Ski-Boat March 2021 by Angler Publications

CONTENTS

March/April 2021 Volume 37 Number 2 COVER: SAILFISH AHOY! Kenya’s sailfish are full of fight, but we have plenty of feisty sailies in SA too. See pages 12 and 16. Photo by Erwin Bursik.

FEATURES

Sailfish Alley Making magic in the right conditions — by Jono Booysen

Once in a Lifetime Memories of the 2008 Captain Morgan Grand Challenge — by Erwin Bursik

Wicked Tuna Part 3:A look at the personalities involved — by Brian Cohen and Hymie Steyn

Pandemonium strikes for Pulsator 2020 Billfish 15 000 tournament — by Blyde Pretorius

Summer Cleaning Holidays are over, now fishing begins in the workshop — by Paul Nixon

MPAs are Working Surprising movement behaviour noticed in reef fish — by Bruce Mann

Birth of the Gypski 20

Going backwards to go forwards — by Rob Naysmith

Dorado on the Braai Recipe from a reader — by Mark Bydawell

Top Travel Tips from the Man Who Knows Wise hints for adventuring in Moçambique — by Kingsley Holgate

DEPARTMENTS 8 9 38 51 53

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik Postbox SADSAA News Subscribe and WIN! Kingfisher Awards

55 57 64 65 66

Mercury Junior Anglers Reel Kids News & 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 Boat Tests: Heinrich Kleyn Contributors: Jono Booysen, Erwin Bursik, Mark Bydawell, Brian Cohen, Kingsley Holgate, Bruce Mann, Rob Naysmith, Paul Nixon and Blyde Pretorius. ADVERTISING – NATIONAL SALES: Angler Publications Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 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: angler@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 On the Dot, 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.

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EDITORIAL

THE ETHICS OF FISHING

N the January 2021 issue of SKI-BOAT we ran an article by Dale Leenstra about catching billfish on light tackle while chasing records. On the letters page of this issue we’ve run Edward Truter’s letter taking issue with light tackle fishing. I note Edward’s view and find no fault with many of the points he raises. However, catch and release in terms of offshore sportfishing, especially billfishing, has grown exponentially since the early 1990s. Until then virtually every billfish landed was killed — a norm of that era which at the time extolled the achievements of the angler who achieved these catches and I admit to being one of them. Time and the ethos of T&R or plain release Erwin Bursik was never legislated by government nor prePublisher scribed by angling controlling bodies, but a “slowly, slowly, catchee monkey” approach was used and now, some 30 years later, almost all recreationally caught billfish are released. One has to accept the occasional dead-on-arrival fish that is boated. It does happen, even on heavy tackle, and I concede that it is far better to utilise large fish and the protein they represent rather than turfing them back into the ocean. In respect of a person’s desire to legally target billfish records on extremely light line, that is a personal choice and totally accepted by IGFA. Dale (and other anglers) may have a desire to attempt such a feat and I have personally witnessed marlin being landed on light tackle on the international stage . It’s very exciting and requires an incredible amount of angler skill — as well as a very skilled skipper and crew. In number terms these catches are negligible, because when the fish is pulled alongside it is only boated if it’s deemed to be bigger than the current record, and if that’s not the case then it’s released. Without belabouring the point, I am of the opinion that those who target big fish on light line are very few and far between, and the number killed to achieve new records is even more negligible. When it comes to discussing fish that break away after being hooked on light tackle, once again these numbers are far lower than those which smash up the heavy tackle brigade. It’s a vast and complex topic, one that has had a lot of input from the for- and against lobbies and one that has no definitive answer. While I totally support the release of fish, I can’t help but support those who favour using their coercive influence rather than negative chastisement to achieve that end. Till the next tide

Erwin Bursik

A picture that speaks a thousand words.

POSTBOX DESPERATELY SEEKING FIRST COPY OF SKI-BOAT Dear Readers, It seems a little gremlin has crept in and stolen the very first copy of SKI-BOAT magazine (May 1985) from our files. Obviously this is a very important piece of our history and we would dearly love to have a copy. If anyone has that first copy and is prepared to part with it we would be eternally grateful. Alternatively if you really don’t want to part with it please contact us so that we can at least make a colour copy to keep. SHEENA CARNIE <sheena@mags.co.za> FOREIGN RAIDERS ARE THE STUFF OF OLD WIVES TALES Dear Editor, With reference to Erwin Bursik’s editorial in the November 2020 issue of SKIBOAT... I first became conscious of the possibility that Taiwanese and Japanese fishing boats were rumoured to be stealing tuna inside of South Africa’s territorial waters back in the 1960s, after several were identified, and then arrested whilst visiting Cape Town harbour for bunkers and supplies. Then came an agreement with the respective countries that this would stop. It probably carried on intermittently to a very limited extent, because once a longliner is following a shoal of tuna it becomes irrelevant to ascertain whether you are inside or outside a line hundreds of miles offshore. One positive effect was to motivate a longlining industry for large pelagics locally.Today, helped further by satellite imaging, the local fleet is quick to report possible transgressions during the day or night. Then came the period when fishermen and scientists alike recognised that inshore, mainly hand-line resources, were diminishing at a rate of knots! Unsurprisingly, the recreationals blamed the commercials who blamed the recreationals. This was followed by the rumours that Japanese trawlers were seen working on the Agulhas Banks and other inshore rocky areas, particularly at night. If I remember correctly, this was true for a short time, as the Department of Fisheries had come to an arrangement with a Japanese company to test a system known as Bobbin Trawling, which was capable of pulling a trawl net over rough and rocky bottoms. Their subsequent efforts certainly proved the fish were available, but our rocky grounds ate up the nets at an alarming rate, resulting in the advice to

our Department that such a fishing method in South African waters was impractical. They also pointed out that, on the rocks in the deeper waters, large concentrations of large kingklip (family Ling) and hake existed, though it was some years before application was made and granted to longline for these species. As an aside, I always thought this was a very short-sighted decision, in that these rocky grounds effectively acted as Marine Protected Areas for the mainly adults of these two species. Until they were targeted they could spawn and maintain continuous reinforcement for the offshore (and to a degree inshore) smooth bottom trawl grounds. After all, bottom-trawl rights are based on their viable landings, which, largely, are the very backbone of our large fishing industry. All my life people who knew of my interests in conservation and sustainable fishing practices, have phoned me to report the lights of working “foreign” trawlers, longliners or other vessels stealing our fishing resources at night, or our own local vessels fishing illegally in closed areas during the day.This was particularly in respect of my time in KwaZulu-Natal, and my personal Utopia on this earth, the Breede River Mouth and environs. All fishing activities stop at times due to inclement weather, and because the vessels are often days’ steaming from their home base, they will seek shelter along the coast rather than steam slowly head-on into the increasing storm. I have lost count of the number of times I have been told that vessels are trawling or throwing their nets right in the mouth, when they are actually lying at anchor waiting for the storms to subside. When I’ve had reports of vessels fishing inshore at night along the KZN or Eastern Cape coasts, I ask where they are during the day, and I am told that they have steamed back into international waters. Few fishing vessels can steam more than 20km per hour, so it would take nearly a day to make it to the coastline. Need I say any more? The best ever example of people’s imagination, was when an irate angler at St Lucia phoned to tell me that one of my vessels out of Durban was actually trawling in the breakers, and I must please ensure that the captain be ordered away because he was in casting distance of the beach. I was, I suppose somewhat sarcastically, able to tell him that the vessel had been too close to the shore three nights before, and had run aground. His reply was to ask why

