Bass Digest May 2014 Issue 7 | Page 16

VENUE REVIEW

FORTUNA RESORT

This month Bass Digest visited the Fortuna Resort near Balfour, just outside Heidelburg. Fortuna is a privately owned and managed resort located on the banks of the Suikerbosrand river and the P vd Merwe Haarhof Dam,also known as the Balfourdam. The resort itself is set on a tranquil farm and owned and managed by Elize and Bruce Odendaal. A mere hour’s drive away from Johannesburg, it offers the perfect getaway for any family or angler wishing to spend some quality time away from all the hustle and bustle.

Facilities

The resort is both safe, clean and extremely well looked after, with a host of facilities available for the kids and family, including 17 Chalets, caravanning and a camping area for visitors wishing to sleep over. Other facilities include:

00000 - Putt Putt

00000 - Cafe with DSTV and take aways.

00000 - Fishing Tackle in Cafe

00000 - Pool Table in Cafe

00000 - Big cold water swimming pool

00000 - Small cold water swimming pool

00000 - Big under roof heated swimming pool

00000 - Big under roof cold swimming pool

00000 - Play park for kids

00000 - 2 Trampoline’s

00000 - Hall for functions

00000 - Boma at Camping Area

00000 - Boma at Hall

00000 - Fishing

00000 - 4X4 Route

00000 - Quad Bike Route

Pricing

The pricing is also extremely reasonable and affordable with a six sleeper Chalet costing around R600 p/n. The atmosphere is one of peace and quiet and the perfect getaway for anyone seeking to just relax amongst the serene surroundings.

Fishing

The dam is host to a large population of species, such as Carp, Catfish, Yellowfish and of course Bass. The dam together with the river section provides about 2.8km of fishable water, with a myriad of different structure to prospect. These include, riprap, a dam wall, steep drop offs, rocky ledges and points, reed banks, lay downs and trees to name a few.

Bass Digest/May, 2014