Telling Dirty Secrets. Getting to know Daniel Factor by Savs

When she came to pick me up I had caught so many fish that she couldn’t afford to pay for them and she insisted that I change from the spinning rod to a fly rod hoping that it would slow me down a little.

On my daily commute home there is a traffic light that I always seem to catch catch on red. I try my hardest to stare fixedly ahead of me but I inevitably turn my head to look out of the passenger-side window.

Between the Pakistani barber shop and a curry take away there is a tackle shop. The tackle shop has a 2mx2m shopfront window covered by a photo image of a young man in a trout stream holding a brown trout in his signature single-handed arms-length pose. Having to see larger than life images of other people catching fish while you dodge taxis is enough to piss you off - but when you meet the guy you can’t help but put that aside.

The man in the picture is Daniel Factor, Protea Flyfishing Team member and passionate ambassador of the sport.

Daniel will often call ahead of a visit to fish a KZN river and I’m always overcome by his genuine interest in how I’ve done recently; the fish I’ve caught or lost, how I went about fishing for them, the state of the rivers, flows and such. His interest is authentic and while next to someone of his skill and experience I’m a plonker of the most clumsy variety he treats what I say as being worthwhile. You just can’t help but to like the guy.

Dan has an attitude that is infectious and never does a negative word leave his mouth. We were very excited when we recently got the chance to speak to him.

(He’s also very honest. Oh brother, is he ever honest.)

FFM: Where did the whole flyfishing thing start for you?

DF: It was in two places, kind of. My mom used to take my brother and I to Footloose Trout Farm in Fourways. It was one of those places where you had to buy bait and fish for trout with spinning rods. One day I decided to use trout eggs and splitshot. When she came to pick me up I had caught so many fish that she couldn’t afford to pay for them and she insisted that I change from the spinning rod to a fly rod hoping that it would slow me down a little.

FFM: Did it slow you down?

DF: No. Not really. We went to Rainbow Trout Farm in Muldersdrift and I caught my first trout on fly - with my very first cast!

FFM: Bloody hell! First cast! Impressive!

DF: Yes, I went to the hatchery pond around the back, cast in and there were like thirty fish fighting each other to get to onto the fly.

FFM: looks around anxiously, wondering if this thing is going in the direction that he intended it to.

FFM: "coughs" OK, apart from hatchery ponds, if you could fish in dams or streams or the ocean or whatever which would you pick?

DF: Rivers. Rivers, rivers, rivers.

FFM: And if you had to pick one river to fish? DF: Just one? Where? Like anywhere in the world or just at home? One I’ve been to? One I'd like to go to? F

FM: Anywhere in the world. Any river. One you’ve been to, one you would like to go to. Whatever. Just pick one.

DF: Oh, ok. Bolivia for golden dorado for sure.

FFM: I'd love to go there b- DF: and also the Bushmans in KZN, the Eagle and the Blue in Colorado, the Ribnik in Bosnia and the Kraai in the Eastern Cape

FFM: That's some bucket list

DF: and the Soča in Slovenia.

FFM: Can't leave out the Soča. Competitive angling. Where did it begin for you?

DF: Dries du Bruyn of Gauteng North introduced me to the competitive side of the sport as a junior angler. From there I was invited along to fish with Gary Glen Young and Herman Botes.

FFM: What is it about competitive angling that you enjoy most?

DF: The travel. Meeting people from all corners of the world. I make absolutely no money out of it and I’m busy spending my children’s education doing it.

FFM: How long have you been competing?

DF: Jeez, around twelve years I think. I - no, I suppose around twelve. I started as a sixteen year old. I’ve done the local SA Champs, seven World Champs, a Commonwealth Games, Junior Worlds and an Oceania championship

FFM. Best memory while competing?

DF: Easy. The World Champs held in Colorado. I had a tough beat and the team game-plan just wasn’t working. I decided to change it up. Standing in chest deep water I caught four fish in the last fifteen minutes of the competition and finished in fourth place out of twenty-eight countries.

FFM: Most embarrassing memory while competing?

DF: Umm. Easy. Worlds. My Marshall didn’t understand a word of English. I told her that I needed a poo and she just stared at me. I tried to find somewhere private but she totally refused to take her eyes off me.

FFM: <thinks of something appropriate to say> Ha-ha. Don’t you just hate it when that happens? <hesitates before asking> So, like, what did you do?

DF: Pulled off my pants and, facing her, I pushed one out.

FFM: <rubs temples and changes subject> How many days a year do you fish?

DF: 200? I don’t know. 220? Probably. Maybe more. It’s hard to say.

FFM: Are you serious?. You’re married. How do you get that past your wife?

DF: Oh, thats not hard. I have the most supportive wife and without her nothing would be possible. It is important to find a balance and this is still something I am trying to figure out. I don’t think there is any other woman in the world that would be able to deal with me the way Jadey does.

You see, the trick is to be obsessed with fishing by the time you meet them and they won’t try to change you.

<fights back laughter and slaps thigh, wipes tears from eyes>

FFM: You clearly don’t understand women, but what advice would you give to people thinking of entering the world of competitive flyfishing?

DF: Stay away from the politics! No matter how good you are there is something to learn. Listen to the people around you and learn from them - the most complete anglers understand, are

competent and comfortable with all of the techniques - there’s no place for specialists here. Adapt to conditions. Know the techniques and spend the time needed to practice them. If there is a technique that you don’t know or are less confident with then that is the one that you should be practicing the most.

FFM: This makes a lot of sense. Do you have a particular mentor? Someone that you admire.

DF: French angler Grégoire Juglaret- I’ve loved fishing with him.

FFM: What do you do in those rare moments in the year when you aren’t fishing?

DF: I’m building my new business, X-Factor Angling.

I do corporate fishing getaways and guiding. I also do educational clinics in aspects like dry fly fishing, “Euro” nymphing, techniques for yellowfish, trout, etc. Between all of that I work as a representative for Pure Fishing SA

FFM: OK, we know that you had a hard hike up a Western Cape stream today, went shark diving yesterday,are going tuna fishing tomorrow and leave for the monster browns of Chile in a few sleeps time. <rolls eyes and sighs> One last question. If you were stuck on a desert island and could only choose one fly what would it be?

DF: Anything but a GUN. I believe that the weight of the fly is the most important factor. Choosing a correct weight according to the depth and flow of the river will affect the quality of the drift. With a good drift a fish will almost eat anything. Although I do believe the colour of the bead for specific conditions makes a difference.

For Bookings or enquiries contact Daniel on +27 (0)73 455 6575 or e-mail gfflyfishing@gmail.com