BELL RIVER CATCHMENT - Rhodes downstream

Rhodes commonage – no day permit fees

W3W:///arachnid.goofily.tangles

Senqu Municipality

Upstream:                      30º 47´ 33.13” S                   27º 57´ 52.11” E

Downstream:                 30º 47´ 48.21” S                   27º 57´ 28.60” E

In Main Street, almost opposite the intersection with Church Street, a pedestrian gate next to a lone willow tree will be found, This is an entrance to the newly established River Park. Head for the Bell River and from where a mat can be seen across the river that demarcates the upstream boundary. From this point, fish downstream past the bridge to Tuschielaw and the village pump station to a mat adjacent to the cemetery, being the bottom boundary.

 

Earlstown

W3W///reproached.strawberries.diplomacy

Gawie & Susan Naude

Entrance:                               30° 48’ 15.51” S                    27° 56’ 44.13” E

Upstream:                              30° 48’ 06.06” S                    27° 56’ 47.90” E

Downstream:                          30° 48’ 18.02” S                    27° 56’ 05.50” E

From Rhodes on the R396, head towards Barkly East. +-2km from Rhodes, the entrance to Earlstown is on the right. Park in the farmyard and walk to the Bell River, around a lucerne land. Fish upstream or downstream to where the boundaries are marked.

 

Buttermead

W3W:///transaction.tycoons.feathering

Gawie & Susan Naude

Entrance:                               30° 49’ 06.06” S                    27° 54’ 44.21” E

Upstream:                              30° 48’ 47.46” S                    27° 55’ 10.38 E”

Downstream:                         30° 49’ 23.74” S                    27° 56” 29.66” E

From Rhodes on the R396, head towards Barkly East. +-6km from Rhodes turnoff to Buttermead on the right. Continue down to a crossing over the the Bell River. Park and fish up or downstream until reaching the “Stop” signs, upstream <1km, downstream +-5.5km.

 

Claremont

W3W:///cataracts.channels.fall

Rassie & Loekie Smith

Gate, upper boundary                30º 49´ 04.97” S       27º 56´ 47.63” E

Upstream:                                30º 48´ 59.80” S       27º 56´ 47.63” E

Downstream:                            30º 49´ 24.06” S       27º 52´ 55.79” E

From Rhodes, continue past Monard, Buttermead & Killiney until reaching the Maartenshoek turnoff. Continue down the slope for +-500m until reaching a gate on the right. Park here and fish upstream for +-1km until the Buttermead/Killiney boundary and downstream for +-3km until the reaching the boundary with Glass Nevin. Here, a landmark is a sandstone outcrop next to the road and a boundary fence through lands between the road and the river.

 

Glass Nevin – upper

W3W:///rated.superglue.betrays

Vaasie & Margie Murray

Entrance:                               30º 49´ 17.98” S                    27º 52´ 30.03” E

Upstream:                              30º 49´ 24.06” S                    27º 52´ 55.79” E

Downstream:                          30º 49´ 14.86” S                    27º 52´ 14.90” E

 

Travel +-8km on the R396 to Barkly East until reaching the first turnoff.  Turn off onto the Maartenshoek road and continue +-4km until reaching the new bridge across the Bell River. Park at the bridge and fish upstream or downstream from the bridge.  Upstream:  fish until the upper boundary “mat” is found where a permanent pasture adjoins a ploughed land.  A farm diesel tank can be seen from the Bell River located in this land next to the Maartenshoek road that you travelled to reach the bridge.  Downstream: fish from the bridge down for approximately 2km until you reach the end of the old willow trees. Facing downstream, there's a rock jutting into the river below some tall cliffs. The rock has a stub of an iron standard drilled into it.

 

Entrance to Lower Glass Nevin by Dave Walker

 

 

A typical vista – Bell River, Glass Nevin from below bridge taken by Tom Sutcliffe – can you spot Tony Kietzman?

 

Glass Nevin – lower

W3W:///stingiest.prospects.autobiography

Johan van Zyl

Entrance:                               30º 51´ 29.61” S                   27* 51´ 12.55” E

Upstream:                              30º 49´ 43.66” S                   27º 51´ 32.60” E

Downstream:                         30º 50´ 34.88” S                   27º 50´ 20.24” E

 

From Rhodes, as for upper Glass Nevin but do not turnoff into Maartenshoek. Continue on the R396 to Barkly East passing the Bokspruit turnoff on the left. Continue between the Donkerhoek Telkom Tower on the left and sale pens on the right. Pass a borrow pit on the left and the entrance to Lower Glass Nevin will be found on the right on a sharp corner. The entrance is +-500m from the tower. Enter the farm and continue down the hill until reaching the farmstead from where directions will be given to the water.

 

Steepside     

W3W:///mongrels.jagged.bagpipers

Kobus & Karen Buitendag

Entrance gate:                                 30° 50’ 56.92 S           27º48’ 27.29” E

Bridge over Bell                                30º 50’ 42.75”             27º 48’31.33” E

+- 4km from Moshe’s Ford on the R396 to Rhodes, continue until reaching a sign mounted in a sandstone pedestal indicating the entrance to Steepside. Continue down the farm track, cross the bridge over the Bell River until reaching the homestead from where directions to the river will be given. Alternatively, +-24km on the R396 from Rhodes, the turnoff will be found shortly after the farm Bellmore located on the left of a sharp corner to the right.

Entrance to Steepside by Dave Walker

 

KLOPPERSHOEKSPRUIT

Tiffindell / Loch Ness

W3W:///preheat.nomad.dieted

Upper Kloppershoekspruit, the highest self-sustaining wild trout fishery in RSA. In layman’s terms, it is 2553m above sea-level and is home to Rainbow Trout that spawn in the feeder streams. A fishing outing to Loch Ness is an all-encompassing adventure of note. Always have raingear and warm clothing on hand, even in mid-summer and enjoy an absolute gem!

Milton & Donna Green

Upstream:                              30º 40´ 55.24” S                  27º 53´ 49.02” E

Downstream:                          30º 39´ 52.71” S                  27º 56´ 10.56” E

Loch Ness wall:                       30º 59´ 55.06” S                  27º 56´ 00.34” E

Directions as for Newstead but continue along the Carlisleshoek valley road, ascend via the concreted section onto the plateau (and descend with care, especially when wet). Continue past the turn-off to the resort until reaching the dam wall over the Kloppershoekspruit. Fish the “lake” and feeder streams or downstream of the “impoundment” wall for +-200m until the first fence. In addition to the gem of a dam, the feeder streams can also be eminently productive. Narrow, meandering and well-vegetated, an essential part of fishing the streams is wearing solid trousers as the gashu (isiXhosa) or Molalashlolo, Moseha (South Sotho)   Merxmuellera macowanii has sharp ends that make walking through it in short pants a painful experience.

 

Loch Ness in winter-by the late Grant Sephton


Xolelwa 045 971 9003 | info@wildtrout.co.za | © 2025 WILD TROUT ASSOCIATION. All Rights Reserved.