peared, the wild cloud turns and disap-
pears down a gorge between two moun-
tains. I breathe a sigh of relief as I watch
the sun dropping behind the peaks,
leaving them like a row of snarling teeth
challenging the stars. The thought enters
my mind that this is going to be like
fishing on Mars.One of the most evocative sounds is
that of a camp slowly waking up at dawn.
First, the hushed murmurings of staff,
the smell of bubbling porridge and then
sizzling boerewors eventually making its
way to your tent. Like a call to arms the
guides jump to greet their clients as tent
zips are ripped opened by excited anglers
ready for a hearty breakfast before setting
out for the day. Coffee, the potency of
which, were it any other substance, would
surely be highly illegal, is served in bat-
tered metal mugs and consumed eagerly
around the fire. It is now that plans and
tactics are made for the day’s fishing that
lies ahead.Overlooked by rugged mountains, the
Orange River (or Gariep as the local
Nama people call it) moves like a mighty
snake twisting through a lonely desert
landscape. These are not your average
mountains; no, they loom like frozen
monsters in their final moments seem-
ingly unweathered and still alive. Some
appear to crouch like an ancient Nama
hunter, while others have stopped sud-
denly, tall and proud. They are both
beautiful and imposing. As the sun
bounces off them and reflects back onto
the water, it is obvious how the river
inherited its name.ANOTHER WORLD
As we set up camp on the first evening,
I look about and feel the remoteness of
my surroundings. Downstream my at-
tention is drawn to a furious sandstorm
blasting its way towards us along the river
valley. It is travelling fast and my heart
sinks – my tent is nowhere near ready
for this. Thankfully, as quickly as it ap-T
he longest river in South
Africa, the Orange, rises in
the Drakensberg mountains of
Lesotho a mere 200km from
the Indian Ocean and flows
westward some 2200km before spilling
into the Atlantic Ocean at Alexander Bay.
It defines the lower limit of the Kalahari
and forms the boundary between Namibia
and South Africa. Although the Orange
River has abundant fish stocks through-
out its length, for the finest fishing one
must venture to the Namibian border
where it flows through a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, the |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld
Transfrontier National Park.
The Richtersveld is an incredibly
harsh environment with summer tempe-
ratures soaring up to 53 degrees Celsius
and an average annual rainfall of little
more than 55mm. Despite this, life thrives
here as a result of water carried to the
area by the Orange River and moisture
from the damp morning fog that rolls in
from the Atlantic called Ihuries or Mal-
mokkies by the locals. Biologists describe
this ecosystem as the Succulent Karoo. It
is home to small antelope and troops of
chacma baboon, as well as the secretive
African leopard. But it is perhaps most
famous for its unique succulent desert
flora, the variety of which is unsurpassed
anywhere in the world with 33 species
that exist only here. As a biologist it is
hard to stop waxing lyrical about the in-
credible diversity and unique adaptations
life here exhibits.