Fishing & the Dam

The main Banchory Dam sits right at the cottage door, fed by clear Swartberg streams and managed carefully over the years to maintain a healthy trout population. We are a catch-and-release destination — always have been, always will be.

The dam

The Banchory Dam is a well-established, mature trout fishery. The water is clear and cold year-round. Brown and rainbow trout are resident in good numbers throughout — in the shallower margins, the reed beds, and the deeper mid-dam section best accessed by boat.

The wetland margins are a bonus for guests who bring binoculars. Herons, dabchicks, kingfishers and waders are regular visitors, particularly in the early morning.

When to come

• Spring (Sep–Nov) — rising fish, active feeding, hatches in the evenings. Best dry fly conditions of the year.
• Autumn (Mar–May) — cooler water, longer takes. Early mornings are exceptional.
• Summer (Dec–Feb) — fish early and late. Evening rises can be spectacular.
• Winter (Jun–Aug) — slowest for surface activity; nymphing and wet fly still produce well.

Fishing rules

These rules exist to protect the dam for every guest who comes after you.

• Barbless hooks only (or crimp the barb down)
• No live bait of any kind
• Rod fees payable per rod per day, in advance
• Children under 12 fish free with a fee-paying adult
• You may keep one fish per stay if it is less than 2.5 lbs or greater than 8.5 lbs — all others must be released

Boat hire

Two boats are available for hire. Both must be arranged in advance and collected from the main house on arrival.

Boat	Rate	Notes
Rowing boat with oars	R140 / day	Arrange in advance
Boat with electric motor	R360 / day	Arrange in advance

The electric motor boat opens up the deeper mid-dam section, which consistently holds the larger fish and is not reachable from the bank.

What to bring

There is no rod hire at Banchory. Please bring your own gear.

• Fly rods: 4–6 weight, 9 ft — ideal for these conditions
• Flies: dry (Adams, Royal Wulff, elk hair caddis), nymphs (hare's ear, PTN), small woolly buggers
• Tippet: 4x–6x fluorocarbon
• Polarised sunglasses for spotting fish in the shallows

The nearest fly fishing shops are in Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Stock up before you travel.

Day visitors

Non-staying guests are welcome on a paid day ticket. Please contact Margie in advance to check availability and arrange gate access.

Visitor type	Rate
Day visitor rod fee	R360 / rod / day