Location

Lydenburg is renound for its timber forests and fresh mountain streams which are natural habitates for rainbow trout.

Description

Three Falls farm, an iconic property of 973,5643 ha in Mpumalanga, an 18km drive from Lydenburg, on top of the Drakensberg escarpment. A piece of paradise with mountain passes, rustling plantations, waterfalls and kilometres of crystal-clear river, offering some of the finest trout fishing in the country.

Three Falls consists of two valleys sculpted by the Alex-se-Loop river which runs through the farm, giving the river its many characteristics. The upper third is reminiscent of a Scottish burn, the middle section is typically South African, the lower section is more like an English trout stream, with wider banks and gently flowing pools. This river and its tributary, the Charles river, which has its source on the farm, meander for 5km. Over the years the streams have been developed to provide outstanding trout fishing, rated by many as the best in South Africa. Apart from the three spectacular waterfalls, there are 24 walled weirs and a number of fishable runs, providing a mix of dry-fly fast water fishing as well as wet-fly deeper water fishing.

Three Falls owns two houses on the farm: the main family home, Madi-i-Yila and a farm manager's house. The other buildings include staff accommodation, workshops and the hatchery. Madi-i-Yila, the farmhouse built in 1985 out of natural stone, with commanding views over the Charles river and its weirs, consists of 6 bedrooms (all en-suite), a living room and dining room with fireplaces, a wine cellar, a kitchen and scullery area, games room and living room, garaging and a fishing room. The house has verandas which are ideal for outdoor living with panoramic views of the river, surroundings and incredible sunsets.

There is a well-developed hatchery on the farm which is used to either breed or grow Rainbow trout to various sizes to ensure that the river is stocked with fish of varying weights. Currently about 3,000 2-3 inch fingerlings are purchased in October every year and 1,500 to 1,800 are stocked into the river. The biggest fish caught to date is 11lb 02oz.

Three Falls co-exists as a fishing venue alongside a private fishing syndicate, the Three Falls Farm Syndicate (Pty) Ltd (the “Syndicate”). The Syndicate owns two fishing lodges on the farm, Tembani and Pine, together with approximately 1 hectare around each lodge. The Syndicate and its members have been granted a servitude in perpetuity to fish the Alex-se Loop river, to access the lodges and to traverse the river and dams. The relationship between Three Falls and the Syndicate is governed by a shareholders' agreement. (Three Falls owns 26% of the shares in the Syndicate). The Syndicate rents and managers the hatchery and fishing-related assets, including the breeding and stocking of the river. The Syndicate is responsible for 90% of the cost of running this process, with Three Falls paying for the remaining 10%.