The Rapture of Rhodes by Sharland Urquhart
I had heard about Rhodes, of course. Anybody with an interest in fly-fishing in South Africa had heard about Rhodes. Some of them had even been there. Less than you might think – too far, weather too variable, roads too bad, all sorts of reasons. But there was one constant – when the fishing was good, it was very, very good.
So I must go to Rhodes. I was going to Ugie for the Ladies Fly-fishing
Splendid autumn shades on the Bokspruit by Sharland Urquhart
Festival in September. Rhodes, at least on the map, was close. I would drive to Rhodes to see whether it lived up to its reputation. Tony Kietzman, one of the guides at Ugie Festival would guide me in Rhodes.
Tony and I set off in convoy from Ugie. A short diversion to the Tsomo, where I caught my first yellowfish, took longer than expected as I lost my car keys. Not far from Elliott we turned off the tarmac, and the adventure began. The road twisted and turned, rose and fell like a giant rollercoaster. I followed Tony in my hired car as best I could, sliding, concentrating fiercely, wondering how 90km could last for so long.
It was dark when we arrived in Rhodes. I walked into the bar at Walkerbouts Country Inn, dirty, dusty and exhausted. “So”, said the bearded man sitting at the counter. “You must be the lady from Cape Town who insisted on ice and a hair dryer.” He was right – I was. I very nearly became the lady from Cape Town who told him where he could put his village, and hightailed it for home, tired as I was. But I had come a long way to fish in Rhodes – why not make an effort? I swallowed a fast single malt and resolved to start anew.
“Mr Walker, I am Sharland Urquhart. I think that we should start this all over again. May I buy you a drink?” He accepted graciously. We became friends.
The following day revealed the pristine beauty of Rhodes. Surrounded on all sides by mountains as far as the eye can see, it claimed my heart. It calmed my soul. The hard, almost brutal beauty of those mountains held me like a magnet.
Tony, with his vast knowledge of the local fauna and flora, turned our fishing expeditions into days of joy and laughter. I met interesting people of all kinds in the pub at Walkerbouts. Some were tourists of one kind or another, some in pursuit of the local alpine flora, some in pursuit of thrills on mountain bikes or motorbikes, some in pursuit of trout. Some were residents of Rhodes or of the surrounding farms. Their kindness, generosity and community spirit made a deep impression.
My husband arrived from Cape Town a week later. He too was captured by the stark majesty of the mountains. We both know that we can never escape. We bowed to the power of the mountains and bought a cottage in Rhodes. We count ourselves blessed to be able to spend part of the year in the harsh embrace of that rugged landscape and of those who live there.