RIFLESPRUIT from Bemerside upstream
Bemerside
Dave Moore
W3W:///jittery.infeasible.barman
Upstream boundaryS 30° 51’ 47.20”E 30° 51’ 56.08”
Downstream boundaryS 30° 52’ 15.14”E 27° 55’ 36.27”
From Rhodestravel on the R396 towards Barkly East, past the Maartenshoek turnoff, towards the Donkerhoek Tower. Take the Bokspruit turnoff to the left and continue down the pass, past the entrance to the Clefthill farmstead and on around the corner to the bridge over the Bokspruit. Continue over the Bokspruit, at the fork at Elisasdale homestead to Elliot, keep left to the Bokspruit. At the next fork to the Riflespruit, keep left and head down the road marked to “Riflespruit”. Travel past Hillbury, over the Bokspruit again and into the Riflespruit valley. Continue over the Riflespruit and +/-3km Bemerside is on the left handside with sheds on the left and kraals on the right. Park inside the gate at the shed and walk back to the downstream boundary after the field and enter through a get next to a tributary stream. Fish upstream to the farmstead. Alternatively, access the river from the gate at the end of the sheds and fish upstream until a second homestead is reached.
Bemerside parking area-by Heather Ralph
Borestone
Vissie and Karen van Zyl
W3W:///hellbent.mostly.drumsticks
Upstream boundary: S 30* 51’ 56.08” E 27*58’ 51.12”
Continue past Bemerside until reaching a “holkrans skuur” on the right. Park adjacent to the nearby farmhouse, walk downstream and enter a field through a farm gate. Walk around the land and access the river alongside a small tributary. Fish upstream, past the farmhouse for +/-1km.
Borestone “holkrans” shed-landmark by Susan Kölz
Thirlstone
Ronnie & Tinnie Small
W3W:///imprint.milkshake.yodel
Upstream boundary S 30° 51’ 36.46”E 27° 59’ 52.97”
Downstream boundary S 30° 52’ 00.11”E 27° 58’ 53.47”
Continue past Borestone, to a turn off to the right. The Thirlstane boundary is clearly marked with a Wildtrout sign. Park under the poplar trees and fish upstream, past a bridge over the river and up to the Mount Mourne boundary, where the road is high up on the riverbank. Alternatively, continue to a turnoff to the left to the bridge over the river, park to the side and walk back downstream. As a matter of interest and before long or short-winded correspondence ensues, although spelt with an “o”, the arbiter of location in RSA, the Surveyor General, spells the property with an “a” as determined by the surveyors who mapped the area and named the farms. The name isa combination of two Scottish words, thirl and stane. A stane is simply a stone. Thirl is both a verb and a noun and means a hole or to make a hole. A thirlstane is therefore a stone with a hole in it. Whether there is such a feature, is left for anglers to discover.
Thirlstane entry point by Dave Walker
Mount Mourne
Braam Botha
W3W:///berate.geeky.telegraphs
Entrance& lower boundary:
S30° 51’ 36.46“ E 27° 59’ 52.97”
Upstream boundary: S 30° 51’11.47” E 28° 01’ 49.41”
Continue past Thirlstane until you reach the steel gate at the entrance to the farm. Park on the right-hand side of the road and access the river through a farm gate. Depending on the flow of the river, it may be preferable to avoid the first, fast flowing section, walking on the path to Francisdale and start fishing from the point that the farm draws water. Fish upstream +/-2km to the Francisdale boundary just below “Aasvoelkrans”.For both Mount Mourne and Francisdale, the terrain becomes increasingly rough upstream and is not recommended for the unfit and should not be tackled on your own.
Gate at the entrance to Mt Mourne–by Heather Ralph. Park here!
Francisdale
Dave Moore
W3W:///berate.geeky.telegraphs
Upstream boundary: S 30° 51’ 51.17”E 28° 03’ 03.31”
Downstream boundary: S 30° 51’11.47”E 28° 01’ 49.41”
Park as for Mount Mourne and follow the stock path for +/-40 minutes to the Mount Mourne boundary. Fish upstream for +/-5km.
Reminder: Not recommended for the unfit and should not be tackled on your own.
Aasvoelkrans on Francisdale-by Miles Divett
