Even when the catch is scarce, this fly-fishing cottage in the Witteberg Mountains of the Eastern Cape is a salve for the soul We are close to the end of an exhilarating, yet enervating 400km dirt track motorbike ride from Nieu Bethesda.Dirk Ackerman, the adventure motorcyclist directly behind me, thinks my flapping hand signal indicates some interesting mountain scenery he should take note of on the left. A few seconds later he narrowly misses the mountain reedbuck ram that was poised to cross the dirt track when I'd passed it moments before.story_article_left1Such are the trials of travelling the engaging Joubert's Pass above the town of Lady Grey at dusk. Riding the second half of the 43km dirt track, at 2234m above sea level the third-highest pass in the country, in near darkness had not been on our agenda but we had somehow misinterpreted the distance to our farm-stay.When we finally saw the Glen Doone farm gates and headed for reception we thought our trials for the day were over - but that was before we discovered our cottage was still about 4km away, down a fairly challenging mountain dirt track. Yet, when we finally arrived at our "cottage" we discovered its luxury far surpassed the expectations the website had created and the memories of our earlier challenges faded fast.Glen Doone is in the heart of the Eastern Cape Highlands, a region famous for its spectacular mountain scenery, trout and yellowfish angling, rock art, early dinosaur fossils and, of course, South Africa's only snow skiing resort, Tiffindell. With its eight spectacular passes, six of which are dirt tracks requiring a high-clearance vehicle or 4x4 in winter, the region has become a bucket-list spot for all serious off-roaders and outdoor adventurers as well.The area boasts its fair share of historical anecdotes, too. Tales of cattle-rustling raids between Moshoeshoe's Basotho people and the Xhosa to the south in the 19th century abound and the heavy traffic resulted in the triangular-shaped region between Barkly East, Maclear and Lundean's Nek being dubbed Wartrail.In later years, a number of remote police outposts were established and manned by Wyatt Earp-type law enforcers such as Constable Erasmus. According to writer TV Bulpin, over the 14 years Erasmus was stationed near Lundean's Nek, cattle rustlers gave him a very wide berth because "his administration of justice was swift, rough and ready".The next day I wrestled with a dilemma when I awoke at dawn. Should I go with the third member of our party, Jaco Loots, on a backroads journey through part of the Wartrail region to Rhodes for lunch? Or should I laze around the house a while and go trout fishing with Dirk later? As I watched the putty-rock buttresses of the Witteberg slowly come to life in the first rays of sun from my window, my mind was made up for me when I fell asleep again. When I woke later, Jaco had gone.mini_story_image_hright1The Karringmelkspruit that runs through Glen Doone farm for some 4.5km is reputed to be among the best "wild trout" fishing environs in the country. But when manager Keenan Spann brought us some rods the night before, he'd said the fishing stocks had been severely affected by the drought. And having walked the river for over 2km without seeing a single trout, we realised the situation was dire indeed.After giving the dam a try towards dusk and having no success either, we took a merciless ribbing from Jaco around the braai fire later. He kept saying how thankful he was that he'd bought extra meat on his travels that day. Dented egos aside, while it would have been wonderful to catch and braai a fresh trout that night, it has never been that important for me to catch something while fly-fishing. The opportunity to increasingly free your mind up with each cathartic cast is reward enough. IF YOU GO sub_head_endWHERE IT IS: The Glen Doone fly-fishing cottage is 39km from Lady Grey on the R58 (7km on the gravel of Joubert's Pass and a further 4km of farm track to the cottage) and 44km from Barkly East. If you want to rough it over the spectacular Joubert's Pass from Lady Grey, you will need to cover around 47km on gravel and it will take you twice as long.WHAT IT HAS: Calling the commodious accommodation at Glen Doone a "fly-fishing cottage" is a misnomer. With five en-suite bedrooms (two are large master bedrooms with a bath and en-suite shower); two lounges with DStv; two dining rooms (one with a built-in braai) and a kitchen with everything you need for self-catering, plus a plunge pool, Glen Doone offers the discerning country escapee luxury in pristine natural surrounds.WHY GO THERE: Of course, fishing for trout or yellowfish in the famous Karringmelkspruit is one of the main reasons to go there - even when the fish aren't biting - but there is so much else to do on the farm and its surrounds: river walks; mountain-bike riding; trail running and hiking opportunities; bird-watching. There are also many day drives, including conquering the Eight Passes Challenge and visits to the museums, galleries and shops of Lady Grey, Barkly East and Rhodes. It's also an ideal venue for a family reunion or management breakaway.THE FOOD: Totally self-catering - it's advisable to shop in either Barkly East or Aliwal North.RATES: R400 per person per night (maximum 10) year round, children under the age of 12 pay half price, while children under three stay free of charge.CONTACT: Tanya Spann on 087-940-0659; 072-321-8777 or visit glendoone.co.za...