Ski-Boat magazine January 2015

CONTENTS January/February 2015 Volume 31 Number 1 COVER: “The Perfect Marlin” — MARLIN Magazine The striped marlin is the most acrobatic of all marlin, with speed and strength to make it a more than worthy challenge on the end of your line. On light tackle there can be no better adversary. Photograph by Erwin Bursik.

FEATURES 15

Bionic Bonnies Catching bluefin tuna in Canada — by Jonathan Booysen

25

Sailfish Recaptured Recovered tags add to our knowledge — by Erwin Bursik

28

It’s a Race to the Finish Mercury OET Bill- and Gamefish Tournament — by Erwin Bursik

40

Knot Savvy — Part 5 Creating double lines — by Paul Borcherds

43

What’s in your Tackle Box? — Part 2 What colour lure is best? — by Jonathan Booysen

46

28

How the Wet Was Won— Part 5 The evolution of sportfishing boats in South Africa — by Johan Smal

59

Street Smart What you need to know when visiting Moçambique— compiled by Lyn Adams

65

The Bite is On! Great fishing at Shibumi Lodge — by Henk Matthew Craig

68

Dates to Diarise A calendar of competitions for 2015

71

The Coast with the Most Part 2: New boats, new partners and new waters ... — by Graham Gradwell

78

Let Go! 15

Can we release our tuna? — by Craig Thomassen

81

Passing the Baton HDSAC groom the next generation of anglers — by Sybrand van Vuuren

87

Something for Everyone The 2014 Cape Town Boat Show — a great success!

DEPARTMENTS 8 9 39 55 76 85 90

Editorial Comment — by Dave Rorke Postbox Subscribe and WIN! Reel Kids SADSAA News & Views Mercury Junior Anglers This & That

91 91 92 96 97 98

Smalls Advertisers’ Index Where to fish in Africa Business Classifieds Charters & Destinations Directory Rapala Lip — Last Word from the Ladies

65

The official magazine of the South African Deep Sea Angling Association

Managing Editor: Dave Rorke Editor: Sheena Carnie Editorial Assistant: Vahini Pillay Publishing Executive: Erwin Bursik Advertising Executive: Mark Wilson Advertising Consultant: Joan Wilson Administration Executive: Anne Bursik Accountant: Jane Harvey Executive Assistant: Kim Hook Admin Assistant: Sunny Kandaswami Boat Tests: Heinrich Kleyn Contributors: Lyn Adams, Erwin Bursik, Paul Borcherds, Jonathan Booysen, Henk Matthew Craig, Graham Gradwell, Craig Thomassen, Johan Smal, Sybrand van Vuuren, Geoff Wanvig.

ADVERTISING – NATIONAL SALES: Angler Publications Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 Joan Wilson ADVERTISING – GAUTENG & MPUMALANGA Lynette Adams (011) 425-2052 or cell 083 588 0217; lynadams@mweb.co.za; skiboatgauteng@icon.co.za PUBLISHERS: Angler Publications cc PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Fax: (031) 572-7891 e-mail: angler@mags.co.za admin@mags.co.za Subscriptions to SKI-BOAT: R145,00 per annum (six issues).

New subscriptions and renewals: SKI-BOAT Subscriptions Department, PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016.

Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Fax: (031) 572-7891 • e-mail: safety@mags.co.za • Through www.africanangler.com, or • E-zine digital subscriptions — visit www.africanangler.com > SKIBOAT > SUBSCRIBE, then choose your option.

• Click the E-zine short-cut on the magazine’s home page, www.africanangler.com, or visit www.zinio.com/SkiBoat.

Reproduction: Hirt & Carter, Durban Printer: Robprint (Pty) Ltd, Durban Full production is done in-house by Angler Publications & Promotions on Apple Macintosh software and hardware for output directly to plate.

SKI-BOAT Magazine, ISSN 0258-7297, is published six times a year by Angler Publications & Promotions cc, Reg. No. CK 88/05863/23, and is distributed by RNA, as well as directly by the publishers to retail stores throughout South Africa.

• Copyright of all material is expressly reserved and nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the publishers.

• While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this magazine, the publishers do not accept responsibility for omissions or errors or their consequences.

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers, the managing editor, editor, editorial staff or the South African Deep Sea Angling Association.

8 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

EDITORIAL COMMENT

A

VERY happy New Year to one and all as we enter 2015 and a year during which SKI-BOAT will also notch up a memorable milestone. Indeed, SKI-BOAT will be celebrating it’s 30th anniversary with the publication of our May/June 2015 issue, which is a great achievement in any language.

It’s heartwarming indeed to look back over those 180 issues that have been published since 1985 and remember the words of a rather bitter former employer against whom we’d gone into opposition: “You won’t last three months,” he spat out. Ironically, and very sadly, three years later his magazines were no more, and thirty years later we find ourselves toasting the three decades that have gone before, with an extra special toast to all our advertisers who have supDave Rorke ported us — indeed, some from the very first issue, without ever missing out — and to you, our readers, whose faithfulness has been unwavering since the outset. We salute you all, advertisers and readers alike.

Publishing is very much a Catch 22 situation: one cannot sell advertising without a readership (i.e. a circulation), but then one cannot afford to circulate enough magazines (i.e. good enough print order) without sufficient advertising to help pay for it. Without one you cannot have the other, but when both are running at optimum levels, that’s when it can be said that publishing efficiency has been achieved with a magazine. Advertisers continue to benefit from the exposure in SKI-BOAT, and readers enjoy the magazine in increasing numbers until readership becomes constant, with the odd seasonal spike.

Over the years we’ve found that our subscriber numbers have remained pretty constant, despite swings and roundabouts, natural depletion through either death or emigration, and the state of the economy. With a readership that’s become more computer-savvy, especially amongst the 20-50 age-group (but not confined to this demographic sector), the demand for a digital version of SKI-BOAT was heeded and implemented in September 2013 through the world’s largest digital publishers, Zinio. At the outset we expected a reduction in our print subscribers who would opt for the digital version, but nothing of the sort happened.

Whilst readership with a preference for the digital version has continued to climb (at <www.zinio.com/skiboat>), subscribers to the conventional printed version have remained steady, meaning that — locally, anyway — readers prefer the hard-copy, something tangible, a magazine they can pick up and put down at will.

However, we have also found that some subscribers prefer to have access to both media, with the digital library always available for reference but a mouse click away.

Besides attracting additional local subscribers, one of the great benefits of the digital version, we have found, is that many “ex-pats” — those amongst us who have, for various reasons, chosen to put down roots on distant shores — are getting their fix of things South African from a subscription to SKI-BOAT through Zinio. Indeed, it’s the logical thing to do as it does away with the additional cost of postage and the vagaries of the South African Post Office. It’s nice to know that though distance separates us, we are still as close to our foreign-based readers as their nearest computer.

The global availability of SKI-BOAT to the international reader through Zinio’s massive newsstand has the added plus for the advertiser as well, and we believe that, in time, as the magazine draws more pull from a growing overseas readership, so local advertisers will begin to reap the benefits from this broader target market.

Further, wider international exposure for the magazine is sure to attract interest from foreign advertisers, something we can look forward to in the near future.

STOP PRESS: Minutes before we went to press with this issue on 26th November 2014, Gary Thompson informed us that DAFF’s red steenbras ban has been set aside. The implications for future resource management are enormous as a precedent has now been set. We’ll carry the full story in the next issue. Congratulations to the BDSAA — especially Environmental Officer John Rance — for tenaciously fighting for the rights of all recreational anglers. You deserve a medal!

Happy reading and good catches.

Dave Rorke

POSTBOX

SURF AND SHELTERED LAUNCHING Dear Dave SAMSA has finally drawn a line in the sand and stated that from Kosi Bay to Bloukrans River (Tsitskamma) has been declared a SURF LAUNCH area (above).

According to their Certificate of Competency, this area is define as the “South East and Eastern Sea Board of South Africa”. This is from designated open launch beach sites and excludes the likes of commercial harbours and fishing harbours, as well as Vetch’s Pier in Durban. These will still be classified as sheltered launch areas.

From Bloukrans River to Alexander Hugh Ainslie and John Rance jnr with a good a red steenbras, caught off Kei Mouth.

Bay is considered to be a SHELTERED LAUNCH area. This includes all commercial harbours, fishing harbours and bay launch areas.

SAMSA has pointed out that this will be promulgated in the Marine Notice 13 of (possibly) 2014 or 2015.

STAN WALTER National Safety Officer SADSAA <stanatsea@telkomsa.net> RED STEENBRAS REPORT BACK Dear Dave The red steenbras case — BDSAA v DAFF — was heard in the High Court in

Letters to the Editor Pretoria on 4th November 2014. Gary Thompson and I attended the hearing on behalf of Border Deep Sea Angling Association (BDSAA). We feel it is our duty to keep the supporting recreational anglers and interested parties up-todate on the proceedings.

Our presence in court was informative and we believe BDSAA were well represented by its legal advisors. The judge heard what had to be said by both parties and she has read the papers put before her. The arguments put forward will now be considered and a judgement is expected sooner rather than later.

As soon as the judgement is received all interested parties will be advised.

We believe this case will have a significant impact on the future of recreational angling in South Africa. We ask everyone to respect the judicial system and not to speculate on the outcome of this matter until final judgement is given. BDSAA have done all that could be expected in protecting the rights of recreational anglers.

JOHN RANCE Environmental Officer Border Deep Sea Angling Association <jcrance@rancetimber.co.za> The contention by Border Deep Sea Angling Association is that the ban was enacted with no more discussion or consultation since public comment was called for on 16th September 2011, with a return date of 21st October 2011.

There was overwhelming opposition to the ban, with a counter proposal that there should rather be a prohibition on the commercial trading/sale of this species and a longer closed season.

These representations were simply ignored.

This legislation was viewed by recreational anglers as being shortsighted and a “slap in the face” for all who had done their utmost to protect this species from over-exploitation and illegal harvesting.

As has been reported in SKI-BOAT since the outset, the BDSAA (supported

by SADSAA) instituted legal action against DAFF under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) to demand a judicial review of the red steenbras prohibition regulations.

Part of its argument was that DAFF had not given the public sufficient information to be able to comment on the proposed ban, and that it was using a sledgehammer to kill a fly in banning recreational fishing for the species, coupling sportfishermen with the commercial sector.

DAFF’s failure to provide grounds for the ban was despite BDSAA pleading for these reasons for over two years before the ban was enacted. — DR. SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 9

Thanks you for your kind words.

We’ve actually already run a pretty comprehensive three-part series on outriggers a few years ago — written by Mr Purglas, Alan Cunningham. We’ll have a look at it, and if revision is called for with the passing of the years, we’ll plan for it sometime this year.

In the meantime I’ll seek out our digital archives and forward you the feature we ran. — DR.

MORE ABOUT OUTRIGGERS Dear Dave I’m a big fan of your magazine and I can’t wait for the next issue.

Please can you shed some more light on outriggers and how to use them correctly. There’s a lot of debate around the right way of mounting and using of them.

Thank you for such a great magazine, and keep up the good work.

JAN PELSER <janalbertpelser@gmail.com>

10 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

MAMPARA VISITS MOÇAMBIQUE Dear Dave Further to the letter “Farewell Moçambique” which appeared in SKI-BOAT’s November/December 2014’s “Postbox” — from Willem Pretorius — methinks the gentleman doth protest too much, indeed far too much, to the point of whining childish hysteria.

He visited Moçambique, he says, then he reports: “I wish to state the intent of this article (letter). It is a factual, honest account of events as I can best recall, to inform fellow travellers of potential pitfalls and save them the trouble which our group experienced.”

Firstly, they failed to get the necessary permission to spearfish. Secondly, on return to Maputo they had illegallycaught fish on board. Thirdly, they lied about how they had acquired the fish.

Then he admits:“We are not dishonest people and had every intention of getting all the permits, but the fact is

that we failed to, so fully accept that we were guilty of breaking the law.”

So what’s the problem? He reckons the punishment didn’t fit the crime.

How naive can a person be?

His only saving grace was that he had the gumption to contact Carlos Carvalho “... who went to great lengths and sacrificed much of his time to assist us during this ordeal, in translating with the officials, the trip to the Embassy, organising the lawyer and trying to get our stuff back.” Hats off to Carlos.

If you’re going to visit Moçambique and you break the law, you deserve what you get. Plus you need your head read.

JB MASSYN <advisory@techemail.com> We agree — that’s the bottom line.

Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. See page 61 for some pointers when visiting Moçambique. — DR.

SOMETHING ON YOUR MIND? Write to: The Editor SKI-BOAT PO Box 20545 Durban North 4016 Fax: (031) 572-7891 E-mail: angler@mags.co.za

14 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

GAMEFISH

by Jonathan Booysen

O

F late, bluefin tuna fishing has been made popular by the TV series Wicked Tuna, but even before that, groups of South African anglers have made arduous trips to the Northern Atlantic to target these iconic fish. From late August to early October, southeastern Canada is a hotspot for bluefin tuna action, with Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Nova Scotia being the places to target them.

Canada’s tuna fishery is highly regulated and very well policed, but these strict rules still allow charter boats to offer exclusive bluefin tuna trips with excellent results. This season was no exception and the tuna bite was insane. Two South African groups reported amazing statistics, catching 15 bluefin in eight fishing days, with the catches ranging from 500 lb to over a grand!

The techniques used are pretty standard across the tuna f leet and need to comply with the Canadian Fisheries’ laws. Without getting too bogged down with the details of the rules, here is a basic summary: • Only non-offset circle hooks may be used and the barbs must be flattened.

• Minimum line class breaking strain is 180 lb.

• Maximum of four rods allowed to be used at any one time.

• Maximum allowable fighting time from strike to leadering is 60 minutes.

• A “hookup” is defined as a fish fought for between 45 and 60 minutes.

• A “strike” is defined as a fish fought for between 5 and 45 minutes.

• A maximum of two hookups are permitted per day, regardless of outcome.

• A maximum of four strikes per day are permitted, which includes any combination of hookup or strike, regardless of outcome.

• Commercial tuna licence holders may only harvest one bluefin tuna per season.

As you can gather from these rules, there is a serious drive to conserve the bluefin stocks.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 15

Tiagras and Penn International 130VSX reels paired with custom 130 lb class tuna rods. These rods are longer and slightly softer than our standard marlin rods. The extra length helps the tip clear the gunnel, and the soft tip helps prevent the small hook from pulling.

The reel is spooled with 200 lb hi-vis hollow-core Dacron and 50m of clear 200 lb topshot.

The hooks are Mustad Demon Perfect Circle 3X strong (39950 BLN) in 9/0 to 12/0 size. The small hooks are used for chunking and balloon baits, while the 12/0s are for the kite baits.

