Until now South Africa has not been recognised as an international fly fishing destination, and yet the country offers a combination of exceptional variety coupled with great value. The overseas visitor should note that fly fishing is usually close to many of the country's unique attractions. For example the trout triangle of Mpumalanga is en-route to the Kruger Park, a visit to our famous bathing beaches may be combined with good fly fishing in the surf or estuaries, and the mountain streams of the Western Cape are close by the sunny winelands.

For trout anglers the fishing is mainly on the high ground of the eastern escarpment. This stretches from Limpopo Province in the north through Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal to the mountainous areas of the Eastern Cape. In addition there are a number of beautiful mountain streams in the Western Cape within a few hours of Cape Town. Streams are for the most part quite small but fishing pressure is relatively low. There are also a large number of still waters from which to choose. These are mainly impoundments on farms and often produce exceptionally large trout. The best months are September to November and again from late March to late May, but many still waters remain open through winter as the coldest months of the year are relatively mild compared with the majority northern hemisphere fly-fishing destinations. Rainbows predominate in most waters, but brown trout are quite popular and are present in some streams and stillwaters

The second most sought-after target in inland waters is the indigenous yellowfish of which there are nine species. This is a handsome, hard-fighting fish found in most of the rivers in the country. The recent recognition of the species as a very important fly-fishing quarry has given tremendous impetus to the sport. The Vaal River, not far from the metropolitan hub of Johannesburg/Pretoria, is now recognised as a world-class sport fishery, as is the massive Sterkfontein Dam on the Free State/KwaZulu-Natal border. Generally, the best time for yellowfish begins in September when water temperatures start rising, and lasts throughout summer, provided the water remains clear. Should heavy rains discolour the rivers, good fishing commences again in autumn when the water clears, and lasts into May when decreasing temperatures cause the fish to go off the bite.

The most spectacular of South Africa's freshwater fish, the explosive tigerfish is found at low altitude in the Nkomati/Crocodile system and certain of the other rivers near or bordering the Kruger Park. There is also a healthy population of tigerfish in the Phongola river system in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass (and in a few places spotted bass), carp plus indigenous catfish, tilapia and mudfish are increasingly sought by fly fishers. Bass are an alien species in the country and are recognised as causing significant damage to indigenous fish. However, it has to be accepted that bass are now widespread and some of the stillwaters and a few rivers have fishing of international standard.

For the visitor the eastern coast of the country offers an awesome array of species and fishing conditions. In the north-east, from the border of Mozambique the warm sub-tropical sea and estuaries abound with gamefish. Among these are kingfish, queenfish, garrick, bonefish and shad (elf) to name a few. In the north the great estuaries of Kosi Bay and St Lucia offer ideal conditions for the fly fisher but fishing along the shoreline and offshore is also popular.

Further south the large port of Durban is an ideal jumping off place and even the harbour itself can be very productive. For those wishing to get well away from holiday crowds there is the beautiful Wild Coast with its multitude of estuaries amid spectacular scenery. The major seaside towns of East London and Port Elizabeth are also good centres for fly fishing the East Cape coastline. Similarly, the cooler south coast of the Western Cape offers many opportunities for the enthusiast. The lovely Garden Route which includes the resorts of Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and George is also recognised as a prime fly-fishing destination.

Close to Cape Town, the warmer waters of False Bay are popular with anglers seeking garrick, elf and yellowtail in summer. The cold current sweeping the Atlantic Coast has excellent inshore fishing for snoek (a barracuda-like species) during winter. However, under certain climatic conditions in summer, vast numbers of baitfish accompanied by predatory species congregate in the sea south-west of Cape Point. Offshore fishing boats operating from various centres locate these concentrations and enable fly fishers to tangle with tunas, yellowtail, garrick, sharks and even dorado and marlin.

For streams, rod weights from 0- to 5- weight are most commonly used with both floating and sinking lines. Light-weight waders are sometimes used in the larger rivers during the cooler months but in warm weather most anglers wear shorts or fast drying slacks and a pair of stout wading boots or shoes.

In stillwaters rod weights 5 or 6 will normally suffice. Sinking, intermediate and floating lines are used. Waders are very useful, as are float tubes and kick boats.

Most fishing is done with 5- and 6- weight rods and floating lines. In the Vaal River it is essential to have non-slip boots and a wading staff is also useful for the less agile.

Although trout stillwater tackle will usually suffice it is often necessary to use rod weights up to 7 and 8 to handle the much larger flies required for large specimens of these species.

Normally rod weights used are between 7 and 14 but lighter weight rods are sometimes employed when seeking smaller species in the estuaries and protected coastal areas

For saltwater a single licence available through any post office covers the whole country. Estuaries are a 'grey area' and provincial authorities often consider that they fall under their responsibility. However, production of the national licence obtained from the post office appears to satisfy officials who may ask for a licence.

In theory each province should issue a licence for freshwater fishing for the waters in their area, but it is sometimes difficult to obtain these documents. It is often best to enquire from the leading tackle stores serving a province regarding the local requirements, particularly as many of these retailers sell licences themselves.

For both freshwater and saltwater anglers there is plenty of good accommodation to choose from. This ranges from comfortable bed-and-breakfast type of accommodation on farms to world-class hotels. Where possible, the visitor to South Africa should also consider hiring the services of a fly-fishing guide. These services are usually not expensive by international standards. With their expert local knowledge, guides can get visitors to the most productive sites quickly and, if required, spare them the hassle of arranging travel and accommodation.