In Search Of The Lifton Lunkers At Sani Valley Lodge

TCFF’s DYLAN ISAACS visits an iconic venue in the Southern Drakensberg to find out what the fuss is all about.

- Dylan Isaacs

Nottingham Road was behind us and we were on the lower Lotheni road – 68km of dirt; this was going to be fun! We were heading to one of South Africa’s renowned still waters, Lake Lift on at Sani Valley Lodge. The lake has been immortalised in books by well-known fly fishermen such as Dean Riphagen, and thoughts of double-digit fish had us salivating to wet a line. After crossing some of the most beautiful rivers along the way, which only served to increase the suspense, we finally turned onto the dirt road leading to the lodge and were awestruck as Lake Lift on presented itself in all its glory, its 260 acres of crystal-clear waters leaving nothing to the imagination as weed beds and rocky shelves rose up from the depths. Where would we even start to consider fishing such an expanse of water?

Arriving at our cottage, we were welcomed by Gareth Miller, who has managed Sani Valley Lodge and its waters for the past ten years. Bushman Lodge was to be our home away from home for the next couple of days. It is fully equipped for self-catering and boasts two bedrooms with king-sized beds, an open-plan kitchen and living area with a fireplace and an ample supply of wood to keep the fire burning all night long. A large deck overlooks the lake and is complemented by a jacuzzi to soothe the body after a hard day’s fishing. If you want to treat your better half, you can order food from the menu for delivery to your cottage in the evening. We were lucky enough to be spoilt by the lodge, and what exceptional meals we had – oxtail potjie, curried chicken, whole roast chicken with potato bake, roast vegetables, salads, mashed potatoes, and then a braai with thick rump steaks, chicken sosaties, wors, lamb chops. Food fit for a king! Oh, did I mention the apple crumble, Peppermint Crisp tart and ice cream to finish off a wonderful meal?

THE FISHING