we had not moved it away since then. I do not remember my reply, which is probably a good thing, as I had just arrived home in Durban, and had not slept for 52 hours. I agree with Erwin’s editorial — foreign vessels stealing our marine resources is an old wife’s tale and has been for years. Remembering the huge advances in technology over the past decade, you can rest assured that any stealing of our marine wealth today is certain to be an inside job! JACK WALSH <walshjackw@gmail.com> LIGHT TACKLE CONTROVERSY Dear Editor, Dale Leenstra’s article in the January 2021 issue of SKI-BOAT on chasing billfish on light line is definitely food for thought. As anglers, especially catch and release anglers, we all need to be thinking about how we can minimise the amount of time that the animal on the end of our lines is fighting for its life. Think about this for a moment, a hooked fish on the end of your line is in a blind, highly-stressed panic and for what? Just so that we can have some fun and enjoy the challenge on the other end. What we do as catch and release anglers — and I’m very much one of them — is extremely selfish. The best we can do, apart from reducing the numbers of fish we want to catch, is minimise the time of the fish’s stress and panic by using the heaviest gear for the job.We can still enjoy the challenge of luring the fish to strike, and achieving a successful hook-set, but then tackle and technique should be totally focussed on as quick a fight as possible to the release. Chasing light-tackle records is none of that, and that’s without including the discussion of all the fish lost with hooks in them. Note how many lost fish the writer refers to in the article. It’s very sad to see that the use of too light a tackle is still happening today, and at a time when we should all be taking a long, hard look at what we do and finding a better balance between our own wants/needs and the wellbeing of the animals and their environment that we value, respect, enjoy, and treasure so much. EDWARD TRUTER <truter.edward@gmail.com> Dear Edward, we note your point. Please read Erwin Bursik’s editorial on page 8 of this issue for another perspective.

If you have anything you’d like to get off your chest regarding deep sea fishing off South Arica, feel free to send a letter to the editor <sheena@mags.co.za>. SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 9

TACTICS Stuart Frangenheim with a beautiful sailie caught off Cape Vidal. Photo by Mark de la Hey.

12 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

By Jono Booysen

OR many anglers, the sailfish is the ultimate light tackle billfish to catch.Their beauty and exciting aerial displays are something that no one can forget; ask any angler and they will be able to tell you, in detail, what their first sailfish catch was like. Over the past few years during October and November there has been a phenomenal run of sailfish in the area between Cape Vidal and St Lucia. This stretch of the coast has long been nicknamed “Sailfish Alley”, and for good reason. In my opinion, this is the best place and time in South Africa to give yourself a really good chance of ticking a sailfish off your bucket list. The sheer number of fish has been mind-boggling, with several boats releasing five fish a day. The best numbers I know of were in 2019 when At van Tilburg’s Avanti released 14 sailies in four days (five, three, four, two). Other boats had bumper days with three and four fish being relatively common. There is a commonly held belief that you need a big boat, long outriggers and a bunch of rubber and plastic paraphernalia splashing in your wake to have even the slightest chance at catching a sailfish. That might be the case in some parts of the world, but as they say, “this is Zululand, not Disneyland” and our fish don’t read the same books as we do, nor do they play by the same rules as their international counterparts. What is interesting is that the majority of these fish are caught “by accident” while targeting the shoals of dorado arriving with the first wave of warm currents. Boats targeting sailfish in the traditional way — pulling teasers and baits off outriggers — did-

n’t produce the results one would expect. This is what makes these few weeks of the year very special — anyone who puts out to sea, regardless of the type of vessel, has a realistic chance at catching a sailfish … by accident. I have found that the most productive way of catching these sailfish is by targeting dorado. This might seem a bit strange, but dorado and sailfish are basically the same thing except for their colour and the obvious pointy section. They are both shoaling species with extremely fast growth rates, which equates to fierce internal competition for food.This means that where there is one, there are normally more, so if you hear of someone hooked up, work the same depth and you’ll probably bump into one. Neither species have sharp teeth, so their feeding habits are similar, hence the angling techniques are practically identical. My favourite bait to use is undoubtedly livebait, specifically maasbanker and mackerel. They are hardy baits that can be pulled for hours and the sailfish love them. There are some days that livies are hard to come by, but believe me, it is well worth the effort. At this point you might be thinking: “Hold on … you can’t troll a livebait at the same speed as lures and teasers, can you?” And the answer is that you are correct.What makes this fishery great is that the vast majority of the sailfish are caught slow trolling these livies, so you don’t have that massive fuel bill at the end of the day and no expensive lures or imported hook rigs to replace. It’s a win-win situation. There are two ways you can approach the bait rigging aspect of this unorthodox sailfishing method. One option is to go with a traditional ’cuda trace with wire and treble hooks. Hundreds of sailies have been caught this way and there will be hundreds

more caught this way in the future; it is a very simple but effective way of snagging them when they take a bait.There are a few negatives to this method, though. Wire has a tendency to kink very easily and many an acrobatic sailfish has parted off when wire breaks. When this happens, the fish goes off with a mouthful of hooks that often prevent it from opening its mouth to breathe or feed, leaving the fish to suffocate or starve. This brings me to my preferred way of rigging livies for sailfish. Seeing as there are normally not that many ’cuda around, but a lot of dorado, I opt to use an all-nylon leader rig. This makes my setup a lot simpler and easier to replace than having to put on a new wire rig after every fish. The bait has a much more natural appearance on nylon, and when I get a sailfish hooked, the leader does not kink off. I have tried using flouro, but the sailies tend to feel the hard leader and don’t commit to swallowing the bait like they do with the softer nylon. From my main line I tie on a short double line and join 3- to 4m of 60 lb clear nylon. From there, I tie a short “bite trace” of 80- to 10 lb clear nylon onto which I then snell a light gauge Eagle Claw 7/0 circle hook. To rig the bait, I take a 25mm section of dacron and burn each end with a lighter. Pass the hook point through the side of one end of the dacron, making sure it slides over the barb of the hook. Push a small cable tie through the other end of the dacron.This cable tie is pushed through the channel above the eye socket and secured. It helps to cut the end of the cable tie at an angle before passing it through the dacron and the bait. When the bait is rigged like this, it swims beautifully and has a great hookup rate. When trolling these baits I use a very loose drag — just enough to pre-

Jono Booysen 36.7kg All African and SA record sailfish on 3kg line in Sailfish Alley.

Jono’s bait rig for sailfish.

SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 13

vent the bait from taking line. Spinning reels are great for this kind of fishing. Once the bait is in position, leave the bale open and hook the line over a piece of copper wire.This acts like your finger holding the line before a cast. Just be sure to keep an eye on the rods as there is no ratchet to warn you of a strike. A spread of four surface baits is used, but I always have one skelm ’cuda trace on a big sinker downstairs just in case. One bait is sent back about 40m while the others are within 20m of the boat. These baits are relatively small so their profile in the water can’t be seen from too far away. The bait needs to be pulled almost over a sail’s nose for it to be seen, so to help attract the sailfish (and dorado) and turn their heads in my bait’s direction, I use a trick that I have only recently let out the bag — I use a slow trolling flasher a short distance behind the boat. I would say that 90% of the fish come up to it and then see the baits. When slow trolling for sails, I use one motor at about 900- to 1 000rpm depending on the weather. You don’t want the lines hanging down past the motors, because then you are too slow, but if the baits are skipping on the surface, you’re going too fast.You are looking for a happy medium speed. I find the best indicator of speed is the one skelm deep line I have on a 16 oz sinker. The line angle should be about 45 degrees from the rod tip to the water. When we have tailing conditions I often drift with the nose of the boat into the current and the stern into the wind. This way you can still have steerage to cover ground, but present your baits naturally. A sailfish strike is rather subtle compared to other gamefish. More often than not, the bait will rev for quite a while, then the reel will run fairly slowly. This is when the sailie has come up to the bait, caught it and is just hanging there busy swallowing it. The speed of the boat is pulling most of the line off the reel. Only once the bait is down the hatch does the fish pick up speed again. Knowing this, when the reel starts to run, release the drag and allow the fish to feed for five- to seven seconds, then put up the drag and wind up the slack, allowing the circle hook to do its job. If you miss the fish, feed the bait back again as the sailie is almost certainly going to take it again. The other beauty of slow trolling is that when you intercept a pod of sails, your baits remain in the strike zone for much longer than if you were trolling at the traditional five knots. This means you have an excellent chance at multiple hookups. Doubles, triples and quads are standard procedure when slow trolling, and as long as everyone keeps their cool you have a good change at 14 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

Amanda Lategan with her first Vidal sailfish.

