Millerd & Avoca
W3W:Millerd-///insistent.pillow.tenants
W3W: Avoca-///compiled.dramatics.relearning
Geoff Orpen
Parking at homestead S 30º 45’ 14.59” E 27º 32’ 35.80”
Previously separate beats with different owners, now owned by one family, in excess of 12km of river to fish, including the head waters of the Diepspruit. This plus comfortable accommodation at both farmsteads is an enthusiast’s paradise. On the R58 between Lady Grey and Barkly East between the Karringmelkspruit and the Kraai River passes, take the road marked “New England” and “Tiffindell Ski Resort”. Continue for +-20km passing the abandoned New England railway station and three other turnoffs to the left, marked “Kenmure”, “Ben Nevis” and “Clearwater”. At the fourth turnoff +-3km beyond Queensberry, a farm on the right, turn left at the “Avoca” & Snowdon” signs.
Continue up this road through the Avoca gate to the homestead on the left, +-4km from the turnoff. Report to the owner, who will provide directions to the headwaters of the Diepspruit. Alternatively, from the Wartrail/Moshesh side, continue past Balloch, Burnbrae and a sign indicating the entrance to Pitlochrie to the Millerd turnoff on the right. The Lilliputian waters on the Diepspruit at Millerd, location of Ed Herbst’s snake-bite episode of many, many years ago as recorded by him in the journal of the Cape Piscatorial Society, Piscator, (see page104) as well as an account of the incident in Tom Sutcliffe’s publication “Shadows on the Stream”. Struck twice by what was thought to be a Cape Cobra (Naja nivea), Ed suffered no ill-effects other than the stress of the incident. A complaint was subsequently from a certain Mr N. Nivea-Millerdiensis, head honcho of the N-Ms, to the effect that a cousin had seriously impacted fangs on account of the very bony leg he had struck and insisting that targets with thicker legs be recruited to fish on their beat!
Entrance to Avoca-by Heather Ralph
Entrance to Millerd by Heather Ralph
Ed Herbst on the Diepsruit on Millerd- by Tom Sutcliffe
Pitlochrie
W3W: ///golf.vacations.pebbly
Joe Sephton
30° 46’ 19.015S 27° 35’ 59.58E
From Rhodes, head west along the R396 to Moshesh’s Ford. After the first bridge over the Bell river, turn right onto the R393 at the intersection marked Wartrail. Continue until the first turnoff to the left marked Barkly East. Continue on this road passing farm signs to Glencoe, Balloch, Burnbrae. Continue past a turnoff to the left marked Barkly East, for a further +/-2km, turn right at the entrance to Pitlochrie. From Barkly East on the R58 to Lady Grey, turn right +-3km from Barkly. Continue over a magnificent sandstone bridge known as Loch Bridge and at the next intersection, take the fork to the right. Continue until reaching the next intersection and turn left. The entrance to Pitlochrie will be +-2km from this point and found on the right.
On the R58 between Lady Grey and Barkly East between the Karringmelkspruit and the Kraai River passes, take the road marked “New England” and “Tiffindell Ski Resort”. Follow the road, past Millerd/Avoca, travel +/-3km from this turnoff to Pitlochrie on the left. Continue up the farmroad, turn down a road to the river just before reaching the farmstead. Park before the beautiful stone bridge. Walk downstream to the boundary and fish upstream to the headwaters–again more water than any angler can cover in a day, in excess of10km. There are a number of accommodation options on the farm, so taking 2 days to explore the stream is a great option
The Bridge at Pitlochrie by Heather Ralph
Entrance to Pitlochrie–by Heather Ralph
