Ski-Boat magazine January 2019 by Angler Publications

CONTENTS

January/February 2019 Volume 35 Number 1 COVER: GREAT CATCH! Jacqui Decker shows off her 112.2kg yellowfin tuna caught off Cape Point. See the full story on page 29.

FEATURES

Getting Licensed Is your skipper’s ticket legal? — by Carl Krause

Tropical Dream Come True 2018 OET Bill- and Gamefish Tournament — by Erwin Bursik

Game Plan Knowing what to do and when — by Jonathan Booysen

Prepping Dorado The best way to prepare the “chicken of the sea” — by Erwin Bursik

Fish of a Lifetime Magnificent record tuna caught in the Cape — by Jacqui Decker

The Future has Arrived Introducing the all new Mercury 225hp 4-stroke — by Erwin Bursik

Women on the Water Getting to know some SA legends — Lynette Adams, Lynn Beattie, Mearl Buyskes, Arlene Joubert, Joelle Searle, Sue Tapson, Joey Terblanche and Dorothy Uys

Save Yourself a Headache Preventative maintenance on your marine pump — by John Frankiskos

Back in the Day... Fishing off Durban in the 1950s — by Clive Olivier

Handlining Yellowtail Part 1: History of the men and their boats — by Johan Smal

Ultra Light Records Catching white marlin on 2 lb line — by Stuart Simpson

DEPARTMENTS 8 32 45 47 67

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik SADSAA News & Views Subscribe and WIN! Kingfisher Awards Reel Kids

70 69 72 72 73 74

Mercury Junior Anglers Smalls Ad Index Business Classifieds & Directory Rapala Lip — Last Word from the Ladies

The official magazine of the South African Deep Sea Angling Association

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Publisher: Erwin Bursik Editor: Sheena Carnie Advertising Executive: Mark Wilson Editorial Assistant: Vahini Pillay Advertising Consultant: Joan Wilson Accountant: Jane Harvey Boat Tests: Heinrich Kleyn Contributors: Lynette Adams, Lynn Beattie, Jonathan Booysen, Erwin Bursik, Mearl Buyskes, Jacqui Decker, John Frankiskos, Hilton Kidger, Carl Krause, Arlene Joubert, Clive Olivier, Joelle Searle, Stuart Simpson, Johan Smal, Sue Tapson and Dorothy Uys. ADVERTISING – NATIONAL SALES: Angler Publications Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 Joan Wilson (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 ADVERTISING – Gauteng & Mpumalanga: Lyn Adams — 083 588 0217 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 Subscriptions to SKI-BOAT: R180 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: jane@mags.co.za • Through www.anglerpublications.co.za, or E-zine through <www.issuu.com> 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 2019

EDITORIAL

STIRRING UP THE COMPETITION

HE year ahead is a lot more important than the year gone by. We can’t change the past, but with dedication and effort changes can be made to the future. With this issue of SKI-BOAT magazine, technically being the first of 2019, even though it gets distributed on 17 December 2018, it gives me the opportunity to wish all our readers and the entire deep sea angling community both a very merry Christmas and a festive New Year on behalf of all of us at SKI-BOAT. With this comes the hope that the entire marine industry as well as all ski-boat anglers will enjoy a fruitful and action-filled 2019. Erwin Bursik The new year also brings with it a large numPublisher ber of fishing competitions that will allow the competitive anglers in our fraternity many opportunities to show their abilities as well as enhancing their personal CVs for use when nominating for higher honours than they have already attained. It is true that competitive offshore anglers are a minority in terms of active offshore fishermen, but their presence among us not only stimulates active participation in competitions but also provides the rest of us with insight about new innovations gleaned from fishing both in South Africa and overseas. This knowledge enables the more passive among us to update our skills and catch more fish. South Africans generally have a desire to be competitive. As a nation we look up to those who achieve the country’s highest honours — a green and gold blazer — whether it’s a Protea or Springbok award to any sportsman or woman; that’s the ultimate accolade. Often after decades of climbing the proverbial ladder to success of one’s chosen sport the recognition bestowed on one by one’s peers is an honour that no one can understand if they haven’t already achieved it. Those of us involved in the sport of deep sea angling acknowledge and honour those among us who have achieved the Green and Gold and rush to congratulate a newcomer to the “club”, watching excitedly to see how that person and their team performs. Whilst it is every competitor’s aim to win, the mere fact that one is competing against 15 or 20 teams of international acclaim and doing well is fantastic but the fundamental honour is the fact that one is competing. Pictured here is the South African Protea Team — David Saaiman, Dwayne Viviers and Robin Vermaak — which recently fished the prestigious 65th International Billfish Tournament in Puerto Rica and ended up in third overall position. This is a fantastic result of which we are all very proud. As exciting as it is to be awarded “Bok” Protea Colours, each competitive angler who received that honour had a long journey to get there. They have to work their way up from club level to interclub to interprovincial to finally receive their SADSAA Colours; it’s a tough road, yet one that’s strewn with excitement and the opportunities to make great friends and learn more and more each step of the way. Why not make a pledge to yourself that during 2019 you will embark on this road by starting to fish competitively. The fun, excitement and knowledge gained all stand you in good stead at social events and provide you with a huge store of memories and exciting anecdotes with which to enthral others around the proverbial “camp fire”. As some added incentive, in this issue we run a feature on some of the competitive South African women anglers who have worn the green and gold. Their stories are bound to inspire you. Till the next tide

Erwin Bursik

LEGALITIES By Carl Krause, SADSAA National Safety Officer

ROM AS far back as I can remember, any person who took a craft to sea in the capacity as “skipper” was required to have a “Skipper’s Ticket” or licence to do so. In the mid 1950s the few deep sea angling clubs that were in existence either had their own clubs’ skippers’ tickets or, in the Durban Area, the Port Captain instituted specific requirements that had to be incorporated into the club’s rules. Thereafter, following the formation of the South African Ski-Boat Association, efforts were made to ensure that all crafts’ skippers were licenced throughout South Africa and that stringent requirements came into force regarding the issuing of competency certificates. These could only be issued after skippers had undergone intense practical and theory training and had indeed

GETTING Is your skipper’s ticket legal?

proved themselves to be competent skippers. When the current national authority — South African Marine Safety Authority (SAMSA) — was introduced under a national government decree and legislation, all the different “skippers’ tickets” were technically made redundant and their version of “grandfather clauses” with a specific time frame resulted in one uniform skipper’s ticket being used nationwide. As happens with so many regulated

documents, a great number of “licensed skippers” either never became aware of the new requirement or adopted the stance of “I have my skippers ticket and have been taking a boat to sea for 10, 20, 30 years, so why must I change now?” It’s a reality that we live in an era of stringent controls in most aspects of life, and the requirement to have the right SAMSA Skipper’s Ticket to take a craft to sea is one of them. In recent months I have had hun-

NEED UPGRADING ASAP TO SAMSA FORMAT

None of these variations are acceptable as legal skippers tickets. They need to be converted to the proper SAMSA format, and categories and endorsements must be shown.

10 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

LICENSED dreds of queries about which certificate/skipper’s ticket is now valid. For ease of reference, in this article we have shown examples of which “old” tickets are now obsolete, and have also provided photos of the only tickets that are now legal in terms of SAMSA legislation. Note the endorsements and wording. With the new necessity to have a VHF radio aboard all sea going craft and a licensed operator/skipper aboard a craft going to sea, it is likely that the

authorities will be doing a lot more checking of craft both for sea worthiness and also to see that skippers have legitimate skippers’ tickets and VHF operation certificates. Please note that SAMSA are appointing law enforcement officers to do the necessary checking of COCs and radio licences as well as COFs and buoyancy certificates. Insurance companies and financial institutions are also asking to see the correct documentation before they will cover or finance a boat.

Many of the old licences have categories that have changed with the inception of the new system and a few skippers are being caught out with wording that does not enable them to practice their sport and recreation at certain water distances out to sea. Endorsements were never placed on old skippers’ licences, but today it is essential to have the correct endorsements, especially for insurance claims and in case of accidents under investigation. If you are not sure about your licence you are welcome to e-mail <safety@sadsaa.co.za> and we will help you figure out whether your ticket is legal and, if not, how to upgrade. It is a paperwork trail and another expense, but if you think of the value of your craft and your boating safety, it’s worth getting legal now. To avoid possible prosecution, you must also ensure that all the necessary paper work and licences are in the possession of the skipper of any craft going to sea.

SAMSA ACCREDITED FORMAT

Acceptable — New SAMSA Category B skipper’s ticket with surf endorsement

Acceptable — current Category B skipper’s ticket with surf endorsement.

Acceptable — New SAMSA Inland Category R skipper’s ticket.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 11

COMPETITION

WITH THANKS

• Albatros • B.O.L.S Hengelklub • Benetrax Machinery • Big Catch • Black Diamond Vehicle Components Close Up Mining • Cross Country • Dagga Boat Angling Club DBA • Dancing Feather • Diageo • Dolos (Oom Attie) •Highveld Mall • Heineken • Hoedspruit Diepsee Hengelklub • iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority • LABA • Leatherbacks (Sodwana Bay Lodge) • Makita • Mallards Marine • McGee & Co Lydenburg National Luna • Nelspruit en Distrik Hengelklub • Nemo Dive Charter & Accommodation • Nico Zaaiman

FOR SPONSORSHIP

• • • • •

Buco — Middelburg • Buco — Nelspruit • Camp Ross Ramos — Inhaca Island • Certainty Lodge & Safaris Eventus Sitrus • Fishing Pro Shop • Flametech — Trichardt • Garmin SA • Grimbeek Taxidermy • Grip Hooks Japie & Jason Strydom • Jesser Point Boat Lodge • Jormid Electrical • KMSHK • Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife MCON Construction • Mega Lube / Nwabu Lodge • Mercury • Mojo & Squidnation Teazers • Mpumalanga DSAA Paul Borcherds t/a Pro Rig Sport Fishing Tackle • Pencox Auto-Air • Penn Fishing Tackle • Pienaarbros / UVEX

Team Maestro took second place overall. By Erwin Bursik

ROPICAL Dream charged triumphantly through the surf at Sodwana Bay on Friday 9 November 2018 with the double red tag-and-release flags and two green flags proudly displayed from her starboard outrigger. Her final slide up the beach was as grandiose as Kobus

Sutherland could make it and his crew disembarked from their craft with smiles that said it all. Apart from the stringent formalities still to be passed at the final day’s weigh in, it was apparent to all that Tropical Dream’s two striped marlin released that day would make them the winners of the 2018 OET Mercur y Bill- and Gamefish Tournament.

Third place went to Team Sea Ducer.

Team Bullship took fourth place overall.

Team Stefi-Joe took fifth place overall.

WITH THANKS FOR SPONSORSHIP

Piet Retief Olie Depot — STIHL Vryheid • Pulsator Lures • Rooikat Wholesale Liquor • Rothman Motors TWK Sea Pike Hengelklub • Seevarkie Guesthouse • Ski-Boat magazine • Sodwana Hengelklub • Sodwana Hengelklub Specialised Security Services • Star Brite • Stinus Breedt • Success Maintenance & Lifting Services • Sunset Boats • T-Line Taratibo • Tropical Dream Tackle • Turbo Paneelkloppers • Two Summers Electrical • Van Dyk Pharmaceuticals Vodacom • Wild Coolers • Willem Pretorius • Wokini Guest House & Game Farm • Zaen-Mari

Now in its 41st year, those of us who religiously take part in this event have one ambition and that is to mount the dais in the huge marquee to the rampant sound of “We are the Champions” and be awarded the magnificent prize of two Mercury 4stroke motors. This year it was Kobus Sutherland and the crew of Tropical Dream who were acknowledged as the Champions. They subsequently received from Francois Human, Mercury’s Technical Manager, the two Mercury motors that had taken pride of place up front in the marquee during the entire week of this, the most prestigious event on South Africa’s offshore angling calendar. Whilst the tangible prizes they won and the specially minted medals hung around the necks of all the team members will fade into the mists of time, Tropical Dream’s achievement will live on in the halls of OET fame. During early November 2018 all who had entered this very special competition became focussed on the digital weather map and forecast for the five days from 5 to 9 November 2018. They were hoping that the forecasts were wrong and the horrific weather predicted for most of the week would disappear into the ether — or wherever these prognostications came from. Sadly, this time the predictions were largely correct, and even though we fished two and a bit days of the five it was only on the Friday that it was “lekker” to be out on the ocean. The sad message from the weather committee on its WhatsApp group “Called off for today, wind gusting 21 knots at the Point and a ver y dangerous surf,” put paid to the Monday and Tuesday. Early on Wednesday the south westerly that had come through during the night had abated a bit and about half the fleet headed to sea. Unfortunately that was a mistake, as those of us who were out there experienced terrible sea and wind and the comp was called off about 9.30am. The boats were largely fishless, with only a few gamefish being weighed in. The weather gods were still not on our side on the fourth day with a very strong land breeze in the morning swinging around to the dreaded south easterly (Poison Wind) blowing moderately hard until lines up was called at 3pm after an extra hour of fishing was allowed. The ice was finally broken early on Thursday as Mrs Seevarkie reported the hook up and release of a sailfish. It was interesting that while three blue marlin and a striped marlin were released that day a number of good sized yellowfin tuna were also reported. One of these was a “nice yellowfin on board” modestly reported by Oom C–Breeze which turned out to be a magnificent fish of 78.3kg caught by Francois Bezuidenhout. Yellowfin tuna in the 30kg-plus category have hardly ever been recorded during the history of the OET, yet on day four of the 2018 tournament five big tuna weighing 26kg, 36.7kg, 43.5kg, 44.7kg and 78.3kg were landed. However with the following day’s virtually ideal conditions and the entire fleet pulling lures for nine hours not a single big yellowfin tuna in this class was caught. Makes one wonder why the catch statistics vary so much. Take, for instance, the final and almost perfect day on the ocean with the entire fleet of 50-plus craft trolling lures — why was it that only two marlin were released and those from the same boat? Not many marlin were raised into the spreads and I only heard of very few other billfish being hooked and lost. With sea conditions good — apart from the reverse current and dull blue water colour — most of us predicted a tally of at least ten to 15 billfish would be released. To end up with only two that day makes me realise just how little we really know about this sport of ours. How can the groot dam be so leeg van vis when the day before there was an abundance of small gamefish as bycatch and five billfish? Although the fishing was nothing to write home about, what did impress me 16 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

TOP TEN TEAMS 1. Tropical Dream . . . . .200.00pts 2. Maestro . . . . . . . . . . . .113.70pts 3. Sea Ducer . . . . . . . . . .111.20pts 4. Bullship . . . . . . . . . . . .105.50pts 5. Stefi-Joe . . . . . . . . . . .100.00pts 6. Oom C-Breeze . . . . . . .85.20pts 7. Aye Ya Yai . . . . . . . . . . .76.00pts 8. Mrs See Varkie . . . . . . .57.40pts 9. Jasper . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47.70pts 10. Go Boy Go . . . . . . . . . . .44.70pts was the wonderful camaraderie of those who attended the 2018 OET Mercury Bill- and Gamefish Tournament. The welcoming function, daily happy hour and indeed the final prize giving were all fully attended. And although one would have expected a degree of disappointment at the conditions and lack of fish we experienced, the “happiness” felt during all this period proves that there is more to fishing than just fish. Once again, Nico Zaaiman, the OET President and his competition committee did an incredible amount of work behind the scenes as well as setting up the marquee and decorating it with all the banners, flags, bunting and vendors stalls to make it, in my opinion, one of the best we have experienced at any OET. The table cloths emblazoned with the Mpumalanga Deep Sea Fishing Association’s logo and that of SADSAA raised the bar, so to speak, to confirm that the OET is much, much more than just an annual association fishing competition. MC Chris Rothman was superb at all the official functions, ensuring that they were not dragged out and that the correct level of sincerity was struck regarding the overriding status of the event, yet never forgetting the fun side and camaraderie necessary to ensure all those present would be keen to return in 2019. Men like Jan Strydom, Edwin Freeman, Sam Botha and many others put their hearts and souls into the organising and executing of the OET and should be acknowledged for their immense dedication and attention to detail. Very early on the day following the prize giving I collected my banners from the 95% emptied marquee. Only then did I realise the enormity of what went into making this empty shell the vibrant spectacle it was the previous evening. On this subject, one must never forget the input, both in terms of prizes and visual displays, that the OET sponsors make to an event such as this competition. Sponsorship by the Platinum and Gold Sponsors as well as each and every one of the smaller sponsors, combine to make this annual event the wonderful experience it was this year as well as the preceding 40 years. The participants should be aware of this and are encouraged to support those who have backed our OET; let’s prove to the sponsors in a tangible way that their support of angling is truly appreciated. As anglers we can bleat about the weather conditions, we can cry about the marlin not wanting to strike, we can be upset about tackle or equipment failures, but none of this ever makes us think of striking this event off our personal competitive competition calendars. The OET is ingrained in the heart and soul of all OET-ers; it is part of their angling lives, and I sincerely hope it stays that way well into the future. Mark your November 2019 diary with “OET Sodwana” and highlight it in yellow, for it is one that should not be missed. See you there.