Henry Steinberg with a sail in perfect sailfish conditions.

catching them all. With regards to depth, I like anything from 20- to 35m. The trick is to find the line on which the fish are feeding. Look for the bait showings, whale activity, current lines and other gamefish activity. Listen to the radio and you will quickly hear where to focus your efforts. Unfortunately, the best sailfishing weather is normally the most uncomfortable for fishermen. Basically, what I’m saying is if you want to get a sailfish, don’t be a fair-weather fisherman; no pain no gain. I look for a south-westerly wind of 15- to 20 knots, a swell of around 1.5- to 2m from the south, and a good north to south current of two or three knots.There are most often a few rain clouds around as well, but this doesn’t seem to bother the fish. Throw in a 23- to 25°C water temperature and you are in for a great day.

When these conditions present themselves, several things happen. First, the sea surface is oxygenated by the white-capping chop, making fish more active. Second, the SW wind brings in good clean water over the grounds making visibility into the baits much better. Third, the southerly swell and north to south current causes “tailing conditions” where sailfish surf down the swell, into the current, using very little energy yet covering ground while hunting. These conditions work brilliantly, especially when there is a tide change happening (high or low). Don’t get despondent when all the boats around you are hooked up to sails an you’re not, because your chance will come; it’s just a matter of time and perseverance. If you use the above info as a guideline, and the conditions are right you too will experience the magic of “sailfish alley”.

HIGH DAYS

Memories of the 2008 Captain Morgan

By Erwin Bursik

ISHING as a sport teaches one that there are good days and some days that one would swear that there are no fish left in the

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ocean. One aspect of this sport that emphasises this more than any other is billfishing, especially billfishing in the waters off the east coast of Africa south of the equator. “Right long!” shouted the skipper

from his lofty perch on the flybridge. “Left rigger short, right flat as well!” he screamed next. “They are on all the baits — pack-attack!” he shouted, his voice bordering on hysterical. “There are sailfish everywhere!”

Billfish Tag & Release Grand Challenge Above: The fleet returns home. The flags flying speak volumes. Below: The crew celebrates releasing 488 sailfish in six days.

On the deck of Ol’ Jogi the crew were but a blur, picking up sticks and passing them to the anglers as ratchets screamed, sailfish boiled out of the water and, more than once, a stream of strong words followed a pulled hook.

But there was no time to consider why the hook pulled before another bucking rod and screaming reel was thrust into the angler’s hands. The cockpit was in chaos as four anglers, all fighting sailfish wove their

way back and forth along the craft’s transom as they tried to keep lines from crossing while Ol’ Jogi backed down on the closest fish. One by one the four sailfish — splendid in their electric blue and purSKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 17

Lizanne Bartlett and Zanele Masuku from Brand House congratulate Pierre Barnard, John Harvey, Kirk Webber and Peter de Stadler as the top four at the 2008 Captain Morgan Billfish Tag & Release Grand Challenge.

ple colours, f lanked in glistening bronze — were released back into the waters off Malindi on the north Kenya coast. During a sailfish release competition run out of Watamu on the coast of Kenya during November 2008, one incredible week was experienced where 488 sailfish were released during six days of light tackle sailfishing. At an average of 12 sails per boat per day, each of the anglers had the opportunity to release sailfish and the rare privilege of taking part in an event where so many sailfish were raised.The top individual angler was Pierre Barnard who caught and released 25 sailies. Even the “unluckiest” angler released seven sailfish! The winning team — Captain SKIBOAT — of Pierre Bernard, Lyn Adams, Tullo Gerbers and Jaco Visser released 62 sailfish during their allotted four days fishing. Due to this competition being based on individual scores, the competition winners were: Pierre Barnard 25 Kirk Webber 22 John Harvey 22 18 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

Peter de Stadler 21 Granted, this was the best result achieved over the nearly 20 years this event was held in Kenya but it does go to show that being in the right place at the right time makes all the difference. And when you have these once-in-a-lifetime experiences one needs to relish them and store the memory for perpetuity. All sport fisheries have their ups and downs, as do their countries. This was the case with Kenya where the tourism industry was torpedoed by international propaganda which put severe strain on its offshore sportfishery. The current season has shown a promising resurgence of billfish in Kenyan waters and on a recent day on the ocean fishing out of Watamu Simba (pictured left) skippered by Capr Mark Allen recorded a grand slam of a blue marlin, two striped marlin and a sailfish. This proves that Kenya is still a go-to destination for billfishing. For any questions about fishing that area contact Mark on <markallensimba@icloud.com>

HISTORY Below: Eddie Van Wyk on Simon’s Town jetty with his bluefin tuna. Photo courtesy Steve van Wyk.

Above: Neville Wall and a giant bluefin he caught in Fish Hoek bay in the late 60s from his boat Bobs Up. Photo courtesy Steve van Wyk.

Part 3: A closer look at

By Brian Cohnen and Hymie Steyn

HEN it comes to discussing my involvement from day one in big game fishing in False Bay in Cape Town, I suppose it starts with me being born in Simon’s Town in 1948. I spent my entire school career there going into Simon’s Town school in Sub A. I was one of the first few pupils in the new school going right through from Sub A to eventually matriculate at that same school in 1965. Throughout my school career I spent a lot of my spare time fishing with my dad, the late Vic Cohen, on his boat, Lamorva, and he was a very keen pioneer fisherman for the Cape. I was fortunate to have him as my mentor, 20 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

and spent all my spare time after school — perhaps when I should have been doing homework — chasing tuna and fishing in and around False Bay on Lamorva. When I matriculated my dad was able to help me acquire a brand new Renate Lévy 36 footer, which became legendary in fishing in the fishing circles in Cape Town, especially catching tuna. Named Kingfisher, she was a high speed, fast, big game fishing boat, which he insisted on me having built in Knysna by Theesens. After school I started studying law and doing my naval training. Unfortunately — or maybe fortunately — I never completed the university degree and I went into fishing full time a year after finishing my naval training.

From 1966 I became really involved in Fishhoek Bay tackling these giants on a full time basis, and that went right through to the catching of the final two bluefin in 1972. I was very fortunate that in my time I was able to land 42 giant bluefin tuna, the smallest of which came in at 401 lb. Among those was the biggest bluefin of them all — the giant — which came in officially on the record books at 845 lb and is, to this day in 2020, the largest tuna ever caught in Africa on rod and reel according to IGFA rules. It took me nearly five-and-a-half hours to land that fish which was subsequently weighed on the Simon’s Town jetty scale. The catch was the subject of much controversy at that time because once the tuna had been seen by all and

Below: Reg Voss watching over Eddie Van Wyk who is fighting a giant bluefin. Photo courtesy Steve van Wyk.

