‘The View on Vaal Resort’ – It should be on your fishing map!

Just over a year ago, The View on Vaal Resort venue (previously known as Abrahamsrust) was established. The new owners have done a mighty job restoring this once-forgotten piece of freshwater heaven to its former glory. This section of the Vaal Barrage has been one of the premier fishing destinations for decades and is now making a comeback among local anglers and visitors alike.

REASON 1: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Any angler who lives within the Vaal Triangle is only a stone’s throw away from this idyllic destination. The View is located only 45 minutes from Johannesburg and 6km away from the Vaal Mall in Vanderbijlpark. The View’s entrance is situated in Minnaar Street in Vaalpark, Sasolburg. This means that any necessary items such as fishing equipment or groceries can be sourced locally and do not have to be brought along if you are travelling from distant locations.

Zak’s Fishing Tackle (Westinghouse Blvd) is definitely my local fishing shop of choice. It offers a comprehensive range of facets and copious amounts of bait and tackle at competitive prices.

The View’s location makes it the perfect destination for a day session or even a quick picnic with the family. Day visitors (08:00-18:00) have their own fishing area, children’s play area, ablution facilities and swimming pool with water slides over the weekends.

REASON 2: LEISURE CRUISES

At The View, you are truly spoilt for choice. There are leisure (lunch/sundowner) and private cruises on either the Aqua Lounge Classic or Aqua Lounge Premium boats where you can enjoy the scenery of the Vaal River from the comfort of the on-board lounge with relaxing music at the cash bar.

The Aqua Lounge Classic can accommodate 30 passengers seated buffet style or 50 passengers for a cocktail-style cruise. The Aqua Lounge Premium can accommodate 80 passengers buffet style and a whopping 110 passengers for a cocktail-style cruise. The premium boat can also be booked for conferences, weddings, or other private functions.

Booking is essential for the cruises.

REASON 3: BOAT LAUNCH

The View has two boat launches. If you have your own boat and want to explore the river you have access to roughly 50km of river. In this particular stretch of the river you can fish and traverse from the barrage to Vischgat just below the Vaal Dam’s dam wall, not to mention all the tributaries.

The launch fee is R200 excluding the day visitor’s fee per person. All necessary safety equipment and documentation for the boat must be in place (life jackets, skipper’s license, COF, and such).

REASON 4: CAMPING FACILITIES

A stream separates the day visitors’ area and the camping area. The camping area has 100 stands (72 with electricity) with a large ablution block that has recently been renovated in the middle of the camping grounds. There are private bathrooms at the ablution block with separate keys that can also be booked at an extra fee. The differently-abled bathrooms have a large shower and railings at the toilet.

Between the river and the camping grounds is a swimming pool and a kids play area. During the holidays and on weekends a lifeguard is on duty at the pool.

Most of the stands have a built-in braai and water points are between the stands. Many large trees in the camping area provide shade in the scorching summer sun.

The first question that I always ask is: “Which stands are closest to the water?” and the answer is “… stands #1 to #10”.

REASON 5: CHALETS

If your better half and children do not want to ‘rough it’ and are more inclined to ‘glamping’, then there are 16 modernised chalets that are available with wi-fi and a smart TV. There are two 2-sleeper chalets and two 4-sleeper family chalets with a large kitchen and communal area. The rest of the chalets are also 4-sleepers. 

REASON 6: FISHING

Now for the cherry on the cake, obviously the fishing. The Vaal River is renowned for its large and numerous fish. Any angler who is worth his or her salt will tell you about the phenomenal catches they’ve had on this stretch of the river.

The day visitors’ fishing area is roughly about 160m long, the camping fishing area is about 300m long and the river is approximately 195m wide.

The first concern that I had was the bustling river and boat activity. My concerns were laid to rest when I mapped out the topography of the river bottom.

At the river’s edge, the water immediately drops down to 1,6m. Then there is a sharp drop to 12m from the bank where the water is 4,6m deep. The river bottom then slowly drops to 20m from the bank at a depth of 5,1m and continues this slow decline to 6,6m, 30m from the bank. At 30m from the bank the river bottom starts to flatten. Between 30m and 80m from the bank the almost flat bottom is between 6,6m and 7m deep with the occasional small hump.

Firstly, if the water is anything deeper than 3m the fishing spot and bait shouldn’t be disturbed by boats passing overhead and secondly, the fish in this area are used to the boat activity which means they are minimally disturbed by it. On the contrary, it was almost as if the fish would bite just after a boat had passed by.  

THE VIEW CONTACT DETAILS

Accommodation:

Email: Bookings@Tvov.co.za; Website: www.theviewonvaalresort.co.za; Contact: 073 429 8817.

Aqua Lounge:

Email: Bookings@aqualoungecruises.co.za; Website: www.aqualoungecruises.co.za; Contact: 063 576 3950.

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