The two Tropical Dream lures that won the 2018 OET.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 17

TACTICS

GAME PLAN Knowing what to do and when…

By Jonathan Booysen

O you’ve gone to the tackle shop and stocked up on all the terminal tackle that you need, now you are ready to get out there and fish. But where should you start? When you decide to go out to sea, it is important to have a game plan to keep you focussed on the goal that you wish to achieve — catching some quality fish. Too often I have heard people say 18 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

that they are going out to catch “anything that bites”. Their boats resemble porcupines thanks to the number of rods on board — spinning rods, game rods and jigging rods in the gunnels, an assortment of 80 lb marlin rigs in the fighting chair and a couple of bottom rods with Scarboroughs on in the T-top. To make things worse, these are often the same boats that return empty handed, having only succeeded in converting fuel into foam. Experience obviously plays a very

important part in a successful day’s fishing, so for those new-comers to the sport, it might be more challenging. WHERE TO START: There are two acronyms to remember when formulating a game plan. The first, and probably the most important, are the five Ps — Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. The second is KISS — Keep It Simple, Stupid. In following the 5 Ps, the very first thing that you need to do is start gather-

ing information on current local conditions. This information is readily available from club locals, social media, local tackle shops and fishermen who have returned from the water with a few fish. A network of people with local knowledge is one of the most important sources of information one can have. When I plan a day on the water I start by checking the weather forecast for wind, air pressure, swell, then I take a drive to the lookout point to see what the water conditions look like. Something simple like looking at which way the ships are lying on their anchors can tell you what the current is doing. All these small bits of info will help you make the right call. Now that you know what conditions to expect you can make an educated guess at to what species you should be targeting. Here again you need to do your homework. It might sound obvious, but to have a realistic shot at catching some good fish, you need to target those species that are most likely to be around at the time that you are planning your trip. Here again, local knowledge is key. A good tip is to go to your local fishing club and page through the catch return on the launch register. Another good way to decide on what to target is by looking at log books from the same month in the pre-

vious year. As you become more experienced and learn about what season brings what species around, this challenge becomes easier. When you fail to nominate a target species several things happen. Firstly, the boat gets overloaded with unneces-

“ Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance ” sary tackle which ends up just being in the way. Secondly, you begin to doubt if you are doing the right thing and question whether you are wasting time; this leads to chopping and changing of

ideas. In my experience this is the beginning of the end and quickly snowballs into a frustrated crew and often empty hatches. As you have probably guessed, this is where the KISS acronym comes in. The trick it to keep fishing simply to make decisions easier. Over the years I’ve learned to limit the number of targets to a maximum of two species (unless you are fishing in a species tournament). Choose species that are found in a similar area and which require similar gear to catch them. Even better is when you can fish for both species at the same time. A classic example is when trolling for Natal snoek and ’cuda. You can troll both snoek baits (fillets and redeyes) and ’cuda baits (livies and sardines) at the same time in the same area, on the same tackle. Similarly, you can target bottomfish and put out trap sticks on balloons for ’cuda. When you have decided on the target species, all your efforts become focused on one goal. You have limited gear on the boat, fewer rods in the way, less bait that goes to waste, you know what area to focus on and all the “What if ”, “Shouldn’t we”,“Don’t you think” uncertainty is removed from the equation. By implementing the 5 Ps and KISS approaches to your fishing day, most of the time you will be successful — especially when you’re looking for trophy size fish.

Your storeroom might look like a tackle shop but there’s no need to take it all every time you go fishing!

SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 19

IN THE KITCHEN

PREPPING DORADO The best way to preserve the “chicken of the sea” By Erwin Bursik

OLLOWING the highly acclaimed article by Dar yl Bartho on how to best prepare freshly caught king mackerel for cooking in the May/June 2018 issue of Ski-Boat magazine, we ran another article by him showing his method of filleting a yellowfin tuna to maximise the use of valuable fish flesh for sashimi and to braai. This time he shows us how to fillet dorado. Some of the methds might surprise you, but there’s no doubt Daryl’s a master at this ... Serving freshly caught fish that has been “professionally” filleted and properly cooked is a special treat, and one only has to view the prices asked by most leading restaurants for their “fresh fish of the day” to establish the value of the ’cuda, tuna or dorado you have just harvested from the ocean. With that in mind we hope this series of articles will help you make the most of that valuable commodity. Every time he has a conversation about the preparation of freshly caught fish Daryl reiterates that the delicate fish cutlet, the thinly sliced tuna served sushi-style or a pan-fried sirloin of dorado starts its path to perfection from the moment the fish is gaffed. From then onward the handling of the fish is paramount. Treat it with the utmost respect to ensure that the f lesh portions obtained after filleting are in as pristine a condition as they can possibly be. Start with the gaffing — a clean, sharp gaff thrust into the head area of any fish brought right alongside your boat is the best way to start the process of harvesting quality fish from the ocean to the dinner table. Secondly despatch the fish as soon as possible to prevent it from thrashing about on the deck and bruising itself and mushing up at least one flank of its body. SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 23

2. 1 & 2. Using a sharp knife, make a cut just through the skin as shown. 3 & 4. Start filleting the flesh off the bone. Keeping the skin on makes this a whole lot easier than it would be otherwise. 5. The top fillet still with the skin on.

Note the small forward fillet as circled in pics 3 and 5 which is normally discarded by most and which is actually the choice bonus bit.

5. Finally, and most importantly, cool the fish as quickly as possible by placing it in a “kill bag” or fish hold containing a good quantity of crushed ice or a number of bags of ice cubes. A kill bag is by far the most efficient way of keeping your fish cool, because the catch can remain in this insulated bag right up to the moment the fish is placed on the filleting table for final processing. 24 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

LET’S START FILLETING When Daryl removed two dorado from a kill bag that had been caught the previous day and placed them on the filleting table at Bartho’s Fish Shop in Durban North they were in perfect condition to start the process. Using clean dry wipes Daryl fully removed the remaining flakes of ice and thoroughly dried the entire already gutted dorado before making the first

incision with a very sharp knife. To maximise the amount of perfect fish flesh he sliced through the skin only (see pic 1) before commencing the filleting processing. Daryl starts at the forehead of the dorado and peels off the fillet from the top of the fish back toward the belly area. No, he does not first skin the dorado as so many of us usually do. His reasoning is that having the skin

9. 11.

10. 6. Side two — Note the skin is on and Daryl is working from under the backbone. 7. Almost finished. 8, 9, 10. Now to remove the skin using a flat-bladed skinning knife. 11. Both fillets after skinning. 12. Suggested portions. 13. Perfectly packed up before being wrapped. 12.

still attached aids the filleting process in that the flesh still adhering to the skin is held in place while the entire fillet is peeled off as close to the fish’s spine as is practical. Secondly, when the skin is ripped off it leaves behind the inner lining of the skin. This almost lattice-like lining, while technically edible, does not make the final fillet or cutlet look all that appetising. A further factor is that

13.

when you’re skinning with a “big pull” a large number of the minute scales on the outside of the skin are dislodged and tend to end up on the flesh and the surface on which you are working. After the two fillets have been removed they are placed skin down on a clean, dry cutting board. Using a long, flexible, flat-bladed filleting knife, starting at the tail end by holding down the last few millimetres of the fillet, the

knife is slid forward toward the head section, perfectly separating the fish from the skin. With these two firm, beautiful fillets ready for portioning and packing, the final task is to ensure there are no little scales on the fillets. Portioning is obviously an individual preference, but as he is packing for display and sale Dar yl packs slices of approximately 200g per portion as this SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 25

is the accepted norm by folk purchasing this valuable and extremely tasty protein. From the photographs alongside you will have noticed that the filleting extends right up to the top of the dorado’s head. In that section there’s a nice little fillet of soft, tasty flesh, so it’s a pity to toss it away with the carcass. According to Daryl it’s a fish cake portion, but when we tried this at Sodwana with a piece from a bull dorado it was perfectly delicious panfried. In the early years we considered dorado as trash fish because of its “snake skin” and mushy flesh — largely as a result of lying on a hot, open deck all day — but now it’s deemed to be one of the best, if not the best fresh fish to eat. Seared, pan fried in butter or batter and even baked it is simply delicious. A final note from Daryl is that when cooking dorado please ensure you treat this delicate flesh with gentle loving care as over cooking it will detract from its soft texture and delicate taste. Whilst it’s best eaten straight away, dorado can be kept for short periods of time if the fillets are vacuum packed or well sealed in a heavy duty plastic bag before freezing. Enjoy! For further tips on preparing fresh fish visit <www.barthosfishco.co.za>.

26 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

QUICK TIPS FOR SUBDUING DORADO As we all know, when a dorado lands on your deck it thrashes around furiously. Daryl’s method of subduing the fish is to immediately cover its eyes with a cloth and then, as shown in the photos below, “brain it” with a spike or long nosed pliers placed in the area behind the eye. A knife is not as effective as I proved at Sodwana recently. A quick and efficient kill will prevent bruising of the fish’s flesh and possible injury to the crew or craft.

FOR ALL YOUR SEAFOOD REQUIREMENTS OR KILL BAGS VISIT BARTHOS SHOP IN DURBAN NORTH OR <WWW.BARTHOSFISHCO.CO.ZA> OR PHONE 031 563 7534

TOP CATCHES

Magnificent record tuna caught in the Cape

By Jacqui Decker

N Tuesday 9th October 2018 the weather conditions were perfect for yellowfin fishing. The Sunday before we had made the trip out to the deep but had only found longfin tuna, not the first yellowfin tuna of the season that we were looking for. With the aim of getting in a bit of fishing time before the Cape Boat and Ski Boat Club’s 50th October Tuna Invitational Competition and hopefully a yellowfin tuna, my husband, Gareth, our friend, Clinton Sassman, and I had all taken the day off work. After launching our Sea Cat 565 Mahi Mahi at Millers Point at the site of the Cape Boat and Ski Boat Club, and with the sun peeking over the horizon, we soon arrived at Cape Point. A bit of early morning spinning ensued, and within a short space of time we had four nice sized yellowtail on board. We then made the run to the Canyon about 25 miles south of Cape Point. After heading on a course of 240 degrees, we found a lot of ski-boats and poling boats sitting in 16.9°C water. We spent an hour trolling the area without success, but we had seen one or two guys sitting on big tuna, so we knew there were fish in the area. We decided to begin baiting, and within 45 minutes Gareth went vas on a good yellowfin tuna that took about 40 minutes to land It was a nice fish of 80kg and we were stoked to have a good fish on board. It was then my turn to bait. With the finder showing good echos below I watched a beautiful looking yellowfin take my bait and it was FISH ON! I knew it was a big fish by the speed the line was peeling off; with a strike drag setting of 10kg, the ratchet was screaming.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 29

The fish began the fight on the surface before diving, and when he had peeled off a large amount of line from my Tiagra 50W he did a U-turn and came flying back up the line! I had to reel for my life to try to keep the tension on the line. He then surfaced and went down again, putting a huge bend in the Profile tuna stopper rod. We got into a steady paced fight, the Black Magic harness helping me while I made sure my rod was at 90 degrees to the boat and giving lots of little pumps and winds. I wanted to make sure nothing went wrong, while Gareth and Clinton decided it was a good time to try out the new Rapala popper while I took a Jacqui Decker, Gareth Decker and long time on what Clinton Sassman with Jacqui’s they thought was pending SA women’s record “not a big fish”. — a 112.2kg yellowfin tuna. During the battle the tuna surfaced three times, and on the second surface he jumped clean out of the water; what an amazing sight! After a 70 minute fight, and what seemed like a hundred circles, the fish was finally at the boat. My legs, arms and lower back were burning. Despite my regular three days a week of boxing training I was grateful when hubby finally gaffed the fish. It took the three of us a few attempts, with much grunting and groaning, to get the yellowfin over the gunnel. Looking at the fish’s tail I could not believe the size of it. A quick check with the tape and the fish weights application confirmed the fish was over a century. With Gareth wondering why he hasn’t caught a fish over 100kg and Clinton saying he wasn’t interested in catching a fish that size, I was beyond stoked and could not believe it; my previous personal best yellowfin tuna was 75kg. After seeing that the fish was never going to fit in our large fish bag or hatches, we covered it with two damp beach towels and set a course at 20 knots for the two-and-a-half-hour run back to Cape Boat and Ski Boat Club. Along with my aching muscles I had a massive smile on my face. I could not help but wonder at the exact weight of the fish on deck. Growing up fishing on Lake Tanganyika I certainly never dreamed I would catch such an amazingly beautiful, streamlined, powerful fish such as this. Once we were ashore and with the help of some of the guys at Cape Boat and Ski Boat Club we had Team Mahi’s achievement on the gantry. That magnificent fish weighed 112.2kg! After plenty of congratulations we arranged to have the fish donated to several charities. We also did all that was required to apply for an SA woman’s 37kg yellowfin tuna record, and that is now pending confirmation. Watch some of the day’s action at <https://www.facebook.com/ 298067787638469/videos/347641162649435/>. 30 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

MARKETPLACE

Introducing the DF150A

UZUKI recently announced the launch of its new DF150A at the Genoa Boat Show. This new product launch will undoubtedly strengthen Suzuki’s position within this key horsepower sector of the market. Customers will benefit from Suzuki’s core technologies all geared up to delivering outstanding power and exciting performance together with superior fuel efficiency — all from a super compact and lightweight unit. EXCITING ACCELERATION Boasting a class-leading 2.9-litre in-line four-cylinder DOHC engine, this new model also uses a high 10.2:1 compression ratio, which provides great low-end torque and generates impressive acceleration. To maximise performance, the new DF150A outboards are equipped with a Semi-Direct Air Intake System to provide the engine with a cooler flow of air, an oxygen sensor to optimise combustion, and a knock sensor for superior reliability. Furthermore, Suzuki has utilised its

pioneering offset drive shaft to move the outboard’s centre of gravity forward, to improve balance and reduce vibration on the transom whilst contributing greatly to the outboard’s overall compact shape. MARKET-LEADING FUEL EFFICIENCY Fuel economy is an important issue for all boaters. The DF150A benefits from Suzuki’s unrivalled Lean Burn Control System which is designed to save fuel both at low speed and up into the cruising range. This is done by predicting fuel needs according to operating conditions, then delivering an optimum mixture of fuel and air to the engine. In the case of these new models, this results in a 7% improvement for the DF150A over the current DF150. This proves once again, that with a Suzuki powering your boat, you can go further, faster, for less. All of these features mean that these new models compare extremely favourably against the models they replace. Indeed, the DF150A delivers over 3% more torque than the current

DF150 and can achieve a superior level of overall performance. Plus, to enhance the smooth and positive nature of the mechanical controls, customers can choose from one of Suzuki’s ergonomically designed binnacle- or side-mount control boxes. The outboards feature new 3D decals and are available in Pearl Nebular Black or Cool White, allowing customers to pick the colour that best suits their boat. Yasuharu Osawa, Managing Officer, Executive General Manager, Marine Operations, Suzuki Motor Corporation, said, “This is an important horsepower sector for us and the introduction of these new models will strengthen our line-up. The new DF150A is packed with the very latest Suzuki technologies which will deliver the ultimate boating experience.” For more information on Suzuki’s new DF150A or their full line up of 4stroke outboard motors from 2.5- to 350hp, visit <www.suzukimarine.co.za> or contact your local Suzuki Marine dealer.