Above: Reg Voss and Vic Edwards stand with Reg’s bluefin. Vic and Reg were joint owners of Plettenberg. Photo courtesy Steve van Wyk.

the personalities involved weighed, it was estimated to be well in excess of 845 lb and it was recommended that the scales should be calibrated. The following morning when the bluefin was in the cold storage ready for transport to Cape Town, well-known international anglers David Susman and Jeff Sonnenberg came down to look at this monster fish and said there was no question in their minds that it was in excess of 1 000 lb. David insisted that the tuna be taken through to Cape Town and be weighed on a properly assized scale, where it came in at 1 047 lb to be exact. It is worth noting that some time later the scale on the jetty was found to be faulty, only weighing correctly up to 600 lb. Unfortunately, because of the discrepancy and the fact that it had been

weighed initially in the presence of the Chairman of SAGFA, Bob Tresfon, the official weight stands at 845 lb in the record books. Be that as it may, it was the biggest tuna ever caught in South Africa to this day, and something which I consider my greatest achievement in my career even though I had a few other records. I must mention that during all my bluefin exploits I had the fantastic assistance of the skipper of Kingfisher, Gabby Orgill, as well as Kuba and Hima Jaffer who were with me throughout. I actually was able to achieve the first junior record in 1964 when I boated a bluefin of 604 lb. This became known as the first junior record and really put me on the map as far as bluefin were concerned.The first major

senior record I was able to achieve was in 1968 when I landed the giant of 797 lb. Hennie Van Geems, fishing on Plettenberg, also caught a giant of 720 lb, not forgetting my father’s initial bluefin tuna, the first one officially caught in False Bay which weighed 702 lb. Unfortunately he couldn’t claim that as a record because he’d handed over the rod at one stage and received assistance in manoeuvring. I was very fortunate to carry on my angling career and for my achievements with the bluefin, and in 1972 and 1973 I received the highest award available at that time — the official State President’s Award — presented to me by the state president, Jim Fouche. I was also awarded my Springbok colours on SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 21

several occasions. In addition to my bluefin record I held the official world record for a 72 lb albacore (longfin tuna) I caught in 1971. Obviously that paled into insignificance when compared to the giant bluefin. The last giant bluefin of False Bay was caught by me in 1972 and officially weighed 555 lb. Once again there was some discrepancy about the weight but it went in the box at 555 lb — not a record at that time, but a very significant tuna, because it was the final bluefin ever caught in False Bay in the Cape. Catching these bluefin was a very difficult task because of the huge effort and time required; the several hours of angling meant one had to be extremely fit. One also had to be very astute in terms of angling skills. So although many people wanted to catch these giants there weren’t very many prominent people who were able to achieve this goal. However, one of them was Dr. Hendrik Verwoed, who went out on the Speranza in 1964 and landed a giant of 400- or 420 lb after a four- or five hour fight. That was quite an achievement for the then elderly prime minister. HEART SURGEON ON BOARD The renowned heart surgeon Professor Chris Barnard went out on my boat on several occasions chasing giant bluefin. After several attempts in Fishhoek Bay he eventually hooked into a very big bluefin in excess of 500 lb. Chris got into the fighting chair to tackle this giant, but it was a very difficult task for him. Although Chris was a reasonably accomplished angler who had caught many smaller fish, he found this giant a momentous challenge and had great difficulty trying to subdue it.Three-anda-half hours into the fight Chris became concerned that his hands would be damaged and obviously they were vitally important for performing heart operations. He felt it was prudent to hand the rod over to somebody else. Eventually we boated the tuna which Chris had given up on. Many other well known personalities who tried to catch one of these big bluefin unfortunately didn’t succeed, but as I said, it was really a difficult achievement for somebody who was not in the top echelons of anglers. As I sit today in 2021, looking over Fishhoek Bay and thinking about all those wonderful angling achievements and events that took place in this small bay of maybe ten square kilometres, it’s hard to imagine. Many, many people come to me to look at the photographs and hear the stories, and think it’s quite impossible that this happened. The younger generation in particular find it difficult to believe that these giants

Brian Cohen, Barbara Barnard and Chris Barnard on Kingfisher ten minutes before Chris’s bluefin tuna struck. Unfortunately Chris had to give up the fight after threeand-a-half hours for fear of damaging his hands.

Dr Verword, right, former prime minister of South Africa was delighted with his 213kg bluefin tuna landed from Speranza in 1964. Photograph from Charles Horne’s Game Fishing Transformed. SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 23

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were ever caught within 100m of the bathers in Fishhoek and maybe 50m of the Sunny Cove station. It’s also something they discuss often now because a lot of people watch the Wicked Tuna program on TV. Although not comparable to fishing according to IGFA regulations, the program still brings the giant bluefin from overseas to the attention of all the local anglers. Numerous South African anglers have spent a fortune going to the Bahamas, Bimini, Canada, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island to try and catch giant bluefin and many of them have been successful. However, when it comes to the South African situation, I feel the achievement was even more significant because these were “our” bluefin. They came into Fishhoek Bay in the Cape and they were caught here in South Africa. These catches will go down in angling history as wonderful achievements with stories that I don’t think will ever be repeated and which will be remembered by everybody who was fortunate enough to be there at that time. NOT-SO-TALL TALES Let me share some of these stories... One day I was in Fishhoek Bay where I’d been fighting a giant bluefin for about an hour and a half when I moved the boat towards SunnyCove Station. At one stage we were only 25- to 30m from the rocks and hence the railway station.Along came a train, and the train driver saw what was going on. At that stage the bluefin were getting a lot of publicity in the Cape Times and other newspapers, so everybody knew about them.The train driver saw so that I was battling the fish within 100m of where they were, so it stopped at the station. Instead of moving off, it went forward maybe 100m and stopped again. All the passengers in the various coaches started cheering and shouting for me to carry on with a good fight. They stayed there for at least a half an hour waiting to see the final result. Fortunately the tuna came close to the boat and I was able to get it gaffed right there within a few hundred metres of the train station. As the gaffs went in and we managed to secure that giant bluefin with ropes, an almighty cheer went up from all the train passengers and I will always remember that. The next morning the Cape Times ran an article on the parked passenger train and me fighting the bluefin. Another interesting little tale involved a fellow by the name of Robin Pittard, a local guy who fished several times with us. It was his life’s ambition to catch a bluefin, so we put out a bait for him, and lo and behold, he was in! He got all saddled up and harnessed into the chair, and the first run of the

A giant bluefin can be seen feeding swirling in the chum slick just below the surface and baited hook can be seen hanging from the outrigger on Plettenberg.

