Two rivers and the open sea, fishing all year
When the sea is too rough to fish, you still have two rivers. The Nqabara and Nqabarana join at the mouth below the lodge. Both are clean and fish well all year.
The smaller of the two rivers is best explored by canoe. You can rent one at the lodge or bring your own. Fish lures and light bait among the mangroves and deeper channels for perch, grunter, kob, garrick and small kingies. The river is calm, so it's great fun for young and older family members alike.
The larger river can be fished from the banks, or navigated a long way upstream by small estuary boat or canoe. Garrick and kob are first prize. Hard-fighting rock salmon, perch, kingfish and grunter are also caught, with springer higher up.
During neap tides, walk across a sandbank on the river to reach the beach on the right of the lodge. To fish a spring high tide, cross the river by canoe.
From the beach you'll catch plenty of rays and sand sharks. Target kob on the drop-offs with paddle-tails, or the elusive pig-nose grunter in the winter months.
Sunrise Rocks, 200 m to the right of the mouth, produces silvers, bluefish and kob. To fish left of the Nqabara River, canoe across and fish the mouth on an incoming tide, or the gullies that stretch for kilometres along the east bank.
Fly-fishing for kob in the sea works best when the sea is calm and the tides suit. The kob are found in the deep channels.
Conditions in the two estuaries are generally calm. Poppers and clousers work best, for kingfish, carp, garrick, perch and rock salmon.
Hire a local or qualified fishing guide, book a 4-hour river fishing charter for up to 3 people, take the Matanzi 20 ft boat out, or hire a 5hp river boat for the day. River, sea and fly rods with tackle are available at the lodge.
See fishing prices“We caught fish every day, with plenty of variety, and there are so many ways to fish here – from the boat, kayak, estuary banks, rocks, and surf.”
“His extensive knowledge of the estuary meant he always knew exactly where to find the best fishing spots.”
“If you are a fishing purist this is a must visit.”
| River rod with tackle, per day | R100 |
|---|---|
| Sea rod with tackle, per day | R200 |
| Fly-fishing rod with tackle, per day | R300 |
| Local fishing guide | R250 |
| Fishing and angling guide | R750 |
| Ghillie (bag carrier) | R150 |
| River fishing charter, 4 hours, up to 3 people | R3,500 |
| River fishing charter, each extra hour | R500 |
| River boat with 5hp motor, per day | R1,500 |
| Matanzi 20 ft boat, 4-hour trip | R5,000 |
| Canoe, single / double, per day | R200 / R300 |