SUZUKI TROLL MODE MAKES LIFE SIMPLER

UZUKI has offered Suzuki Troll Mode System for its Lean Burn outboard models since 2012, giving boaters very fine control over engine speed at low revs. This was a move that delighted fishermen and commercial boat users. The Suzuki Troll Mode System is easy to use and comes complete with a specific tachometer and independent control switch. The system can be used with Suzuki’s MFG digital gauges or with “dual scale” analogue gauges. The control switch for this system can be installed anywhere on the console to suit the helmsman’s preference. The actual trolling control setting is programmed into the engine’s ECU and once the engine is in gear, the helmsman simply needs to push the Troll Mode switch to engage it. Once it has been activated, the engine’s revs can be adjusted in 50rpm intervals simply by pressing the Troll Mode control

switch from idle up to 1200rpm. If the helmsman needs to increase the revs above this on the throttle, then the system will stay activated up to 3 000 revs. If 3 000 revs are not reached and the throttle is closed, the system will revert back to the last setting. This will enable fishing boats to move at a constant trolling speed and it will also assist skippers of workboats when they are manoeuvring at close quarters. Suzuki end-users find this particular feature extremely useful in both the leisure and commercial boating markets. The Suzuki Troll Mode System is available on lean burn outboards from 40hp and up, manufactured from 2012 onwards. Customers can obtain more detailed information on availability from their local Suzuki Marine dealership or by visiting the Suzuki website <www.suzukimarine.co.za>. SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 31

Phillip Marx, SADSAA President

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

he SADSAA Spring Council Meeting of all affiliated provinces was held on 12 October in Johannesburg. Traditionally this meeting receives reports from all the portfolio holders/officers summing up the previous nine completed months of the Association’s 2018 financial year. In my last report I stated that SADSAA was experiencing calmer waters and during the proceedings at the above mentioned meeting I must state that the seas were flat and calm. Under these conditions the proceedings were a pleasure to attend and an increased work load was completed in record time. To summarise the status of the affairs of SADSAA, I will say that 2018 has been a good year with stabilisation being maintained in the composition of the executives of the Association, its office bearers and indeed the re-election during the year of the Presidents/Chairmen of the vast majority of the provinces. Continuity such as this leads to sound management as the combined thinking of all on the Council enables us to quickly generate workable decisions. I firmly believe in consensus, but when a vote is called for the final outcome is achieved without animosity.

TOURNAMENT PROGRAMME

ITHOUT doubt the hosting of the deep sea section of the FIPS World Games is a major event in the history of SADSAA. Set out below is a summary of the programme of this event so that all ski-boaters can follow this exciting programme with us, the organisers. • Sunday 10 February 2019: All competitors are transferred from King Shaka Airport to Sodwana Bay. • Monday 11 February 2019: Teams proceed to sea for a practice/familiarisation day’s fishing. The evening sees the formal welcoming of all teams. • Tuesday to Friday: Three of the four days will be fished, weather permitting. • Friday Evening: Formal Prize Giving • Saturday 16 February: Departure.

32 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

FIPS WORLD ANGLING GAMES AT the time of writing this report the decision had been taken to proceed with SADSAA hosting the Deep Sea Trolling section of the FIPS World Angling Games. South Africa is hosting over 11 different facets of angling under the auspices of SASAC and SASCOC. We have chosen Sodwana By as the venue and we expect approximately 25 full international teams to participate in an offshore trolling competition from beachlaunched craft by full members of SADSAA. The logistics are formidable, but with arrangements well in hand everything looks promising for this event to afford our visiting teams a very memorable competition as well as exposure to this unique venue in a World Heritage Site and a style of launching that is different to anything they could experience anywhere else in the world of offshore angling. In closing, on behalf of the SADSAA Council, we wish all readers and affiliated members of SADSAA and their families a very blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year.

SAFETY

ITH the issuing of SAMSA of Marine Notice No 29 of 2018 on 12 October 2018 it is now apparent that the issue regarding DSC VHF radio implementation has made tangible progress, to the point where the above notice informs all seafarers of the testing that is to be undertaken. This testing which commenced in late October 2018 covers the Maritime VHF radio frequency bands, especially channel 16 (RT) and channel 70 (DSC). The tests from MV SA Agulhas will be conducted with Coastal Radio Services to determine the strength of the VHF signal from the coast from the Orange River mouth to Ponta do Ouro (Kosi Bay). With all this happening it is imperative that all South African registered ski-boats comply with the DSC VHF radio requirements for their craft and that licensed skippers undergo training and thus become licensed to operate the radios in terms of the prevailing laws. Many ski-boat skippers have already taken the necessary examination and hold temporary licences. Some of them have received their official licences from SAMSA, but with an inevitable backlog of the issuing of official licences, the temporary certificate will suffice. The time is fast approaching when, without this qualification and a DSC VHF radio on your craft you will be prevented from proceeding to sea, so we urge you to get your house in order before that day comes.

RECORDS

HE following South African and All African Records were recorded by Council as approved by our Records Officer, Dave Oostingh. Dave maintains not only all South African Records applicable to registered SADSAA members, but also the All African Records listing and Merit Awards that have been issued. Since the previous meeting the following five catches were submitted for record recognition in SADSAA Records as well as All Africa Records. Note: All these fish were landed on 10kg class line, tested within the IGFA standards to which SADSAA complies.

Amberjack of 28.9kg landed off Shelly Beach by Andre Opperman on 24 May 2018. Surpasses the previous day’s record catch to be the standing South African and All Africa Record.

Amberjack of 24.4kg landed off Shelly Beach by Wessel Grimbeek on 23 May 2018 — South African and All Africa Record for just one day.

Giant trevally of 21.46kg landed off Pennington Beach by Owen Barclay (Junior Angler) on 16 June 2018.

Kob/giant meagre of 36.7kg landed off Richards Bay by Jonathan Booysen on 14 August 2018 — South African Record, All Africa Record and pending World Record.

Red steenbras (copper) of 41.35kg landed off East London by Terrence Moss on 10 May 2018.

SADSAA CONTACTS: Email: <info@sadsaa.co.za> • Website: <www.sadsaa.co.za> SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 33

MOTOR REVIEW

34 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ 35

By Erwin Bursik

ITH 450 horses purring like kittens on the transom of Jasper after she slid off her dolly into the bay at Sodwana, I hoped they were ready for their baptism of fire. Never before had these two Black Beauties’ propellers bitten into saltwater, nor had saltwater coursed through the “cooling veins” of these mighty six cylinder 3.4 litre motors. Captain Franz Reyneke pushed forward Jasper’s throttles to take on the cheeky surf of Sodwana Bay. Talk about unleashing horse power! It was a case of “hou vas” as Franz wove his exit path with dexterity and determination, leaving a long wake of white water as we exited the backline. Craig Gutteridge of Rutherford Marine, South Africa’s distributor of Mercury and MerCruiser, had asked me to witness the launch of the first two 3.4L V6 4-stroke Mercury outboards that had been mounted on Jasper’s transom, and test them out. On arrival at Camp Jasper at Sodwana Bay I was able to see these two motors in person as Jasper was tucked away in her huge locker, attached to her tractor and fully rigged for her launch the following morning in what was judged to be a perfect weather window. Just looking at and touching these two motors vastly superseded the experience of seeing the photographs announcing their imminent arrival in South Africa and the digital brochure Mercury Technical Manager, Francois 36 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

Human, had sent me. They are magnificent, huge, streamlined and vastly different in appearance to the “normal” outboard motor in this class. At dawn the next day Jasper was ready to go and I was chuffed to see that although this was a motor trial, a full array of 130 lb marlin rigs were in place and outriggers had been loaded. Indeed, the new Mercuries were not only about to taste saltwater for the first time, but also do what they are ultimately there for — go fishing. Once past the backline Franz turned from his centrally situated helm station and gestured for me to take over — she was all mine. I was totally blown away with what I had felt so far, and taking the controls was an absolute pleasure. My game plan, once I was positioned with the Digital Throttle and Shift (DTS) controls in my right hand, was to gradually slip the “beast” into gear and edge Jasper onto the plane. That would allow me to get the feel of the motors’ performance and assimilate the technological data displayed on the motors’ gauges on Jasper’s impressive forward dashboard. There was a lot to learn and understand and François Human talked me through all I needed to know to maximise my time behind the wheel of the craft. Before I played with major power I needed to get to know both how these motors performed at normal operating conditions and how they pushed the big seven-metre Cobra Cat that sports an impressive fly bridge and extensive T-top above that. After trimming both motors right down, I increased power gradually, cor-

relating revs with SOG and trim setting. With counter rotating 17-pitch stainless steel “Enertia” propellers and marginal motor trim I was able to obtain the data I required and at the same time get a good feel of the overall performance of the rig. One aspect of modern innovation that I thought was a tad questionable was the automatic synchronisation of both motors, but after a of lot time behind the wheel, especially during the many hours we spent trolling for marlin, I became more and more appreciative of the advanced technology. The new 3.4L Mercur y has an option for Active Trim, and this intuitive, hands free system continually adjusts engine trim based on changes in boat speed to improve performance, fuel economy and ease of operation. It responds to boat manoeuveres and speed changes with precision and delivers a better overall driving experience. No knowledge of trimming and engine is needed to take advantage of ActiveTrim. Back to my initial findings ... This heavy craft jumped on to the plane in four seconds at 15 knots and cruised beautifully at 20 knots with both motors synchronised at 3 300 rpm. At this cruising speed everything aboard Jasper was tranquil and pleasantly quiet. As I further increased power up to 5 000 rpm, when she was really flying for such a big craft, we peaked at 32 knots in relatively rough water. Personally I do not rate top end speed nor revs, but I was assured that Jasper should do 40 knots at maximum revs of 5 800 rpm. The prevailing sea did not allow us to even attempt it. In my book, an outboard motor on a ski-boat has to perform well from slow troll to 23 knots where it operates for at least 80% of its working life. It is in this range of low end torque that the skipper has to feel and experience the motors’ performance — a factor that can’t be set out in charts, time trials or progression tables. Only after riding a craft for some time will the skipper be able to confirm whether the combination has the torque he requires for his

operation. Those of us that run the surf will know exactly what I am getting at. In my opinion the Mercury V6 4stroke 3.4 litre motors operated exceptionally well on Jasper. I spent a lot of time on simulated surf work, getting to know how these new motors performed in incredibly tight turns and out the hole exits. I was amazed just how smooth and easy it was to manipulate the two DTS control levers; in the tightest possible turns the bite of the outside motor and instant thrust to added throttle was everything a skipper could wish for. Somehow during these intensive trials the synchronisation of motor revs didn’t seem to come into play. However, I did notice when I put Jasper into a moderate turn while on the plane the motors’ rpm stayed synchronised due to a new feature on all Mercury 3.4L motors Adaptive Speed Control (ASC). This feature allows consumers to maintain engine speed and rpm regardless of load or condition changes such as rough water, tight turns and lower speeds on the plane without having to frequently adjust the throttle position. I must add that the comfort while holding and working the controls was very impressive and allowed me a firm and steady grip even under adverse manoeuvring conditions during the sea trials. As a skipper I like both throttle levers in my right hand when I’m running at any reasonable speed. Maybe it’s just my habit, but on a ski-boat that’s the way I like it. I was able to have the same comfort on this sportfisher thanks to the way the helm station is set up. Changing to single lever control of both motors is easily achieved by merely pushing one button, and offers distinct advantages. When you’re on a long early morning run, say up to Island Rock, you can set the motors at 20 knots and single lever, engage autopilot and enjoy the ride. Any change in sea conditions like running over the base of “great gat” only needs a trim tweak to keep the craft on course and comfortable.

After returning from the ocean Francois Human, Wessel Erasmus and France Reyneke all extremely happy after the sea trials of the now Mercury 225hp 4-stroke motors on Jasper.

One time when the synchronisation of both motors’ rpm is really great is when you’re trolling — especially for billfish. I set the motors on an rpm that gave me 7 knots SOW and it held firm for hours. The only time I adjusted one lever was because of a strong current; I needed to achieve the same SOW to ensure the konas swam perfectly. Using the single lever, which was, by the way, extremely smooth and perfectly adjusted relating to lever friction, it was very easy to adjust the speed to perfection. As I am not an engineer nor a mechanic, all I can convey is what I feel when I have the throttle in hand and a heaving deck under my feet. What I felt during my bonding period off Sodwana Bay with the Mercury 225hp 4-strokes was much more than impressive. The technical attributes built into these new generation outboards took seven years of research and development by Mercury, and I can only say they got it right; these are incredible motors to operate. Another aspect I want to comment on is the fuel consumption — first what the gauges state and finally what the tank shows at the end of a day’s marlin fishing. You will notice that one of the pictures alongside shows the motor instrument panel indicating the fuel consumption/rpm and rates in litres per hour for both motors combined. After watching the various rpm/litre per hour readings, a few mental calculations provided me with the view that these usage rates for very tight motors was surprising. This was confirmed at the end of

the day when Franz checked his actual usage and advised it was excellent. Also note that these motors replaced a pair of Mercury Verado 200s which are noted for their efficient fuel consumption. The new Mercur y 3.4L features Advanced Range Optimization (ARO) which is designed to enable you to go further with ever y litre. ARO and closed loop fuel control work together to precisely adjust the fuel mixture and deliver the best possible efficiency. Details such as bearing sizes and oil flow schemes have been engineered to reduce internal friction and improve overall efficiency. The hydrodynamically efficient gearcase also slips through the water, so the outboard has less work to do. Technical data on these motors is readily available on Mercury’s website for those who want to know more about what is under the easily removed cowl. However, my advice is to speak to Francois Human regarding your specific application and take his advice — his knowledge and practical experience with offshore operated craft is exceptional. Having personally witnessed the launch of the first Verado motors at the Miami Boat Show in 2004 and experienced its performance on the water, I wondered then how much more motors could develop in the future. Now I know, for even then the Mercury 3.4 litre 4-stroke V6 series was being visualised. I am honoured to have been able to put these new Mercury outboards through their paces on their maiden voyage. SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 37

PEOPLE

Women ON THE WATER GETTING TO KNOW SOME SA LEGENDS FISHING has traditionally been thought of as a man’s sport, but women have successfully challenged that notion for many years. In this article we honour some of the women who have attained Springbok and/or Protea Colours for fishing and have notched up a number of records. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the brilliant women anglers in South Africa, so if you feel we’ve left out someone who deserves to be honoured, feel free to email a short letter about her and a photo of one of her catches to <sheena@mags.co.za> and we’ll run them on the letters page in a future issue. MEARL BUYSKES I STARTED fishing with my dad at Ponto do Ouro in the 1970s, but after a near accident in the surf and being seasick I only fished occasionally. Then, in December 1986 I went fishing at Cape Vidal with my husband Mike and thoroughly enjoyed the day; I started fishing regularly and was lucky not to suffer seasickness anymore. From then on I fished socially with Mike and our son Jayson. It was only in the early 90s that I started fishing competitively in the ladies’ teams for Northern Transvaal at the All Transvaal (now the All Inlands), Richards Bay and East London. During the 90s the ladies’ teams sort of dwindled away and we stared fishing with the men which was not easy. However the men’s teams that I fished with were great fun and I really enjoyed it; they treated me as an equal and I also captained a few of these tournaments. I represented our province 21 times before I nominated for SADSAA, so this tells you how much harder the women had to fish to prove themselves. The highlight of my provincial fishing was winning the All Inlands at Cape Vidal and releasing my 21st sailfish as well as catching a South African record giant kingfish of 13.9kg on 6kg line. 38 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

1996. I went on to represent SADSAA four times and the highlight of those four tournaments was that two of the gamefish tournaments were won by our team. The first time I received my SADSAA colours we fished at Ponto do Ouro and Sue Tapson was also part of the team. We had just fished the Gamefish Nationals at Shelly Beach and had to race from there to Ponto do Ouro. I received my Protea colours in 2000 and fished for SA in Costa Rica, and once again Sue and I were in the same team. Nowadays I fish socially with my family and friends. I am waiting for my granddaughter to grow up and start fishing with us, because I am greatly encouraged when I see our female junior anglers competing with the males. I mainly fished in the light tackle billfish and gamefish divisions. I then nominated for my SADSAA colours which I was awarded during

Editor’s note: As at 1 October 2018 Mearl Buyskes still holds the women’s SA record for a 13.9kg giant kingfish caught on 6kg line off Cape Vidal on 21 February 1995.

