BOKSPRUIT

BOKSPRUIT from Clontarf upstream

 

Clontarf

The Steyn family

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Collect gate key from the RIC office and from Rhodes travel on theR396 towards Barkly East, past the Maartenshoek turnoff. Continue towards the Donkerhoek Tower but take the Bokspruit turnoff to the left before reaching the tower. Continue down the pass, past Clefthilland over the Bokspruit. At the fork at the Eliasdale homestead keep to the right on the Elliot road. Travel +/-1km until finding the Clontarf gate on the right. Enter through the gate and proceed to the bridge over the river and park in the shade. The downstream boundary is +/- 2km below the bridge and the upstream boundary +/-1km above the bride at the large rock and 90 degree bend which is the boundary with Clefthill/Eliasdale.

A finepecimen from the Bokspruit at Clontarf

 

Eliasdale 

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Ronnie & Tienie Small

Bokspruit bridge                               S 30° 53’ 05.63”       E 27° 53 02.64”E

Take the Bokspruit turnoff from the R396 between Mosheshsford and Rhodes. Continue down the pass past the entrance to the Clefthill farmstead and on around the corner to the bridge over the Bokspruit. There are gates into fields on either side of the bridge where one can park off the road. Clefthill water is upstream of the Bokspruit bridge and Eliasdale is downstream of the same bridge.

 

Clefthill

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Ronnie & Tienie Small

Bokspruit bridge                               S 30° 53’ 05.63”       E 27° 53 02.64”E

Clefthill is upstream of the Bokspruit Bridge, to a boundary mat after along flat section, past the sheer rock overhangs

 

Clefthill on the Bokspruit by Dave Walker

 

Hillbury:

Hansie& Sarieth Maree

Continue past Clefthill and over the Bokspruit. At the fork at Eliasdale homestead toElliot, keep left to the Bokspruit. At the next fork to the Riflespruit, keep left and head down the road marked to “Riflespruit”. Hillbury is divided into three beats, lower, middle and upper each with separate accesses, clearly marked. The Lower and Middle are accessed on the left and the Upper to the right on the road heading down towards the Bokspruit.

 

Lower Hillbury

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Take the clearly marked entrance at the gate adjacent to the farmworkers accommodation. Follow the road around the fields, through a number of gates. Park under the trees at the camping area under a sandstone cave. The beat extends down to a mat at Clefthill and up to the large rock adjacent to a sandstone cliff.

 

Middle Hillbury:

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Proceed pasthe farm workers accommodation and the farmstead to a clearly marked gate on the left, just before the bridge over the Bokspruit. Proceed along the track towards the river until reaching a poplar plantation. Walk downstream to the large rock adjacent to a sandstone cliff and fish upstream past the parking until the bridge across the Bokspruit.

 

Upper Hillbury:

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Enter the clearly marked gate to the right, adjacent to the farmstead, proceed through a few gates, past the milking shed and park underneath the willow trees. The upper section is from the bridge just below the confluence of the Rifle-and Bokspruits and extends to justbefore a sharp right-hand bend back towards the road and below a sandstone krantz. There is a sign against a fence clearly marking the neighbouring property, beyond which there is no fishing. The Riflespruit can also be fished until reaching a fence, +/-300m from the confluence with the Bokspruit.

 

Buckstone

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Ronnie & Tienie Small

Downstream                      30° 54’ 26.12” S     27° 54’ 34.16” E

Upstream                          30° 55’ 31.84” S     27° 56’ 13.06” E

As for Clefthill and continue over bridge to a fork at the Eliasdale farmstead. Take the road to the left marked “Bokspruit”. Continue to the next fork and take the road to the right to the Bokspruit. Continue, crossing another bridge over the Bokspruit at Welgemoed, passing lands on the right to where a row of poplar trees extends from the road to the Bokspruit on the right. This is the downstream boundary. Park inside a gate where a sign on the right reads “Buckstone”. Walk a short distance from there to the Bokspruit and fish upstream of the row of poplars. Fish the northern bank only until reaching a concrete ford across the Bokspruit from where both banks may be used until the end of the beat beyond the Birnam and Killmore structures. From the upstream boundary of Knockwarren one may continue to fish from the bridge upstream and from the northern bank only until reaching the Birnam/Killmore boundary +-800m upstream from the bridge.

