At last the day of departure arrived and excitement filled the air. After all, we’ve been looking forward to this trip for almost six months.

Upon arrival at Treeferns the reception was an immediate indication that this was going to be an experience of Low-veld hospitality at its best. I’ve visited the Low-veld a number of times and only once have we felt as welcome as we did upon arrival at Treeferns.

The rock style chalets were warm and welcoming with a rustic feel to it. Upon reflection I would say it was very befitting the environment and surroundings in every aspect. We occupied two of the chalets, Ribbok and Panorama, both had their own spectacular views and appeal. Fully equipped down to the most unexpected detail such as scales to weigh your quarry, a log book to capture the details of your victory among other details and necessities one normally take for granted – the clear sweet 100% natural spring water in the fridge was a real surprising highlight, especially considering it was December and the sun was a scorcher.

The only drawback found with the accommodation from my side was the fact that the shower was a bit narrow to my liking and the shower head was a bit low. I’m not the tallest of people standing at 1.68m and did not expect the shower to mainly spray against my neck. It’s not a real problem but as I said, just not what I expected. Another suggestion I have would be to roof the “braai” area at Ribbok chalet and maybe to install some shade netting on the sides of the patios that one can let down should the rain insist on blowing straight on to the patio where one is relaxing during the glorious thunderstorms should they occur.

The befitting patio blending seemingly into the rock structure provided a relaxing area to really kick back and admire our surroundings whilst enjoying each other’s company and a real “lekker braai” in the only fashion we South Africans know how. The abundant plant and bird life in the area combined with the awesome views of the veld, the gorge, dams and streams provided sweet eye candy for one and all and seem to have a soothing effect on all of us. Even the non fishing members of our group could not stop chattering and reflecting on their experience and the impact the environment had on them. This in itself was worth the planning long wait for our trip to Treeferns.

Now to get to the real reason us fisherman wanders out of our comfort zones.

We obscurely push away all technology to go hunting. Rod in hand, stalking ever illusive fish for hours on end and sometimes driven by pure obsession, will not quit till we feel the fast familiar tap on the line, the reaction instinctively follow, line tightening and instant reaction follow in the water. This is what it’s all about, the pure adrenaline rush one experience and the feeling of victory over your quarry.

Don’t be fooled, fishing at Treeferns is hard work and a load of patience is needed to accomplish the feeling of fulfillment and victory. You know you were spotted long before you spot the roaming trout in the crystal clear water. This only serves as a reminder that you’re now attempting to enter a realm where the trout is king and you’re the obvious suspicious outsider causing the fish to be even more weary and cautious.

We must have easily presented hundreds of different flies in different sizes and combinations before we found what seemed to be the closest pattern resembling the preferred source of food in size, color and imitation. To be truthful, there were three or four flies that did the trick for us, though all of them did not work every day. One could say it’s a “seasonal preference” on a daily basis such is the diversity of the flies preferred at the time.

Over the period of five days we caught a number of trout varying in size, releasing all but five to feed our taste buts. These included two wonderful trout, a hen of 1.54kg and a cock of 1.36kg (photo’s included). Curiously enough both were caught on the same day an hour apart with the same fly in almost the same spot. It took three days of meticulous elimination of flies and selection of sizes and combinations to hook in to these wonderful fish.

We know there are monsters lurking in the waters at Treeferns. Experience taught us an expensive lesson when we lost a number of flies, tippets and even a leader and a bit of fly line during our stay. These losses might be considered part of the game and acceptable under any circumstance; but let me reiterate, it hurts to feel and hear a monster tearing line off your real only to leave you in shame and without everything up to your fly line. Yes… flies, tippet and leader all gone in an instant. There we were, thinking our X4 tippet was strong enough to handle anything in the waters before us, just to be brought back to reality by a monster taking the leader as well.

All things considered, we were sad to leave when the time came and we really did not want to return to our dull daily lives and the so called “civilization” of which we are a part. Our first time visit to Treeferns will forever be imbedded in our hearts and minds and the wonderful time and experience will be with us for the rest of our days.

Plans are already under way to revisit this heaven and relive our experiences and create new ones… why does next year suddenly sound so far away? We just can’t wait to return for the next round.

Written by Douw O’Kelly as a reflection of experiences in December 2009.