A reader has brought up an interesting point of view inspired by his observations while angling in the surf zones of Gamtoos and Van Stadens. Some folk, be they anglers or just sightseers , have taken to making use of motorised bicycles to commute to this surf zone.
A motorised form of transport would be deemed an off-road vehicle and hence this would be illegal in the eyes of the law, I should imagine based on my experiences in law enforcement. My question then would be: If I used a golfer’s bag for my tackle with an assisted motor as a come-along, would this also be deemed as motorised and hence an off-road vehicle? One wonders how this would be seen in the eyes of the law. I think it is time to review the beach vehicle ban and find workable solutions to restrictions that are based on research but rather than emotions.
Onto another matter – the angling scene has been rather dull with typical winter conditions of late. The grunter of the Swartkops River are, however, quite a catch at this time of year if you can beat the cold. Morne Zaaiman is such an angler, and has actually got his catch on video too. You can watch the video on Facebook at Fishing Swartkops River PE. Winter grunter are fighters for their size, pound for pound, and this has made them a sought-after estuarine species. I have seen a few pignosed grunter in the surf zone too, which is typical at this time of year.
The chairperson of the Port Elizabeth Deep-Sea Angling Club has corresponded with me about my reporting of the “skelm hatch” incident, as I did not mention the slipway in question, but spoke generally about slipway control. The control of slipways is crucial to our angling efforts and I commend Pedsac for defending their image in this regard. However, every institution will have chancers and they need to be weeded out by the management of these slipways as a moral duty to society. I say this without prejudice to any angling institution as I believe these institutions’ managers are positive in their conservation policies.
We need to protect our sport from the fortune seekers who simply ruin it for others.
Every person is entitled to a fry or two but keeping only what you need is most important. We as anglers are not allowed to even barter our fish, let alone sell it. There are different points of view is this regard too, and understandably so, considering the historical rights argument. It can seem one-sided.We experience neap tidal conditions this weekend, with high tide at 8.05am on Saturday and strong afternoon westerlies continuing on Sunday. 
The water temperature is 16°C  at present, with the barometer remaining lowon the weekend.