the beginning
The planets aligned… there was a buzz in the air… When you allowed your mind to drift for a second it was filled with excitement and anticipation, sand, sea and big fish. The Rush of Blue boys were finally able to get together again. A reunion had been on the cards for years, and what better destination than where the Namib Desert meets the Atlantic Ocean…
Continue reading “Reunion zero”or perhaps it is gr(rrr)inder r(rrrr)evving in Namibia
Turning into the St Nowhere campsite and “spa” concession had become a very familiar sight, yet it still got the tummy butterflies fluttering. The ocean on your doorstep, usually turbulent on this little stretch, with the rustic yet sufficient cottages welcoming you back in all their orangey-brown glory. It might not be 5 star, but you are sure to be in for some 5 star fun.
the hard way, by experience
As time waits for no one, the month of November drew ever closer. Big changes were happening in our lives, but one thing was sure to remain constant for now, digging your toes into the sand, the smell of the fresh ocean air, surrounded by desert on the one side, the ocean on the other, Namibia remains a place where your soul can breathe. Continue reading “Namibia fishing lessons learned”
what’s next?
Gone are the days when you could rock up at the beach, “okes” asking you…
What do you want to catch with that piece of lead and feathers? Fish eat bait, not plastic…
A couple of casts later you go tight and the confusion on the “okes” face is evident.
chasing kob in the cold
With pre-winter rains looming, you realise that the end of the lure fishing season is inevitable. Once the heavens open and the Breede River flows chocolate milk littered with peppermint crisp and some floating aero bubbles, it is too late.
on the sandbank
The detox from work had started. Staring into the nothingness landscape of the Northern Cape, my mind flashed back to the office.
Did I remember to delegate all my responsibilities, did I have the reporting covered, I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach…
but just think of that cool ocean air, the sand between my toes, the waves gently rolling in…
light tackle version
Not even in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would be able to go 12 months without a proper lure angling outing. Well… it happened and would you believe it, I survived to tell the tale.
7 November 2014 was the last fishing day we had in Namibia and I was throwing lures off the low tide banks towards Ugab fence. A bus pulled my 10 foot rod flat and made for the safety of Sandwich Harbour in Walvis Bay. In hot pursuit was a seal doing an Olympic butterfly final, myself in tow.
just a little bit further
The crunch of the dry sea sand under your feet is only drowned out by the sound of your heart pounding out of your chest. Small beads of sweat run down your cheeks and evaporate before reaching your collar.
I keep checking over my shoulder to see if Jay is still keeping up, I feel bad for pushing him this far, but it will be worth it if he hooks into that bus, surely then all will be forgiven?
(Dusky – Argyrosomus japonicus)
Kob are one of my favourite species of fish to target. As we predominantly fish in the Eastern and Western Cape it is in fact the dusky kob that lends itself to the hours of enjoyment spent in search of this ambush hunter.
Dusky kob numbers are extremely low and without our help will soon be threatened. Let’s work together and save a specie by handling our catch with care and releasing it, let’s make a difference.
The third day’s fishing Angola had very little to write home about, unless you were a shark fisherman. The bronzies were very much on the bite and the guys were landing them one after the other. I am not sure if the abundance of bronzies causes the edible fish to disperse, but I could not as much as get a bump on the lures. I decided to get in on the bronzie action, hold on tight!
Continue reading “Angola – The rush of the unknown (part 3)”
I awoke very early the next morning. Nature called and I had to step outside to water a bush. It was dead quiet, only the sounds of a couple of men sawing wood (snoring) and the ocean distantly grumbling each time a wave crashed interrupted the silence. On my way around the tent I noticed a couple of eyes staring back at me. My heart skipped a beat, I contemplated shouting, but quickly realised that it was only a couple of scavenging jackals eating the scraps around the tents. As soon as they caught sight of me they darted a few hundred meters away, lay down, and patiently waiting for their next opportunity to venture into our camp.
Continue reading “Angola – The rush of the unknown (part 2)”
I remember clearly the feeling of the last day of a primary school term. You could hardly wait for the bell to announce the end of the school day. Your bags and fishing kit had been packed and repacked all week.
We embarked on our annual end of the year Boknes fishing trip on the 21st of December.
Our adventure had already started a couple of days prior to the actual trip. For us South Africans, visiting the Cape Town based Angolan consulate, it had been a terribly difficult and frustrating ordeal to apply for an Angolan VISA.
Continue reading “Angola – The rush of the unknown (part 1)”