X marks the spot in an area called Fisherman’s Bank in the Northumberland Strait between Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

FISHING GROUNDS Early in the season, before the herring arrive, most boats focus their efforts off North Lake (PEI) which is a two-mile run from the harbour. Later in the season the action takes place in an area called Fisherman’s Bank. This is a ridge between PEI and Nova Scotia, in the Northumberland Strait, that comes up from around about 120ft to 70ft. This is where the commercial netters earn

their keep, catching huge volumes of herring that congregate there. This food source attracts bluefin like a magnet.

For the interest of those who watch Wicked Tuna, it is filmed off Massachusetts, about 800km from where we fished.

TACKLE The rods and reels used for these fish are really heavy duty — 130 lb Shimano

Bluefin tuna are picked up under the boat, signalling the chumming of mackerel and herring to begin.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 17

All barbs are pinched before being used.

The terminal tackle is surprisingly light considering the size of the fish and the pressure that gets put on it during the fight. The leader is a 5m section of 180- to 250 lb Seagar fluorocarbon with a 300 lb SPRO swivel at one end and the circle hook at the other. The 200 lb main line is crimped directly onto the swivel. Black chafe tube is used on all the connecting loops, including the hook. The crimps are coloured-in with a black permanent marker or wrapped with black vulcanising tape to reduce visibility.

METHODS There are several methods used for targeting bluefin, with the two most popular being drifting and anchoring. Both methods will be used, depending on what the conditions dictate.

On our most recent trip to Souris in PEI, the herring had only been around for a few days when the autumn cold fronts caused them to vanish. Most of the fleet opted to drift along the herring bank, hoping to find tuna patrolling the area and waiting for the herring shoals to move in again. We used two live mackerel fished under balloons, plus one suspended off of a kite on the opposite side of the boat. The baits are rigged by pinning the hook just in front of the dorsal (diagram 1).

The echo sounder is set up so that it marks tuna under and around the boat.

Whenever a fish is marked, whole mackerel and herring, as well as chunks of them, are chummed to bring the fish up to the boat where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll hopefully eat one of the baits. There is always a rod on standby for feeding a dead bait down.

Diagram 1

Diagram 2

Wayne Ritchie stretches his legs in the chair as his 800 lb bluefin sounds.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 19

Another method that works exceptionally well is to anchor. Many of the boats have their own herring nets that they set and leave to soak for a few days. When conditions allow, the boats partially lift the nets, effectively anchoring the boat. The bluefin have begun to associate a lifted net with an easy meal and move in to investigate (diagram 2).

When you start marking the fish on the echo, they are normally pretty deep, around 100ft. By chumming the water, you can actually see the fish rising in the chum slick and eating the pieces.

When a fish is in the top 30ft, a dead bait is sent down in the slick and is engulfed by the fish.

These fish can be exceptionally shy, and just putting a line in the water can spook them. On several occasions we had to take the lines out of the water before the fish would come into the chum. Only when there were several fish really going mental in the chum line could a bait be successfully presented. Different bait-rigging methods sometimes need to be used before a fish finally takes a bait.

Every so often, when the herring move in, the tuna bite can be unparalleled. The water surface is converted into a boiling cauldron as thousands of giant bluefin gorge themselves on the excess herring that fall out of the nets which are being retrieved. This is when anglers are able to hand-feed bluefin at the boat and select which fish in the shoal they want to hook. All that is required is to hook a dead bait through the back and drop it into a fish’s open mouth.

The open deck of White Water 99, a dual Commercial Tuna- and Hook-and-Release licenced boat, makes fighting a big bluefin easier — if that is possible.

On average, fights last 45 minutes before the light leader comes up and the deckhand takes hold of it, gently

persuading the fish to come to the surface. After a few quick photos the leader is cut off short and the fish

BATTLING A GIANT Once a fish is hooked up you will really understand what pressure means! The first run leaves you in awe as half the reel empties in a flash. All the other lines are cleared in double-quick time and the angler gets strapped into the harness — either in the chair or standup.

Once the boat catches up to the fish, the drag is gradually increased. After about 15 minutes, the drag should be between 50- and 60 lb. This is when the fish settles and tries to sound. The angler’s only saving grace is the shallow depth of the water as they can’t go very far. However, this by no means makes these fish a pushover, as the fish now has unused energy to keep its head down.

With the fish doing big circles under the boat against the heavy drag and the leverage of the long rod, you can expect to be lifted out of the chair for the remainder of the fight. Excellent boat handling skills and communication between captain and crew are vital at this stage as one wrong move will cost you the fish. We were glad to have some of the best guys in the business with us aboard White Water 99, and it made the world of difference to the catch rate.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 21

Then it was the turn of Riaan Chalmers to experience the awesome might of the North Atlantic giant.

Commercial Tuna and Hook-and-Release licences. On the odd occasion, due to time constraints, a commercial operator will need to harvest a fish while a charter is on board. This year, Dale Leenstra was the lucky angler who was allowed to harvest a 776 lb bluefin.

Sometimes a commercial operator needs to harvest a bluefin due to time constraints, and if he has a charter on board, then the angler in the chair can count his lucky stars. During their recent trip Dale Leenstra was the lucky angler who was allowed to harvest a 776 lb bluefin. With him are Mike Leenstra and White Water 99 crew, Troy Bruce and Ryan Young. swims off, its huge number plate visible in the depths until it rights itself.

BLUEFIN LICENCES AND QUOTAS Bluefin tuna fished in Canada are part of the western Atlantic stock. Because of their highly migratory nature, bluefin are managed under the jurisdiction of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

Every year, a quota in metric tons will be determined and “kill tags” will be issued to the licence holders.

There is a short season from 15th July to 1st October in which the fish 22 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

may be harvested. If, by the end of the season, the quota has not been caught, a second “kill tag” will be allocated to eligible participants by means of a draw.

There are two types of tuna licences — one is a “Commercial Tuna” licence which entitles the holder to harvest one bluefin a season, the other is a “Hook and Release” licence which the Canadian government introduced to generate another source of income for local fishermen. With this licence, charter operators may take sport anglers out to catch and release tuna.

Many of the boats have both

ENSURING A QUALITY PRODUCT When harvesting a fish, it is important to maintain the best quality product.

This process takes time, but it ensures a good price at the market. When a fish is next to the boat, a lip gaff is hooked into the bottom jaw. This gaff has a locking mechanism to prevent it falling out and is secured to the boat with a rope. With the boat moving at about four knots, the fish is let out a few metres behind the boat to swim and cool down and get rid of lactic acid.

This can take an hour or more.

Once the fish has cooled, it is brought back to the boat and bled before swimming it again to expel the blood. When the fish changes to a silver colour it is an indication that the process is complete. It is then towed into the harbour to the processing plant’s gantry where the core samples are checked and the weight confirmed.

Catching a giant bluefin tuna has got to be near the top of every angler’s wish list. These fish not only have extraordinary strength, but are also incredibly beautiful. Once you experience first-hand how magnificent these fish are, you will understand what all the hype is about.

• To book your best shot at catching a bluefin tuna off Prince Edward Island contact Bruce Brothers Fishing Charters via email <brucebros.charters @hotmail.ca> or visit their website <www.peibluefintunacharters.com>.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 â&#x20AC;¢ 23

TAGGING

by Erwin Bursik

S

AILFISHING out of Hemingways Resort on the north Kenya coast is renowned for its excellence, but in November 2008 during the Captain Morgan Grand Challenge, we really hit a peak — a purple patch — with 488 sailfish being released by the competitors fishing over six days.

One of these anglers was Johann Joubert from Durban who, on 26th November 2008, tagged and released a sailfish while fishing aboard White Bear, captained by Jackson Safari. This was one of many that his team released during that event.

2 045 days later, on 11th October 2014, a sailfish with the tag number B31205, issued by the African Billfish Foundation, was captured in a gill net off Matumbibi at the southern tip of Pemba Island in northern Tanzania. It was Johann’s sailfish.

The African Billfish Foundation, which is doing incredible work researching the billfish of the north Kenyan coast, emailed me the details and asked me to contact Johann Joubert with the good news. The excitement in Johann’s voice when he received my call of congratulations was worth a thousand words!

The accompanying photograph is of a happy Johann posing with sailfish number B31205 prior to release. Little did he know that six years later he would be advised of the tag’s recovery.

The recovery of such a fish, especially a billfish, is of immense scientific value, proving that such a fish not only survived, but after release it still carried on with its migration path for the next six years.

This recovery raises a number of questions. Where did this sailfish migrate to after release? How often had it migrated along a presumed route?

Did the route always take it south of the Pemba Channel, and did it then go further southwards off Moçambique, or did it circle to the northern tip of Madagascar and then around to Somalia?

Recovered tags add to our knowledge

Johann Joubert with his sailfish before release. The photos above and left show the tagged sailie and the tag card that was submitted to the African Billfish Foundation.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 25

The accepted migration of Kenya’s pelagic fish is from the north coast down to the south throughout their season. It would be incorrect to think fish only travel south, though. Many local recaptures have travelled 20 to 40 miles north, presumably following food sources. However, the overall migration is southerly and the evidence from recaptured tagged billfish certainly seems to back this up.

The red arrows on the map alongside represent the movements of 27 recaptured sailfish. The majority were tagged off Malindi, and all were re-caught along the Tanzanian coastline between October and December over a ten-year period.

The fastest was recaptured in southern Tanzania within 13 days of being tagged off Malindi, while another took only 12 days from being tagged off Malindi to being recaptured off Zanzibar. Most took a more leisurely 25 to 75 days, with only five being out for over a year.

The longest time span between release and recapture was a sailie which was recaught 519 days after being tagged. It’s most likely it had travelled in a large circuit up towards the Arabian Sea and then back down again through Kenyan waters and on to Tanzanian waters.

The assumption that they head up to the Arabian Sea is supported by the recapture of two sailfish in that region — one off Yemen after being out for 180 days, and another which was recaptured off Somalia after being out for 450 days. They were both recaptured in the month of May. The information above and the map were taken from the Kenya Association of Sea Anglers’ annual booklet 2005/2006.

There may well be more questions than answers, but at least we have one more puzzle piece in the overall picture of the life and migration of the silver assassin of East African waters.

During further correspondence from Roy Bealey of the African Billfish Foundation, he told me that a second tagged sailfish was recently recovered at the same site. This sail had been released at Manda Island on the northern reaches of the Kenya coast seven

26 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

years previously by angler James Kerr.

These two recaptures tend to indicate that “Kenyan” sailfish move southwards, a fact that corroborates previous work done.

The map alongside shows the migration pattern highlighted in 2005/6 Kenya Association of Sea Anglers’ annual booklet. These recoveries certainly highlight the value of tagging and releasing fish. Every tagged fish tells a tale eventually.

COMPETITIONS

T

HROUGH the long history of the “OET” a number of us have seen this premier competition develop from being an interclub event held by the clubs of the Oos/East Transvaal Ski-Boat Fishing Association within the camping area at Sodwana Bay, to the major bonanza style event it has become in the last two decades.

Around 2013 this event was deemed to have reached “perfection”, combining the requirements of big money prizes while maintaining the traditional empha-

sis on the affiliated clubs of what is now the Mpumalanga Deep Sea Angling Association. The organisers have traditionally managed to cater for the light tackle anglers as well as the “marlin manne”, while at the same time adhering to SADSAA’s rules of fair catch and point scoring systems for the awarding of medals and other big prizes.

This adherence to tradition and the following of accepted protocols has been instilled and insisted upon by Lappies Labuschagne, Mpumalanga Deep Sea

WITH THANKS

4WD Truckin Company • Africa Auto & Marine • Albatros • Andre Pizer • Anglers Cove • Anton Noordman • Chainsaws & Power Products • Cross Country Insurance • Dagga Boat Angling Club • DBA • Dolos (Oom Attie) • Garmin • Grip Hooks • Halco • Heyshope Angling Club • Hoedspruit Diepsee Hengelklub • Ian Wheeler •

by Erwin Bursik

Mercury OET Bill- and Gamefish Tournament 2014

Team Freespool were thrilled to take possession of their new 630 Cobra Cat powered by twin 115hp Mercury motors, courtesy of Mercury and Mallards.

FOR SPONSORSHIP

BOLS Hengelklub • Bakkies Baai • Bakkies Bohmer • Bernos Slaghuis • Captain Morgan • Certainty Charters Dries Marx • Ecologic 3D • EKZN Wildlife • Emnotweni Casino • Eventually Lodge • Ford • Ganis Sports Witbank Isimangaliso Wetland Park • Izusa Carriers • Jeep • Jesser Point Boat Lodge • Johan Hattingh • Jormid Electrical

Angling Association’s larger-than-life President who is the cornerstone of OET. This is what enables the OET to be placed among the highest echelon of the events on the South African sportfishing competition calendar.

“Change is the only constant in life,” said the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. And indeed, there have a number of changes to the format and rules of this event over the past three-anda-half decades, but the major changes to the 2014 OET really gave the event a dramatically improved “facelift”.

It takes great courage to make changes, and fortunately the 2014 OET format gained the approval of most of those who took part and who declared it to be a resounding success.

Two major radical changes made were to equate the traditional 10kg line class and the 37kg line class as one, by awarding 100 points for every billfish released during the event, regardless of line class. In addition, the competition rules awarded one point per kilogram for gamefish presented to the scales. All billfish had to be released and only two gamefish per angler were permitted to be weighed each day.

Then came the change in the location of the “heart” of the OET — the large marquee where all the land-based activities at the event are centralised. To begin with, these activities used to just be held as an open air gathering in the midst of the participants’ camps in Sodwana, then they moved to the then-NPB recreation centre. Thereafter, in recent years proceedings took place in a big marquee that was erected in the EKZN Wildlife area at Sodwana.

This year the big marquee was relocated to a specially prepared area within the precincts of Sodwana Bay Lodge. This was a fantastic development — the mountain had moved to Mohammed. Nowadays the vast majority of participants stay in the rapidly expanding lodging facilities in the areas around the original lodge/hotel complex of Sodwana Bay Lodge, so this move made it very convenient for most of us. The reduced travelling and lack of gates and roadblocks made this a virtual home-from-home venue that proved to be an outstanding success.

The 2014 Mercury OET Bill- and Gamefish Tournament was again primarily sponsored by Mercury Marine, Mallards Boating and Ford Ranger via McGee Motors of Lydenberg. From them came the top two prizes.

