57cm. No one was safe from his fishing skills and his ‘general’ antics.

Kean’s Mission for a Brown Trout

Finally, Kean—keen and determined to land a brown trout high up in the Bokong River. Enter Prophet Dawie Taylor, the chosen guide for this epic journey. After 38km of trekking through some of the most pristine, untouched river stretches in Africa (seriously, it was like stepping into a nature documentary), no browns were caught. But Kean managed to hook a few yellows on the infamous 6X tippet… until, of course, they snapped off. On the last day, it was make or break—Kean tied on his homemade beetle fly pattern, and within no time, he was hooking fish left and right. He landed four yellows and redeemed himself in style. Talk about a comeback.

The Magic of Makhangoa

Despite the tough fishing, the week was totally worth it. The Makhangoa Community Camp delivered in spades—amazing weather, great food, and views that would make any travel brochure jealous. We had some serious banter, shared plenty of laughs, and spotted mountain rhebok and incredible birdlife while walking upriver.

A tough week on the water? Yes. But an unforgettable one? Absolutely. If you’re up for an epic challenge and stunning scenery, start planning your yellowfish fly fishing trip today!