Buckstone on the Bokspruit – by Dave Walker

 

Knockwarren

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Sarel & Benita Steenekamp

Turnoff, Knockwarren bridge        S 30º 55’ 17.57”        E 27º 55’ 30.31”

Upstream:                                  S 30º 55’ 20.65”        E 27º 55’ 29.06”

Downstream:                              S 30º 54’ 48.27”        E 27 º 54 46.91”

Continue past Welgemoed for +-2,5km until the road splits and the farm sign is found. Continue down the road on the right across the Bokspruit and on until reaching the farmstead. The road continues behind the farmhouse and through two gates down to a point next to the Bokspruit.  Park here and fish upstream to a point below the road bridge where the trees behind the sign and next to a land in the image below form the upstream boundary of Knockwarren.

 

Knockwarren entrance is to the left of the sign – by Dave Walker

 

Birnam

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Abraham & Shirley Botha

Entrance on sharp corner              S 30° 55’ 29.01”        E 27° 56’ 55.90”

Upstream boundary:                     S 30° 56’ 02.31”        E 27° 57’ 58.09”

Downstream boundary:                 S 30° 55’ 31.16”        E 27° 56’ 14.10”

Continue past Knockwarren until reaching a sign on the left denoting the downstream boundary of the beat. Park where convenient, negotiate the fences and fish upstream from both banks. Alternatively, continue until reaching a farm cemetery, park and walk back to the boundary. Or another option is to continue to a sharp turn to the left, situated between a farmhouse on the left and farm sheds on the right. Find a shady spot in the yard, park and fish upstream.

Birnam by Dave Walker

 

Killmore

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Ronnie & Tinnie Small

Upstream boundary:                     S 30° 56’ 02.31         E 27° 57’ 58.09” 

Downstream boundary:                 S 30° 55’ 31.16”       E 27° 56’ 14.10”

Killmore is on the southern bank of the Bokspruit directly opposite Birnam. Access can be gained through Birnam as described above.

 

Bothwell

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Janbert & Caroline Reeders         

Upstream boundary:                     S 30° 56’ 43.08”      E 27° 58’ 49.62”

Downstream boundary:                 S 30° 56’ 02.31”      E 27° 57’ 58.09”

Continue past Knockwarren until an avenue of conifers is found on the right-hand side of the road. The farmstead is on the right towards the end of the avenue of trees. Turn in, park and walk back down the road for +-2km until the “mat” adjacent to a lucerne land on the southern bank is found close to where the Eskom power line crosses the Bokspruit. Fish upstream until reaching a poplar wood that demarcates the end of the beat.  Alternatively park near a long pool a short distance before the avenue of trees, walk back and enjoy the fishing.

Bothwell guest-farmhouse by Dave Walker

 

Glen Nesbitt

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Ronnie & Tinnie Small

Entrance                                      S30° 56’ 41.72 “          E27° 58’ 52.22”

Just a short distance after Bothwell, one drives over the Glen Nesbit stream, a Lilliputian tributary of the Bokspruit. Park near the entrance to the farmstead. There is a short (+/-300m section of the Bokspruit to be fished. Start at the confluence of the Bok & Glen Nesbit and fish up, past the bridge to the Brucedell boundary. Alternatively, if there is water flowing in Glen Nesbit start fishing from the Bokspruit upstream for at least 5 km. There is a trek path which bypasses some prolific pools but enables access to the smaller challenging pools higher upstream. Best not fished alone!

  

Glen Nesbitt stream from the bridge adjacent to the farm entrance that is to the right looking upstream by Dave Walker

 

Brucedell

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Roland Walker

Entrance                                    S 30º 56’ 49.14”        E 27º 59’ 01.89”

Upstream boundary                    S 30° 57’ 59.79”       E 27° 59’ 57.48”

Continue past Bothwell, cross a concrete bridge at Glen Nesbitt and take the left hand track passing the farmhouse situated on the right. Continue until passing stripped sheds and fish upstream from the ford. Beware of high water on the fords from this point onwards. During inclement weather both Gateshead and Brucedell should only be attempted in 4x4 vehicles beyond this point. A condition of fishing Brucedell is that fish < 200mm should be culled and fed to the crabs. A plunge pool below a spectacular waterfall when in spate can provide good sport. See further on for “high and dry” images.

 

Brucedell by Dave Walker

 

Gateshead

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Carien Vosloo

Entrance                           S 30° 57’ 59.79”       E 27° 59’ 57.48”

Continue past Knockwarren, Bothwell, Glen Nesbitt and Brucedell until the end of the road is reached where the farm cottage will be found. Park here and fish upstream for +-5km or +-1km downstream to the Brucedell boundary “mat”. The terrain becomes increasingly rough upstream and is not recommended for the unfit or being  on your own.


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