First prize of a Mallards Cobra Cat 630 with twin 115hp Mercury 4-stroke motors on a twin axle Trautech trailer, insured by Cross Country, was the “bull’s eye” which all the anglers had in their sights. The team which placed second would have six months’ use of Ford’s new and extremely popular Ranger double-cab. Those who couldn’t quite get to the top were still very well rewarded for their daily achieveWITH THANKS FOR SPONSORSHIP

KMSHK • Kobus Engelbrecht • LABA • Leatherbacks (Sodwana Bay Lodge) • Loo4U Toilet Hire • Malelane Toyota Mallards Marine • Matsuri Safaris • McGee Ford • MCON Construction • Mercury • Mkuzi Build It • MNR Olies Molatek • Mpumalanga Lifting • National Luna • Ndlovu Brick & Block Pongola • Nelspruit & Distrik Hengelklub

ments, and the final top ten teams all won substantial prizes.

When it came to the onocean activities, after months of game planning in light of the revised rules and point scoring system, the teams finally got to put their plans into practice on Monday 3rd November 2014.

Once the teams had negotiated the surf and got down to business, it was extremely interesting listening to the radio updates indicating the line classes selected by the teams, as well as the directions in which they had chosen to ply their expertise. Weatherwise, this was the best day of the allocated five, and we all listened attentively to

the hookup and catch reports to hear who was getting results — and where.

Black Magic, the OET president’s craft opened the scoring that morning at 6.28am with a black marlin caught by tournament director, Jan Joubert.

A hookup and release of a striped marlin before 8am by John Chandler aboard our team’s craft, B’s Nest, buoyed us immensely, indicating that our game plan was working — both in area and style of fishing What soon became apparent was that there were two definite lines of thought or game plans. Firstly, the “marlin manne” plied their traditional trade but worked the 500 to 1 000 metre area in search of the blue- and striped marlin that had made their appearance the week before the OET began.

Then there was the lighttackle brigade that used the shallower water, targeting sailfish and smaller

All the anglers who released billfish at the 2014 Mercury OET Tournament.

WITH THANKS FOR SPONSORSHIP

Nemo Dive Charter & Accommodation • Neptune Marine • Nico Zaaiman • Penn • Port-a-Cool • Pro Rig Sportfishing Tackle • Pulsator Lures • Rassie Erasmus • Riaan Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen • Rocktuff Pumps Rooi Koos • Sea Pike Hengelklub • SKI-BOAT magazine • Sodwana Hengelklub • Specialised Security Services

Mat Suri’s crew were thrilled to receive the keys to the Ford Ranger double cab from Garth McGee of McGee Motors.

Third placed Team Kyfie.

marlin, as well as the gamefish, in those waters.

The latter bycatch proved vital in the final scoring.

Even though we were able to launch on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, King Neptune threw horrible weather at us, resulting in early lines-up calls on all three days for safety reasons.

A number of marlin and sailfish were recorded as having been released on each of those days.

By the early line-up call on Thursday, a pattern was starting to emerge in the run-up to the finish line. There were a good number of teams (including us) which had each released two billfish, but Freespool, with three billfish releases, was slightly ahead. They also had a good number of points derived from gamefish weighed in, but not enough to stop any of the other teams from taking

Fourth placed Team Satisfaction.

Fifth placed Team Tropical Dream.

the lead if they released two billfish on the last day. In essence, the field was, as they say in horseracing,“wide open”.

It was this final sprint on a reasonably flat ocean on the Friday which would determine the final placings.

How exciting, with so many teams having a good chance of making it to the finishing line ahead of the fleet.

Tropical Dream had a great day, reporting “yes” on three occasions, releasing three blue marlin and proving that it was not impossible to overtake many on the leaderboard in one giant leap. Up until midmorning, a constant stream of reported releases had us all

scanning our own spreads and praying for those one or two billfish that would help us reorganise the leader board.

Then came the report we honestly did not want to hear:“Sodwana control, Sodwana control — Freespool. We have a double hookup on sailfish.” After a morning of silence they soon released both fish and were in a position where their nearest contenders — Mat Suri and Tropical Dream — would have had to release a further three billfish in the remaining hours to overtake Freespool.

Considering the reality of billfishing it was asking a lot, and it simply did not happen. Freespool, captained by Protea sailfish angler, Paul Borcherds, with Mark de la Hey, Grant Lindeque and local skipper John Derekson, took the flag at the stroke of 1pm to win the 2014 Mercury OET Bill- and Gamefish

WITH THANKS FOR SPONSORSHIP

Stef Bester • TaratiboTrautech Trailers • Tropical Dream Tackle • Turbo Panelbeaters • US Trucks Visagie Resort • Willem Pretorius • Zavora Lodge

Tournament. In addition to the many daily prizes they took home, the Mallards Cobra Cat 630 powered by twin Mercury 115hp 4-stroke motors was also theirs.

Mat Suri, captained by Johan “Fires” van Vuuren, the 2011 winner of the OET and fishing from the Cobra Cat he won at that event, came second, and Johan proudly took the keys of the Ford Ranger double-cab which they can play with for the next six months.

Having fished more OETs than I can remember, originally I had a few misgivings about the new rules and points structure for the 2014 event. However, I will unequivocally state that I was wrong — this was, without doubt, one of the most exciting OET events I have participated in.

During the grand finale, MDSAA President Lappies Labuschagne pointed out that it’s not only the incredible 2014 TOP 10 TEAMS Freespool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .542 pts Mat Suri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338 pts Kyfie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .329 pts Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315 pts Tropical Dream . . . . . . . . . . .300 pts Zean-Marie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300 pts Zambezi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 pts Bia-Bella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237 pts Black Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 pts B’s Nest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 pts

36 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

array of sponsors which the event attracts that makes the OET as special as it is, but also all the participating teams who return year after year to support the event and enjoy the camaraderie as well as the fishing and prizes that are on offer. Lappies also extolled the efforts of Tournament Chairman Jan Joubert, Tournament Director Jan Snyman and MC Carel Cronje for all their efforts in ensuring that the “changed” OET was perfectly acceptable, and that the 2014 event was a great start to the continuing success of this exciting tournament.

The 2015 running of the restyled OET will take place in the first week of November, and all ardent offshore billfish anglers would do well to reserve those dates in their fishing diaries. It’s an event not to be missed.

2014 OET STATS 45 billfish caught in total • 6 black marlin •13 blue marlin • 8 striped marlin • 18 sailfish 90 gamefish caught in total • 18 wahoo • 33 yellowfin tuna • 8 kawakawa • 30 dorado • 1 skipjack

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BACK TO BASICS

by Paul Borcherds

Part 5: Knots for double lines

W

ITH fishing there are a number of applications where you will need to create a strong loop or double line between the line coming off the reel and the terminal tackle end. Some examples are when you need to connect Dacron or super line (braid) backing to monofilament line, connect leader material or a windon leader, and when you need to create strong connections to barrel or snap swivels. There are a few different ways to create double lines, but the most commonly used — with monofilament lines — are the Spider Hitch, the Bimini Twist and the Aussie Plait.

Aside from knot strength, another benefit of the double line is protection against line chafing when it rubs against the bill or tail of a fish which may be able to chafe the line enough to break through one strand. If this happens there will still be another strand of line intact to successfully land the fish.

WHICH DOUBLE LINE SHOULD YOU USE? Although each of the double line knots mentioned above works well when properly tied, an angler may be stuck with the decision of which one to use. Each one has its own pros and cons which should be measured up before making the decision.

The Spider Hitch may be faster and easier to tie, especially whilst in a rocking boat, but if the knot is not properly seated and the hitches fail to come tight in the proper sequence, the knot has a very good chance of failing. The same applies to the Bimini which is prone to failure due to line burn just above the knot if the rolls were done too tight or, in the case of the Aussie Plait, if the first wrap was not pulled up tight against the standing line.

This illustrates that it is almost always human error that causes the knot to fail and not the knot itself. If tied properly, both the Spider Hitch and the Bimini will provide a knot test strength equal to 90%-95% of the original line strength, and the Aussie Plait anywhere between 95% and 99.9%.

To ensure your choice of double line loop knot retains as much of the original line strength as possible, you first have to make sure you use the right number of twists or wraps in the line after creating your loop.

Secondly, you need to finish it well. In the case of a Bimini or Aussie Plait there are countless ways to finish the knot 40 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

(knotless, half-hitches, etc.). Find the finish that works best for you — and stick with it.

Thirdly, use the double line knot of choice according to the line class. A Spider Hitch works well in monofilament line up to 50 lb. The thinner diameter of braid means the Spider Hitch can also be used in line classes up to 100 lb — or even a bit more. Biminis are most commonly used in line classes from 20 lb to 130 lb, and Aussie Plaits only in heavier mono line classes 80 lb to 130 lb.

Lastly, if you’re in doubt as to whether the knot is well seated or not, rather cut it off and start again.

TYING THE SPIDER HITCH This double line loop is named in honour of “Spider”Andresen who showed it to the Dupont Line Company. Spider apparently learned it from Cuban anglers, but who exactly invented it is a mystery. Although it lacks the same shock absorption as a Bimini or Aussie Plait, it more than makes up for this with versatility and ease in lighter line classes.

1. Double over a length of line, anything from 20cm to 100cm in length.

2. Make a reverse loop and hold the loop between thumb and extended forefinger.

3. Take hold of the doubled line and encircle the extended forefinger from the tip of the thumb.

4. Encircle the forefinger 360 degrees.

5. Continue encircling the forefinger another four to five times (15 times if using superbraid).

6. Pass the end of the double line through the reverse loop from behind.

7. Slowly pull on the double line, allowing the loops to unwind off the forefinger.

8. Keep pulling all the wraps off the forefinger.

9. Continue until all the wraps are off the forefinger 10. Moisten with saliva and pull evenly on all four ends to tighten.

11. Keep pulling on all four strands until the knot seats.

12. Trim the tag end approximately 5mm from the knot.

13. The completed Spider Hitch knot.

• For further information or to purchase a knot tying tool, contact Paul Borcherds on 082 652 5659 or send him a message via Facebook.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13 — The completed Spider Hitch.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 41

TACKLE TALK

by Jonathan Booysen

What’s in your tackle box?

Part 2

T

HE world of artificial lures can be a scary place to be lost in, especially for novice anglers. When you open your lure box and there’s a plethora of the latest and greatest lures in all imaginable colour combinations staring back at you, what makes you pick that “lucky” lure?

What are the thought processes that go into choosing a lure that you are willing to put your money on? Is it just a random selection based purely on chance, or have you drawn on all your past experiences to make a calculated decision?

An enormous amount of scientific research has been done on fish vision and on the effects of light and depth on colour change. The basic idea is that the deeper down the water column you go, the less light penetration there is and, consequently, the less colour. Bright colours (red, orange and yellow) disappear first, and darker colours (green, blue and purple) fade later. This is also affected by other variables such as water clarity, cloud cover, surface turbulence, etc.

The basic rules of thumb derived from these studies are as follows: • On a calm and sunny day, bright colours are more visible, while on an overcast day, darker colours are more visible.

• At dawn and dusk, darker colours are more visible than brighter colours.

• When you are fishing high in the water column, all colours are visible, but when sending lures down deep, only darker colours remain.

• When water is off-colour, darker lures stand out better than bright colours.

I understand the physics behind the studies, but the fish don’t always read the same books that we do ...

I’m sure that most anglers who regularly troll lures have experienced going over a pinnacle or other form of structure where every lure gets eaten — regardless of colour. Then there are those days when only one lure in the whole spread will get hit time and time again, while the other lures are simply ignored.

Mother Nature can be fickle like that, so I like to cover all my bases when selecting the lures that I will be using on a specific day.

I normally troll relatively early in the morning because this is when the fish are active and they are competing against one another for breakfast. This makes colour selection pretty easy as almost any colour is likely to work. It’s when the day wears on and there is more and more boat traffic that fish tend to become shy. That’s when it requires a bit of finesse to get these fish to commit to striking a lure.

I generally pull a five-lure spread — four lipped lures and a surface lure. My personal preference is to pull the natural, subtle-coloured lures further back, and the unnatural (really bright or really dark) coloured lures close to the prop wash. My reasoning behind this is simple: a dark lure contrasts well against the white of your propwash, making the lure more visible when the fish come up to investigate.

Fish are often attracted to the turbulence of the motors, presumably thinking it is a shoal of baitfish. A bright lure in close proximity resembles a predatory fish with its feeding “lights” on (similar to a dorado or billfish).

These close lures are used to target the aggressive, feeding predators.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 43

The lures placed further back run in the cleaner water. They are away from the noise of the hull pounding through the swells and the turbulence of the motors that may put off the wary fish.

Once the commotion of the boat has passed by, fish will often rise to the surface again. This is when the natural-coloured lure, trying to look as camouflaged as possible so as not to be spotted by lurking predators, passes by and results in an impulse strike.

The choice of natural colours would depend on where I am trolling. If I’m in the backline looking for snoek, I use green, brown and grey lures that resemble redeyes and other small baitfish. If I’m in deeper water, I like blue or turquoise lures that resemble flying fish and sauries.

The choice of surface lure that I use depends on what I am targeting. If I’m looking for marlin bait that can be really scarce, I use a small translucent skirt with a bit of flash inside. If there are dorado and sailfish around, a blue/white or pink/white lure with a strip inside — and possibly a small bird/exciter up front — should do the trick.

When I’m trolling in shallow water for snoek, a small white or live-glow duster with a sardine fillet inside will be my lure of choice.

Like most anglers, I have many colour options in my lure box from which to choose on the day. Also, like most, I probably put far more emphasis on lure colour than is really needed.

There are days where, as far as you can see, the oceanic or skipjack tuna are boiling everywhere, but regardless of what lure colour you change to, you just can’t get one to strike. This can continue for hours and normally ends with everyone on board trying to convince themselves that they were happy to just be out there, enjoying nature.

Back at the launch, the story will be that the fish just were not feeding. This is when the age old question of “Does size matter?” gets answered, and it’s a resounding yes!

In my opinion, lure colour takes a back seat to other properties such as size, shape, action and sound. When fish are feeding on one specific size of bait, they will ignore everything other than a lure that matches the basic characteristics of the current prey item.

This is where the term “match the hatch” comes into play. The idea stems from flyfishers who try to match up their flies with the insects that are hatching along the river bank. Similarly, deep sea anglers try to match their lures and baits with the food source most readily available to the fish at that specific time in that specific area.

44 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

If you were trolling around the above mentioned tuna shoal and you were using 10- to 20cm long lures, the fish would definitely have been able to see them. By changing the size of the lures which you are casting or trolling to, let’s say, a 3- to 5cm lure, the fish would now associate the size lure with what they were currently feeding on and would have a go at them.

Everyone, including myself, has a “go-to” lure. It works like a bomb in your home waters, and when you decide to fish in a tournament in another area you stock up on them, thinking that the fish will go crazy for them. This view quickly changes when the fish go out of their way to avoid your “dynamite lure” and religiously strike at another completely different lure.

