Things to do with Kids: Fishing Spots 2018
Fishing is a relaxing and enjoyable activity and can be an opportunity to teach children about nature. Bring the whole family and enjoy a fun excursion into the great outdoors, rounding the day off with a braai or picnic.
Here are a few child-friendly catch and release fishing spots in Cape Town and surrounds, each offers fishing and loads of other activities and fun things to do.
1. La Lancha - Cape Town, Northern Suburbs
La Lancha can be found on The Klein Bottelary Farm on Bottelary Road in Cape Town. Bring the family and enjoy the Cape Winelands with a picnic and some fishing, they also have braai facilities on request. The Fischer Haven Dam is famous for its Bass fishing and there are a few good places to fish along the dam including some jetties. Children are welcome to come along and fish as long as they are supervised.
There is a small fee to fish for the day or you can join their membership and come and enjoy the fishing on a regular basis. La Lancha also offers great entertainment including, drumming, fire dancing, outdoor movies and a number of local music and theatre productions. Their family restaurant offers great food and the facilities can be hired for functions.
Contact: 084 531 8734
Website: http://lalancha.wixsite.com/la-lancha
2. Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm - Paarl, Cape Town
Le Bonheur is an ideal family destination, offering a variety of activities and fun things to do. It is a crocodile farm so there are a number of fun options available such as a crocodile cage dive and crocodile pond tours.
They have a well-stocked dam with Bass and Tilapia and their visitor centre offers catch and release fishing during normal business hours. A great catch and release fishing spot.
Cost: from 09:00-17:00 - R26 per hour / R46 half day / R5 for a full day
Hungry? They have a pizzeria, picnic baskets and braai facilities for everybody to enjoy. Le Bonheur is also a great place to host your child’s birthday party with large grounds and an indoor venue. They offer various activities and options for you to choose from, so your child will have the best birthday experience.
Contact: 021 863 1142
Website: Le Bonheur Crocodile Farm
3. Hillcrest Quarry - Durbanville, Cape Town
Hillcrest Quarry offers fishing and a great place to picnic. There is a fee for picnicking and fishing. They have a variety of fish available such as bass, carp, barbel, trout, and kurper. The quarry also hosts weddings, functions, events, concerts and is one of the venues for the Galileo Open Air Cinema.
Where: Tygerberg Valley Road, Durbanville
Contact: 021 976 4959
Website: http://www.thequarry.co.za/index.php/picnic-fishing
4. Stanford Hills Estate - Overberg, Western Cape
Take a bit of a drive further out to the Stanford Hills Estate, located on the Weltevreden Farm as it will be a great getaway opportunity for the whole family. Stanford is a small village in the Overberg District of the Western Cape.
They have accommodation at their Stanford Hills Cottages where you can enjoy your stay and a restaurant called The Tasting Room, which is a great breakfast and lunch venue. The restaurant is child-friendly: they have a trampoline, sandpit, a jungle gym and some small boats which you and the kids can paddle around with in the dam. In summary, this is a place for the whole family to enjoy and have a wonderful time.
Located in the vicinity are dams where you can swim, which also provide child-friendly catch and release fishing. Other activities include: exploring hiking trails, wine tasting and horse riding for the more adventurous.
Contact: 072 639 6135
Website: http://www.stanfordhills.co.za/
Read this to discover more about camping and other things to do in Standford.
5. La Ferme - Franschhoek
This popular accommodation and restaurant venue is somewhat of an institution in Franschhoek and is a wonderful getaway spot (with fishing opportunities) for the whole family. The venue has 4 x well-stocked (rainbow trout, carp and bass) fishing dams which form a magical and relaxing backdrop for braais, picnics, fly-fishing and simply relaxing as a family alongside the water.
Location: La Ferme, Franschhoek, Western Cape
Contact: http://www.laferme.co.za/
6. Black Eagle Lodge - Caledon
This soul-reviving getaway farm offers is situated a mere 90min drive from Cape Town and offers self-catering mountain lodges, spaced nearly a kilometre apart. This working farm gives families the opportunity to reconnect away from the hustle and bustle of their everyday lives as they explore all the activities and the interesting animal and bird life the farm has to offer. There are 3 x dams stocked with rainbow trout.
Location: Kempsrivier Farm
Contact: http://www.blackeaglelodge.co.za/
7. The Oaks Estate - Greyton
This family getaway farm has 3 x large dams stocked with black bass and guests are allowed swim as well as fish in these dams on a catch and release basis. Swimming is also welcomed in the river and the pool below the waterfall (which is simply so envigorating). Home to a variety of bird species, including blue cranes, fish eagles and secretary birds, this farm is also a birder's paradise.
Catch and Release Fishing Tips
Fishing for the first time and opting for the catch and release way of fishing? Here are a few pointers on how to do this so as to make the fishing experience a great one for you and less stressful for the fish too.
- Use the proper gear
- Try to catch the fish as quickly as possible
- Try to keep the fish out the water for the least amount of time
- To prevent damaging the fish, keep your hands wet when handling
- remove the hook very gently
- release the fish gently back into the water
Photo Credit: All photos sourced from individual venue websites
