Good angling, even while freezing cold takes its toll
[caption id="attachment_40455" align="alignright" width="405"] NICE CATCH: Gary Wilson with a pig-nosed grunter caught at Kasouga near Port Alfred[/caption]
WE WITNESS this cold spell with much perception.
The big phrase of "climate change" is hot on our minds as we compare the years gone by.
Inland, we have seen temperatures that have almost touched minus 20°C, this being about the coldest in the region in the Buffelsfontein area near Aliwal North.
Many years ago, while angling in a rainstorm, my friend Marius Potgieter said: "Drop your line under the boat, the fish will hide there to get out of the rain."
Generally, the winter months are the hunting months in the Eastern Cape.
However, many a good fish is caught in winter by those who brave the cold.
An interesting concept came about many years back called a "MacNab". This involves catching game bird, fish and buck, all for the table in one day and something to offer the folk with different palates.
It was originated in the UK by poachers who wanted to show their skills of operating undetected, and thus claiming to be a "MacNab".
Traditionally, this required a trout by fly, a duck by shotgun and a buck by rifle. This, in Africa, usually takes place in riverine areas. The Eastern Cape being a prime area for this concept lends towards an excellent father and son experience these days. In yesteryear this would have happened with a combination rifle – a rifle combined with a shotgun.
The white steenbras or pignosed grunter is the ideal winter fish, with the galjoen as no exception for the surf anglers. Today's photograph shows a fine pignosed grunter caught by Gary Wilson recently at Kasouga near Port Alfred.
Many different species are caught all year round but the cold often drives anglers up the coast to areas of the eastern coast up to the former Transkei which offers good angling prospects with adequate accommodation for all.
However, there have been some serious flouters of the law who were recently apprehended in the Wild Coast area with catch violations, including rock lobster. Even though these remote areas are being closely guarded, many slip through and just create inconveniences for the law abiding.
The red steenbras is the target species once again. The responsible angling fraternity of the Border region is lobbing to overturn the angling ban placed on that species while the opportunists just keep the door closed for them.
My advice to the true angler is: blow the whistle on these unscrupulous individuals. You can use this anti-poaching hotline and remain anonymous. Call Lungile Nodwala on 082-829-3907. He is the north-east coast fisheries compliance manager, covering the area from Hamburg on the Keiskamma River in the south, to Port St Johns in the north. Drop me an e-mail and I can furnish the numbers for the other areas of our readership.
- Reel Time, with Wayne Rudman