This is where you realise that you should choose a lure based on the size and shape of local baitfish, the depth at which you are likely to find your target species, and the action most likely to produce results. Only then should you worry about colour. After all, sometimes you want your lure to stand out slightly from the rest of the baitfish.

This difference signals to the predators that it is one of the weaker fish in the shoal and is an easy meal.

Having said all this, never underestimate an angler’s confidence in a lure. If a lure has worked in the past, it will probably be used more often and, as a result, will produce more pulls.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 â&#x20AC;¢ 45

HISTORY

In the November/December 2014 issue of SKI-BOAT, Johan Smal concluded his overview on the evolution of ski-boats in South Africa.

In this issue, Johan shifts his focus to the bigger sportfisher and investigates the evolution of these craft on our boatbuilders’ design boards and factory floors, and ultimately as a fully integrated and vital part of the sport of deep sea angling in our country.

H

AVING retraced the development of ski-boats in the previous four parts of this series, following on it’s time to look at the development of sportfishers in South Africa. Before getting down to it, it’s necessary to touch on the basic differences between the two categories of craft.

Although there are exceptions to the rule, especially with the new generation larger-type ski-boats now on the market, the differences are mainly as follows: • Ski-boats are generally less than nine metres in length, trailerable and easily transportable by road, fitted with two outboard motors (sometimes also inboard) and suitably equipped for offshore fishing.

• Sportfishers are usually larger than

46 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

nine metres in length, not easily transportable by road, and are normally moored at a suitable harbour/marina-type berth. They are fitted with large inboard diesel engines and are usually equipped with some living quarters and a suitable fishing deck aft. There are, however, some outboard-driven craft — the new generation Supercats, for example — which also fall into this category.

TURN BACK THE CLOCK By 1940 deep sea fishing was strictly a commercial undertaking by a fleet of purposely-designed crafts. Suitably proven over many decades, they were capable of handling particularly demanding conditions in harsh seas. Compared to ski-boats that evolved from an almost non-existent base, some form of sportfisher was already in use in South Africa long before the Second World War. These consisted generally of a number of imported craft, converted yachts and some retired commercial fishing boats. William G Hare, father of the famous four Hare brothers, for example, built his engined 30ft yacht Voyager — used in False Bay for leisure fishing during holidays — as early as 1926.

The need for more advanced and better-equipped vessels only arose during the early 1940s following the discovery of the prolific gamefish resource off Cape Town. The subsequent broadening of the fishing theatre to the vast oceans beyond Cape Point pushed the need for more advanced craft into overdrive.

OCEANS TWELVE In his book Game Fishing Transformed, Charles Horne said that by 1950 there were less than 12 regular gamefish anglers in the Cape, all using sportfishers. It was them who did most of the ground work.

Amongst these early pioneers was Wernly Gilmour in his original 36ft Bluefin, built by Bill Edwards around 1949, ostensibly the first sportfisher purposely-built in the Cape.

There was also Jimmy RawboneViljoen with his second boat, an imported 32ft Chris Craft named Belinda, fitted with 2x60hp Chrysler Marine petrol engines which were capable of pushing the craft to 32 knots. Hymie Policansky owned Pocketa which was built in Durban by Fred Nichols in 1949, and Vic Cohen had Doreen, a 30ft cabin cruiser he acquired in 1940.

As this handful of deep sea anglers

by Johan Smal were feeling their way forward, new boats were designed and built as the direct result of hard experience at sea and disappointments. Indeed, failure can often be the best teacher.

At first progress was slow, but as rock anglers became boat fishermen, gamefishing at sea soon became the fastest-growing sport in South Africa.

More and more craft soon dotted False Bay and sailed around Cape Point as their crews, alert and enthusiastic, watched for birds and other signs of gamefish. It wasn’t very long before most of these craft proved to be unsuitable for the turbulent conditions which prevailed for the greater part of the gamefishing season.

Subsequently proven completely wrong, the view was long held that only craft between ten- and 18.5 metres could be used for gamefishing in the unpredictable, capricious waters of the Cape. The place is legendary for its sudden weather changes with gale-force winds whipping up the sea, generating massive, fast-moving swells exceeding ten metres.

The concept takes shape. This 27ft 1938 Farley boat starts to show signs of advancing sportfishing design. She was a “corporate” boat, was owned by the Humble Oil Company — later to become Exxon — and used to take VIPs fishing. President Franklin D Roosevelt liked the boat so much that he bought himself a 35-footer. anchor that had lain securely lashed on the foredeck for 13 years. It was simply lifted out of its lashings without any damage to the yacht or signs of its going.

It’s interesting to note that the Hares built their first engined yacht, Voyager, in 1926 and launched their second twinengined yacht, Elegance, during April

THE POWER OF CABO DAS TORMENTAS — CAPE OF STORMS Charles Horne quoted an incident on Sonny Taylor’s Elegance, the 40ft yacht built for the Hares by well-known Louw & Halverson (L&H) shipbuilders in 1936.

A big sea towered under the bow of the boat, and as she dipped into the trough it broke over her bow and the water rushed knee-deep down the deck and actually filled Jimmy James’s sea boots.

As the water cleared they saw that the force of the water crashing on board had lifted and carried away a 120kg

Jimmy Rawbone-Viljoen’s second boat was a 1948 imported 32ft Chris Craft, Belinda, fitted with 2x60hp Chrysler Marine petrol engines capable of a good 32 knots.

The boat that started it all, Rybovich Hull #1, Miss Chevy II, commissioned by Charley Johnson and launched in 1947. This craft is considered as the world’s first true sportfisher boat and is credited with allegedly helping spark the sportfishing industry worldwide and sportfishing from larger boats. In 1949 Al Capone’s second in command, “Tough Tuna Tony Accardo”, commissioned Hull #2.

SKI-BOAT November/December 2014 • 47

1936. Modelled on Scottish North Sea fishing boats and used for leisure fishing during holidays, Elegance was conceived by the Hares as a “gentleman’s fishing yacht” and was built by L&H in the old Cape Town harbour in the area that later became part of the popular V& A Waterfront precinct.

Today, some 80 years later and proudly displaying her original main mast which was harvested from the Tokai forest, she is still sailing. Owned

by Etienne De Kock and moored at the FBYC in Simon’s Town, she is not only testimony to the craftsmen who designed and built her, but also to the long string of owners who have lovingly sailed and maintained her. Indeed, she is a rare piece of our South African boating heritage worth preserving.

So the race for more suitable and advanced sportfishers had begun.

Louw & Halvorsen was a renowned commercial boatbuilder specialising in crayfish boats long before the large gamefish resource was discovered in Cape waters. At the time the workshop foreman, the famous Bill Edwards, was yet to venture beyond the ambit of the conventional crayfish vessel. In time the skills acquired in this sphere resulted in him entering this very different field of boatbuilding, eventually becoming the preferred local builder for sportfishers in South Africa.

L&H closed down around 1967, an event that pretty much heralded the end of the wooden boatbuilding industry in South Africa. By then fibreglass manufacturing had become very well entrenched in boat construction.

In 1952 Vic Cohen felt the need to upgrade his craft and purchased a retired 60-foot torpedo recovery boat (ex-Navy) which he named Sally. At the same time, Sonny Derman — who was one of the first anglers to target broadbill swordfish in South African waters during

The boat called Marlin. Vic Cohen and Jack Stodel owned two similar craft — Marlin and Ren — that were used in Mossel Bay as charter boats. Both were converted 60ft ex-Navy torpedo recovery vessels.

1956 (though unsuccessfully) — acquired his 36ft boat, Norseman, built

by Bill Edwards. Originally fitted with a single inboard petrol Chrysler engine, which was replaced with twin Perkins diesel engines, she was a round-bilgetype hull design.

NIMBUS DIY DREAMBOAT During 1955 Jimmy Rawbone-Viljoen also decided to acquire a more appropriate craft and embarked on an unprecedented ambitious strategy to achieve his objective. He commissioned the Italian boat builder Joe Nardini to build his 48ft dreamboat, Nimbus.

She was constructed in a purposebuild shed on his farm Oak Valley Estates, near Elgin, using planking cut from oak trees felled on the estate (see SKI-BOAT November/December 2010 for the full story). Based on a fishingtrawler hull design, she was equipped with twin 55hp Detroit diesel engines and was the first private vessel to be equipped with a commercial fishfinder, an Italian Marconi unit.

In 1956 David Susman also commissioned Bill Edwards to build his first boat, the famous 36ft Bluebird, fitted with 60hp Ford diesel engines and putting him £3 150 out of pocket.

A FISHING PLATFORM TO AN INTERNATIONAL FILM-STAR SET In 1957 Sonny Derman replaced Norseman with the 45ft Norseman II, also built by Bill Edwards. She was purchased by Bruno Mercorio in 1965 and renamed Volante. Bruno is credited as one of the most successful giant bluefin tuna anglers in False Bay with 55 fish boated between 1963 and 1970, mostly taken from Volante.

By the turn of the century Volante was still in active service and had various owners before being bought by a syndicate in 2001 and fully refitted for service as a charter fishing vessel. Some seven years later she was sold to a film company. She was badly damaged in an explosion in the final scene of the film Red Water, starring Kristy Swanson and Lou Diamond Phillips.

Home-built Nimbus arrives at Hermanus harbour, one of Jimmy Rawbone-Viljoen’s preferred fishing destinations.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 49

Renovated again, she was showcased in another film, Dark Tide, starring Halle Berry. Both movies were shot in the shark-invested Cape waters. Sadly it seems that the old lady has now reached the end of her life and presently squats on the hard in Hout Bay, not looking pretty and probably not commercially viable for renovation once again. But, who knows, some enthusiast might well accept the challenge to do so.

SA’S FIRST FULLY-PLANING HULL SPORTFISHER Until the early 1960s, all the boats used in temperamental Cape waters were of the round-bilge-type with built-up keels, usually fabricated with 112⁄ ” Philippine mahogany planking. They were very sound, seaworthy and safe, but heavy and slow with the fastest only capable of some ten knots top speed.

Later, as the fishing theatre expanded to beyond Cape Point, this became quite a burden as it didn’t allow much fishing time, especially if the tuna were some 40 miles out. However, another technological advance in boat design was lurking on the horizon, an intervention that would change sportfisher design in South Africa forever.

In 1961 the famous Kalk Bay Hare brothers launched their legendar y Speranza, the first monohedron full-planing hull sportfisher in South Africa.

Designed by the pioneering Italian marine engineer Renato Levi, she was built in a shed on the Hare’s brickfield in Mowbray. Philippine mahogany was used for both the superstructure — laminated frames glued together with Cascamite — and the double-planked cladded hull which was secured with four copper rivets at every crossing. Oak was used for the deck and wheelhouse.

Fitted with twin 100hp engines and capable of reaching 20 knots with a range of 300 nautical miles, Speranza was sturdy, strong and fast. More powerful engines were later fitted, pushing her speed up to 27 knots.

Although not engaged in active fishing anymore, Speranza is still alive and well. Anchored in the Simon’s Town marina, she still enjoys lots of tender loving care from her current owners, Ian Hare and Peter Liddell. (See SKI-BOAT March/April 2012 for the full story.)

Following the Hare’s success with Speranza, most sportfisher designs — if not all — were changed to mahoganycladded full-planning hulls, based on the Renato Levi designs. Then onto the scene came Thesen, a well-known Knysna company established by Charles Thesen in the late 1800s, a Norwegianborn ship owner and timber merchant.

Around 1964, with a Renato Levi design, they built two similar 43ft craft, one for David Susman and the other for Bill Winshaw. Not meeting the designed speed criteria and damaged in a storm

Early sportfisher boat design trends BEFORE the sportfisher had evolved into the now familiar “striker” shape of the Rybovich shown earlier, boatbuilders had settled on a design with ample creature comfort space up forward, with little cockpit space in which to move around, should one be fishing standing up and not seated in the fighting chair.

This early design was manifest in the pioneering sportfishing craft which prospected our Cape waters, following a worldwide trend in boat design dating back to the 1930s. Indeed, Ernest Hemingway’s famous boat, Pilar, was a follower of fashion of the time.

Hemingway visited Wheeler’s Shipyard in Brooklyn, New York, in early April 1934, where he ordered a twin Playmate cabin cruiser, 38ft long with a 12ft beam.

These were stock boats, but he asked for a number of modifications: he wanted a black hull, instead of the standard white; he also had copper screens added to enclose part of the cockpit. The main power to the boat would be supplied by a 75hp Chrysler Crown reduction gear motor, giving a cruising speed of 16 knots.

The smaller trolling motor would be a 40hp Lycoming, providing 5 knots.

The cabin sides and deck were built of Canadian fir and Honduran mahogany. The cockpit at the rear of the boat could fit seven or eight people quite comfortably. Her “fighting chair” had a ladder-styled slat-back and leathercushioned arm rests. It was bolted firmly to the deck and rotated 360°.

The catalogue price for this boat was $7 000, but Hemingway had only $3 500 to hand. How to pay for it? He had a scheme in mind. He had met magazine publisher Arnold Gingrich in New York in January 1933. Gingrich had been planning a new magazine for men, called Esquire. He had been lobbying Hemingway to write for his new publication and was particularly keen to have him featured in the debut issue. Hemingway contacted Gingrich and proposed a deal: if Gingrich gave him an advance of $3 500, he promised to submit regular articles for the magazine until the debt was paid off. Gingrich agreed. The deal worked to their mutual benefit: Hemingway got his boat, and the first issue of Esquire — which featured a piece by Hemingway about marlin fishing — sold 100 000 copies.

In the top picture, Hemingway fights a fish off Pilar in 1934, and the two smaller pictures show Pilar in her final resting place at Finca Vigia in Cuba. next to Thesen’s wharf before delivery, they eventually ended up with the coastal patrol authorities.

Subsequently, around 1967, Thesen again started to build Renato Levidesigned 36ft craft which included Brian Cohen’s Kingfisher and Gerry

von Bonde’s Lady Elle. Based on the owners’ preferences, however, these first few boats were slightly under-powered, but following an upgrade to larger engines, the 36ft craft turned out to be popular and successful sportfishers.

Located in Hout Bay, Lady Elle is curSKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 51

The 45ft Norseman II, built by Bill Edwards for Sonny Derman in 1957, was purchased by Bruno Mercorio in 1965 and renamed Volante.

Bob Busby’s Osprey accounted for a first-class 243kg broadbill in 1995. The angler was former South African attorney Alex Lipworth, then of Miami.

In 1978 Bill Edwards built Moonraker which then became J&B. Later she was bought

by Bob Busby and renamed Osprey, now owned by Piet Faber and Koos Pretorius.

er and builder, both locally and internationally, Bill Edwards also built the 45ft Moonraker for a local businessman, Roy Beamish. Fitted with two 425hp Detroit diesels, she was renamed J&B and played a prominent role in many gamefish competitions in the Cape.