A giant bluefin on the deck of Plettenberg. bluefin was so terrific that it pulled poor old Robin clean out of the chair and overboard he went! Fortunately he had the presence of mind to unhook the harness from the rod and reel when he was halfway under the water.We had two other guys on board dive into the water at the same time and they were able to to get him up to the surface. One of the guys managed to get hold of the rod and put it into free spool so they could pass it up to the crew on the boat. We carried on with the battle and poor old Robin came in soaking wet. Unfortunately, after an hour-and-ahalf the line parted. Robin Pittard never forgot the day he nearly lost the fish and his life all in one go. On another memorable day I was

fortunate to catch a nice 526 lb bluefin tuna before 10 o’clock, after a fight of just over an hour, and that afternoon, I was able to get a 655 lb fish just before 5pm before heading back to Simon’s Town. There were also some incredibly clever bluefin tuna around at the time. One of them we got to know very well because he fed under the boat on the chum every day for several years. He was very easily recognisable because he had a terrific scar across the top of his head and down the side towards his gills. Don’t forget that these giants were almost hand fed by us; they came into the chum on the surface that we were throwing from the stern of the boat so we could recognise them very easily. SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 25

Scarback went from boat to boat eating the chum, but being very careful never to swallow the hook with the bait in it. This particular fish was very big and we all estimated it to be over 1 000 lb and everybody was keen to hook him. Although I can’t prove it, I believe that the giant bluefin that onearmed Boet du Toit fought for so many hours was in fact Scarback. During the fight we saw the bluefin on several occasions, but a long way from the boat and it was difficult to identify, but that fish was also certainly over 1 000 lb. And after that epic fight, Scarback was never again seen in Fishhoek Bay. The final little story which I must tell involved a well known Cape Angler by the name of Major Bert Gandy, who had a boat years ago called Elegance. He was very keen to catch a bluefin using a bow and arrow, but we all told him that was ridiculous and it didn’t comply with IGFA standards, but that didn’t deter Bert. He was an ex-major from the British army and he was very determined to go ahead with this project. He attached an arrow to the line on the rod and reel, and then used a bow to shoot the arrow towards the bluefin. As I said earlier, it was simple to get right up to the bluefin because they stayed just behind the boat, and Bert fired several arrows into several bluefin. Needless to say, the bluefin immediately took off after being hit, and within five minutes the line would snap or the arrow would pull out. Poor old Bert was

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Brian Cohen relaxed and happy at home in more recent times. never able to achieve his goal of landing a giant bluefin with a bow and arrow. Just to be clear, we were all against this plan and the club actually reprimanded him and told him not to do it, but he was a very determined fellow ... WILL IT HAPPEN AGAIN? Unfortunately, this generation is all but gone. Bruno Mercorio passed away in early 2020, I think. He had great success with bluefin in Fishhoek on his boat Volante and caught some very, very commendable bluefin, including three in one day. I stand to be corrected, but I think I might be the last surviving angler of that era, with the exception of Simon Susman — David’s son — a past Chairman of Woolworths, who also landed several large bluefin. I don’t think there are very many of us left today to tell these marvellous stories which should be told and should be preserved for posterity.

In my mind there’s absolutely no doubt that these giant bluefin came into the bay to feed on the vast hordes of baitfish there at the time. There were theories that they came to spawn, but I very much doubt that. And then there were other theories that maintained too many were caught and we damaged the one group that returned every year, but I also don’t think that is valid. In total less than 250 giant bluefin tuna were caught over the period of about nine or ten years, so I very much doubt that could have been the reason they gradually stopped coming into the bay. I think that the damage was done by the purse seiners that depleted the bay of thousands and thousands of tonnes of mackerel, anchovies and squid over a period of ten- to 15 years, leaving the bay virtually without any baitfish today. There is also another theory which has merit — that internationally these giants have migrated from country to country. We proved that with the one I caught that came from Canada the previous year.The bluefin stocks have been abused worldwide by the Japanese longline fishermen and Chinese fishermen, so this could also have an adverse effect on the fish stocks that came here. They say “Never say never”, and that’s a good saying, but I don’t personally believe we will ever again see these giant bluefin in False Bay or anywhere near our waters here in the Cape.

COMPETITION

Anglers that released a marlin for the week.

By Blyde Pretorius Photos provided by: Kiki Corner Photography, Framing & Video Productions

ERSEVERANCE paid off and Dorado Ski-Boat Club did it again — the Billfish 15 000 tournament was virus free! The Covid-19 pandemic caused havoc all over the world and when the lockdown was pronounced on 26 March 2020, the country came to a complete standstill. All sporting activities were cancelled, including all tournaments and competitive fishing. Nobody knew what to expect during these uncertain times. The Billfish 15 000 committee, howev-

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er, showed their mettle, opting to play the waiting game. Months passed and as the lockdown regulations and levels eased, some fishing and bonanzas were eventually allowed. Letters were sent through to SADSAA and SASACC and they encouraged us to have the Billfish 15 000, backing us in all necessary aspects. As Dorado Ski-Boat Club has been hosting this tournament for the past 23 years and many of the committee members have been involved since day one, the organisation of the tournament turns like a well-oiled wheel and can be put in motion at a late stage. The committee knew that they would most probably have to alter the format of the tournament, but they

were up for a challenge to meet the criteria of the Covid-19 rules and regulations.The wait was on! When Level 2 was announced, we received all the necessary permits to host the tournament from 9 to 13 November 2020, with lots of new challenges! Invitations for the Billfish 15 000 were sent out on Monday, 7 September, and with lots of eager and excited anglers keen to sign up, the 34th Lowrance Billfish 15 000 was on in full force. By the time Level 1 regulations were declared on 15 September, arrangements for the tournament were almost back to normal. Only five and a half weeks remained, and everyone eagerly helped. Anglers were obviously extremely keen to get back on the

water, and within ten days we had the maximum number of entries allowed. In order to comply with all the COVID-19 rules and regulations, the Billfish 15 000 also went live on Facebook every evening to limit the number of people in attendance in the marquee during prize giving ceremonies. It was a blistering 40°C when registration started on Sunday, 8 November 2020. Indemnities were signed, anglers and crew were screened, sanitised, and presented with their goody bags full of sponsored items. An electric atmosphere prevailed in the tent with everyone so excited to meet up with their angling families again. Boats launched on Monday 9 November 2020 and it was a great day of fishing, especially for Team Pulsator who launched their brand-new Citation 900 boat with big powerful Mercury 300hp motors, for the first time.What a spectacular sight when the boat launched with ease. Pulsator’s style of billfish dredge fishing helped them set the bar high after releasing two marlin species — one black and one striped. Team Live Wire were hot on their heels, though, releasing two striped marlin. Team Chungaa occupied the third spot on day one after releasing a blue marlin and a sailfish. These results were determined by means of a unique point system, drawn up by the Billfish 15 000 committee. Ten marlin and one sailfish were released for the day and everyone was hoping for great weather so that

Number of fish and species caught each day.

Areas and depths at which fish were caught. SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 29

Winning team Pulsator.

Schalk Victor crowned as virus of the day.

they could all get a fair chance, but it was not to be and two days of blowouts were called. At the Billfish 15 000 there is always fun and prizes to give out, even if the fishing was not fabulous. Teams gathered at the marquee every evening to be screened and sanitised externally, but also internally courtesy of “Buffels Brandewyn”. And in a proper Billfish 15 000 tradition, any angler who did something wrong for the day, had to pay for his “misdemeanour”. This year the angler had to be sanitised by his

Barry DeWet with John Matambu from Team Marlin Killers (Droogte Hulp).

team and was appropriately dressed as “Virus of the day”.Thanks to the numerous sponsors, there were lots of lucky draws and prizes, and as a result of the blowouts, daily prizes started to pile up. After two days of rest and team building, the weather allowed a full day of fishing on Thursday and all boats launched successfully. Everybody was trolling with livebait and lucky lures. Once more Team Pulsator had hot reels and lures and another two marlin were bagged. At prize giving they received their yellow leader jerseys for scoring

the most points per day and were given an accumulated cash prize of R 22 500, sponsored by Bidvest McCarthy Hatfield Toyota. A total of eight marlin were released on Thursday.At that stage Pulsator was still in the lead, but as everyone knows only too well, in this tournament it ain’t over till the fat lady sings. The final day of the tournament arrived on Friday, 13 November 2020, and the burning question on everyone’s mind was whether the day would prove to be lucky or notoriously disastrous for SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 31

First place Team Pulsator.

Second place Team Live Wire.