All the teams at one of the early ladies’ interprovincials.

JOELLE (ROW) SEARLE I USED to think, “what will I do when I’m too old to fish? I’ll miss it so much.” I used to wish,“I hope I die as my huge yellowfin is lifted into the boat.” Yet here I sit writing about it rather than being out there living it. But as a good fishing friend of mine used to say, “That’s the way the mop flops.” What no one can ever take away from me are the incredible memories and friendships built over more than 20 happy years at sea with the wind whipping my hair and the salt spray stinging my eyes and face whilst the sun and wind dried it to a salty crust within minutes. I lick my lips and taste the memory, I close my eyes and hear the slap of the water on the hull, I block my ears and wait for the scream of the ratchet. What started as a simple plan to keep my husband company whilst he pursued his love of fishing grew into something completely different when, in 1981, I landed my fifth fish ever — a 36kg ’cuda on 30 lb line. Whilst I was gazing at my catch lying on the St Lucia beach, someone asked me what I wanted to do with it. “Well,” I said,“it will be great to be able to feed our guests at the hotel on genuine fresh caught

’cuda.” My hubby was taken aback and asked if I didn’t want to have it mounted. To the astonishment of the St Lucia locals, I replied,“So what happens if the next time I go out I catch a bigger one? We can’t just keep mounting every

The teams list at the very first ladies’ interprovincial tournament.

fish.” Dear Mr King looked at me and said,“My girl, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see another of that size in your lifetime, let alone catch one.” So there you have it, the ’cuda was mounted and now hangs on my wall (pictured left) as a reminder of the folly of my words as it lay on the St Lucia beach. It keeps company on the wall with the seventh fish I caught — a 74kg striped marlin. I landed it during what was then the Lexington International Billfish Competition held each year at Sodwana in November and which was superseded by the Billfish 15 000. That was an astounding catch, mainly because there were only two of us onboard and neither of us had ever caught a billfish before, nor had we even been on a boat when one was caught. We were novices in every sense of the word. We were so young and thought it was just a load of fun to be part of the competition, hanging on through the adrenaline pumping surf launches whilst our tape deck belted out Kim Wilde as we f lew over (or through) the waves. Catching a marlin was a bonus, not an expectation. Those two fish were the beginning of a love affair with deep sea angling that was to rule my life for a very long time and take me down many fishing and administrative roads across the world. Along the way I collected 18 provincial caps, two SADSAA caps and then obtained my Springbok colours when I fished the EFSA World Championships in the USA in 1996 with Willem Reyneke, John Keil and Lappies Labuschagne. That was followed by the ultimate pinnacle of achieving my Protea colours as part of a four-man (well, three men and one woman) team representing South Africa at the 1999 EFSA World Championships in my home waters of Hout Bay. At the opening ceremony at Cape Town Castle I felt so proud to be marching behind the South African f lag with my team as our national anthem played. To this day my favourite part of any international tournament is the singing of the national anthems, I feel an affinity with those big burly rugby players and, as tears roll down their cheeks, I remember and my eyes mist up. I lived for fishing; it consumed my life — now I enjoy more memories than I could ever have time to remember. Editor’s note: As at 1 October 2018 Joelle (Row) Searle still holds the women’s SA record for a 5.15kg snoek caught on 4kg line at Cape Point on 9 June 1991, a 59.3kg yellowfin tuna caught on 10kg line off Cape Point on 24 October 1997 and a 20.8kg yellowfin tuna caught on 4kg line off Hout Bay on 5 June 1990. SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 39

SADSAA U21. My other son, Colin, is very involved in ski-boating and owns Ocean Marine Boating in Margate. I still fish as much as possible, but it’s mostly just social fishing. It gives me great pleasure to be on the boat with my grandchildren who also enjoy being out there, and it is such fun to see them catch fish. Editor’s note: As at 1 October 2018 Sue Tapson still holds the women’s SA record for a 26.8kg narrowbarred mackerel caught on 15kg line at Cape Vidal on 1 June 1998, a 8.79kg queen mackerel caught on 4kg line at Mapelane on 20 July 1990, a 32.4kg sailfish caught on 8kg line at Sodwana Bay on 17 May 1991.

SUE TAPSON MY introduction to ski-boating was in 1986 when my husband invited me to go out on our recently acquired small ski-boat to experience a day’s fishing. I caught a 9kg dorado that day which mesmerised me with its beautiful colours and antics. I was hooked from that day on. We joined the Nelspruit & District Angling Club and began fishing both the May and November OET events as well as other tournaments and socially. 1988 saw the advent of the first Ladies’ Interprovincial which was held in East London. The tournament was a great learning curve and I learnt so much from the different skippers that we fished with that week. And so began a new era in my fishing. The camaraderie between the various ladies’ teams was fantastic. I participated in many interprovincial tournaments over the next few years and fished in my first national tournament at Cape Vidal in 1995. I represented SADSAA on three occasions and participated in an IWFA Kenya International Sailfish tournament. I received my Protea colours in July 2000 when I fished with Kobus Engelbrecht and Mearle Buyskes in Costa Rica. In 2003 I once again received Protea colours for a tournament held in Dakar, Senegal. My team mates were Brad van Zyl, Johan Snyman and Chris Kruger. The flight to Dakar via Gabon was interesting to say the least, and trying to change money in Dakar was quite a challenge, but we had a great tournament. My first sailfish was caught at the 1987 November OET and weighed in at 52.6kg — a South African record. Other SA Records have included a 32.4kg sailfish on 8kg line, an 8.8kg queen mackerel on 4kg line and a 26.8kg king 40 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

Above: Sue Tapson with her team mates at a tournament in Dakar. mackerel on 15kg line. I also held a world record for a bluefin kingfish of 7.5kg, but it was later beaten by another South African lady angler. Other memorable catches include a 20.3kg king mackerel on 6kg line, king mackerel of 28kg and 29kg on 10kg line, and a sailfish on 6kg line. Nowadays it gives me a feeling of great satisfaction to see a billfish swim away from the boat when it is released. Being a woman in a predominately man’s world has not been without its challenges, but for the most part the male anglers I have had the privilege of fishing with have been perfect gentlemen and I have enjoyed having the opportunity to fish with them and learn from them. I feel that angling is one of the few sports that men and women can compete in as equals, because physical strength has little to do with it, especially with light tackle. Without a very supportive husband and family it would not have been possible to achieve my Protea colours. As a family we have spent many hours on the sea and my two sons and two daughters enjoy deep sea angling and have all obtained provincial colours, with one of my sons, Royden, achieving

DOROTHY UYS MY passion for fishing started at a very young age when I was hardly big enough to hold a cane rod and a Scarborough reel. I began fishing with my dad at my side along the west coast of South Africa. This passion remained with me throughout the years, fishing light tackle rock and surf. Around 1965 I had the opportunity to fish various competitions for Zululand and this continued through to 1972. Lafras was my very first ski-boat — a deep V Ace Craft; Lafras and I were coached to skip by Rob Ray. Our second launch at St Lucia is an experience I will never forget, because the boat flipped and I landed up under the overturned boat. To cut a long story short, I lived to tell the tale. In 1976 my husband Lafras and I invested in a Zulu Kitten ski-boat built by Noel Galli and Peter Yeld. We fished socially up until 1984 when I started fishing competitions in earnest. In 1982 the first St Lucia Ski-Boat Club committee was resurrected and consisted of Lafras Uys, Trevor Ashington, Bazel Ashington, Fanie Foster, Ralph Jones, myself and one other person — sorry, I can’t remember who it was, blame the passing of time! I served on this committee in various capacities until 1996. In the early 80s the ski-boat facilities in St Lucia were non-existent and the committee was in negotiations with the then-Parks Board to change that situation. Finally in 1985 the ski-boat club launch site was opened, but it was a few more years before the club house was built. In 1984 I joined Nomads Ski-Boat Club because it was a very active club with regard to fishing competitions. I subsequently also joined the Southern Transvaal Ski-Boat Club, Durban Ski-Boat Club and later Eastern Transvaal SkiBoat Club.

from some men at the time to discourage me. I cannot express strongly enough my gratitude to him for this. One highlight of my fishing carreer was being awarded the Kingfisher 7:1 Award for an outstanding catch. Another highlight was catching a marlin on 10kg line during the 1996 Sailfish International in Kenya. The skipper would not let me cut my line because it was important to tag and release the fish for research purposes. I still fish socially when the occasion arises, and I fish with my daughter, grandson and granddaughter. None of the girls in my family fish competitively, but I think I have instilled a passion for the sea and sand in all of them. I am, however, in the privileged position of being able to share my knowledge with my grandson, Sean, who is besotted with all facets of fishing. I now also have a great-grandson and hope to encourage and foster a passion for fishing in him too. Thank you for the opportunity to share stories of my fishing adventures which have spanned over 80 years.

Above: Dorothy Uys with her 10.76kg dorado (still a current record) and her many medals and badges of honour. The number of competitions I fished at this point are too numerous to mention but they included interclub comps, interprovincial comps, national comps and masters comps in Hout Bay and Kenya. I was angler of the year for Nomads in 1986, 1987 and 1988, and runner-up in 1989. Alongside my ski-boat fishing I was also very active with rock and surf fishing. In 1986 I was honoured to be the first lady to be presented with my Natal Colours. I represented Natal in the SA Games and was the highest point scorer in the team — a very proud moment. In 1989 I was selected to fish the Billfish International at Sodwana Bay and this competition was won by our team. It was there that I obtained my Springbok colours. I was fortunate to be presented with the ver y first Polansky Springbok reel ever awarded by the manufacturers; at the time it was the only one of its kind anywhere in the world. Over time I held 13 South African records, four South African Open records, three Southern Transvaal records, three All Africa records and two World Records. I’m not sure if any of them still stand today. A mentor I was very fortunate to have throughout my ski-boating ventures was Dennis “Moodly” Mercer. He encouraged me to pursue my passion and not allow the intimidation tactics

Editor’s note: As at 1 October 2018 Dorothy Uys still holds the women’s SA record for a 10.76kg dorado caught on 4kg line at Sodwana on 20 November 1986, a 10.3kg garrick caught on 8kg line at St Lucia on 18 August 1990 and a 5.6kg queenfish caught on 4kg line at Bats Cave on 12 November 1985. ARLENE JOUBERT IF you can’t beat them, join them! I married a fishaholic, and our first holiday after we got married was to St Lucia — rock and surf fishing. That didn’t interest me much, although I did enjoy going down to the beach with Piet to watch him fish. Then in 1976 he bought his first boat and the fun really began. We subsequently returned to St Lucia, boat in tow, and Piet asked if I would like to crew for the day, promising that,“if you don’t like it I won’t ask you to go again.” Well, he never had to ask me again! I enjoyed every minute, especially catching a 59 lb (26.8kg) ’cuda and a 47 lb (21.4kg) prodigal son. Needless to say, I was hooked. I had the most terrific teacher. He taught me everything I know about fishing and I just want to thank him from the bottom of my heart. I later got my Association colours for being a deckhand on Bonite with Dave Denyschen as skipper. I was thrilled when I received an international magazine which had a photo of my “well-rigged sardine”. It was at this competition that I met Jack Reece who also played an important role in my fishing career. I nominated for the SADSAA ladies’

Above: Arlene Joubert with her 70.7kg black marlin — a record that still stands. Below: Arlene and some of her Springbok fishing teammates.

team in 1988, and Anette Sparg, Dorothy Uys and I were the team, but due to the political climate in South Africa at the time, the trip was cancelled. Towards the end of that year Piet got a call to say he was Springbok Captain for the International at Sodwana Bay and that our ladies’ team would be fishing against them. It was a terrific competition and I was fortunate to boat a 70.7kg black marlin on 15kg line; that’s still the pride and joy of my fishing career. I also fished in Costa Rica in the SADSAA team in 1990 with Joey Terblanche and Annamarie Kruger. The fishing was fantastic and I released 23 sailfish in the four-day competition. I received my Springbok colours in 1991 alongside Joey Terblanche and John Harvey on a return trip to Costa Rica. It was a great honour to represent my country and was completely unexSKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 41

to fish the EFSA Bottomfish Champs in Ireland. I was shocked that I had made the team. With my selection came the hard part, as we were not sponsored; I had to come up with the money. Thankfully my efforts at fundraising were successful and I boarded the flight to Ireland. We fished out of Cahersiveen during my time in Ireland, and because I fished with a Scarbourgh reel I was known as “the lady with the wheel”. During the competition the fishing gods smiled upon me and I was fortunate to come away with a bronze medal. The people and fishing made for a wonderful experience. Dave still fishes as much as possible and I am still veryy involved; whenever there is space upon the boat I also still enjoy wetting a line.

pected. The fishing was not as good as the previous year, though, and I only released five sailfish. Over the years I’ve held 12 SA and All Africa records for bill- and gamefish as well as a European record for a 36.6kg white marlin caught on 10kg line. I have also released a number of special fish in South Africa including a broadbill and two sailfish at Sodwana, a broadbill off Cape Town and seven white marlin while fishing with Jack in the Azores. In total I’ve caught 59 billfish, the biggest being a black marlin of 437 lb (198.6kg). I still fish socially, though not as much as I would like to. Editor’s note: As at 1 October 2018 Arlene Joubert still holds the women’s SA record for a 24.6kg giant trevally caught on 15kg line off Sodwana on 7 March 1992, a 38kg sailfish caught on 6kg line off Sodwana Bay on 13 July 1992, a 50.4kg sailfish caught on 37kg line off Sodwana Bay on 29 November 1986, a 70.7kg black marlin caught on 15kg line off Sodwana Bay on 24 January 1989, a 198.6kg black marlin caught on 37kg line off Sodwana Bay on 22 December 1987, a 50.4kg striped marlin caught on 24kg line off Sodwana Bay on 24 December 1988, an 81kg striped marlin caught on 60kg line off Sodwana Bay on 9 November 1995, a 7.99kg giant yellowtail caught on 4kg line on 3 May 1987 and a 20kg dorado caught on 15kg line at Cape Vidal on 30 December 1997. LYNN BEATTIE MY introduction to ski-boat fishing in the 70s was through my husband Dave, a well known angler within the fishing community. As he was and still is a hard core angler, many, many hours were spent upon the ocean both bottomfishing and gamefishing. Prior to getting my Natal colours I spent many a weekend up and down the coast fishing interclub tournaments. Unfortunately at that time — and I suppose at present too — there were not enough women fishing, so in order to get involved I had to be part of the Durban Ski-Boat Club men’s interclub team. My involvement at the club increased steadily and I started and ran the junior competition for many years, along with the annual Christmas tree. During this time I was also asked to collect the requested signatures for any submission to the Port Captain at the time to allow ski-boats to undertake night fishing. Permission was duly granted, along with a set of rules to which the boats fishing at night had to adhere. The arrival of our son, Damon, who 42 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

Editor’s note: As at 1 October 2018 Lynn Beattie still holds the women’s SA record for a 4.25kg striped bonito caught on 4kg off East London on 6 February 1988.