Bob Busby became her owner and renamed her Osprey, a boat now owned

by Piet Faber and Koos Pretorius.

During 2012, some 34 years after being built, she gracefully participated in the Two Oceans Marlin Challenge with her proud crew winning the event.

rently still in use and is owned by Gerry’s son, Gerard von Bonde.

In 1968 Dave Susman and Bill Winshaw placed an order at Louw & Halverson where Bill Edwards built the famous 41ft laminated planing vessels, Shaka and Tassie. Costing their owners In the next issue Johan Smal comes full R74 000 each, they were fitted with circle as he ends his intriguing account 370hp Cummins diesel engines and both of the history of ski-boats and sportfishbecame outstanding fishing vessels. ers in South Africa right where he began During 1978, now heralded as a high— in Duban. ly respected visionary sportfisher designThe Hare brothers’ boat, Speranza (below), in her day the best boat in the Cape.

Later she was modified with an enclosed flybridge. Now refurbished (left), although no longer engaged in active fishing, she is still in use more than 50 years after she was launched. Anchored in the Simon’s Town marina, she still enjoys lots of tender loving care from her current owners, Ian Hare and Peter Liddell.

52 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

Š Angler Publications

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2010. Volvo 500hp IPS with joystick, Raymarine electronics, radar, deck wash, flybridge, dual helm station, rocket launchers, canopy, teak cockpit, canopy, radio/CD, microwave, fridge.

2008. Twin 540hp Cummins diesel motors, 2000litres fuel, bow/stern thrusters, fighting chair, rod holders on flybridge rail, outriggers, livebait well, fridge/ice maker, engine room camera. Sleeps 5-7.

Price: R3 300 000 (Ref 963) Available January 2015

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38 Open Flybridge

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MAGNUM 32 WALKAROUND BUTT CAT SPORTFISHER 2007. 2 x 250hp Yamaha outboards, 720-litres fuel, hydraulic steering, Navnet system, radar transmitter, echo sounder, autopilot, bilge pumps, stainless steel rod holders, six hatches.

2014. Twin 140hp Suzuki Lean Burn, 4-stroke motors, radar, 8 x 25l fuel cans, GPS/fishfinder, radio, complete safety gear, life jackets, flares, Sony front loader, Boss Marine speakers.

2009. Twin 115hp Mercury 4-stroke motors (2013), very low hours, livebait well, 2 x 100-litre built-in stainless steel tanks, galvanised breakneck trailer, airbrake system, navigation lights, radio, VHF radio.

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MY BEST FISH SO FAR

by Sheldon Kruger (6)

E

VERY year my family goes up to Inhassoro in Moçambique for about two weeks for our annual fishing holiday. I have been accompanying my mom and dad out to sea since 2012 when I was just four.

On Friday, 2nd April 2014, my mom, dad and I went for an outing to Paradise Island to do some light tackle spinning from my dad’s boat. Not long after we arrived there we saw a very big feeding frenzy with diving birds and gamefish feeding on a very large baitball.

I had my spinning rod rigged with a bucktail jig ready to cast into the action. With my first cast my bucktail jig was hit by something big. I set the hooks and the fight was on. I was holding onto the rod for dear life as the fish was stripping line at a very fast rate. My dad was driving the boat to ensure the lines didn’t go under the motors and also to help me regain some line. My dad was sure I had hooked a nice size bonito, but after about ten minutes a beautiful Natal snoek was next to the boat. My dad quickly grabbed the fish by the tail and we put it in the boat. The fish weighed 6kg.

I was very lucky that the fish didn’t bite the line off as I wasn’t using a wire trace, but the bucktail jig hooked the snoek on the outside of the mouth.

After taking a few pictures on the boat we followed the feeding frenzy and once again I cast my bucktail jig into the baitball. This time I hooked a much stronger fish. I held the rod while the fish was stripping off most of my line — I just couldn’t stop it. Eventually I asked my dad to please help me as my arms were still tired from the fight with the snoek, and after 25 minutes my dad landed a beautiful bonito of 5kg.

This was really one of the best day’s fishing I have had with my mom and dad on our boat as I caught my biggest fish so far.

HANDY HINT

A

T this time of year many of our readers venture north for a holiday in Moçambique, but many of us are nervous of falling foul of the law up there and ending up in jail over New Year.

Here are some tips on driving regulations in Moçambique, as well as details of what safety equipment you need on your boat up there. Plus on page 62 there is a whole cut-out-andkeep page of the different officers you’re likely to come accross on the road and the fines they might issue you with.

If you feel you have been unfairly fined or harassed, make a note of the date, time, place/location, number of police at the road-stop, ID numbers or number plate of vehicle being used by the police (taken discreetly).

There are also some important numbers to program into your phone before you go ...

DRIVING RECOMMENDATIONS IN MOÇAMBIQUE Traffic in Moçambique is regulated by the Road Decree (Law 1/2011). The information selected for the following driving recommendations was collected and summarised from the Road Decree.

General tips • All visitors using a vehicle in Moçambique should adopt a rather passive driving style to prevent any involvement in accidents.

• Always carry your car documents.

• Always carry a copy of your ID (including visa).

• Always stop when requested to do so. According to the law, police have the authority to stop a car.

• Traffic police officers always wear white shirts. They also have to carry a badge showing their name.

• If you commit a traffic violation accept the fine, but never pay it on the spot. According to the law, you have seven days to pay in the Comando Geral da Policia or at any Provincial Police Station.

• Policemen are not supposed to keep your documents or the documents of the vehicle. That is against the law.

• Never photograph a policeman — that is illegal.

• Driving on the beach is not allowed. Some beaches have designated driving areas where you may drive when

Compiled by Lyn Adams launching a boat.

• Never give a ride to a public order policeman (armed and with a grey uniform) if he asks to take you to a traffic police station. They can, however, call the traffic police patrol to the spot.

• Policemen are not supposed to take you to a police station (except in the case of an accident).

• Never enter into discussions with the police. Always be polite when dealing with Moçambican authorities.

Specific driving regulations according to the Moçambican Traffic Code: • It is prohibited to carry alcoholic beverages or drugs in the area of the car reserved for passengers. It is forbidden to drive under the influence of alcohol or psychotropic substances (art 81).

• Drivers shall not drive with part of their body outside of the vehicle (art 16). So, avoid leaning your elbow on the edge of the window, poking out.

• Vehicles shall be driven on the left of carriageways, and as close as possible to shoulders or sidewalks, but at the distance from these required to avoid any accident (art 17).

• Drivers should not use any type of audio headphone or television device while the vehicle is in motion, except for the use of devices equipped with headsets or microphones whose use does not require continuous handling (art 89).

• The driver of, and passengers transported in automobiles, shall be obliged to use seatbelts and other safety accessories, on the terms set out in regulations (art 87).

Children under the age of 12 who are transported in automobiles fitted with safety belts shall be secured by using a retention system designed for and adapted to their measurements and weight.

Such children shall be transported in the back seat, except in the following situations: a) if the child is under 3 years of age and is transported using a back-facing retention system, in which case the air cushion in front of the passenger may not be activated; b) if the child is older than 3 years of age and the vehicle does not have back-seat safety belts, or does not have a back

What you need to know when you’re visiting Moçambique

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 59

seat.

The transport of children under 3 years of age is prohibited in automobiles which do not have safety belts.

• Sound signals (hooting) shall be brief, used moderately, and shall in no case be used to protest against traffic interruptions or as ways of calling others (art 24).

In case of an accident (art 92) 1. A driver involved in an accident shall provide, to all other parties involved, his identification, as well as that of the owner of the vehicle and of its insurer, as well as the number of the insurance policy, and shall, whenever requested, produce documentation in proof thereof.

2. If the accident results in deaths or injuries, the driver shall await the arrival of a traffic officer at the place of the accident.

e) f) g) h)

When approaching groups of people or animals; At intersections with other vehicles; In all places in which there is reduced visibility; On sections of roads which are in a bad state, wet or muddy, or which are slippery; i) On crossings on carriageways, indicated as pedestrian crossings; j) At places signposted with danger signs.

Moçambican Traffic Law establishes the following speed limits (art 33): Car without a trailer: Max 60km/h in town, max 120km/h out of town.

Car with a trailer: Max 60km/h in town, max 100km/h out of town.

Fines applied when someone exceeds the speed limit:

Fines The fine and costs shall be paid within a period of 15 working days, counting from the date on which the decision became definitive, and payment shall be made in the manners prescribed in regulations (art 172 and 181).

If you decide to pay the fine on the road, ask for a receipt.

Speed limit Maximum speed in Moçambique is 120km/h. Before entering a town or village you will see signs showing reduced speed limits of 80- and 60 km/h. Adhere to them. There will probably be a police vehicle with radar speed control at the end of the speed limit area.

Sometimes there is no sign indicating you can start to drive faster (people from villages sometimes steal these signs), so keep to the 60km/hour limit until the end of the inhabited area. Also, reduce your speed when you see a school sign.

(Art 30) Speed shall be considered to be excessive whenever a driver is not able to stop his vehicle in the free space which is visible in front of him, or exceeds the speed limits set down by law. A contravention of the provisions of this Article is punishable by a fine of 1 000 Mt. (Art 32) Speed shall in particular be adjusted in the following cases: a) On steep descents; b) At bends, at intersections, junctions, traffic circles, slopes in the road, bridges, tunnels and level crossings, and in other areas in which visibility is reduced; c) Next to schools, hospitals and similar establishments, when duly signposted; d) In towns or on roads lined with buildings;

SAFETY FIRST

I

F you’re taking your boat with on your holiday to Moçambique, please make sure you have all the necessar y safety equipment.

Here’s a list of safety equipment required for all vessels less than 10 metres in length, although the requirements can depend on the area of operation too. This is especially pertinent if you’re going to Ponta do Ouro, Inhaca Island, Bilene or Inhambane.

• Life jackets for all crew as stated in the registration book.

• Ringbuoy with 30 metres of rope.

• Three handheld light flares.

• Two parachute flares.

• Two orange smoke pots.

• Rubber torch with spare bulb and spare batteries.

• Metal mirror (stainless-steel) for signalling.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Light vehicle or motorcycle Within towns Speed Exceeded by up to 20km/h Exceeded by 20 to 40km/h Exceeded by 40 to 60km/h Exceeded by more than 60km/h

Amt of fine 1 000 MT 2 000 MT 4 000 MT 8 000 MT

Contravention Minor Medium Serious Serious

Outside town Speed Exceeded by up to 30km/h Exceeded by 20 to 40km/h Exceeded by 40 to 60km/h Exceeded by more than 60km/h

Amt of fine 1 000 MT 2 000 MT 4 000 MT 8 000 MT

Contravention Minor Medium Serious Serious

Extract of the Road Decree in Portuguese If the policeman speaks Portuguese and you are not able to understand each other, you can show him/her the following extract of the Road Decree in Portuguese.

About fine payments: Art. 172: Cumprimento voluntário (multas): 1. É admitido o pagamento voluntário da multa, ou reclamação, nos termos e com os efeitos estabelecidos nos números seguintes.

2. A opção de pagamento voluntário e sem acréscimo de custas deve verificar-se no prazo de 15 dias utéis a contar da notificação para o efeito, podendo, o infractor pagar a multa em qualquer Departamento Provincial de Trânsito da Policia da República de Moçambique ou Delegação Provincial de Viação.

Travel safe and enjoy your holiday.

Sound horn/device.

V Flag (signalling a need for help).

VHF or 29MHz radio.

Fixed compass not smaller than 6cm.

Spare handheld compass.

Local navigation charts.

Valid tide table.

Two fire extinguishers (minimum of 1.5kg each with a validity of at least 12 months).

Two metal buckets.

Complete set of sails (for sailing boats).

Spare engine in the case of single engine boats.

Boat hook.

Oars (for small boats and inflatables).

Anchor with 100 metre rope.

Spare anchor with rope.

Emergency helm device.

Plastic distress sheet of minimum

300cm x 50cm.

• Skipper’s licence.

• Only for diving boats — the flag, echo sounder or hand lead line, security rope all around the boat.

EMERGENCY STOCK • Floating bottle with a security rope.

• Plastic blanket for all crew members.

• Package of 500g emergency biscuits for every two crew members.

• Security knife.

• One litre of water per crew member.

• First aid kit.

SKIPPER’S AGE Please note that in Moçambique the minimum age for skippers is 18 and not 16, as it is in South Africa, even if they have a South African skippers’ licence.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 61

62 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

PLACES

by Henk Matthew Craig

Moçambique produces the goods

I

GET excited every time I hear the word Moçambique. It’s an absolute breakaway paradise where you can put your feet up and relax at the end of the day with a satisfying R&R (local rum & raspberry) as the sun sets over the horizon. The serene environment, friendly people and beautiful coastline will make you come back year after year.

The wide variety of fish in Moçambican waters are just incredible and at Barra there’s a long list of species to target with a variety of methods. From offshore to surf fishing, trolling, jigging, spinning and drifting, they’ll all make your reel scream in this great fishing destination.

In September my dad, Jace Craig, and I were invited to Shibumi Lodge in Barra near Inhambane by the owner, Bart Koch. Bart has been fishing those waters for more than 20 years, has caught fish most people can only dream of and knows the reefs like the back of his hand.

Every morning before sunrise there are about 20-30 local fishermen that go out to sea in small rowing boats and paddleskis to catch fish for a living and provide for their families. Fishing is their bread and butter and only source of income, and they live off whatever the sea blesses them with on the days they can go out. Some use rod and reel while others still trust the old handline routine to catch barracuda and tuna only a few hundred metres offshore using live- or drift baits.

To my astonishment, on one particular day, two of these small boats each caught a sailfish. It’s an amazing accomplishment for them, but it’s very sad to see such a beautiful fish dead on the dry sand.

We went fishing aboard a Cobra Cat 640 at Shibumi Lodge the very next day and wasted no time getting some lures in the water. Excitement was in the air as some good fish had been landed on the boat over the last few months, including barracuda, wahoo and kingfish over 30kg.

I always follow local advice when fishing in an area I don’t know very well, but there is this one lure I always travel with and have grown very fond of in the last few years — the multicoloured pink, blue and yellow Halco GT Jig trolling lure. Because of its bright colours, I like to call it Elton John. It only swims three feet under the water, but it rattles like there’s no tomorrow and all gamefish find it irresistible.

With five lures behind the boat, we hadn’t trolled for more than five minutes before the first barracuda tried to sink his teeth into Elton. Fish on! With only three of us on the boat my dad was first in line to break the ice with a nice barracuda.

With the GT Jig living up to his reputation I decided to replace one of the other lures with another Halco GT Jig — Elton John’s bright pink “girlfriend”!