Third place Team Aurora. 32 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

our leading team Pulsator. Good fortune seemed to be smiling on them, because with 1 123 points accumulated for the week, they became the deserving winners of the 34th Billfish 15 000 tournament. As just reward, they took home a Lowrance HDS16 Live Navigation system, with auto pilot, an Airmar P-79 Transducer, as well as Navionics Gold RSA East, clothing vouchers and a cash prize, all worth approximately R210 000! Dorado Ski-Boat Club would like to sincerely congratulate Team Pulsator — Garry Prentice, Ryan Williamson, Eric Prentice, Daniel Schoeman and Pete Harvey — on their fantastic win. We also wish to thank all other participating teams who supported this event. Team Live Wire ended in second place and Team Aurora stepped in and took third place. The evening ended with a performance from our “Droogte-Hulp” celebrities who also fished during the week.As usual they were sporting their eccentric team kit. We would like to thank all our generous sponsors, anglers, and helpers from the bottom of our hearts; without all your help and perseverance, this tournament could not take place. With the pandemic that is still very active as I write this, all the members of our committee are on our knees, hoping that we can get our Billfish family together again for the 35th annual Billfish 15 000 tournament celebration in November 2021.

TACKLE

BEFORE: These gamefishing reels have all been left for too long after use and have all the signs of corrosion, with bearings collapsed and rusted away. Serious work is needed to rectify these problems which could have been prevented with regular servicing.

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By Paul Nixon

UBLIME lazy summer holidays, early morning starts and screaming reels! We all enjoyed the time out over Christmas from what was a strange and busy year, but now the summer holidays are over. As we kick into the second half of the gamefish season let’s make sure that the reels that have worked so hard for us are cleaned up, smooth and ready to offer the goods for what seems to be an already red hot ’cuda and gamefish season. Saltwater has no regard for the value of any piece of equipment! Once the water dries off, salt crystals form and then corrosion and rust set in — often very quickly — and that massive cuda-scream with line peeling off your reel ends abruptly with some grating, grinding sound inside your reel and a few choice words as your line parts. Reel maintenance, as we have mentioned in previous articles, is often the last thing on the long list of things to do when preparing for a fishing trip, yet can prove to be the most costly at the worst of times. With the marlin season winding down and focus being put more on summer gamefish, and the eagerly awaited April, May and June months coming quickly, our smaller reels should most definitely be given a decent clean off. But don’t just do a surface clean — open them up and make sure that no signs of corrosion have set in. When reels arrive at my Reel Service Durban workshop, I start by having a once over look at the reel in question to ascertain if there are any glaring issues.This just gives us an idea of what we might expect to find on opening the reel. Often a reel feels great, and this is particularly true of the higher end reels, but when we open it up the bearings are shot and salt crystals are everywhere. A full disassembly then begins, right down to the last screw. Everything is cleaned off with a degreasing agent, and if there are any signs of salt buildup they are polished off or parts replaced if they’re too far gone. Bearings are meticulously checked, and if there is any sign of them being noisy they are replaced immediately. Reassembly involves greasing gears to ensure metal against metal wear is AFTER: The resultant polished, readfor-action internal parts of the reels. Reassembly will follow with correct lubrication being applied to gearing and bearings. Some of the reels have had drag washer (carbontex) upgrades added which greatly improved drag responsiveness. SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 35

kept to an absolute minimum and bearings are oiled with a penetrating high-speed oil to keep them silent and smooth. This can all sound very simple, and most of it is, but servicing reels can and often is fairly painstaking and if one screw or washer is placed incorrectly then the resulting issues can also prove costly. Frequent tackle maintenance might seem like a mission, but it will ensure that your gear lasts for many years. Whether you do it yourself or send it to a reel tech with a keen eye for attention to detail, regular servicing will go a long way to making sure your fishing trips are filled with smiles and not frowns. COMPARISON: There’s really no comparison when you see what a clean reel should look like.

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For any queries about reel servicing , repairs or upgrades contact Paul Nixon on 083 940 6273 or find @Reel Service Durban on Facebook and Instagram.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Phillip Marx, SADSAA President

T’S a little belated, but happy new year and all the best for 2021! During November and December 2020 boats reported great catches of marlin, sailfish, yellowfin, ’cuda and dorado which have all been prolific. It seems even the fish are tired of isolation and keen to be active! We all expected that 2021 would set a new clear road ahead of us, putting Covid-19 and 2020 behind us, but unfortunately, the second wave has already had its casualties with regard to fishing. Certain beaches were closed again over December 2020 and the new amended Lockdown Level 3 regulations forced us to re-group, replan and re-adjust to keep the fishing “wheels” turning. The Billfish Interprovincial that was to be held at RBSBC in February 2021 has been cancelled and the SADSAA Bottomfish Nationals to be hosted by Western Province (Struisbaai,

March 2021) has been postponed for a second time due to the uncertain world of Covid-19. We all need to remain positive, wear our masks, sanitise and adhere to the 3Cs — avoid crowded places, avoid close-contact and stay away from confined spaces. The storm will pass, so let’s adhere to the 3Cs and Covid-19 good practices but at the same time apply what I called the 3R’s — re-group, re-adjust and re-plan. Let’s work within the Covid-19 parameters and keep the “wheels” turning, or should I say, keep the “motors” running. The vaccine and certain other scientific methods will assist us in beating this pandemic, but never underestimate the power of the human mind. Let us all be positive and let our combined global positive thoughts encourage the win.We can beat this! I was recently chatting to our new PRO, Martin du Plessis, and he says he clearly remembers what his doctor at Eshowe Hospital told him when he had his tonsils out at the age of six and thought the world was coming to an end:“Martin, moenie worry nie — pyn verdwyn.” It is in our nature to move forward. Standing still is not an option.

Our DNA is programmed for adaptation and survival.Where there is a will there is a way, and despite some events having been affected by Covid19, others have successfully taken place whilst adhering to the Covid-19 regulations, and the Billfish 15 000 in November 2020 was a huge success. Covid-19 did not prevent various fishing clinics from taking place. Smaller club gatherings and club competitions also went ahead with anglers taking advantage of the great weather and great fishing, and some excellent catches were reported. Thank you to all those involved in our sport who, even in adversity, have kept the “motors” running. On another positive note, the opening of the St Lucia estuary has certainly created hype and the social media platforms are buzzing with this environmental intervention. This is a great initiative and a great win. Congratulations to all the people involved in the intervention for preserving the environmental balance of one of our Natural Heritage gems. SADSAA remains committed to all aspects that promote our beautiful sport. Keep safe, keep well, be positive and let’s keep the “motors” running.

Once the mouth had been opened, the tides began to ebb and flow into the St Lucia estuary. Thanks Amanda De Gaspary from Ndiza Lodge & Cabanas for the photos showing the blue sea flowing in and out.

