Ilan Lax

The New Year is upon us. I’ve been back at the office and my all to brief holiday seems like something from the distant past. All the best to all of you for 2020! A new decade beckons and with it many opportunities to make a difference in your own manner of choosing. Let’s hope we learn some of the lessons from the last decade.

Speaking of my brief break - walking back along the Bushmans River a fortnight ago, I and two other less experienced anglers were taken by surprise when a looming storm, which had seemed quite some distance away in the next valley, suddenly broke overhead with a vicious flash of lightning instantly followed by an huge clap of thunder. I quickly shouted over to the other anglers nearby to stop casting and lower their rods and also to keep as a low a profile as possible. The lightening continued for a short while as we hunkered down, as low the ground as we could. I thought the storm might pass quickly but it soon became clear that the rain gods had other ideas.

I suggested that we better beat a steady retreat back to the cottage and some dry clothes. While I was thinking about warm drink, as if being soaked to the bone wasn’t enough, it started hailing and the stones though not dangerously large were big enough to sting – thank goodness for a sturdy hat! The steady retreat became a more hasty one albeit with a somewhat slipsliding passage - reminding me of the famous Simon and Garfunkel song.

By the time we got back the river was the colour of fine bitter chocolate and had risen very quickly to a raging torrent. There was little point in fishing further. What a sound to fall asleep to later that evening after the glow of a warm fire and some of the amber fluid.

In the KZN Drakensberg, January is usually a time of thunderstorms and surging waters. This is part of nature’s cycle the strong flows cleaning out some of the old slime and depositing nutrients and food for the riparian eco-system. I’m told that the rains were particularly late this year and that we have yet to catch up on the average precipitation required to see us through winter’s dry spells. Thankfully parts of the Eastern Cape have received much needed rains and we can but hope that the rest of summer will provide the much need relief.

T h e n e w y e a r m e a n s r e n e w a l o f membership. Bronwyn Konigkramer tells me she has sent out most of the renewal letters and that many people have already paid their 2020 subscriptions. Thanks to all of you who have done so. This year we will be sending out virtual “print and cut out yourself” membership cards. There have been a hiccups with the system and Bronwyn has slowly but surely sorted out the gremlins. Not everyone who paid provided a proper identifying reference.

Not everyone who paid provided a proper identifying reference. If you have not received a membership card by Mid February please contact Bronwyn to make sure.

Our AGM this year will be in the Western Cape. We will provide full details shortly as soon as the arrangements have been finalised. We look forward to meeting our members based in the Cape and hope you can attend. 2020 promises to be a busy year – the campaign to protect the Mpumalanga Highlands from unsustainable land uses is in full swing, Peter Arderne can use as much help as you may be able to provide. Our river programs are going well and we are hoping to see the Eastern Cape region get going with something soon. All the other issues remain on the boil and will need our on-going attention.

All the best and enjoy the summer fishing.