Of the memory span of galjoen and winter fishing

[caption id="attachment_34315" align="alignright" width="405"] NATIONAL PRIDE: Marine biologist Francois van Zyl at Cape Recife where he caught a galjoen recently. Notice the tag in the fish which was later released[/caption]

THE galjoen, being our national fish, is protected by a fishing ban from October 15 to the end of February the following year.

A few years ago during a scientific study, a galjoen was caught one morning at sunrise.

The necessary information was gathered and a tag inserted before it was released. At midday, the same fish was caught and released again. Later on, it was caught and released for the third time just before sunset.

My thought immediately was that surely we should have made a more intelligent fish our national fish? Being caught three times in one day only means to me the memory span of fish cannot be that great. The debate whether fish feel pain is another contentious issue.

The galjoen is found all along our southern coastline in the white water zones of rocky bays and sandy shores with a characteristic rodent-like nature. They will dash about snatching a morsel and dash away again. They feed predominantly on brown mussel and little is known about their spawning behaviour, but research has shown that where closed areas were proclaimed, they dramatically increased in numbers as is the case with the De Hoop MPA.

They are resident species meaning they never wander from their area although the exception to the rule has been documented. For this reason they have suffered in the past from overfishing. They make for good eating and braai well on the coals and are the ideal pan-sized fish.

Winter presents its own challenges as the cold of night is not for the faint-hearted.

However, some very productive angling can be had. The colder water requires a little variation to bait selection as the softer, more-presented baits prevail. Colder water is also generally clearer requiring better bait presentation.

Certain species make their appearance in our water this time of year and create opportunity for the discerning angler.

Diligence will always be rewarded braving the wind and cold of the night.

Well-known angler Bruce Truter once wrote: "When the wind blows, go fish".

The wind aerates the water stimulating the fish into action especially with an approaching cold front. The artificial lure angler usually has great success at this time due to these conditions.

Using the wind in your favour will allow good casting distances. Polaroid sunglasses are also of great benefit as this allows the angler to study the water below the reflection on the surface.

You will be surprised to see the fish follow a lure right close in and only hit the bait in the shallows. This is quite an adrenalin rush as you witness that strike – almost like watching a movie.

The fish pictured today is that of a galjoen caught by marine biologist Francois van Zyl at Cape Recife recently. - Reel Time, with Wayne Rudman