Nottingham Fishing Retreat

Nottingham Fishing Retreat is a beautiful lodge situated on the banks of the magnificent Mashilichokwe Dam, about 7 km of pristine water with prime bass and bream fishing.^[1] The Fishing Retreat is situated on the Mashilichokwe dam, a tributary of the Umzingwani River, which flows into the Limpopo River just west of Beitbridge making it an easy destination for South African visitors, or for Zimbabweans making an overnight stop before an early start at the border crossing.^[2]

Overview

The large dam seen in the photo below stretches upstream for over 7 kilometres and offers first-rate fishing; bass and bream and barbel with the heaviest bass caught to date of 7.2kgs. Recommended lures are mostly of soft plastic, such as watermelon with black glitter with 20 pound line. The lake has sunken trees, islands and plenty of rocky structure that offer secret spots to find those elusive fish; on and in the water live numerous birds, crocodiles and hippo’s; elephants wander on the shoreline. Surrounding the dam is pristine lowveld bush with mopane, baobab and other trees growing out of the rocky outcrops. Fishing from the shoreline is not advised due to the presence of crocodiles and elephants.

Accommodation

The seven chalets all have views over the dam and are surrounded by lush green lawns, gardens filled with succulents and sprinkled with bright bougainvillea and indigenous trees. Each chalet has three beds and they are equipped with air conditioning, bar fridge, tea and coffee facilities, en-suite bathroom with toilet and shower, bath and basin. The chalets are serviced daily by helpful staff that will also do your laundry which is included in the daily rate. Twenty-one guests is the maximum that can be accommodated at any one time.

The main entertainment area has a communal dining room, lounge and bar with far distant views of the dam and is a great place to relax after a day’s fishing, or after a sunset cruise. In addition, there is a swimming pool and braai area and full DSTV with flat screen TV in the bar area and unlimited access to the internet.

The meals prepared by the chefs are tasty and wholesome. Guests are asked to supply all soft drinks and alcohol, the retreat has lots of ice on hand for you at no extra cost! Packed lunches are available on request.

Self-Catering is available only for group bookings of between 10 - 25 guests who can bring their own food for the chefs to prepare all your own meals.

Security is good with private security guards in attendance.

Nottingham Fly Camp

They have a specialised Fly Camp that was built in 1984 as an entertainment area, where you can view the elephants and other animals feeding. After their oranges go to the juicing factory, the pulp is returned to the Fly Camp where they feed it to the animals. There is nowhere else in the world where you can view such a majestic animal in large numbers feeding in their own habitat.

Why Visit?

Excellent bass and bream fishing set in an idyllic spot on the relatively unknown Mashilichokwe dam
Dinner at the Fly Camp on request and view the elephants feeding at no extra cost.
A perfect location for a family getaway in one of the comfortable lodges, or a fishing weekend with your mates
Extremely reasonable rates including fully catered accommodation for a **** 4 star grading
Bush / game drives on request

Location

How to get here: From the junction of the A6 / A4 at Beitbridge take the A6 Beit Bridge to Bulawayo road for 5.3 KM and turn left at sign which reads HA-BANGALA. At 11.3 KM cross the Bertie Knott Bridge over the Umzingwane River and immediately after turn right, 18.2 KM continue left at the junction and sign Nottingham Estate, 23.7 KM pass the Kuduland turnoff on the left (the sign is missing) 28.9 KM reach the Fishing Retreat turnoff on the right (there is a Fishing camp sign on the right) Follow the road due north, 30.4 KM crossing a small stream, 31.3 KM turn left at a sign which says Nottingham Fishing Retreat, 32.6 Km the dam wall becomes visible, 32.8 Km keep right, 33.2 KM reach the Fishing Retreat. The Google Earth image below gives an overview of the directions.