With beautiful weather and a calm sea we had an amazing morning session

with catches that included a 14kg barracuda, 14kg wahoo and two 17kg tuna.

By 11am we were already back at the lodge enjoying some R&R in the swimming pool, while the boat was washed and our fish filleted by the staff. This is the life! Nothing comes close to fresh pepper-seared tuna steaks for lunch while you enjoy the rest of your afternoon relaxing in paradise.

Now that we had enough fish for the freezer, the rest of our trips out to sea were just for fun.

When the birds are diving and schools of tuna are feeding on the surface, it’s always great fun to grab a “flick stick” and fight a few tuna on light tackle. Just make sure you get your fish to the boat in super quick time as you might get hit by the taxman, like we were a few times.

With reels screaming it’s quite a rush when you hit a double- or tripleup, and unfortunately in those few minutes of chaos it’s easy to make a mistake. In my case I made two in one minute — not putting away the lure I was busy with and trying to get to another rod too quickly ...

I jumped over a rod that was leaning against the chair and landed on one of the lures, embedding the treble hook into my foot. Luckily we had a very experienced doctor on board who has four fish-mad sons, and before all the adrenaline was pumped through my veins the treble was out and the fishing continued.

I always carry my underwater camSKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 65

era with me on the boat and managed some stunning photos and videos of gamefish while they were being caught and released. It was only afterwards, when we watched the video, that we spotted a huge wahoo that was accidentally filmed while I was focusing on the tuna that was on the end of the line. It just goes to show — you never know what is lurking down in the deep, so always have a line in the water!

We managed to catch more tuna along with a wahoo and a barracuda, but, as always, there was one big one that got away — or in our case, a few, all hooked on the big deep-swimming lures.

The first was a big kingfish that pulled the hook, the next was a ±20kg

66 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

great barracuda that came flying out of the water after the hookup and broke the trace. Then, on the last day just before we headed back, line just screamed off one of the reels. I had the rod in my hands, and as I looked up a marlin tailwalked away in the distance.

After a breathtaking 15 seconds it was all over as he shook himself loose on his fourth jump. It was heartbreaking, but what an incredible sight to see. It was truly a week of note and a fishing experience I can’t wait to repeat.

For those looking to stay there, accommodation is in five luxury selfcatering chalets, all situated right on the beach, with a communal pool and airconditioning ensuring you’re always able to cool off. Chalets are fully fur-

nished in Moçambique style settings and visitors must just bring their own food and towels. Inhambane airport is close by, as are many restaurants, markets, shops and fuel.

There’s easy access to the lodge for both 4x2 and 4x4 vehicles and fishing charter operations are available on site for bookings. Whale watching and dolphin trips are arranged on request, and there are quad bike trails nearby too.

A big thanks to Shibumi Lodge and Fishing Charters for an amazing Moçambican experience.

• For further information visit <www.shibumilodge.co.za>, e-mail <info@shibumi.co.za> or phone +27 82 574 0406 or +258 84 704 3616.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 â&#x20AC;¢ 67

COMPETITIONS DATES TO DIARISE ...

B

Items of Interest

ELOW you’ll find some dates for upcoming fishing competitions being held during 2015. If you know of any others that aren’t listed or if your club would like to list some upcoming events email <lynadams@mweb.co.za>.

DATE 7-10 January 1 February 12-14 Februry 15-21 February 16-20 February 24-28 February 8-12 March 16-20 March 21-22 March 27-29 March 3-5 April 25-26 April 30 April - 2 May 4-8 May 4-8 May 10 May 16-17 May 17-22 May 30-31 May 31 May - 5 June

EVENT Sodwana Bay Club Comp.

Durban SBC Ladies’ Day Marlin Club Billfish Tournament Two Oceans Marlin Tournament Mapelane Billfish Invitational Richards Bay Billfish Classic Onderberg Spesie Bonanza Albatros Club Comp/Mynmanne SGDSAA Rosebowl Interclub Durban SBC Interclub Interprovincial/Interzonal Richards Bay Bonanza Durban SBC Festival Marlin SBC Catch & Release All Inland & Mpumalanga Taratibo Club Comp Durban SBC Juniors Day Umhlanga Prestige Interclub Inhaca Challenge Interclub — Zinkwazi Gamefish Nationals, Zululand

68 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

HOST/VENUE Sodwana Bay Durban SBC Richards Bay SBC Suid Punt DSAC Mapelane Richards Bay SBC NDHK Albatros Durban SBC Durban SBC Shelly Beach Richards Bay Durban SBC Port Edward Mpumalanga DHV Taratibo HK DSBC NDHK Richards Bay SBC

DATE EVENT HOST/VENUE 6-7 June Interclub — Shelly Beach Shelly Beach SBC 8-13 June Guinjata Species Bonanza Guinjata 27-28 June Glenmore Ski-Boat Club Comp 6-10 July Hoedspruit Club Comp HDHK 8-11 July Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Festival Shelly Beach SBC 13-18 July SADSAA Bottomfish Nationals East London 20-24 July Junior Gamefish Nationals Shelly Beach SBC 25-26 July Interclub Bottom- & Gamefish Warner Doone 24 - 26 September Jozini Tigerfish Bonanza Sodwana HK Sea Pike Club Comp Pea Pike October Northerns Sailfish INterprovincial Sodwana 16 - 18 October LABA Club Comp Lowveld Angling BA 2-6 November OET Bill- & Gamefish Comp Mpumalanga DHV 16-20 November SADSAA Bi-Facet Billfish Nationals Mpumalanga DHV Billfish 15 000 INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS 29 March - 2 April FIPS-M Big Game Championships Angola 1-8 August European Boat & Lineclass Champs Scotland 24-30 September 62nd International Billfish Tournament Puerto Rico

HISTORY

by Graham Gradwell

Google Maps

Part 2:

New boats, new partners and new waters ...

IN the first part of this series in the November/December 2014 issue of SKI-BOAT, Graham Gradwell shared his experiences of fishing off Port Elizabeth in the 1940s and 1950s and the innovative craft they used. In this issue he continues the tale, venturing into the 1960s and 1970s.

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HAVE always believed that magic lives in the now. If I died, I would want my remains to become part of this land, this water, because there is a way in which the geography of one’s life makes its way into one’s bones. On one occasion I contemplated this while fishing with my late grandson, Roston, watching the stars spin with only the sky for a quilt.

Geography is destiny.

In the early 1960s I returned to Port Elizabeth after a short stint in Natal. A thumbing back through time and memory forces me to render some order to the events of my life — to say it began here, and then, because of this, that happened, and this is how the end connects to the beginning, and so here I am!

My mother always said that life was in the palm of my hand, so play and leave no part unexplored. I have spent my life living by her code, travelling beyond the borders of convention. So, where silk and steel failed, the fishing bug succeeded and I was always out looking for a new boat to buy.

JAY-BEE John Bain of John Bain Sports was a fine fisherman and had a 17ft cathedral hull boat designed for himself by Arthur Perry.

The boat was called Jay-Bee and John sold it to Curt Purslow (the Mercury outboard motor agent in Port Elizabeth) who subsequently sold it to me. It came with a 60hp Mercury and a 15 as a spare. The pounding I received from this boat ensured I had a problematic back from then on, but it would have been difficult to have found a better boat for making that bid for freedom through the breakers of Swartkops River mouth. Jay-Bee took on the waves like a fish to water.

My friend, George Swallow, and I were back at sea and catch-

St Francis Bay and the Kromme River mouth ...

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 71

ing fish with unmitigated success that set our pulses racing.

Black Bush was an excellent spot for cartwheels (big dageraad), and we certainly caught a lot of them. My biggest bottomfish was a 98 lb kob. I remember holding my rod in front of my body as though it were a protective device as I played and landed that fish. What joy!

Another favourite spot was Evans’ Peak, named after John Evans. On the way home from a successful day’s fishing at Evans’ Peak, I suggested to George that he drop a feather in the hope of catching katonkel. The words had hardly rolled off my tongue when his reel started screaming. He’d hooked a big fish which emptied his Penn 49 bottom reel.

I had a larger Ocean City reel, so out went another feather and within 60 seconds I’d had a strike. We couldn’t yet see what they were and, thinking back, I remember how everything swayed and shivered in that space. I eventually landed an 80 lb-plus yellowfin tuna.

This happened just beyond Jaheel Island and the following day, when Les Mallon and I overheard that there were tuna in the bay, we set off in a hurry, promptly catching eight tuna while trolling from the harbour wall to the bell buoy. The tuna did not come into the bay every year, but when they did, the fishing was memorable. As we were leaving the harbour I had a strike and landed a tuna in the harbour mouth. The irate Port Captain cannoned commands over the tower loud hailer, instructing us to move on and out of the way. I don’t think he’d encountered such enthusiastic fishermen before — and certainly not in the entrance to the harbour.

THE LURE OF ST FRANCIS Lunch at Hastie’s Sports always produced a range of inventiveness, advice and surprise. One day over lunch I was told about St Francis Bay Fishing Bungalows run by Leighton Hulett. The following weekend I booked a bungalow and off we went. St Francis was very quaint and virtually uninhabited at the time, with only two or three houses.

Leighton had brought a ski-boat with him from Natal, and when he invited me to join him at sea I jumped at the opportunity. The fish were abundant. On the third outing I caught a red steenbras of over 70 lb in the lighthouse bay area and the launching gully reef was teeming with fish. After that weekend, St Francis remained in the back of my mind and I bought

Graham Gradwell with three yellowtail caught off the Rij Bank, Port Elizabeth, off Jay-Bee. Google Maps

The author’s fishing grounds, the Eastern Cape coast between Port Elizabeth and Cape St Francis.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 73

the breakers. Hotdog had quite a soft ride compared to JayBee which had almost shaken me to pieces.

When George left to go and live in Graaff Reinet, Dave Morris became my new fishing partner. On our first day together, Dave hooked a dolphin in the dorsal fin with a Rapala while trolling for tuna. The undeterred dolphin continued on his sunset cruise and eventually, after our line was stretched to extremes, we cut it loose for fear of a lift off.

A leerie caught by the author in Port Elizabeth Harbour. a plot there for R750 from Leighton, expanding my fishing territory from Port Elizabeth to St Francis Bay. In the 1970s, I managed to get landmarks for the Rij Banks about 14 miles from Port Elizabeth Harbour. This was a good area for geelbek and yellowtail and at times you could fill a boat with yellowtail. The decision of whether to leave Jay-Bee in Port Elizabeth or take her to St Francis Bay hung over me like a dark cloud.

After much deliberation I set out in search of another boat for St Francis, which felt to me like the best of both worlds.

At St Francis I had fewer miles to travel for fishing that was just as good as in Port Elizabeth. Moreover, I enjoyed the atmosphere, the force of the Indian Ocean breaking gently and shelving powdery, clean white sand for beaches, paired with views that stretched to the horizon.

The bay offered all the bait you needed for bottomfishing just outside the river mouth — that is until commercial boats arrived — including squid and a bounty of catfish in the rock pools. It must have been one the finest fishing spots in South Africa and became my paradise.

HOTDOG Eventually I put Jay-Bee up for sale, and my quest for another boat led me to a mould for hire in Despatch which had a good entry with a wide, high stern. I built the boat and named her Hotdog. Fitted with two Yamaha 50hp motors, she proved to be an absolute winner in the sea trials, easing through the Kromme River mouth against an incoming tide and high waves as I worked my way down the river to a small waiting area in search of the right moment to launch her into 74 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

OSPREY 1 Over another one of those informative Hastie’s lunches, my fishing friends were enthusing about the new Ross Ski designed by Bill Ross of Port Elizabeth who was also an avid fisherman. I felt I had to have one, so I hired the mould and built Osprey 1, a 17ft long Ross Ski onto which I fitted Hotdog’s motors. She was a beautiful boat but needed more power, so I upgraded the two Yamahas to 75hp, which seemed to be the answer.

December was the best month of the year for tuna and the amount of fish we caught from 30kg up was astonishing, averaging between 16 and 18 daily. Back at the docks we used to lay them side-by-side with a notice reading: “Help yourself!” and within an hour they were gone. We did this with most of the fish from our catch, a “charity” event that was very well received during the early ’70s and ’80s by the locals and holidaymakers.

While filling up with fuel one day, I saw a client and friend of mine, Mike Beattie, who was in the process of buying a house in St Francis. I didn’t have a regular crew member and after a few discussions he decided to join me. One day we were out at sea off St Francis, catching squid for bait, when all of a sudden we saw fish leaping in the rock pools, their silhouettes fuzzy in the predawn, all along the coast to Shark Hut near the point. The bay was rotten with skipjack (springer) and the air smelt delicious!

This was where we caught our biggest tuna — a 62kg beauty — five metres off the rocks at the point, which made us the envy of most of the fishermen, both local and visiting.

Another friend, Neels du Plooy, was fishing with me one warm and windless day about five miles off the lighthouse, waiting for the tuna to rise. We’d stopped the motors and drifted our gossamer-winged Rapalas when suddenly he had a strike and I followed almost immediately after. We had each hooked a mako shark. This was good sport until they came to the gaff, at which point Neels suggested that we tow the two dark shadows through the mouth. They followed behind us for some time, like rudderless boats, before we lost both our Rapalas to their razor teeth.

During the 1970s the tuna runs were quite fantastic, especially during December, January and February. I don’t believe fishing could have been better anywhere else in Southern African waters.

One of the most amusing experiences I had was with Mike Beattie on a day when we were trolling for tuna halfway to the point. We had seen the tuna rise so we decided to go on standby. Our lures were drifting about ten yards behind the boat when suddenly both rods went at the same time and, to our surprise, we landed two snoek. Before long we had caught about 20! You would not have believed the state of our Rapalas — they were full of holes from these nibblers.

During all the following years we fished at St Francis we never saw them again. Leighton Hulett confirmed that he had also only seen snoek on a few occasions. He asked if I had eaten the snoek we’d caught and I responded that it had been the tastiest mashed potato I had eaten in a long while. I realised that it was the warm water which softened the flesh of the fish.

St Francis Bay always left me with hosts of unspoken longings hanging in the air like invisible stars in daytime. In those days St Francis Bay was a little fishing village and my memory of time spent there was like receiving a gift — a time spent free of the realities of the world.

Geoffrey Wanvig, SADSAA President SORTING OUT AFFILIATIONS T has been brought to my attention that, as a result of the actions of certain individuals, in some quarters there is confusion about the membership of club members affiliating to their provincial association, which in turn affiliates them to SADSAA. I will try to explain the organisational structures of SADSAA in order to eliminate this confusion.

In terms of the SADSAA constitution, clubs and/or provincial associations may not have a constitution that is in conflict with that of SADSAA’s. The SADSAA constitution records: In terms of Article 6 — Membership — that every member of an affiliated club must be affiliated to their provincial association which in turn affiliates them to SADSAA (see below).

