Word verification and a new header photo.

I've had to go back to word verification as a result of spamming. I don't know why these people bother because it all goes to the spam box but that doesn't stop them, the spam just keeps on coming.  The big irritant was it came up in my email to, thus my return to the use of word verification.

You might have noticed that I've put up a new header photo, a panorama of the Drakensberg. It consists of five photos stitched together.


Click to enlarge.

More snow.

The cold front and almost 48 hours of continuous rain last week, also dumped a huge amount of snow on the Berg. I was only able to take these photos this morning as the Berg has been covered by a hazy cloud since Friday when it stopped raining, so some of the snow had already melted. 

Click to enlarge.

I took several photos to make two panoramas. The one above shows Giants Castle on the far left, (the southern end of this photo). 

This one shows more of the Central Berg.

Zoomed in shot of Giants Castle, 3000 meters. Some of my favourite fishing spots lie about 15km from the foot of Giants castle and it takes me almost an hour, on good roads, to get there. Gives you an idea of how far away I was when I took this photo.

 Behind Giants Castle the Berg turns inland in South Westerly direction, then after more than a hundred kilometres turns southward again for several hundred more kilometres.

Snow on part of the central Berg at 3000 meters plus.

More towards the north, these trees in the foreground are about 45km from the mountain. Another cold front has moved in this afternoon after a balmy spring day when I went to work in a short sleeved shirt. 

Pastor Yusouf released.

I don't know how many of you have been following the case of Pastor Yusouf in Iran. Below is a post on his release. Some of the comments are very interesting.

http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2012/09/nadarkhanis-glorious-moment-of-release.html

First bass of Spring.

This past week we had 48 hours of almost non-stop rain, all in all more than 100mm, that's 4 inches. Walked down to the furthest pond on the farm with the dogs, they were ecstatic as with all the rain they hadn't been out for several days. The surface of the water was covered with rings of bass rising and taking emerge rs, there was also a fall of flying ants, (termites). Bass can be as picky as any trout when there's a hatch on, and today I only took a small foam popper with me. 

Usually you know when a bass takes your lure or fly, they are great smash and grab artist, but there are times when there takes are very subtle. So it was this afternoon, I was watching my popper lying on the mirror smooth water and giving it the tiniest of twitches  every now and again. Without me noticing it as bass sucked the popper under the surface and it was a long moment before I realised what had happened and tightened the line, fish on. It wasn't the worlds biggest fish, but it was the first bass of spring.

Click to enlarge.

Posed for a quick photo and international fame, next to my trusty 6 weight rod, and released again.

A bit later I walked up to the pond just below the cottage but here there was not a fish to be seen, although there were dozens of fluttering termites on the surface. The two ponds are only about a kilometer apart yet you will often catch fish in the one and nothing in the other.

The lonely swallow I posted a photo of about a week ago, has been joined by it's mate.

An interesting sunset to end the day with.
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Spring rain.

At the moment we are having our first Spring rains. This year the rains have arrived about a month earlier than usual, normally we can expect the first rain in October, but no one is complaining as it's been a dry winter. The rain started during the early hours of yesterday morning and for 36 hours it has not let up. According to the weather man we should see some sun on Saturday with more rain next week.

My foot is coming on nicely and I hardly have any pain, I just have to be careful how I walk, or it lets me know that all is not quite right yet.

I have had to reactivate word verification, as I have been getting a lot of spam. Don't know why these people bother as it goes straight to the spam box. The only real irritant is that I get it in my email, and I'm really not interested in escort agencies in Paris or any where else for that matter, or to buy some obscure medication without prescription from India.

Update on injury.

Took myself of to Howick to see the Dr and had my foot X-rayed. Seems that apart from severe bruising I also have an "undisplaced fracture of the fith metarsarsal", (your guess is as good as mine). Actually it's one of the long bones that run the length of your foot to your toes, this one joins to the small toe.(the fracture runs lengthwise and not across). Not much can be done about it but it will heal with time, takes about six weeks. In the mean time I may not take part in rough physical sports, such as rugby, kick-boxing, etc. (All my favourite sports ~;)) I can still go fishing though, as long as I wear supportive boots. (I was wearing them when I hurt my foot!).

Herewith picture of my cute feet. Just to prove that I'm not bluffing.

Opening day and first day of spring.

Well I booked a stretch of water on the Mooi River at Reekielyn and went fishing yesterday. All I got to show for it is a wrenched left knee and a badly sprained and bruised left foot.

I have a very high tolerance to pain but when my foot twisted under me, (I actually heard something crack or snap), and all the weight was put on to my right knee twisting it inwards I just sat down thinking I would never be able to get up without help. For about 5 minutes I didn't move, then I thought maybe, just maybe it might not be so bad and using my cane wading staff as a crutch I stood up gingerly. The pain was intense but I managed to hobble to the water and dunk my foot wading boot and all into the water letting the cold water ease the pain, while I rubbed my knee. 

For a moment after I collapsed from the pain I thought to myself, "This is where I turn to "biltong", (jerky) under the African sun. No one knows where I am and I might not be able to walk out of here". Fortunately I did manage to hobble out.

In spite of my pain I decided to continue fishing, hard to concentrate with a throbbing foot and aching knee. I was wet wading so the cold water on my foot did help, but even with a wading staff hobbling over loose boulders did not help. After about two hours I decided to pack up, apart from one strike when I let my half drowned dry fly drift under a overhang, I saw neither hide nor hair of a trout, not even one trout rising in one of the pools. I did some photos though.

Click to enlarge.

When I walked out at 6am to pack the car the moon was just setting as yellow as butter behind the railing along the N3 highway.

Due to the late winter snow of last month the water level was quite good. This pool in the foreground good be a good place for trying a streamer,or old fashioned wet-fly, fished down and across. 

In summer most of these rocks are under water. The broad pool in the background is wide and quite deep, with a flat sandstone bottom. Almost impossible to wade though, as it is pitted with potholes which are difficult to see. 

Nice little cascade.

A beautiful cascade with nice pools above and below.

The waterfall at Reekielyn, below the fall there is a beautiful pool and with the low water it was quite accessible,  but with my bust foot there was no way I was going to get there.

After I painfully hobbled out of the gorge, I saw why no trout showed themselves.  A very visible cold front was approaching from the south accompanied by a freezing wind. Down in the gorge I was protected from the wind, but the trout knew. The photo above shows the Kamberg, (Comb mountain) and advance clouds of the cold front starting to cover it. Drove home through a heavy cold rain, it might have been the first day of spring but winter hasn't given up yet.

Will have to go and see my Dr tomorrow, see if he can patch me up. If it was my head all he would need is vinegar and brown paper. Through continuing to fish I don't think I did my foot and knee any favours.