Tenahead Mountain Lodge

Want to be spoilt rotten while enjoying the best of both worlds? TCFF visits a wild rainbow fishery on the pristine upper Bell River.

After completing a venue assignment in the Ugie area, we made our way to the small town of Maclear, passing through and slowly winding up Naude’s Nek Pass towards our next destination. Tenahead Mountain Lodge was to be our home for the next few days and we were going to put to the test everything that this five-star lodge could offer. Turning off the main dirt road for the last few kilometres, we could see the river in the valley below, twisting and turning, crystal clear and ever-enticing – a sight that gets any fly fisherman’s heart racing. We arrived at the lodge somewhat underdressed, which had us scrambling for warmer clothes as we were now at 2500m above sea level, and only a stone’s throw from Lesotho. Warmly welcomed by the lodge managers Hayley and Ashley, we were taken aback by the grandeur of the place as we were shown to our rooms. A huge window in each room provided a breathtaking view of the valley below and the upper reaches of the famed Bell River meandering right past the lodge. After having a quick bite to eat, we were bursting to get some fishing done in the afternoon.