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In time this clause was found to cause practical problems in certain clubs where these clubs, within their own constitutional structures, catered for a number of different sporting disciplines that are not specifically related to deep sea angling, e.g. yachting, power-boating, rock & surf angling, freshwater angling, etc. It was also found that some people had joined clubs just for the social friendship and camaraderie within the club and did not practise nor wish to be affiliated with any one specific discipline that the club catered for. They can only be classified as social members.

To overcome this anomaly, SADSAA council members passed a resolution that permits any club member who participates in any of the other sporting disciplines catered for by his/her club and who does not participate in deep sea angling in any way, nor owns a craft registered for fishing at sea, to be exempted from Article 6 of the SADSAA constitution.

These exempted members are not entitled to the privileges and benefits associated with the membership of SADSAA. As an example, if a non-associated club member happens to land a fish at sea that turns out to be a provincial and/or SA record, he/she will not qualify to claim this.

Affiliated member lists are maintained by SADSAA and are derived from the actual affiliation fees received annually from the provincial associations.

LAUNCH SITES AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT LEASE take note of two other items of interest to members in this issue of SKI-BOAT — the announcement regarding launch sites around the country (see page 7) and the list of safety equipment required on your boat when you launch in Moçambique (see page 61).

There are a number of differences in the safety requirements, so please check you have every item on the list.

P

SADSAA CONTACTS: Office phone: (012) 996-9007 Website:www.sadsaa.com

76 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

RESOURCE

Can we release our bleeding tuna?

Fish in the tuna family do bleed a lot, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be released.

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T’s a common misconception that fish that are bleeding will not survive being released, and therefore they should be kept in the boat.

The fact is that many of the pelagic species, particularly members of the tuna family, have a lot of blood and tend to bleed a lot, regardless of where they are hooked.

The concept of bleeding fish not being able to survive stems from situations where fish have swallowed the hook deeply enough to be hooked in the gills. When this happens and the gill rakers are damaged during the fight, fish will often bleed out and die. When fishing with artificial lures or baited circle hooks, we seldom hook fish in the gills, although it does happen, but many times fish are landed bleeding copiously from the mouth area.

78 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

As mentioned, fish from the tuna family have a lot of blood. In fact, blood can make up around eight percent of a tuna’s body mass. There are lots of blood vessels in the head area and a hooked tuna is liable to bleed, even when cleanly hooked in the mouth.

This does not mean that the fish is automatically going to die. Indeed, most of them could easily survive the experience. As with any other fish, if the tuna is well handled and returned to the water quickly, its chances of survival are excellent.

Studies in Canada show that the mortality of shoal-size Atlantic bluefin tuna after being released is surprisingly low. A study* was conducted using baited circle hooks on regular recreational fishing tackle. Fish were hooked in the mouth area, due to the use of circle

hooks, and released after being fitted with pop-up satellite tags. This enabled the scientists to monitor the survival rate of the fish.

Out of the 59 fish (weighing between 114kg and 455kg) released during the study, two died and four tags did not report which is a mortality rate of less than three-and-a-half percent.

These were decent fish, with an average fight time of over half-an-hour on the line. Of course, the survival figures would be lower for normal recreational fishermen, as the scientists handled the fish expertly and the fish were not removed from the water during the operation. The main point is that tuna can and do survive the experience of being caught and released, and if properly handled, will have a very good chance of survival.

by Craig Thomassen

A quick rinse before release makes for a better photo, and there will be less blood in the water to attract predators.

In South African waters at the moment, we have issues with sharks being attracted to boats and stealing hooked fish. This increases the chances of released fish being killed, as they will obviously be tired and become easy prey to waiting sharks. I would imagine that in places like Protea Banks the mortality rate of a released tuna would be a lot higher as a result of this.

If sharks are making a nuisance of themselves at a certain spot, then it makes sense to move. Not only are you likely to be losing tackle, but you are wasting fish as well.

When one fish is landed for every four or five taxed by sharks, it is frustrating for the angler and teaches the sharks that it is rewarding to hang around fishing boats.

With the decline in our fish stocks,

tuna species are starting to become an ever more important part of the catch in our recreational linefishery. They are good to eat and are always a welcome catch. They are under pressure from all sides, with longliners, trawlers and linefishermen targeting them daily in the world’s oceans. Faced with this reality, it is understandable that some folks figure there is no point at all in releasing a tuna as it is going to be killed by someone else anyway.

The main point here is that if you are having a purple patch on a day and are getting stuck into the tuna, it is not necessary to kill every fish that you catch simply because you believe that these fish cannot sur vive being released. Keep as many as you need, then release the rest.

The right way to do it would be to

flatten the barbs on your hooks once you have decided to release your catch.

This makes it easy to remove the hook, meaning that the fish spends far less time on the boat. Ideally, the fish should not be removed from the water at all if you plan to release it, and unhooking it in the water is much easier and quicker with barbless hooks.

Fish responsibly and remember that every single fish released can make a difference. Maybe that fish you’ve just caught is about to spawn and has a million eggs in its ovaries. One more day in the water could be the start of the whole next generation. * For the full text of the study visit <http://www3.carleton.ca/fecpl/pdfs/ Biol%20Cons%20%20Stokesbury%20et %20al%202011.pdf>.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 79

DEVELOPMENT

H

OEDSPRUIT Deep Sea Angling Club (HDSAC) once again hosted its annual Junior Development Competition at Sodwana Bay in the second week of July 2014. The maximum number of 20 boats competed in the event, with a total of 98 anglers of which 49 were juniors and 13 were ladies.

There were also 28 “ground crew” who all participated at the daily weigh-in. The weather unfortunately did not play along, with the Monday and Tuesday both blow-outs due to the strong winds and choppy seas.

The goals of this competition are to encourage a love of the sport amongst our youngsters; to teach them the rules and regulations of competitive fishing, as well as the importance of conservation and ethics in fishing; and to give the whole family a chance to participate in a competition together.

On the Monday morning, Protea angler Paul Borcherds hosted a “tackle box” for everyone, demonstrating various knots and techniques he has learnt while participating overseas. The juniors were given the opportunity to practise tying each knot, assisted by their skippers and with additional instruction from Paul, and our chairman, Sybrand van Vuuren.

It was wonderful to see how the older children patiently helped their younger siblings to master the techniques. The four most enthusiastic crews each received a voucher from Rapala to spend on new tackle.

On the Tuesday, everyone visited Shark Life for a talk and video on the importance of sharks in the eco-system, as well as a talk by Mary Peters of Ezemvelo about the proposed changes to fishing regulations at Sodwana and research relat-

by Sybrand van Vuuren

ing to the marine conservation area.

Afterwards, the juniors were given the chance to demonstrate the techniques they’d learnt on the Monday, and receive additional help with the knots they were struggling with.

Finally on Wednesday morning there was an opportunity for the boats to go to sea although the wind was still pumping, making most of the morning very uncomfortable. The competition was eventually called off for the day around 11am, with only a few small tuna being brought to the scales.

However, there were many stories to be told about the time spent rocking-and-rolling on the sea, resulting in plenty of “strafdoppe” — freshly-squeezed lemon juice from local lemons.

Everyone met up at the Jesser Point Boat Lodge lapa for a curry dinner on the Wednesday night, and a chance for anglers to catch up and compare their strategies for the following day.

Despite the weatherman’s promises, Thursday’s sea was still swept by the freezing wind. Armed with sea-sick tablets, the determined crews set off for a far more successful day, despite the choppy sea. Some very nice tuna of over 15kg were caught, with the largest — a beautiful 19.7kg fish — being caught by Eunice du Toit on Sea Queen. Thursday also produced the only king mackerel of the week and a sailfish which was tagged-and-released.

Friday morning on the beach was spectacular, with the huge super moon setting over the sand dunes, and the bright red sunrise over the sea. Once again the fish were biting, and most boats managed to bring home some tuna for dinner.

HDSAC groom the next generation of champion anglers

SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 81

Carol Wixley, on The Gaffer, hooked and landed a lovely wahoo of 22.7kg, earning her the Most Meritorious Fish and Lady Angler of the Tournament awards.

Five sailfish were also released.

Friday night’s prize-giving function was a very festive affair. Each junior there, including those that didn’t fish, received a medal for being a part of the competition, courtesy of Eden Fruits.

Those sponsors who were in attendance were able to hand out prizes to the winning juniors and boats, and each winner stepped away with an impressive collection of prizes.

The HDSAC/HDHK committee would like to thank each and every sponsor for the part they played in making the week such a success. We received so many compliments on the quality of the oranges (Eden Fruit), lemons (Overbrug Landgoed), grapefruit (Smit Sitrus), avocados (Henry De Pradines), dried mango and banana (Jaco Fivas) and macadamia nuts (Valley Macadamias Alkmar) we were able to hand out to each boat, courtesy of our Lowveld farmers.

The rods, reels and tackle from Abdul se Winkel, Solly’s Nelspruit, Angling & Outdoor World, Mrs Seevarkie, Andrew Jones and Cor van Niekerk were all met with much excitement, as were the tools and torches

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OVERALL RESULTS • • • • • • • • • •

Boat with Most Points: Little Joey Boat with 2nd Most Points: The Gaffer Boat with 3rd Most Points: Jexasha Boat with 4th Most Points: Lambada Boat with 5th Most Points: Twincut Boat with 6th Most Points: Satisfaction Boat with 7th Most Points: Sea Queen Most Meritorious Fish: Carol Wixley (The Gaffer) Lady of the Tournament: Carol Wixley (The Gaffer) Angler of the Tournament: Andre Faasen (Jexasha)

from Mallards, Maruleng Spares, BuCo, SupaQuick, Hoedspruit Staal, Obaro, Electric Centre and Bosbok Gas. Accommodation vouchers from Emnotweni Sun, FishTube.tv, Satisfaction, Durable, the Davels and Certainty will provide more holiday entertainment for the winners. The cutest kid received a pedal tractor and trailer from Laeveld Trekkers.

Also, grateful thanks to ABSA, Atlas Organies, Bark Enterprises, Capespan, Corrie Labuschagne, Daan Coetzer, Data Besproeiing, Distillers, Du Roi, Filter Dienste, FNB, Fort Coepieba, New Heights, Gerhard Klopper, X-Treme International, Greg Williams, Houers Kooperatief, IncoLabs, Jakkie Smith, Reel Screamer, Piet Jordaan, Koos le

• • • • • • • • •

Junior of the Tournament: Hardus Rothman (Little Joey) 2nd Junior of the Tournament: Jandre van Vreden (Lambada) 3rd Junior of the Tournament: JJ Engelbrecht (Satisfaction) First Tag & Release:Andre Faasen Heaviest dorado: None Heaviest wahoo: Carol Wixley (The Gaffer) Heaviest ’cuda: Inus Davel (Brangus) Heaviest tuna: Eunise du Toit (Sea Queen) Heaviest kawakawa: Stinus Breedt (Lambada)

Roux, Laeveld Agrochem, Limpopo Fruits, Nelspruit & District Angling Club, Nels Marine, Novon, NTT Hoedspruit, Ocean Trading, Palogix, Pick n Pay Hoedspruit, PME, Sam Botha, SKIBOAT Magazine, Stinus Breedt, Tom vd Meulen, VDV Vervoer, Yield, Potgieter Bouers, PS Printing, Protecta, Milton Stratford and McGee Ford. Without everyone’s generosity, this competition would not have been possible.

Finally, to our main sponsors — Manigo Toetsgronde, SS Security, US Trucks, Emnotweni Sun, Rapala VMC and MBB — our most grateful thanks.

We look forward to seeing the competition grow in leaps and bounds, and to meeting up with everyone again this year from 6th-10th July 2015.

THIS & THAT LOWRANCE LEADS INTO THE FUTURE

Erwin Bursik with Lucas Steward and Lizbeth Plotz.

— by Erwin Bursik LECTRONICS and the technology associated with these devices are far from my strong points. In fact, the only bit of equipment that I am any good at using is the sonar/GPS system on my boat — and even that has me somewhat befuddled. It’s not the dayto-day use of my Lowrance HDS10 that confuses me, but rather the information we are bombarded with in the context of the ever-evolving science that goes into these machines.

Speaking for myself, I’m really not that concerned about how all this technology works, but rather want to know what the bottom line is and what I can expect by way of improvements that I can see on the screen of my sonar/GPS. When Liz Plotz, MD of Lowrance SA, advised me that Lucas Steward, Product Line Director for Navico, USA, was going to be in Durban, I told her I would very much like to meet him — provided it was in a place where I could talk to him properly, not as one of a bunch of people vying for his attention.

I succeeded in spending over two hours with Lucas, sifting through his knowledge of both technical and on-the-water applications of their products, such as software conversions of transducer pulse recovery, CHRIP in relation to deepwater soundings, water clarity/density (i.e. fresh and salt) and, of great interest, his understanding of the “Insight Genesis” in respect of physical map upgrading.

Lucas was able to get me, a “techno dinosaur”, to understand that all the abovementioned innovations have been introduced to further upgrade the information we all glean from our onboard sonar/GPS units. He also managed to “teach” me in such a way that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This young man is certainly very clued up technical-

E

84 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

ly and has a tremendous amount of on-thewater experience.

In the next issue of SKI-BOAT magazine we will run a detailed article on the new Insight Genesis and explain how local offshore operators have been “rewriting” the maps on their personal sounders to more accurately show contour lines in the waters they traditionally fish, and to establish new fishing marks and bottom structure. This information can be shared generally as an upgrade to all navigation charts, or be retained solely for one’s own use to create one’s own personalised map.

Take, for example, everyone operating off Sodwana Bay. If they recorded the underwater topography while fishing normally and shared that information, just think how accurate maps would be and how much such a detailed map would assist all the offshore anglers who fish that particular area.

A big thank you to Lucas and Liz for the most informative few hours I have experienced in a long time.

Lucas also recently enjoyed the thrill of his first surf launch when he put Lowrance’s newly-launched Outboard Pilot system through its paces at Sodwana, showing its effectiveness even in rough conditions.

“The easy-to-use Outboard Pilot reduces the need for an angler to be dedicated to the wheel at all times. It frees them up from nonstop steering for other tasks and to enjoy some fishing,” he said.

After all the fishing it was the beaching which really got Lucas’s attention. “The craziest part for me was coming back to shore. I’ve never had to aim for land, never mind hit it at speed, and it was a relief to know the skippers knew what they were doing!”

For more information call Lowrance South Africa on (031) 368 6649.

INDUSTRY

T

HE Cape Town Boat Show, held in October, once again lived up to expectations. Taking place over two venues — the CTICC and V&A Waterfront Marina — and now in its 14th consecutive year, it has become South Africa’s and the continent’s favourite boat show with visitors flocking from across the country and from foreign ports.