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NEW SELECTORS Dave Murgatroyd (NDSAA)

Pieter Jordaan (MDSAA)

IET started his deep sea fishing journey in 1980 and joined Albatros Deep Sea Angling Club in 1983. Since then, he has been actively involved in any way possible. Piet has served on the Albatros Club Committee in various positions, including as Chairman for five years. Piet is currently their Tournament Officer and has served as an active Club Safety Officer since 1986. He is also a member of Marlin Port Edward Ski-Boat Club. Piet has been actively involved with the Mpumalanga Deep Sea Angling Association Provincial Committee since 2010. He has had an enormous impact on the development of both junior and senior anglers, and their road to Protea colours in his positions as Selector and Development Officer. He is always involved with the tournaments organised by MDSAA, and never hesitates to share his time and his anglingand organisational skills. Piet’s own path in formal competitive fishing began in 1983. He received the first of his Protea Colours in 1999 for bottomfishing and achieved this feat again in 2000 and 2001. Piet has remained active and represents Mpumalanga every year in at least one national competition, taking part in all five deep sea facets. Piet was recently awarded his Protea colours for Heavy Tackle to take part in the 2020 EFSA Cape Verde competition which was postponed to 2021. Piet is a regular skipper for teams in these competitions, and received his SADSAA Skippers Colours in 2015. Piet is also well-known on the social fishing scene, taking part in many of the local bonanzas. His recreational fishing has taken him around much of the SA coast, as well as to waters off Kenya,Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

AVE’S love for angling started at a very young age during his Transkei ski-boat trips with his father and friends some 33 years ago. Fishing from ski-boat and shore was just as much fun for Dave and because of his competitive nature, he took up rock and surf competition fishing, joining the Benders Angling Club. He later went on to make the Natal Seniors and the Natal Masters sides. Dave was a member of KZNCAU Executive Committee and became a Convenor of Selectors for the Natal U21 side as well as a Convenor of Selectors for the Protea U21 side. He managed the Natal and Protea U21 teams for five years and was a member of the SARSA Committee. Dave then went back to his roots and started ski-boat angling again. He joined the Warnadoone Ski-Boat Club where he started to fish competitively in interclub, zonal, to interprovincial and nationals tournaments, proudly receiving his Natal colours. Dave subsequently made the SADSAA side and finally reached the pinnacle in his fishing career and the dream of every angler’s career when he was proudly awarded his Protea colours to fish in Acapulco, Mexico, in 2016. He has two Protea caps and was selected to captain the team that went on to fish in Portugal in 2017. Dave has also achieved numerous SADSAA Master caps. He has given back to the sport of angling by skippering in numerous tournaments, for which he has been awarded his Natal and SADSAA skippers colours. Dave is a Natal selector and is currently Vice Chairman of NDSAA.

SUCCESS STORY — BILLFISH 15 000 By Jaco Hendriksz, Chairman Dorado SBC

VERYONE was excited for a bit of competitive fishing action after the strict lockdown restrictions we endured for the greater part of 2020. There is a saying: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” Dorado Ski-Boat Club experienced this first-hand, when Phillip Marx from SADSAA and Andries Maree from SASSAC left no stone unturned to assist us to host the only tournament for the year after the pandemic struck. They negotiated terms and gave us all the tools and guidelines necessary to comply with all the Covid-19 regulations so that we could host a most enjoyable event. The negativity of Covid-19 was outweighed by the positive effect of the two governing bodies that joined forces to ben- Both presidents — Andries Maree from SASSAC and Phillip Marx from SADefit our deep sea anglers. Dorado Ski-Boat SAA — had the opportunity to address and socialise with anglers on ground Club salutes you, SADSAA! level. This was very well received by the anglers.

SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 39

40 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

SCIENTIFIC

Bruce Mann with a large scotsman recaptured in the Pondoland MPA.

MPAs ARE WORKING Surprising movement behaviour noticed in reef fish By Bruce Mann, Senior Scientist ORI

ACK in 2006 the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) started a project in the Pondoland Marine Protected Area (MPA) to monitor the effectiveness of the MPA in the protection of reef fish. One aspect of this work involved the catching and tagging of numerous reef fish, both inside the no-take zone and in the adjacent exploited zone (Figure 1). After 15 years of monitoring, conducting four field trips per year, often

Tagging a scotsman with an ORI dart tag.

with the assistance of local ski-boat anglers, we have now tagged an impressive 5 012 fish of 42 different species and recaptured 1 333 fish, with an overall 26.6% recapture rate (including multiple recaptures of the same fish).To the best of my knowledge, this high recapture rate is unparalleled in any tagging study of this nature worldwide and highlights the resident nature of many of our reef fish species.The top species tagged include slinger (1 097 tagged, 98 recaptured [8.9%]), scotsman (994 tagged, 349 recaptured [35.1%]), yellowbelly rockcod (432 tagged, 220 recap-

tured [50.9%]), black musselcracker (400 tagged, 108 recaptured [27%]), catface rockcod (389 tagged, 160 recaptured [41%]) and halfmoon rockcod (379 tagged, 84 recaptured [22.2%]). All the species except slinger have shown extremely high recapture rates. In addition to measuring each fish, the GPS position is taken when a fish is tagged and when it is recaptured, which has allowed us to accurately calculate the distance that each fish moves.Analysis of these data reveal that the average distance moved by each species is remarkably small, indicating a relatively small home range size of no more than a few hundred metres in extent (see Figure 2). The first important lesson that this information tells us is how vulnerable our reef fish are. Just think, if you went back to the same small reef day after day using a GPS and kept all the fish you caught, in a matter of four or five trips you could theoretically remove most of the resident reef fish population! Now add the slow growth rates of many of our reef fish species (determined by measuring the fish at tagging and recapture or by using otoliths to determine their age) and you start to understand how long it takes for overfished reef fish populations to recover (similar to cutting SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 41

Figure 1: Map of the Pondoland MPA on the Eastern Cape coast of South Africa showing our four 2km2 study sites. On each field trip we spend a similar amount of time bottomfishing in each block, using barbless circle hooks. All fish are measured and released unharmed. Selected species greater than 30cm fork length are tagged using external dart tags.

Figure 2. The average distance moved (m) by six reef fish species tagged and released in the Pondoland Marine Protected Area between 2006 and 2020 (fish recaptured within the same 2km2 sampling blocks). Numbers at the top of each bar show the number of recaptures for that species.

Figure 3. The average distance moved (km) by six reef fish species tagged and released in the Pondoland Marine Protected Area between 2006 and 2020 (fish recaptured outside the original 2km2 sampling blocks). Numbers at the top of each bar show the number of recaptures for that species. 42 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

down old trees in a forest). The point I am emphasizing here is the value of setting aside some good reef areas in no-take MPAs to allow resident reef fish populations to increase back to their natural levels of carrying capacity. The second important lesson we have learned from our research in the Pondoland MPA is that not all individuals in a reef fish population are resident. Way back in the 1980s Dr Pat Garratt from ORI conducted research on slinger and scotsman (amongst other species) and he found that the majority of adult fish from these two species were not spawning south of Durban. I repeated this work in the late 2000s and found the same trend. So, the question is, are the slinger and scotsman found south of Durban not contributing to future generations? It took many years of tagging and the assistance of both recreational and commercial ski-boat fishermen reporting recaptures to discover the answer! We found that a small percentage (~11%) of the slinger and scotsman that we had tagged in the Pondoland MPA moved surprising distances (sometimes hundreds of kilometres), being recaught as far afield as northern KZN and even in Mozambican waters! Similarly, a small percentage of the other species studied also showed that a few recaptures (between 3-8%) moved larger distances out of the MPA (see Figure 3). While this is not an example of “density-dependent spillover” (i.e. where numbers of fish in a no-take area increase to the extent that individuals start to move out of the area in search of food), this does show how fish originally protected within the Pondoland MPA are improving yield in adjacent fished areas by moving out of the notake area and heading north, presumably to spawn. The third lesson from this work shows how important it is to have a network of no-take MPAs. Five of the reef fish species (excluding halfmoon rockcod) have shown that some individuals undertake extensive long-distance northward movements, most likely for spawning purposes. Eggs and larvae spawned by these adults are carried southwards, inshore of the Agulhas Current and settle on reefs along the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape coast. By protecting adult spawning populations of these reef fish species in northern MPAs such as uThukela and iSimangaliso, we are effectively ensuring the future survival and sustainable use of these species. Armed with this knowledge, I encourage all ski-boat anglers to support our MPAs and to assist the management authorities in looking after these special places.