Lynn Beattie overjoyed to have received her Protea colours. is now a highly regarded skipper in his own right, did not keep me from any competitive angling. In 1988 I was awarded my Natal Colours for participating in the first women’s interprovincials which were held in East London. Damon was born in January 1988 and the competition was in the February 1988 but that did not stop me from entering. At the tournament in East London, newborn Damon was looked after by Dave while I was fishing. I was fortunate to catch a World Record and South African Record in the 4kg line class — a 4.25kg striped bonito (sarda orientalis). I believe the SA record still stands. My husband was a ver y good teacher and quite a pain in the ass on the boat, demanding perfection whilst out fishing. Damon and I often experienced it, but we also had very good laughs about it and Dave’s pushing helped immensely. We were fortunate to be involved in ski-boat angling at the right time when there were still plenty of fish around, so I was able to catch most of the fish that frequent our coastline in fairly large numbers. Having fished numerous competitions for Natal by that stage, I then applied for my SASDA colours which I was awarded in 2000 and I fished in a Nationals in Durban. In 2001 Ron Taljaard asked me to put my CV forward for my South African colours which I did. I was then informed that I had made the South African team — the only woman in a five-man team — due

JOEY TERBLANCHE I WAS introduced to deep sea angling during our honeymoon way back in 1974 at Santa Carolina where my husband, Johann, and I charted a ski-boat skippered by Captain Peter Roscoe. We fished the area around Bazaruto Island where we caught an abundance of game fish; needless to say, I was immediately hooked on deep sea angling. When Johann bought his own boat, Shani, in 1981, I was promised a permanent gillie position as long as I did not fall pregnant again. I immediately fell for this proviso and started practicing tying knots and servicing our fishing gear to become a totally independent angler. The motto on our boat was to always do the basics correctly! We have five children, so you know fishing was not the only sport we enjoyed! Fortunately we had and still have a lot of friends who took care of the five little naughty blighters while we were out on the deep blue. The very first Ladies’ Interprovincial Tournament was hosted by Border in East London and I was fortunate to be selected to represent Eastern Transvaal (Mpumalanga) in 1988. By that time I was quite experienced in deep sea angling, but still had a lot to learn. I thoroughly enjoyed that experience as the camaraderie amongst the ladies was excellent. I also enjoyed the daily boat packs as I did not have to prepare them myself! Several other interprovincial tournaments followed this tournament, both ladies and mixed. Nominations for a SADSAA team to participate in the XIII Torneo

Joey Terblanche looking smart in her Springbok blazer (left). Nowadays Joey does more flyfishing than deep sea fishing. Internacional de Pes Vela de Costa Rica were called for in 1991 and I was honoured to be selected as captain for that tournament. We were placed tenth out of 40 teams from 14 countries, releasing 57 sailfish, with the top team releasing 71. What an experience! Then came the highlight of my career — in February 1992 a Springbok Team was chosen to participate in the next Costa Rican tournament: Joey Terblanche (capt), Arlene Joubert, John Harvey. What an honour! I was top angler on the fourth day of the tournament and fifth overall out of 102 participants. Our team was placed 13th out of 38 teams. I was also fortunate to release a blue marlin with an estimated weight of 300 lb on 10kg line in the allotted time in both these tournaments. I was also able to captain a team to the 1996 Kenya International Sailfish Tournament and received my SADSAA colours. I was thrilled when my province, Eastern Transvaal, honoured me in 1991 and 1992 with the Sportsman of the Year Award. Another highlight was catching an SA record striped marlin in 1998 on Piet Joubert’s boat, Bonito. Fishing has given me numerous wonderful experiences, including catching a 120 lb tarpon at Isla Morada in the Florida Keys. Then there was the time Johann and I joined a group of anglers in a competition in Mauritius where Johann won the comp with a 675 lb blue marlin. My brother caught a 1 045 lb blue marlin a day after the competition. As the kids grew up they could not wait to accompany us on Shani and I

have many fond memories of our family and friends fishing at Sodwana. The four boys are still keen anglers and we’re very proud of Wian for achieving Protea colours in 2010 and 2012. Our five grandchildren are also all keen anglers. After moving to Bloemfontein I had fishing withdrawal symptoms, so my family bought me a flyfishing outfit and fly-tying kit. That bug bit too and I now enjoy fishing for trout and bass. I’m looking forward to our move to Yzerfontein next year — there are some fish swimming around with my name on them! Editor’s note: As at 1 October 2018 Joey Terblanche still holds the women’s SA record for an 82.6kg striped marlin caught on 37kg line off Sodwana Bay on 11 November 1988. LYN ADAMS I CAME from a boating background in Formula One Racing, but when I met my late husband Ted Adams, I was immediately introduced to the world of deep sea angling and I had no choice but to get involved. On my first fishing experience on Son Of A Beach at Cape Vidal I was terribly sea sick, but I also caught my first sailfish! I always enjoyed sailfishing and the gamefishing aspect more than the marlin side as I like to be busy. In my early days we all fished very light tackle — 4kg and 6kg — so competition was tough. After that I joined Nomads Game Fishing Club and got to fish with some of the greatest legends in angling such

Lyn Adams proudly displays the wahoo which won the 2003 OET. as Erwin Bursik, Paddy Venske, Clive Kern, Trevor Ashington, Ron Kirchman, Dave Knudsen, Casper Walker and Pierre Barnard. I attended the first ever Ladies’ Interprovincial and was on the road to Protea colours. I must thank Johan Terblanche for many a guiding word in helping me get my Protea colours. Johan taught me that you must fish in your own style and develop a technique that works for you — and never mention the name of the person you always fish with! Steal with your eyes and adapt. And of course, Bursik’s wise words: “Think like a fish!” And my favourite one from Paddy Venske: “Go with your gut feeling, girl!” Then there was Ashington who said, “If nothing is working, go where you least think you will catch!” My first full Sailfish Interprovincial was in Kenya and I ended up a gold medalist with the SGDSAA team, releasing 25 sailfish. Kenya was a brilliant training ground, and so was my favourite spot in Moçambique — Guinjata. I eventually achieved my SADSAA colours and was the lucky one that got a sailfish for our team to get a bronze medal. My next two SADSAA Caps I was the Captain at Sodwana and Kenya and again in the medals. My First Protea cap was as part of a team which went to Costa Rica, along with two great Mpumalanga anglers. I was lucky enough to be the top angler on the first day and our team was well placed for RSA. My second Protea cap was fishing at Sodwana again with two great Gauteng fishermen. I have caught 15 marlin in total, SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 43

including a small black marlin on 6kg line, and have learnt marlin angling from some great anglers and skippers. I have caught and released 99 sailfish and hope to soon get that 100th sailie. My best sailfish was caught at Paindane in Moçambique on 8kg line — a sail that never jumped and when we got it to the boat she was enormous. Some of my greatest catches have been the golden kingfish in Angola, a record wahoo at Sodwana on 10kg that helped my team Aqua Lord win the 2003 OET Gamefish Tournament which was a ver y memorable event spent catching wahoo, tuna and billfish. Over the years I have held the 4kg All Africa ’cuda record as well as several other records for tuna, rainbow runner, dorado and snoek and am proud to say that I learn all the time. I loved having the pleasure to fish with some new trend setters in angling such as Casper Walker and Dave Martin too. In 2013 I was lucky enough to be part of the winning team at the Guinjata Species Bonanza and won a 50% share of an F200 boat. I am proud to say I can skip my own vessel, gaff my own fish and will service my own boats. Many who know me know that I am a perfectionist when it comes to angling — I was taught by the best to be the best. I also believe in being involved in the administrative side of our sport, and

44 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

Above: Lyn Adams with some of the juniors she now mentors. I have been the SGDSAA Secretar y since 1990, and was recently made an Honorary member of Nomads Game Fishing Club. I am a SADSAA Appointed Surveyor and Examiner — theory and practical. I am currently one of the oldest members still with Nomads, and am also a founder member of Guinjata Sports Fishing Club. A great honour was when I was recently awarded my SADSAA Safety Colours for work done with our

National Safety Officer Carl Krause. In addition to all that I’m a proud brand ambassador for Ski-boat Magazine, Lowrance and Club Marine. As I have got older I fish less as a single babe and instead share a lot of my knowledge in the junior angling sphere. I also manage junior teams and am so proud that they have been placed in the medals every year we have been at Junior Nationals. I guess it’s my turn now to be a mentor.

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Kingfisher Award Application Form I hereby apply for the Kingfisher Award in the category:

Meritorious Fish

Outsanding Catch

Tick the appropriate box and supply us with the following information. Please remember to print clearly.

Applicant’s Details: Name: ................................................... Address: ............................................... ............................................................... ............................................................... Code: .................................................... Tel No: ................................................... E-mail: ............................................................... Club (if member): .................................. ............................................................... I, the undersigned, agree to abide by the rules of this award. Signature: .............................................. Meritorious Fish Species: ................................................ Weight: .................................................. Date of Capture: .................................... Where Caught: ...................................... Skipper's Name: .................................... Outstanding catch Category applied for (tick appropriate box): 3:1

5:1

7:1

10:1

Species: ................................................ Weight: .................................................. Line class: ............................................. Date of Capture: .................................... Where Caught: ...................................... Skipper's Name: .................................... Digital emailed photographs should be high-resolution.

YOUR favourite offshore angling magazine, SKI-BOAT, in conjunction with The Kingfisher and the South African Deep Sea Angling Association, is proud to offer all South African ski-boaters the unique opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. All deep sea anglers who achieve laid down standards of excellence will be entitled to apply for the KINGFISHER AWARD. Upon ratification by a panel of adjudicators, the angler will receive a handsome digital certificate, suitably inscribed. The Kingfisher Award will be made for fish caught in two sections: 1) The Kingfisher Award - Meritorious Fish To satisfy the requirements for this award, anglers are required to catch a fish included in the list detailed hereunder, equal to or better than the nominated weight. Tackle used is of no consideration here, the RULES: 1) There is no restriction on the number of awards which can be applied for. 2) Award applicants must submit a photograph of the relevant fish with the application form, preferably a photograph of the angler holding the fish. 3) SKI-BOAT reserves the right to use the photograph as it sees fit. 4) Entries must be on the official form which is included in all issues of the magazine. 5) Entires must be received within 45 days of capture. 6) Certificates awarded will be as follows: Meritorious Fish - Gold Outstanding Catch 3:1 - Bronze; 5:1 and 7:1 - Silver; 10:1 - Gold 7) No witnesses of the catch are required. The award is made in the true spirit of sportsmanship and relies on the integrity of the angler to make a just claim. 8) A selection of award winners’ names will be announced in future issues of SKIBOAT, along with relevant photographs. 9) Award applicants should allow 30-45 days for processing of applications. 10) There is no charge for Kingfisher Awards.

fish's weight being the main criterion. The different eligible fish and their corresponding minimum nominated weights are as per the list below. A gold digital certificate will be awarded for this achievement. Complementing this section is the second award category: 2) Kingfisher Award - Outstanding Catch To satisfy the requirements for this award, anglers can catch any recognised fish and the weight of that fish must equal or exceed certain laid down fish weight:line class ratios. Awards will be made in the following ratio categories: 3:1 – Bronze Award 5:1 – Silver Award 7:1 – Silver Award 10:1 – Gold Award. Applies to IGFA line class 1kg , 2kg, 4kg, 6kg, 10kg, 15kg, 24kg, 37kg and 60kg.

SPECIES: Barracuda Dorado Kingfish (Ignobilis) Garrick (Leervis) King Mackerel (’Cuda) Black Marlin Blue Marlin Striped Marlin Prodigal Son Sailfish (Pacific) Spearfish (Longbill) Spearfish (Shortbill) Tuna (Big Eye) Tuna (Longfin) Tuna (Yellowfin) Wahoo Yellowtail

NOMINATED WEIGHT: 15kg 12kg 20kg 12kg 15kg 100kg 100kg 60kg 15kg 25kg 20kg 20kg 30kg 25kg 50kg 15kg 15kg

RELEASED BILLFISH AND GT (Ignobilis) KINGFISH With the strong trend towards releasing these and other fish, we have decided to amend the Kingfisher Award rules to provide for acknowledgement of all released fish. All we need is a photo of the fish being released or prior to release (e.g. GT held on boat) and the approximate weight of the fish which should fall in line with the stipulated weights set out above. In line with this trend we will not be carrying photographs on the Kingfisher Award Page of any of the billfish species nor GTs other than those that are released.

Submit application to: Kingfisher Awards, PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 or email angler@mags.co.za

sb jan 19 marine pump sc

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MAINTENANCE The old and the new deck wash pumps on Mr Ski-Boat.

By John Frankiskos

HERE you are at your favourite bait mark with your sounder showing a plume of baitfish. Soon you have the thrill of a vibrating bait stick and a loaded YoZuri of your favourite livebait coming aboard. You flick the switch for the livebait well and no water starts gushing! Not a sound is heard from the

pump! Frustration sets in and you’re back to using the bucket method of attempting to keep your livies alive. “But only last week it worked perfectly,” you think. “Must be an electrical fault.” So you start ferreting around following wire leads to the silent pump, checking fuses, battery terminal connections and anything else you can think of, eventually coming to the con-

clusion that your deckwash/livebait well pump is kaput, dead. What a fractured day’s start! I experienced exactly that recently. Suddenly the fishing goes on to the back burner as your mind starts somersaulting, all because of one broken little pump! A few days later after I’d calmed down I spent hours retracing electrical circuits, still feeling that a loose connection was behind my dilemma.

The new deck wash pump installed and plumbed to work correctly.

50 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

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Mackerel and maasbankers alive and well thanks to the new pump.

