Fly Fishing, Trails and Wide Open Reserve

Fly Fishing, Trails and Wide Open Reserve

Five kilometres of trout water on the doorstep, mountains to walk and ride, and a night sky that comes with having no signal.

Five kilometres of trout water on the doorstep, mountains to walk and ride, and a night sky that comes with having no signal.

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1 Room
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EXPLORE THE HIGHLANDS

Adventure Along the Spekboom River

Most guests come to Highland Run for the fishing, and the river will happily take a whole week off you. What surrounds it is the other half of the trip. The Mount Anderson reserve climbs away from both banks into open mountain country, with trails to walk and ride, antelope on the slopes, highveld birdlife along the water and nothing much to hear once the sun goes down.

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  • ON-SITE

Fly Fishing

The farm has over five kilometres of some of the finest river fishing in South Africa. A beat system divides the stream in two, with four or five rods on each beat, and parties change over at midday so everyone fishes the whole water. Rainbows predominate in the upper beat, browns in the lower.
  • ON-SITE

Birding

Highveld avifauna work the valley in numbers, among them the brilliant malachite sunbird, the Cape vulture and the fish eagle. Walk the river line at first light or take the slopes above the cottages, where the open ground gives you the longer view.
  • ON-SITE

Wildlife Watching

Herds of Africa's less famous antelope are likely to be seen, including eland, black wildebeest, blesbuck, mountain reedbuck and the very uncommon oribi. Look out too for brief glimpses of leopard, jackal or caracal, and for the wide-ranging brown hyena that visits often.
  • ON-SITE

Hiking

The valley and the mountains surrounding the cottages will give family and friends hours of walking, through a reserve alive with antelope, birdlife and the hidden traces of the area's gold-rush past.
  • ON-SITE

Mountain Biking

Bring your own bikes, as none are available on the property. The same valley and mountain ground that carries the walking is open to riders, with the Spekboom below you and the reserve stretching away on either side.
  • ON-SITE

Stargazing

The remoteness of the destination allows for star-filled skies rarely seen and a night silence rarely encountered. With little to no mobile reception, the hours after the fishing are spent at the fire, and they are the ones most guests talk about afterwards.
  • ON-SITE

Fly Fishing

The farm has over five kilometres of some of the finest river fishing in South Africa. A beat system divides the stream in two, with four or five rods on each beat, and parties change over at midday so everyone fishes the whole water. Rainbows predominate in the upper beat, browns in the lower.
  • ON-SITE

Birding

Highveld avifauna work the valley in numbers, among them the brilliant malachite sunbird, the Cape vulture and the fish eagle. Walk the river line at first light or take the slopes above the cottages, where the open ground gives you the longer view.
  • ON-SITE

Wildlife Watching

Herds of Africa's less famous antelope are likely to be seen, including eland, black wildebeest, blesbuck, mountain reedbuck and the very uncommon oribi. Look out too for brief glimpses of leopard, jackal or caracal, and for the wide-ranging brown hyena that visits often.
  • ON-SITE

Hiking

The valley and the mountains surrounding the cottages will give family and friends hours of walking, through a reserve alive with antelope, birdlife and the hidden traces of the area's gold-rush past.
  • ON-SITE

Mountain Biking

Bring your own bikes, as none are available on the property. The same valley and mountain ground that carries the walking is open to riders, with the Spekboom below you and the reserve stretching away on either side.
  • ON-SITE

Stargazing

The remoteness of the destination allows for star-filled skies rarely seen and a night silence rarely encountered. With little to no mobile reception, the hours after the fishing are spent at the fire, and they are the ones most guests talk about afterwards.

Good to Know

  • Booking activities: Fishing guides and tuition can be arranged on request, and rods and flies can be hired. Arrange both when you book.
  • Equipment: Three to four weight rods are most suitable, depending on weather conditions. The stream is renowned for dry fly fishing, though there are times when nymphs are more successful. Bring your own mountain bike if you plan to ride.
  • Catch and release: Catch and release is encouraged at Highland Run, although fishing for the table is acceptable.
  • Guiding: Walking, riding and wildlife watching in the reserve are unguided and taken at your own pace.
  • Mobile reception: There is no cellphone reception anywhere on the property. Tell someone your plans before you set out, and note that the reserve gate closes in the evening.
  • Getting around: A vehicle with good ground clearance is needed on the reserve roads, and every off-site outing listed above is a drive out through the Mount Anderson gate, not a walk from the cottage.
THE VALLEY’S OTHER STORY

Gold Rush Traces in the Spekboom Valley

Relics of a Romantic Past

The Spekboom Valley still bears relics of its romantic gold-rush days, and the reserve around Highland Run carries the hidden stories of that era among the antelope and the birdlife. Walkers and riders come across them without looking very hard.

FAQ

Highland Run holds over five kilometres of the Spekboom River near Lydenburg, one of the few streams in South Africa where trout breed freely. A beat system splits the water, with rainbows predominating in the upper beat and browns in the lower.

You can bring your own or hire on the property. Rods can be hired by the day or for the stay, with flies included on the longer hire, and a breakage deposit is payable on arrival. Guides and tuition can be arranged on request.

Three to four weight rods are most suitable, depending on conditions. The Spekboom at Highland Run is renowned for dry fly fishing, though there are times when nymphs are more successful. Catch and release is encouraged, and fishing for the table is acceptable.

Eland, black wildebeest, blesbuck, mountain reedbuck and the uncommon oribi are all likely, along with brief glimpses of leopard, jackal or caracal. Brown hyena range widely through the Mount Anderson reserve, and baboons bark from the cliff tops.

Yes. The valley and the mountains around the cottages give hours of walking and riding through the reserve. Bikes are not available on the property, so bring your own, and expect to share the ground with antelope and birdlife.

The wider Mpumalanga escarpment holds the Kruger National Park, Pilgrim’s Rest, the Blyde River Canyon, Bourke’s Luck Potholes, God’s Window and the Sudwala and Echo Caves, all of them a drive out through the Mount Anderson gate in your own vehicle.

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