Overview
A brief excursion to Rietspruit Dam
While waiting for the wind to calm down at Klerkskraal Dam, we headed off to Ventersdorp to go and check out another dam we've always wanted to see, Rietspruit Dam.
There are three venues right on the dam. We went straight to the one we'd heard a lot about, Club Amigos.
This place turned out to have a real resort feel — chalets and camping stands, an 8m water slide, a heated indoor pool as well as an outdoor one, and even an on-site shop stocking fishing tackle.
Fishing
A trip for another day
Club Amigo's is renowned for it's excellent fishing. The water is generally deeper here than in other parts of the dam which results in some quality fishing opportunities.
Having a look at their active Facebook page it's clear that fishing is a major draw for the place, with huge carp regularly being caught. Massive barbel also seem to be a common sight, with the odd bass also making an appearance.
The water level was very low on our visit, so anglers had to set up a little bit further from their accommodation. But you can tell that when the dam is full fishing will be an absolute pleasure, especially from the chalets where fishermen will set up on the lawn right in front of them.
As soon as it's back to normal we'll be planning our next carp fishing trip here.
Accommodation
Impressive chalets, right on the bank
We didn't stay here on this trip — Twitcher's Eden was our base for the weekend — but Club Amigos' chalets, sitting right on the bank of the dam, looked extremely inviting. We can just imagine braaiing there at night, with our rods meters away, just waiting for the alarms to inevitably go off.
The camping areas are well-maintained and offer a good range of amenities. It did look like it could be a little bit cramped during peak seasons, but we didn't really spend any time in those areas.
In general we were very impressed with the facilities and the cleanliness of the place.
Other
More accommodation options
There are more options along Rietspruit Dam's banks besides Club Amigo's.
One of those is Rietspruit Dam Holiday Resort, which is located on the opposite bank and a camping-focused resort. You can expect the same level of fishing enjoyment there since they are even closer to the dam wall and deeper waters.
If you like a more private, quiet setting without the hustle and bustle of a resort then Dejandri is a good option. It's a smaller family-run spot with three named timber chalets (Flamink, Visarend and Kolgans). Here the water might not be as deep as at Club Amigos or Rietspruit Dam Holiday Resort, but the fishing should still be good and the setting very peaceful.