After a few hours of removing batteries, hoses, couplings, wires etc I had the offending pump literally and figuratively in the palm of my hand. Still disbelieving, I connected the two severed wires directly to the battery — not a sound was heard. Then off I went to my local boating shop and its workshop, hoping that my pump could be fixed or serviced. I won’t repeat the mechanic’s words; suffice it to say he told me I was wasting my time and needed to replace the entire pump with a new one. I was directed to Seaport Supply in the old Point Road, Durban, and while their knowledgeable staff made the right sympathetic noises, the final determination was that a new pump was required. With an array of options before me, I opted for the exact same pump. Even though it was the most expensive, at least the mounting plate holes would match the holes already drilled in the false transom, was my logic. The fitting was delayed because I had to wait a couple of days for the pump to be couriered from Cape Town. But, and there is always a “but”when it comes to DIY. “Did you know,” said Steve and Justin of Seaport Supply,“your pump had been incorrectly fitted?” It was upside down hence the corrosion of the electric motor! This motor should have been upward facing and not downward as it obviously was! As a result, any moisture that landed on it ran down the pump’s body and into the electrics. When fitted the correct way, the moisture runs away from the electrics. “Blast!” I thought, visualising having to drill more holes in the false transom to ensure the pump was correctly mounted. Luckily it did fit — just — with the existing holes, but the plumbing had to be redirected. Another trip

to Seaport Supply was required to get more hose clamps, elbows and T-pieces to complete the work. In the final summation, the pump now works; it pumps and I can’t wait to see a bunch of mackerel and maasbunkers once again swimming around in the livebait well. So, what can be done to prevent a recurrence of the same demise of the new pump? Simply put, maintenance — preventative maintenance. Firstly — a no-brainer really — the pump must be positioned correctly with the electric motor facing upward. Secondly, take the advice I got from Steve at Seaport and spray the pump with Tectal. Thirdly, make sure all the hose clamps are tightly secured and that no spray emanates from any of the plumbing connections. Steve recommended — actually insisted — that the pump be flushed after use with freshwater using a salt dissolving additive, something I had never done before. Ideally one should have a hose connection directly into the intake port or hose to undertake the flushing. I could not do this as the through-hull grid scoop prevented this. A modified “earmuff” was designed that can be used to f lush the newly installed pump. In future once I have flushed the motors I will flush the livebait pump too. I was also advised to flush the Luna tube’s submersible bilge pump with freshwater, something I certainly intend doing in the future. The old adage of “a stitch in time …” comes to mind. Many may say “but we know all this”, but I would bet that the majority of ski-boaters don’t. My sincere thanks to the staff at Seaport Supply who were more than helpful during the replacing of the pump. SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 51

FESTIVAL

DURBAN SKI-BOAT FESTIVAL CHANGES GEAR Another great reason to spend Easter in Durban By Mark Wilson

T’S time to start planning our fishing commitments for 2019, and there’s no better start than to pencil in the Durban Ski-Boat Club Festival which takes place on 20 and 21 April. In this interview with Hilton Kidger, Convenor of the 2019 Durban Ski Boat Festival, you’ll find out all you need to know ... MW: I believe there are some changes to the 2019 festival, what are these? HK: Well the core “product” is still the fishing section, but there are other elements that have evolved over time, the most important of which is ensuring the supporters all have an enjoyable weekend too. Our aim over the Festival weekend is to focus on the family, and we are pulling out all stops to see their weekend is meaningful and enjoyable. One of the exciting ways of including everyone in the action is that we will use technology to bring the angling element onto the big screen in the marquee. We will have cameramen and drones with cameras to catch the action live and feed that back to family and friends in the marquee — a bit like reality TV. Take for example the traditional fly past at the start of the fishing event; our supporters will feel they’re part of the action while sipping a cup of coffee in the marquee. We will also film all the fishing action so at last the families will know the truth of what happens on a ski-boat when an angler loses the big one! Last year we introduced a surf ski race into the harbour that Captain Adams our Port Captain gave his blessing for. This will happen again on both the Saturday and Sunday. The NSRI, once again thanks to Captain Adams, will perform a mock rescue in the channel in front of the club. This has always been a big draw card, and now will happen right where our guests are sitting. It does not get much better than this! Back in the marquee we will have cooking demos, a modelling show, Mr and Mrs Lucky Legs and we are even laying on a special tent that will offer massages and pamper treatment for the ladies. The kids will be able to enjoy the jungle gym and “foofy slides” and

jumping castle. There will also be live music on both Saturday and Sunday, and of course the food will be top class too. MW: Last year there was a fishing ski section within the fishing side of the Festival. What are the plans for 2019? HK: We intend expanding this to include all fishing skis, but there will be designated launch zones at Westbrook Beach, Umdloti, Umhlanga Rocks, and Durban. Marshalls at each of these launch zones will record the catches before they’re taken to the Durban Ski Boat Club for the weigh in. This division will have its own substantial prizes and they will also be entered in all the lucky draw prizes. As you well know a fishing ski cannot move around the ocean as quickly as a ski-boat, and are more affected by the weather, hence the decision to have multiple launch sites that are generally popular with the fishing ski guys. For me the real motivating factor is that this is a real growth element in the sport of offshore fishing, and these guys are super passionate about their fishing discipline. Being young and super fit, most of them also have young families, and we would like them to experience genuine Durban Ski Boat Club hospitality. Because they launch up and down the coast many of them never get to visit us so this is an opportunity to rub shoulders, and share a yarn or two, not to mention something cold! MW: I see the festival is over the Easter weekend — earlier than usual. HK: Traditionally we fill in the last weekend in April, but it just made sense to run the festival over Easter and be able to offer a long weekend holiday experience at the Durban Ski Boat Club for all the families, especially those who will travel from Gauteng and other inland areas. In fact, for those who will make “the pilgrimage” and who enter the Festival we will accommodate their craft at the club on their arrival and through to the following week. Full security will be provided and we will waive all tractor tow fees while they are our guests. They will also be given temporar y member status so they will enjoy food and beverages at member prices. Regrettably we cannot accommodate camping, but we have circulated

accommodation options in the area to those who are interested. Also, Yamaha — a major sponsor through their top dealers, Natal Caravans and Marine, and Durban Yamaha — will have mechanics on standby should any skipper have any engine issues, no matter what engines they use. That is a top-class gesture! We intend really rolling out the red carpet to all our anglers, and will add as much value as we can for those who travel the extra mile! MW: You have always talked about the “bigger picture” can you expand upon that? HK: Recreational fishing contributes more to our GDP than rugby and cricket combined. In fact, reactional fishing is the biggest form of outdoor leisure enjoyment in the world, yet authorities usually overlook this fact. Also, with ongoing property development we are often under threat with sites being restricted, when in fact authorities should be asking how they can make launching easier and more accessible. We should never lose sight of the fact that Durban, through the Durban Ski-Boat Club, offers the only soft launch on our KwaZulu-Natal coastline, excluding our harbours. As such we play host to many anglers around the country who come to Durban. In fact, we launch over 7 000 boats per annum — ours is the most frequently used launch site in the country. The authorities also forget about the tourism value that an event like this featival brings to Durban and the Point area. MW: In spite of our economy being at a low ebb your festival is offering a superb Seacat 510 with twin 60hp Yamaha engines on a galvanised trailer, valued at R410 000, as first prize. In fact, if I’m correct, the DSBC Festival is the only fishing event offering a skiboat as a prize nowadays. HK: I think you are correct on tht. With the support we are anticipating we are still able to have this as the main attraction. We are also fortunate to have many solid sponsors who, over the years, have walked this road with us, and we are proud to be able to offer our fishing mates and families a wonderful array of prizes once again.

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HISTORY This boat belonged to Johnny Muller and was similar to the author’s father’s boat.

BACK IN THE By Clive Olivier The style of fishing and boats has certainly changed a lot over the last 70 years, and in this article Clive Olivier reminisces about the early days of fishing off Durban.

HEN I first fished from the Durban Ski Boat Club in the 1950s, we used to drive down Point Road and turn into the road by the Point prisons to get there. There were no hard roads apart from the top area which was hardened by cinders.. The boats were parked in a row at the top of the beach. There were no roads to the water, only some ver y loose sand tracks which were quickly blown over in an easterly wind. Like most of the other boats around, my dad’s boat, Boots for Baby, was built of ply wood and some masonite. They

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were very well painted in waterproof paints and were quite heavy. The seats were made of slatted wood and the boat had no steering wheel; all the boats back then were steered by the motor’s tiller arm. Most motors were around 3.5hp, with the largest about 7.5hp. There were many makes — Scott Atwater, British Seagull, Evinrude, and later on Johnson. These were the most popular and the only ones I can recall; remember I’m 80 now, so bear with me! At the end of the day all the motors were removed and taken home, then when we arrived for a day’s fishing themotors were taken out of the cars and clamped onto the tramson. The tramsoms had a thin metal strip screwed on the top of the inside of the tramson to supposedly stop the outboards jumping off. It didnt always work. We also had a small chain bolted onto the tramson and then attatched to the motor.

Once the motor was on the transom the clamps were rechecked and the motors started. There was also a wide variety of spark plugs, pull ropes and shearpins in use. Those early motors were very temperamental and often would not start, so plugs were changed, carbs cleaned etc. In the meantime the large bait box which we had retreived from the fish mongers at Maydon Wharf was placed in the front of the open bow. The bait was mainly sardines and bonies. Once ever ything was ready we pushed our boat into the water by hand, the strongest crew member holding the disselboom — front of trailer — and manhandling it in the loose sand to the water. We often got stuck and other fishermen would assist. This was damn hard work! Our boat had an underslung trailer at first and we had to push it in quite deep to launch. Once in the water and

Examining the catch. Back in the old days everyone on the boat had their own seat!

DAY.... turned with the bow facing the waves, we had to push the trailer back up the beach beyond the high water mark. Only then could we launch and take off with our twin 5hp motors. Back then glass fibre rods were only starting to come out and not in many sizes, with the result that many of us used bamboo and malacca cane rods. Most anglers used wooden Scarborough reels as Keith Palmer (ex-South Pier) had not yet made his now well known KP reels. There were also a few Yankee reels around, mainly the Penn 49A. I got my ski-boat licence in 1958 when I was 20. The test was basic rules of the sea, the main one being that we had to be a mile off the harbour before crossed the entrance. In those days the ’cuda were plentiful and the furthest we went was the whaling station or number one. The fish we caught were placed in the bow next to the bait box, and it could hold a

Fishing off Durban in the 1950s

surprising number of fish. I remember one occasion when I was fishing on my dad’s boat with Freddy Stone and Joe Leon we caught 77 ’cuda all on spoon; Freddy got 32 and I got 27. All those fish fitted on that boat! Another memorable occasion was when just my dad and I were out fishing; we were crossing the entrance in quite interesting big swells and surfing down a swell, when the one of the outboards came loose and jumped off into the sea — glug, glug! My dad waited for a reasonable swell and turned around to come home. The next day he went to Kings who then sold outboards and bought the biggest then available — it was a beast, an 18hp Johnson. Man, now we had some ponies! When we came back to base we used to come in slowly and jump in — often up to our necks in water — then we had to get the underslung trailer

under the boat which was now pushed out into deeper water to get the boat on. When we judged it was okay we began to push the trailer which was by now getting settled in the wet sand. We had to put our heads down onto the wheel and push one turn at a time until we were clear of the water. Now came the magic time — my dad would go to his Studebaker Champion and pull out a wonderous length of thick rope which he attatched to his car. A crew member would then tie the other end on to the trailer’s disselboom. My dad would then reverse as close as possible to the edge of the cinders and take up the slack. We had to have everyone holding up the trailer as my dad pulled on the rope; this was also hard work as we had to make sure we kept the front of the trailer clear of the sand. After lots of shouting and running the boat was soon at the top. We then parked the boat and

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Georgie Thompson and Ollie Olivier (back) along with Clive Olivier and Freddy Stone (front) show off a 110 lb sailfish Freddy caught on Number One reef off Durban using a Scarborough reel and a live mossie as bait. The reel split during the fight because of the line pressure on the drum. removed the motors, fish box and fish, cleaned the boat and covered until it was time for our next outing. Our crew member subsequently made us an overhead trailer — not like the later models, these were just over the gunnels and were based on a threepoint system. I was about 17 then and remember that before my dad bought a boat Len Jones and I would arrive at the base to bum a ride on the boats. We had plenty of experience catching ’cuda fom the pier and we used to arrive at dawn and ask the boats going out if they wanted an extra crew member. We had our pier rods and tackle with us and we asked for one-third of our catch — sometimes we were lucky and sometimes not. 58 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

Another friend I often fished with was Chicken McCarther; he and I were the same age and we fished together on the South Pier. Chick was an outstanding angler and still the only fisherman to have caught a dorado (12 lb) from the pier on a live karenteen. His dad’s boat was similar to my dad’s boat, and on one occasion when we were about 16 we were fishing at no 1 and catching a few ’cuda. We had about 30 fish and the bow area was getting quite full when suddenly a westerly buster arrived; you know the signs — suddenly very still and then the blow. We started the motors and turned for the base, but as the boat had two 5hp outboards we were chugging along

and not making much progress. As we were virtually at trolling speed, Chick and I stuck our baits out. Man oh man did those fish eat in that westerly! Shot for shot we put the fish in the front and every time we hit a swell a couple would slide off; Chicks dad eventually got us to stop. Remember in those days it was the norm to catch the fish which were thick. We sold our ’cuda to the fish monger at the base for 1 shilling a pound. Back then we used mainly sards and bonies for trolled baits. We had to be careful to get the baits to swim right and that involved lots of bending baits to reposition the 1/0 hook in the nose. We used small sinkers and bigger sinkers to get different depths to find out where the fish were feeding. Most of the anglers on the boats had experience from the south pier as most of the traces came from there. In fact, not much has changed in that department today. We also caught live pinkies from the old whaler wreck on the side of North Pier and mossies/shad from Limestone and the wreck off South Beach. Live shad were always top baits, especially at the whaling station. Bait was quite plentiful then. Lots of the pier fishermen used spoons and many ’cuda were caught with them. I also remember that many sailfish were caught from the boats and some small marlin. My dad always had a thick white cord out when we were going to the fishing grounds, and attatched to the cord was a big blue mullet spoon with a single hook bolted to the spoon. When a ’cuda smashed the spoon he never had a chance with that big hook. My dad had a slip knot close to the tramson, and when it slipped he never even stopped the boat, he just hauled the fish in. He always called that fish “petrol money”. One of the tricks we used on our boat that we learned from pier fishing was that we never made our wire traces — mainly malins silverbrite no 6-8 — with a tight, round closure as we’d found that the nice neat winds close to each other had a tendency to shear next to the neat close up. Instead we always made a long, loose closure which spread the load. When I think that when I sold my last ski-boat I had a top overhead trailer, enclosed trailer shed with a lock, use of the club’s tractors, water on tap in the shed along with a freezer, fridge, kettle, frying pan etc, and a boat dolly to let the boat down from the trailer, not to mention the Flotex carpets and other niceties, I can’t believe the difference. Nowadays it’s all much easier and more comfortable, but I would not have changed those early days for anything.