The CTICC component encompassed more than 6 500m2 and, for the first time, brought in an outdoor element. Well-known TV chef Bertus Basson, of Ultimate Braai Master fame, gave daily demonstrations during the show, with his Marmite pork loin, barrel-cooked fish and braai pizza impressing show-goers.

Stand-up paddle boarding is a sport that continues to gain traction and this year the first Red Paddle/Boat Show Sprint Challenge took place on the canals on the Sunday morning before

VETUS

the show opened. Two lucky visitors to the show walked away with a prize of an SUP from Red Paddle and Coreban.

Sailing SA had a strong presence at the show. The body encompasses a wide range of non-powered disciplines and showcased their efforts to get more people on the water.

For the first time the dive industry also had a meaningful presence, and by all accounts, their efforts paid off. The Cape is home to some of the finest dive sites in the world, yet many Capetonians are blissfully unaware of the number of opportunities on offer right on their doorstep.

On the powerboating side the industry was well represented with several of Cape Town’s dealerships taking significant space. Atlantic Suzuki also offered potential buyers the opportunity to go for a test ride in the bay aboard one of their two ButtCats.

Down at the V&A there was a mag-

SKI-BOAT MAGAZINE

Items of Interest

nificent showing of luxury boats, yachts and catamarans. Few people know that the Western Cape is home to some of the world’s most respected catamaran manufacturers — and most of them had craft on display.

For the first time four Cape high schools participated in a rowing challenge, with Rondebosch Boys’ High paddling their way to victory and the grand prize of a boat, motor and trailer.

The NSRI and SAPS put on an extremely informative rescue demonstration in front of the assembled crowd. The sight of these two highly professional teams working side-by-side in total harmony, each with their own responsibilities, was a most comforting sight for those who spend their recreational or business time on water.

The 2015 Cape Town International Boat Show will take place at the V&A and CTICC from 9th to 11th October, so mark your diary now.

BOATING WORLD SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 87

ATLANTIC SUZUKI

BOATING INTERNATIONAL

GARMIN

MIYA EPOCH

NAUTI-TECH

MDM RAYMARINE

WPDSAA 88 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

CLUB MARINE

YAMAHA

LOWRANCE

MAXEL

RUTHERFORD MARINE

SMD

ACCESSORIES SPARES CENTRE

SOUTHERN POWER PRODUCTS

SAMSA

MARKETPLACE

Items of Interest

FISHING STORIES FOR AFRICA Reviewed by Erwin Bursik T is said that not all fishing stories are about fish, and as the years go by I am beginning to realise that this is, in fact, the truth. This was brought even more sharply into focus as I began reading Fishing Stories for Africa which was co-edited by Edward Truter and Martin Rudman.

This book is a compilation of stories by about two dozen different “story tellers” whose writings were carried in the pages of the Fishing and Hunting Journal which Bruce Truter used to publish. Bruce’s objective was to publish well-written stories that ethically conveyed the art, excitement and pleasures derived from “going fishing”, where words speak louder than pictures of dead fish. Whether it was from the banks of a trout stream, an estuary along the African coast, the beach or the rocks, or from a craft at sea, it was the essence of the experience that mattered and not the slab of fish flesh in the freezer.

Edward and Martin have carefully selected about 40 of what they consider to be the best articles and have compiled a book that will bring a lot of reading pleasure to anyone who enjoys angling. I have personally found inspiration in the well-written words and story lines in most of the chapters, even though few of them deal with my passion for open ocean sportfishing. The sensitive and descriptive writing had me riveted to all the forms of angling portrayed in the book.

The soft cover edition of the book is available directly from Martin Rudman at a cost of R250, including postage. Contact him via email <martinrudman71@gmail.com> or phone 082 330 3093. Alternatively, order online through Netbooks at <www.netbooks.co.za>, or <www.amazon.com>.

I

MARK YOUR DIARY

T

HE 2015 Guinjata Bonanza will take place at Guinjata Bay, Moçambique from 7th to 12th June next year. Full details will be available in the March/April 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine, but in the meantime, mark your diaries.

A NEW FLAGSHIP FOR RIVIERA

N

OW this is a boat! Riviera’s largest and most sophisticated cruiser in their luxurious Sport Yacht range, the stylish new flagship 6 000, has captured the hearts and minds of all those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her.

Apart from her good looks and sheer size, at 60ft Boating World’s Derrick Levy is convinced that her superbly solid ride, luxurious finish and entertainment appeal will be a huge hit among big boat lovers in Africa.

She’s perfect for cruising our rugged coastline with her sturdy hull (with large windows in every cabin) and new keel giving improved directional stability and tracking. This is one of the first Australian boats to have full joystick steering while underway, and it comes as a standard feature.

For more information contact Boating World on (021) 418 0840 or visit <www. boatingworld.co.za>.

BLOCK CORROSION SIMPLIFY....

ORROSION Block’s popularity is spreading far and wide as more and more outlets are stocking these products. Visit <www.corrosionblock.co.za> for contact details of all the shops in South African and Namibia which stock Corrosion Block. If there still isn’t a store near you, simply order online.

C

WINNER!

Our lucky 2014 Junior Angler of the Year, Ryan Pellew, received his 2.5hp Mercury motor from Mercury dealer Craig Wilson.

I

MTECH Marine now brings you the innovative Furuno GPS Plotter GP-1670/1870, as well as the GPS Plotter & Sounder GP1670F/1870F which will unquestionably simplify your journey with their manual-free, userfriendly interface and loads of state-of-the-art features.

High-resolution 3D, 2D and perspective 2D view are available, as well as detailed satellite images. Raster charts overlaid on the 3D shaded relief give an additional perspective, while abundant POIs (Points of Interest) will provide you with valuable information.

Easy Routing is a new intelligent feature which allows you to create a route easily with potential hazards being highlighted The GP-1670F & GP-1870F also have builtin fishfinders and the Bottom Discrimination Function adds another new perspective.

For more information or to locate a Furuno dealer near you, please contact Imtech Marine South Africa on 0861 123 555 or email <info.za@imtechmarine.com>.

A D V E R T I S E R S ’

SMALLS BOAT FOR SALE

ACE GLIDER 630 (2010 model) with 2 x 150hp Mercury DFI Optimax motors (counter rotating). Only done 328 hrs and 145 hrs. Includes beach kits, sound system, navigation lights, Lowrance HDS 7 fishfinder, fridge, front and back canopies, outriggers, Luna tubes, livebait well and double axle trailer.

Price: R495 000 Contact: Warren, Boating International Edenvale on (011) 452-8280 or email <warren@boatinginternational.co.za>.

BOAT FOR SALE

ACE GLIDER 750 Enclosed (2013 model) with 2 x 225hp Mercur y Optimax motors (only done 100 hrs), DTS controls, counter rotating props, SmartCraft gauges, beaching kits, Sonic Hub, Lowrance HDS 9 Touch, 1kW transducer, deckwash, Luna tubes, Scotty rod holders, fighting chair, electric winch and battery, full toilet with basin, fridge/freezer, livebait well, 29mHz and VHF radio, outriggers plus double-axle trailer with oil-filled axles and electronic braking system.

Price: R949 500 Contact: Boating International Cape Town on (021) 511-0220 or email <stefan@boatinginternational.co.za>.

DEADLINE for the March 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine is 21 January.

BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW! Phone Joan on (031) 572-2289 or Lyn on (011) 425-2052

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BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

Advertise your business here for just R860! (incl. VAT)

Contact Joan (031) 572 2289 or Lynette (011) 425 2052

to book your space now!

Booking DEADLINE for the March/April issue of

is 21 January 2015 96 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

DIRECTORY

SEA ADVENTURES Ltd. KENYA

Pat & Simon Hemphill. Kenya’s top scoring marlin skippers.

Tel: 09254 40 52220/52205 • Fax: +254 41 2227675 Website: www.bigame.com • E-mail: hemphill@bigame.com

KENYA

ForPhone the best results!

Erwin Bursik Tel: (031) 572-2289

ONLY R480 PER BLOCK! PHONE JOAN ON (031) 572-2289 NOW! SKI-BOAT January/February 2015 • 97

RAPALA LIP

“Y

OU’RE getting old,” he said. “Remember the old days when you used to run rings around me.

These days I have to stop and wait for you to catch up with me.” Spoken like a true gentleman.

As we continued our daily walk along the beach — our “constitutional”, he would call it — it gave me a little time to reflect. Well, yes, no one could deny that I was getting old, but then so was he. And, unfortunately (for me, that is), no one could deny either that while my old man used to struggle to keep up with me when we were younger, these days it was me lagging behind.

So what is it about the two genders that makes them change like this, over the years? Yes, I know that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, yadda, yadda, yadda.

The sound effects are punctuated with a “Jeez!” and a few expletives. “@!$%&*!§” he mutters,“look at my stomach!” I didn’t want to tell him I’d been looking at his stomach for the past twenty years. “And look at my hair — longer at the sides and balding on top. Nah ... something’s gotta change. See what you do to me? It’s the food you feed me!”

Ah well, they told me to recognise it when it came. The magazines have been full of it since Sigmund Freud determined that secret desires lay at the bottom of all these hysterical neuroses. What could his desires be? Yes, folks, the midlife crisis had arrived on my doorstep — with a vengeance.

So he began exercis-

Form gained and lost with a dash of Speedo ...

But why is it that age changes us so differently?

Have you noticed that there comes a time in their lives when men stop growing? And have you also noticed that at precisely this time, women start expanding? Men, now sporting a much different head of hair than twenty years early, often become leaner. They begin to lose their beer boeps, and start to take more interest in their appearance. For some it’s a second childhood.

Women, on the other hand, plod on and, yes, we do get a little ... er ... heavier.

But then perhaps we are entitled to after all those years of fighting the flab. But at least we maintain our sanity. For men, on the other hand, their second childhood is rather amusing to behold, if not quite hilarious. If they could only see themselves ...

The day breaks as before, and as I open my eyes there is the old man standing in front of the full-length mirror.

First he faces his reflection full-on and lifts his chin. Then he pulls in his stomach and flexes his biceps, but he can only hold his breath for so long, and as he turns side-on to the mirror, his breath escapes with a loud “whoosh”.

98 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2015

ing as if he was about to enter the agegroup Olympics, did as much outdoors stuff as possible, including deep sea fishing, of course. Being newly retired, at least it got him out of the home and out of my hair. But not for long enough ...

The old bugger used to stay at the club for a few hours and more than a few drinks after each fishing outing. Not anymore.

“Got to cut down on my drinking, y’know. It makes me put on weight,” he declared. I’m not surprised. An elephant would have put on weight with the amount he drank.

Then his late afternoons changed.

“Got to go to gym,” he announced one day. Yeah, right — and do what?

Pedal a bicycle on the spot? Push weights? Do sit-ups? The mere thought of it had me laughing into my first G&T. However, in the end the laugh was on me. Within a few months my old hubby was a changed man. No more beer, just two glasses of dry white wine.

No more braais, just grilled lean meat or fish. No more bread, just a ProVita or two. Though his smile had become rarer, his body was much leaner, his eyes brighter, his hair short against his head,

Last Word from the ladies

and he looked ... er ... quite good.

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, that’s what he was, like the Bob Martins dog.

Which brings me back to where I began this. As we were strolling down the beach one evening, after he had been to gym, he had told me that I was getting old. That I could not deny. My bones did creak, I did pant a bit after exercise, but to tell the truth, I was quite happy with how I was. And I didn’t need any midlife crisis to make me change my ways. We women experience something slightly different, and for sure, it doesn’t make us jump up and head for the gym.

So there we were, on the beach, my peacock of a husband showing off as if he was David Beckham at Wembley. He ran off ahead of me, then ran back, though avoiding returning right beside me. He stuck out his bum like a sixteenyear-old show-off, though if the truth be told, he didn’t have much of a backside.

Sixty-year-olds’ bums are usually as flat as an aircraft carrier’s deck.

He pulled in his tummy and pranced around in his Speedo, to the point that I even felt a bit embarrassed, as did a bevy of beautiful girls at the water’s edge, trying to concentrate on a photo-shoot.

Their self-conscious giggles did nothing to deter my Galahad as he flaunted himself for all to see. At that point I decided to sit myself down and take in the show.

Of course, he was quite oblivious to my presence as he performed for the pretty girls who, as it turned out, were finalists in a nationwide beauty competition. He touched his toes, stretched for the sky, did a few press-ups, and then a fly-past or two. Then it happened ...

As my athletic Adonis came trotting past the lasses, his Speedo chord came untied and — yes — with no bum to hold it up, his bathing costume slithered to his knees. The group of girls were facing the setting sun, backs to the waves, for their final shot of the day, and my now-naked husband stopped dead right in front of them.

Mouths dropped, young girls gasped ... and I’m sure the photographer got the best shot of the day. Then they broke into a laugh, causing hubby unbelievable embarrassment as he frantically pulled up his small Speedo and looked for me, one hand holding up his cozzie.

“Hey, old man, do it again ... please!” shouted one lass. And they all laughed again. His Rapala lip was second to none!

Well ... it was my old man’s Rubicon that day, and that night he demanded a juicy piece of steak with chips — “Leave the fat on” — and a few beers. These days he stays longer at the club, and — yes — the boep is back with us. And you know what? He is smiling again.

It’s nice to have him back.

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PRE-OWNED BOATS

Tom Cat 19ft FC with Walk Through (2010) 2 x 115hp Suzuki motors R479 000

Tom Cat 19ft CC 2 x 90hp Yamaha motors with trim and tilt R195 000

Gamefish 625 FC 2 x 115hp Mercury 4-stroke motors R349 000

King Cat 16.6 2 x 70hp Yamaha motors with trim R195 000

Unique 575 2 x 60hp Big Foot Mercury 4-stroke motors R295 000

Cobra Cat 625 2 x 115hp 4-stroke motors R249 000

Swift 575 2 x 90hp Yamaha motors R149 000

Swift 575 FC 2 x 90hp Honda 4-stroke motors R195 000

Sea Cat 510 2 x 50hp Yamaha motors with trim (129hrs) R189 000

Gamefish 625 FC 2 x 115hp Mercury motors R189 000

Citation 900 300hpYamaha 4-stroke motors (2013) R1.2 million

Gamefish 595 2 x 90hp Yamaha motors R289 000

Butt Cat 760 2 x 140hp Suzuki 4-stroke motors R780 000

Orion Cat 2 x 40hp Mercury motors R85 000

Gamefish 595 CC 100 hp Yamaha 4-stroke motors R385 000

Kosi Cat 16 2 x 60hp Bigfoot Mercury motors R159 000

WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! GO ONTO OUR WEBSITE TO VIEW OVER 150 BOATS THAT WE HAVE FOR SALE.