FEATURE

HANDLINING YELLOWTAIL Part 1: History of the men and their boats By Johan Smal

ENETICALLY encoded by Mother Nature, the prerequisite for any living being to exist principally revolves around three indispensible needs; survival, nourishment and reproduction. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. From the first recorded invention — documented as the construction of a shelter some 500 000 years ago — until this modern era of nano technology, the human race and its exponential progression has thrived on this very same principle. Fishing is no exception. In this series of articles I have tracked the evolutionary routes of fishermen, leading up to the contemporary chukkie linefishermen who ply their trade at the southernmost tip of Africa. In 2017 we published a series of articles called “Secrets of the Yellowtail” (see May/June 2017 to November/ December 2017 issues of SKI-BOAT magazine). While drafting those articles, in an effort to get information on the idiosyncrasies and circumstances surrounding the yellowtail, we interviewed several Agulhas linefishermen. These discussions augmented our own knowledge and understanding by some 350 years of additional local experience, stretching as far back as 1940. The telling is always as good as the catching and the interviewees were quite forthcoming and eagerly shared their most treasured involvements

exploiting those large yellowtail shoals. The footprints of their efforts and attentiveness catching and working those large feisty specimens were clearly visible on those weather-worn faces. At times their body language spoke louder than their words. For those commercial linefishermen, handlining yellowtail (among other species) was their lifelong occupation. It’s a job that’s greatly reliant on the weather and demands special skills which have been honed into a very fine art. These skills, handed down by their ancestors, have allowed them to make a living from the sea. Buttressed by the fact that many of them are still using old-styled fishing platforms — boats called chukkies — and purposely retaining the original handlining methodology, they are in fact a very unique category — a special breed of finfish gatherers. These deliberations were also a stark reminder that their total existence and that of their families is entirely dependent on the bounty of the oceans. Sadly, this dependence is based on resources which have lost some 95% of their original biomasses and which are still declining. Mindful of their particular quest, fortified by their great appreciation and respect for the treacherous waters surrounding the southern tip of the dark African continent, they remain dedicated to continuing to catch these fish well into the future. However, most of these fishermen are older individuals, with few youngsters entering the

pipeline to follow in their parents’ footsteps. They have, in fact, been branded as “a declining breed” these handlining commercial chuckkie fishermen. Their story had to be told at some stage, I concluded, and that time is now ... Part 1 of this series will deal mostly with the evolution of fishing in general, the associated fishing gear and propulsion of offshore fishing craft. THE EVOLUTION OF FISHING Along with hunting, fishing originated as a means of providing food for survival. It is therefore generally accepted that subsistence fishing originated some 500 000 years ago. Back then it consisted of catching fish by hand or by using rudimentary tools made from natural materials, of which no trace remains. Anatomically modern human beings (Homo sapiens) have been eating seafood for at least 164 000 years. Caves in South Africa contain the very earliest evidence for humans consuming shallow-water fish, since some 140 000 years ago. The people of that time lived a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle, but their permanent settlements, shell middens, discarded fish bones and cave paintings show that they fished extensively in salt- and freshwater. Fishing only really developed after the appearance of Homo sapiens sapiens around 40 000 years ago. Very little is known about the different fishing practices at that time, but a Chinese SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 61

The world’s oldest fish hooks discovered in Sakitari Cave on Okinawa Island, were made from sea snail shells and dated between 22,380 and 22,770 years old. <www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/world-s-oldest-fishhook-found-okinawa> account written around the fourth century BC refers to fishing with a silk line, a hook made from a needle, and a bamboo rod with cooked rice used as bait. References to fishing around those times are also found in ancient Greek, Assyrian, Roman, and Jewish writings. THE EVOLUTION OF HOOKS The history of tackle runs parallel to the history of fishing. Fish hooks have been employed by fishermen since ancient times. They played such a cardinal role in the evolution of fishing that in 2005 the fish hook was chosen by Forbes magazine as one of the top twenty tools in the history of mankind. The world’s oldest discovered fish hooks, made from sea snails shells, were discovered in Sakitari Cave on Okinawa Island, and dated back somewhere between 22 380 and 22 770 years. They are older than the fish hooks from the Jerimalai cave in East Timor which were estimated to be between 16 000 and 23 000 years old. Others found in New Ireland in Papua New Guinea, are between 18 000 and 20 000 years old These findings also provided some proof that fishing was a universal activity dating back to antiquity. The predecessor of the fishhook was called a “gorge” — a prehistoric invention that’s still being used in survival excursions today. Sharply pointed at both ends, the device consisted of a long, thin piece of wood, bone or stone with a line attached around its midpoint. The gorge was covered with some kind of bait, and when a fish swallowed it, a pull on the line wedged it across the gullet of the fish, which

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could then be pulled in. With the line constructed of animal or plant material, the method was only effective when used from a fishing platform, be it fixed or movable. The practice of attaching the line to a rod — at first probably a stick or tree branch — made it possible to also fish from the bank or shore and even to reach over vegetation bordering the water. Eventually, with the advent of metals, the hook was one of the first tools made. Improved methods of making fish hooks were devised in the 1650s by Charles Kirby. Later he also invented the Kirby bend, a distinctive shape of hook with an offset point that is still in common use worldwide. The use of a landing hook (gaff) for lifting large hooked fish from the water, was first noted by Barker in 1667. EVOLUTION OF FISHING LINE We know that most ancient populations were dependent on fishing, but we don’t know when fishing line was invented. As with many other things, these lines were also made of materials that did not survive the centuries. We do, however, know that already around 3000 BC the Chinese used line made of silk for angling. This widely used commodity was brought to the Western society via the “Silk Road” around 200 BC. It was also reported that some people used woven cotton made from the fibres of the cotton plant or linen made from f lax fibres from the f lax plant, with early American Indians also using plants and stalks to make fishing line. The Norse allegedly made their line from sea grasses and stalks.

In 1667 the diarist Samuel Pepys wrote that fishing line was also made of animal gut material. Fisherman Col. Robert Venables reported in 1676 that lute string (a silk fabric of high sheen, formerly used in the manufacture of dresses) was also used. When fishing became popular in Europe in the 15th century, the fishermen in England used braided horsehair for line. This line used to wear out quickly, though, with individual strands breaking and finally leading to line failures. The horsehair was replaced by silk line in 1908. Also woven, the silk threads were long, much stronger than horsehair and could be made by machines. The downside, however was that it had to be rinsed and dried on open spools after every use. It was also susceptible to damage by the sun’s ultraviolet light. Linen line also appeared and was mainly used for catching big game fish. However, linen line was also susceptible to wear and UV light damage. Eventually a very peculiar solution was devised to counter the degeneration of these lines — pig’s blood! The lines were regularly covered with the substance, rigorously steamed and wiped clean, a practice widely accepted and applied by the local fishermen. When available, sheep’s blood was also used. Although I’m personally ignorant about the biological processes at work here, reports from the fishermen are all unanimous — “it worked very well!” The Second World War brought, amongst other things, many scientific discoveries, inter alia the improvements of synthetic materials from which the first synthetic fishing lines were made. Marketed by Du Pont and well known for its strength, Dacron entered the fishing market during the 1950’s. In 1954 the Du Pont chemists invented nylon and made a braided nylon line, but it was too elastic for fishing. This was then replaced with a monofilament made from a single high-strength line which is still in use today. Today’s lines are almost all made of synthetic materials such as Dacron, nylon, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene, copolymers and fluorocarbon. EVOLUTION OF FISHING RODS When people started to fish in prehis-

toric times, they used their bare hands to catch the fish in shallow water. As this was not practical in deeper water, someone then invented a contraption consisting of a fishing hook attached to a line. However, fisherman soon realised the difficulty in placing the baited hook in an intended spot, especially when having to reach over some obstacles. This then lead to further advancement with the line tied to the simplest organic stick, most probably a shoot from a plant. The enhanced control also enabled the fisherman to cast the hook and bait much further and more accurately. This particular configuration became popular and was widely used by early civilizations. Based on stone inscriptions dating back to 2000 BC, fishing rods were used in ancient Egypt, China, Greece, Trinidad and Tobago, Rome and medieval England. For thousands of years, the fishing rod remained short — not more than a few feet in length. The earliest reference to a longer jointed rod came from Roman times during the 4th century AD. There’s also evidence that at that time Macedonians were catching trout on artificial flies and actually described how each fly was dressed. The rod they used was only six feet long and the line the same length, implying that the method used was probably dapping — gently dropping the bait or fly on the surface of the water. The histor y of sportfishing in England began around 1496, but the first period of great improvement only came during the mid-17th century. About this time some unknown angler attached a wire loop or ring at the tip end of the rod which allowed them to use a running line which was useful for both casting and playing a hooked fish. Rods were also improved as heavy native woods were replaced by straightgrained, tough, elastic woods such as bamboo and also lancewood and greenheart from South America and the West Indies. By the end of the 18th century a technique had been developed by which several strips of bamboo were glued together, retaining the strength and pliancy of the cane, but greatly reducing the thickness. Between 1865 and 1870 complete hexagonal rods (made by laminating together six trian-

Divers in the Solent found pieces of the oldest British boats and which have been dated at ±6000 BC. Africa’s oldest known boat (6 000 BC), the Dufuna canoe, was discovered near the region of the River Yobe in Nigeria. Various radio-carbon tests conducted indicate that the canoe is over 8 000 years old, thus making it the oldest in Africa and third oldest in the world. Older than it are the dugouts from Pesse, Netherlands and Noyen-surSeine, France, which are allegedly very primitive in comparison to the modern design — even by our standards — of the Dufuna canoe. gular strips of bamboo) were produced on both sides of the Atlantic. In the 20th century, rods became shorter and lighter without sacrificing strength. Eventually split bamboo was replaced by fibre glass and finally by carbon fibre to make the rods we know today. THE EVOLUTION OF REELS The necessity for a reel came long after the advent of rods, line and hooks. Apparently the fishing reel was invented in China during the Song dynasty (960--1279 AD), where the earliest known illustration of a fishing rod fitted with a fishing reel was revealed in Chinese paintings and records dated about 1195 AD. Fishing reels first appeared in England around 1650, the time of growing interest in f lyfishing. The first English book on fishing was produced in 1496. Named A Treatise of Fishing with an Angle, it made no mention of a reel. A primitive reel was first cited in the book The Art of Angling published in 1651. By the 1760s London tackle shops were advertising multiplying or gear-retrieved reels and by 1770 a rod with guides for the line along its length and a reel was in common use. The first

In 1787 John Fitch built the world’s first steam-powered vessel, The Steamboat, for the Delaware River and for which he received a USA patent in 1791. popular American fishing reel appeared in the USA around 1820. The first true reel was a geared multiplying reel attached under the rod, in which one turn of the handle moved the spool through several revolutions. In the Nottingham reel the wood was replaced by ebonite (a hard rubber) or metal, so that it became even more freespinning. However, since the reel revolved faster than the line runoff, a considerable tangle could result. In 1896 William Shakespeare of Kalamazoo, Michigan, devised the levelwind, which automatically spread the line evenly as it was wound on the reel. In 1880 the firm Malloch, located in Scotland, introduced the first turntable reel which had one side of the spool open. During casting, the reel was turned 90°, bringing it in line with the rod guides so that the line slipped easily off the end of the spool. The reel was used mainly for casting heavy lures for salmon fishing, but it influenced the reel invented by the English textile magnate Holden Illingworth, which the British called a fixed-spool reel and the Americans a spinning reel. In this kind of reel, the spool permanently faces up along the rod and the line peels off during casting. After the 1930s the fixed-

An early morning launch at Arniston during spring tide. Photos by Elma Smal.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 63

Two of the legendary chukkies still in use, docked on the Arniston slip. spool reel was taken up in Europe and after World War II it created a boom in spin casting in North America and the rest of the world. EVOLUTION OF BOAT PROPULSION The evolution of sportfishing boats has already been dealt with in a comprehensive six-part series (How the Wet was Won) published in SKI-BOAT in 2014 and 2015, so we won’t go into too much detail here. Boats have served as transportation since very early times. Circumstantial evidence such as the findings in Flores Island near Indonesia suggest that boats have been used since ver y ancient times. The earliest boats are thought to have been “log-boats”, with the oldest recovered sample in the world being the Pesse canoe, a dugout or hollowed tree trunk made from a Pinus Sylvestris (Scott’s pine) somewhere between 8200 and 7600 BC. Some 5 000 years ago, the Mesopotamian civilisation was one of the first kingdoms to flourish and they reportedly invented, inter alia, wheels, cuneiform (the earliest form of writing), and most importantly sailboats. Their boat designs were simple with hulls made from natural materials — primarily wood although reed, bark and animal skins were also used. Since then boat design developed steadily to enhance speed, manoeuvrability and cargo load, reflecting unique aesthetic and technological innovations as the industry advanced. Rowing or sailing by utilising the wind, were the principal means of watercraft propulsion since inception. Sails could be used in favourable winds, but human strength was always the primary method of thrust independent of winds and currents. Destined to transform the status quo for these ways of propulsion forever, the era of mechani64 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

sation eventually dawned. Reciprocating piston engines were conceptualised which craftily manipulated the stored energy of compressed steam. The first steam-powered boat, Perseverance, propelled by a bank of oars on either side of the boat, was engineered in 1787 by John Fitch. He was also the operator of the first steamboat service in the United States. The first iron-hulled steamship, the Aaron Manby, crossed the English Channel in 1822. On her maiden voyage in 1838, the oak-hulled, side-wheel paddle steamer, the SS Great Western was the first purpose-built transatlantic steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The development of the pistonengine steamships was a complex process, but progressed considerably over the rest of the 19th centur y. Although the first steamboat used oars for propulsion transmitted from the engines’ power, these mechanisms were replaced by paddle wheels, either stern or side-fitted. Although this design was effective on the calm waters of rivers and inland lakes, it was not suited to the open seas. In heavy seas the waves could lift one wheel right out of the water while the other one went right under, unduly straining the engines. They were soon replaced with rear fitted screw type propellers. As these technologies became reliable, designs were changed for faster and more economic performances. Initially these ocean faring steamships were still fitted with masts, enabling the vessels to hoist auxiliary sails. The sails were not just to provide ancillar y propulsion if needed, but were also used in rough seas to keep the ship on an even keel to ensure that both paddle wheels remained in the water, driving the ship in a straight line. However, sailing remained the dominant form of commercial propulsion

until the late nineteenth century, and continued to be used well into the twentieth century on routes where wind was assured and coal was not available. In the early 20th century, heavy fuel oil came into more general use and began to replace coal as the fuel of choice in steamships. Reciprocating engines were replaced by steam turbines, also fuelled by coal and later, fuel oil or nuclear power. . The reciprocating marine diesel engine first came into use in 1903 when the diesel electric river-tanker, Vandal, was put into service. Soon after diesel engines offered greater efficiency than the steam turbine, but for many years had an inferior power-tospace ratio. The advent of turbocharging however hastened their adoption, by permitting greater power densities. RISE AND FALL OF THE CHUKKIE And so we come full circle back to much smaller diesel-powered boats closer to home — the chukkies, so-named because of the “chuck, chuck, chuck, chuck” sound made by their inboard diesel engines when starting up. Their simple, robust design meant they could be manufactured in a reasonably short space of time at relatively low costs. Ideal for their purpose, the chukkies became popular among inshore fishermen for many years to follow, and the Struisbaai and Arniston commercial fishermen still use them extensively. Sadly the remaining boats still in use are out-dated and generally beleaguered by many downsides, and are rapidly reaching the very end of their shelf-life. In part two of this series we’ll take a closer look at the history of the chuckkie in particular as well as the diligence and ingenuity of the local fishermen needed to stay afloat.

2018 BELL REEL KIDS WINNER

UR lucky 2018 Bell Reel Kids winner is Hennie Botha of Nelspruit! He won a Shimano rod and reel courtesy of Bell equipment.

Hennie received his prize from Twan Bell ( Sales Manager Coastal Region), Peet Smith (Sales Representative Bell Nelspruit branch) and Brett Peddie (CSC Branch Manager Nelspruit). See page 67 for details on how you could win!

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January/February 2019

WHAT A GREAT DAY! by Gerber Britz (16)

AM not a superstitious person, but I had a gut feeling Sunday 7 October 2018 might be a good one… My brother, my dad and I launched our boat, Whatta, from St.Lucia beach and immediately set off to find some livebait. After we got some good livebait we were not sure where to go. One is often influenced by the talk of other fishermen, and this morning was no different. Our plan was to go straight to the ledge, but some of the other fishermen had a good day up north the previous day, so we were in two minds. However my brother was adamant:“Let’s stick with the game plan and go to the ledge.” We were out in 48 metres of water, and after trolling for only about 30 minutes on the ledge I landed a nice dorado of 13.2 kg. It was caught on a half-beak rigged on a black hole Kona. We then landed some small tuna of around 5kg and after another 30

minutes of trolling we had a double up on dorado, also on halfbeaks. My brother landed his dorado after about 12 minutes, but boy was mine a tough fighter. We didn’t realise how big it was because every time I got it close to the boat it would sound again. It felt like I was fighting a bucket, and it just would not come up. To make things worse, our gaff had taken a hammering with the previous dorado and Dad had to make a temporarily fix with some fishing line. Eventually after about 35 minutes we got him within reach of our “half a gaff”. I was extremely exhausted and I could not believe the size of the fish — it could not even fit in any of our hatches! Back at the St. Lucia Ski-Boat Club we weighed it and it pulled the scale to 19kg — a confirmed new SA and All Africa record in the 10kg line class for juniors. What a great day!

SKI-BOAT magazine, in conjunction with Mercury, is proud to offer all junior deep sea anglers the opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. If you are 16 years old or younger and you submit a photo of yourself and the fish you caught, you will receive a handsome certificate suitably inscribed confirming the catch. And there’s more ... Once a year the names of all junior anglers whos photographs appeared on the Mercury Junior Angler page will be included in a lucky draw and the winner will receive, courtesy of Mercury, a fantastic prize of a 2.5hp outboard motor. All you need to do is send us a photograph of yourself and your catch, together with the following details: • Your name address, telephone number and date of birth • Species and weight of the fish you caught • Line class used • Date and place fish was caught • Boat and skipper’s name All entries should be sent to : Mercury Junior Angler SKI-BOAT magazine PO Box 20545, Durban North 4016 or email your entry to <angler@mags.co.za>. There is no restriction on the number of awards that can be applied for, and SKI-BOAT magazine reserves the right to use the photographs as it sees fit. A selection of five award winners will appear in each issue of SKI-BOAT magazine. Junior anglers, Mercury and SKI-BOAT magazine acknowledge that you hold the future of our sport in your hands. Here’s your chance to show us what you can do!

Deadlines for March 2019 issue is 17 January 2019 68 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

TOP CATCHES By Capt. Stuart Simpson <capeverde.bluemarlin@gmail.com>

N the morning of 31 August 2018 Leo Cloostermans and Ibrahim Elouafi (owner of Capri) met up with me at Mohammedia YMC marina in Morocco. The goal was to target the 4 lb line class record for white marlin as the fish were abundant and they were good sizes. We let the lines go at 7am and ran 8 nautical miles to catch some fresh mackerel for pitch baits. Luck was on our side from the word go, and we came across some local fishermen who had fished the night before, and we purchased fresh bait from them. That gave us an extra 45 minutes of fishing time. With the bait onboard we changed our course to a bearing of 30 degrees and headed to the fishing grounds off Rabat, a 30nm run. Around 9am we set our two flat teasers out, and within five minutes we had a fish up on the left teaser. Ibrahim got a switch to the fish and we got it very close before parting ways. We reset the teasers and five minutes after that we had another fish up which parted the 4 lb line with an incredible burst of speed! Leo and Ibrahim started to re-spool the two reels and geared up whilst we carried on fishing so that Leoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandson could have a little fun on 12 lb line. We managed to release two good sized white marlin for Sebastian Goossens which were both the weight that we were looking to catch on 4 lb line. Ibrahim was soon ready to go again and the white marlin were snapping. The gear was set and just minutes later I called out from the bridge that we had a big fish on the right teaser. At first the white marlin sat all lit up under the teaser, not doing much at all, so I called for the guys to â&#x20AC;&#x153;bring it inâ&#x20AC;? to see what it would do. We went into a turn hoping that the fish would switch. We got the fish within 20 feet of the transom before the teaser was whipped out, with the white marlin wiping in and out not sure what it wanted, almost as if it had a yes/no, yes/no going through its mind. On the third or fourth turn the fish gave a gentle roll onto the bait almost as if it was a big tuna. It gave Ibrahim a great chance as he free spooled, losing almost no line off the spool as the fish hung around the back of the boat looking for more â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just perfect. We backed up slowly at first whilst following the fish around, hoping and praying this would be the one, as it was a good sized fish. We watched the fish swim around the back of the boat just out of gaffing distance before it felt the hook and shot off with three sets of jumps just out of reach at the back of the boat. Then it changed direction towards the bow,

jumping down the side of the boat. Meanwhile I was calling from the bridge: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go into complete free spool!â&#x20AC;? As a light tackle fisherman, one knows thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s normally the end and we prepare to move on to the next one, but to our surprise Ibrahim had controlled the fishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s erratic change of direction and his position on the boat to remain attached. Our chances of getting it right this time increased when the fish made a crucial mistake by doing some jumps straight up in the air and back down, making it easier for us to work out where it would be. Within seconds we were on top of the fish with Salah Chaabi, Capriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first mate, getting hold of the leader whilst Leo swung the gaff in the desperate hope of going tight. After a moment of white water whilst the fish shook its head violently next to the boat with Salah still wrapped on the leader, the fish uprighted itself and presented a perfect gaff shot in clear water. Leo stretched out the gaff, hitting the mark on the right shoulder. Having reached the age of 76, Leo has dedicated his life to light tackle records; he was in his element getting a pull from Ibrahimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential world record before Salah let go of the leader and came in with the second gaff, securing the fish. That was all by midday on day one of our record hunt. Once the fish was on deck we knew we had the size that we were looking for. Ibrahim made sure all his gear and his fish were well looked after as I spooled the turbos on Capri, a 40ft Gamefisherman, to make the 35nm run back to get the fish to the scales. Glenn Johnston, captain of Gladius, was there to greet us as we waited for Fouad Sahiaoui, Gladiusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner, to arrive to witness Ibrahimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s magnificent achievement go to the scales. Fouad has been teaching Ibrahim about fishing and chasing records from a young age, so it was now Ibrahimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to shine. The weight slowly increased on the scales as the fish was hoisted, and Ibrahimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s white marlin went to an amazing 52kg on 4 lb line. It beat the previus record held by Mike Levitt for a 40.1kg white marlin caught back in 1990. After some celebrations the fishing continued. This time it was Leoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s turn to fish 2 lb looking for a new record. We fished a further three days with many chances but never got

Catching white marlin on 2 lb line

70 â&#x20AC;˘ SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

Celebrations all round! Left: Ibrahim Elouafi and Stuart Simpson with Ibrahim’s record 52kg white marlin caught on 4 lb line. Right: Ibrahim, Leo Cloostermans, Stuart and Salah Chaaibi with Leo’s record 42.5kg white marlin caught on 2 lb line. close enough. However, on the fourth day I was sure we were going to come right. We had blue skies, 0-5 knots of wind, 0.3m of a swell and all I could see, were boats reversing with multiple hookups and birds flocking everywhere. Our blood was pumping as we knew we were going to get multiple shots but that we were looking for perfect conditions. After breaking off fish after fish, Leo and Ibrahim respooled new 2 lb line onto the reels for the fifth time that morning. Whilst this was happening in drift all I could see was at least three marlin free swimming next to the boat while I waited (patiently) on the helm for Leo and Ibrahim to gear up. After what I had seen and all the action we’d had over the past three hours, we went down to one flat teaser in the end to save confusion when teasing the white marlin

in as we would bring up to five fish to the back of the boat which is very difficult when fishing 2 lb line class. Often I would be reversing after the wrong fish, creating too much line pressure for Leo; it’s not easy to follow 2 lb in the water, even for the angler. Our plan did work in that we were only bringing in between one and two fish at a time, but the luck was not there. The fish were too aggressive on the bite, breaking Leo off immediately, or else they would run off with a massive set of jumps just killing us. Even though we did manage to get the leader on many occasions through the course of the morning, we never got close enough. The action continued, as did re-spooling of reels, with no lunch served as the bite never seemed to lay off for even five minutes. Leo did not even have the time to sit, let alone put down his rod. This is what dreams are made of! At one point I don’t think any of us remembered what we were trying to achieve any more as we were having way too much fun. At 3pm the bite slowed down, almost to our relief, so we could all sit down, gather our thoughts and take a break.

SKI-BOAT January/February 2019 • 71

I told Ibrahim I was going to head south, back to where he caught his fish four days before, and from there we would make our way home. Everyone agreed, enough was enough. I took us 3nm south, changing the spread to one daisy chain teaser on wake one, a flat line teaser on wake two and a third teaser on wake three, which we would not have done a couple hours earlier. At 3.30pm we had a fish up on the daisy chain. Everyone was back to their stations and Leo got a perfect switch, fish after fish after fish. We chased the fish, but for once we felt good as the fish stayed on the surface at all times with no jumping. Capri’s turbos were whistling for six minutes as we chased this fish down — this was it! Ibrahim got the leader and the fish turned and made a massive jump, breaking away just inches from the gaffs. “Wow! How much closer do we have to get Leo?” I cried from the bridge. We laughed and reset the gear. At the time we only had one rod ready to go. The spread was set and we travelled slightly south to within 300 metres of where Ibrahim had caught his potential record just four days back. We soon had a pack of white marlin up which is not ideal, but again Leo made a perfect switch. Like many times before when we’ve raised packs I started to reverse after the wrong marlin as they were everywhere! Suddenly I heard Leo’s grandson Sebastian crying from the tower: “No its the one on the left!” I caught sight of the fish and it was 25 yards off the starboard, swimming like nothing had happened, undeterred that we were after her. We were on her very quickly, with Ibrahim reaching out and gently getting a hold of the leader. The fish rolled just perfectly and the gaffs were out, but we got nothing — either the fish was out of reach or they missed the fish. It was the worst feeling as the fish went under the boat. I stayed in neutral and held my breath as Ibrahim held onto the leader. When the fish appeared on the port corner she stuck her head out the water, preparing to jump. Fortunately our new gaff man, Lucas Bournot, got a perfect shot in midair, securing Leo’s potential 42.5kg white marlin on 2lb line class. This catch eclipsed Ron Nation’s 39.46kg record which has stood since 1986. The feeling of catching two potential world records on two of the hardest line classes within five days of each other is very difficult to describe. The only way this came about is thanks to the winning combination of a great boat, great anglers, a team dedicated to achieving the record and, of course, perfect fishing conditions. 72 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

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BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS & DIRECTORY

RAPALA LIP

Learning the Lingo

AST week at the club I saw utter confusion on the face of a young bride when her new husband expressed a desire to “troll light for baby black and tag on the Bowling Green”. Now I’ve been a side-liner in the skiboating game for more years than I care to record in black and white and therefore automatically translated: “Fish for small black marlin using light tackle off the coast of Queensland, Australia, and then tag and release them.” I thought then that it might be a good idea to write a few explanatory notes on the actual meaning of some of the words and phrases in the angler’s vocabulary. Please note that I have referred only to fishermen for the sake of convenience, and also because women understand each other when they talk! ACE: First class or top notch boat (or anything else). AMPHIBIAN: Creatures that live on both land and in water — easily recognisable by the frosty in hand. ANGLER: Fisherman looking for compliments. BAG: The woman who insists the angler leaves the boat on the beach on Christmas Day. BAROMETER: An instrument which has to be ritualistically tapped every time you pass it. BAIT: Whatever is dark-coloured, evilsmelling and has oozed into your deep freeze. BILLFISH: This refers to the shape of the mouth and not the cost of catching it. BLACK: A black marlin which is somehow different — though not in colour — to a blue marlin. BLUE: A marlin which is black but different to a black marlin, hence called “blue”. BOAT: The other woman in your man’s life. BUCKET: 1) A round, open galvanised container with handle; essential for the comfort of females on board. 2) A leather device worn low on the hips

Last word from the ladies like a sporran, in which you can position the butt of the rod. CAT: Two-legged boat dearly loved by people called ”Hentjie” or “Butt”. CHUM: 1) Friend. 2) Chopped up bait which attracts fish (mostly sharks); usually dark-coloured, evil-smelling and oozy. CLUB: Your man’s home from home. COAST: Where you’ll be spending your vacations for the rest of your life. DOG: The hair of this quadruped is reputed to cure headaches. DOLPHINS: The reason most new girlfriends think they’re going out to sea. ECHO SOUNDER: An expensive device which indicates mostly where the fish aren’t. ECONOMICAL: Despite what the men say, this word does not apply to any facet of this sport. ECSTASY: A state of rapture experienced when you get to hold the bill of your billfish before releasing it. FISH: 1) Cold-blooded vertebrates with pimpernel-like talents. 2) The action taken trying to catch said cold-blooded pimpernels. FROSTY: A chilled can of “person-fuel” which seems permanently attached to an angler’s hand. GAMEFISHING: Sounds like fun but is in fact very serious business. GILLIE: Man, woman or child attending to angler’s needs — usually related to the angler. HYPOTHERMIA: A dangerous lowering of body temperature usually experienced by wives waiting around on the beach in winter. ICTHYOLOGY: Worship of the fish god JIG: A dance performed when you stand on a hook. KEEPER: 1)A fish which can be kept for dinner. 2) A girlfriend who should be

turned into a wife because she enjoys fishing. LURES: A vast, costly assortment of brightly coloured feather or plastic enticers for fish, which are actually designed to catch the angler. MOMBAKKIES: A sad face caused when the angler achieves zero score in a competition. NOBBY: Newcomer who ever yone secretly hopes will fish on someone else’s boat. OH: The first part of a binary (twoworded) phrase uttered whenever a fish throws a hook. POLITICS: A subject always discussed at vergaderings — has nothing to do with government and everything to do with the running of club, provincial and national fishing bodies. QUEER: Person who does not enjoy fishing. RAPALA LIP: Protruding bottom lip of someone who is sulking — usually the girlfriend who has been dragged out fishing when she wants to go shopping. SHARK: A person who breaks another angler’s record before it has even been published. SKIPPER: Bossman on the boat. TACKLE: Boxes and boxes of devices consisting of line, lures, hooks, swivels, sinkers etc all to persuade the fish to swallow what’s not good for them. TAG: A game of catch where anglers put labels on fish to see which way they run. UNITS: Smart-Alec talk for the number of weighable fish caught during a competition. VERGADERING: A discussion, normally heated, which occurs inevitably whenever two or more anglers are gathered in the name of fishing. WAHOO: Hooligan fish. X: marks the spot where the last big one was caught. YOU: The boat-lunch maker and fish fryer. ZERO: The number of weighable units normally admitted to having been caught before the last call-up in a competition.

YOUR CHANCE TO GET EVEN CALLING all ladies — are you an angling widow? Are you a frustrated crew member aboard hubby’s boat? Do you bear the brunt of the skipper’s lapses in fishing ability? Do you often outfish the men on the boat and have to deal with their Rapala Lips? Do you often want to have your say but are prevented from doing so by those chauvinistic male anglers? We’re looking for new writers for our Rapala Lip column. All contributions are gladly accepted and they will appear anonymously to protect the writers from divorce suits, cold shoulders, banishments, cut up credit cards etc. You can also earn a bit of pocket money to buy yourself some tackle of your own and show him how it’s done. Come on ladies, share your stories with us — you know you want to. Email them to <sheena@mags.co.za>. 74 • SKI-BOAT January/February 2019

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