BOATING

BIRTH OF THE GYPSKI Going backwards to go forwards

The beautifully finished hull of Rob Naysmith’s new Gypski. By Rob Naysmith, Downsouth Marine

WAS born in 1956, and when I say that many of you may frown, think back on your own year of birth, and say, “Damn, that man is old!” I prefer to think that I’m “experienced”, and although not wise yet, I’m getting there. I am forever learning and experiencing, even at my age, and that’s what makes life so exciting. One can learn so much over a lifetime, but when do we put that hard-gained experience and life knowledge into action short of omitting something yet to come? The pivotal point comes when you just instinctively know it’s time. CALL BACK THE PAST …. One of my boyhood dreams was to design a boat suited to my everyday, practical needs. Like a very good friend of mine who lived on the other side of South Africa, I built tin canoes out of second-hand corrugated iron sheet which we hammered flat. We plugged the holes with tar we found on the side of the road and launched the “boats”, sometimes unceremoniously, into the Umgeni River. We caught fish and had a wonderful childhood full of adventure, mud flats, river crabs and wild living — breaking rules but ever wary of the law, and pushing new boundaries to live our dreams. With heads full of stories of masses of fish seen in days gone by, and of huge fish we would have to ask our dads to come and fetch, we pursued our passion.Against all odds, we succeeded. We were young, inexperienced and naïve, and so was South African boat design. Ski-boating was just coming out of its infancy, boats were still small by today’s standards, and outboard engines were, for the most part, questionable. But we persevered, took our knocks, nearly drowned a few times, and caught fish we can only dream of today. The dream of the perfect boat, a boat to take me back to those times where life was easy, fun and bountiful, has always encouraged me to push on.“One day I’ll do it … one day.” So what’s the dream that became the quest? Was it the

Back before they could afford to buy boats, young Rob Naysmith and Erwin Bursik, on opposite sides of the country, both used similar methods to create craft for themselves. Second-hand corrugated iron sheeting (top) would be hammered flat and then be shaped into a suitable shape for a boat. One end would be rolled to create a gunnel. Tar scavenged from roads was used to plug any nail holes in the sheeting and to waterproof the wooden transom board and bow post. SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 45

quantity or quality of the fishing? Was it the unforgettable experience or the intimate understanding of boats I had developed through a lifetime? Or was it really the love of the whole experience? Life would unknowingly lead me down the right path. THE DREAM Eventually it was my time to step back from the pressures of corporate and everyday life, to enjoy freedom, to feel the life of the ocean I had been so attached to my entire life. I roamed the Boland coast, fishing at will, living in a caravan parked on a farm, going back to my house now and again to reaffirm my roots — generally living the dream. But try as I might, things had changed. Greed, which I had been part of, had stolen my passion. No longer were there multitudes of fish to be caught for the pan.They had all gone, apart from the odd small reef fish trying to scavenge a morsel in the shallows. It left me despondent , pondering how we humans had destroyed something so beautiful, and for what gain? Yes, I am a culprit too, and in retrospect I’m sad to have been part of that plundering. But we saw no end to the bounty we enjoyed. I needed to find that last frontier, but this time give it to everyone to enjoy responsibly — a place where all could fish responsibly, ethically, and still leave a passion for those to come. My longing for that tin canoe, the hefty pull on my rod as the fish tore line from my reel and dragged me along, the excitement of seeing the released fish swim away still haunted me.The answer lay in a boat I could take anywhere and do anything with. I needed the perfect boat that everyone could enjoy — a family boat that served the family. Something that would make anglers say:“Everyone should own one.” Having finished writing the “Understanding your boat” articles for Ski-Boat magazine, I felt it time to show, in a practical way, how everything comes together ... The seed of the “Gypski” was planted. What I wanted was a boat so versatile that she could be 46 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

taken everywhere. Light enough for one or two people to handle, yet strong enough to carry at least four crew. Her construction should be such that one never has to repair her and water will never harm her. She should be able to handle the worst of sea conditions, require the lightest of engine power, and always bring her crew home safely. She had to be able to handle a head-on sea, run the down swell unperturbed and be stable at rest. She would be capable of good speeds, quick on the plane and easy to handle in any conditions … but most importantly she must be able to catch fish.The biggest secret of all — she must not scare the fish, even in the shallowest of waters. BIRTH OF THE GYPSKI The first question was: Do I start with a new build from the ground up, or do I take an existing hull, cut it, shape it, twist it, and bend it into what I needed, then use mountains of filler, fairing compound, sandpaper and spray paint to finally gaze on a beauty? I decided it was probably best to take an existing hull and work on that, but in retrospect I should rather have started from scratch. I had the original Andy boat mould from the legend Cape boat builder Andy Roper Senior, so that seemed a good start. The Andy is a typical displacement hull of the 1970s, great for the time when outboards and petrol were cheap. As a displacement hull she was never designed to plane. If enough horsepower was added she would plane, but she bucked and broached like a demon. Of course everyone likes horsepower… I was not trying to fix the inherent issues with an Andy boat, so I cut the hull into pieces. I cut the hull on the chine because I wanted to keep the high gunwales with a bit more flair and dry-ride shape.The bow needed a new shape to cut the water efficiently. The underneath of the hull was where the real design would take place… In the next issue Rob will continue the Gypski story.

SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 47

RECIPE

DORADO ON THE BRAAI By Mark Bydawell INGREDIENTS Fresh dorado fillets from Bartho’s Large potatoes Tender stem broccoli Red pepper 3 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons softened butter Juice of one lemon pinch of Maldon sea salt METHOD 1. Peel and thickly slice some large potatoes, and par-cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. 2. Make a garlic, lemon and salt butter sauce by crushing 3 large cloves of garlic into a couple of tablespoons of softened butter, then adding the juice of one lemon, and a pinch of Maldon sea salt. 3. Once the potatoes have cooled after cooking, arrange them, along with the tender stem broccoli and dorado fillets (expertly prepared by Bartho’s) on the braai grill. Brush the fish and vegetables with the garlic/lemon butter. 4. Cook until the potatoes are golden brown and the dorado is cooked — in total about 10- to 15 minutes — flipping the braai grill once midway through cooking. 5. Serve with a large green salad and char-grilled red pepper which was cooked directly on the coals. 6. Enjoy!

TAKING CARE OF YOUR CATCH THE quality of your catch is greatly affected by the way it’s treated after it lands on your deck. Fish that’s well looked after has firmer flesh and tastes better. In the May 2017 issue of SKI-BOAT Daryl Bartho (left) of Bartho’s Fish Co. wrote a whole article on how to get the best out of your catch, but in brief: 1. Gaff it properly — just behind the eyes and from above —so that you don’t have too much meat damage. 2. Humanely kill the fish by using a shillelagh to deliver a couple of blows to the brain area. 3. Rinse all excess blood from the exterior of the fish. 4. Get it on ice quickly. Place the fish in a killbag or fish hatch covered with as much ice or ice slurry as possible to get the body temperature down quickly. 5. Once you get back to land head and gut the fish, then put it in slurry for a few hours to get the core temperature as close to zero as possible. Take the time and effort to preserve your catch properly and you’ll taste the difference when it’s on your plate. 48 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 49

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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!

54 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

56 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

MY PB MUSSELCRACKER by Jethro Doman (13)

T was a normal warm spring morning when my dad and I left home around 5am and headed to the Rod and Reel Club. We steamed out to the bait spots where we managed to get a handful of mackerel and some maasbanker.The shad were such a curse that we gave up. We started our day in search of a daga salmon, but sadly we did not succeed, so we went to look for some red fish and maybe some delicious geelbek. We moved around for what seemed like half the day until we finally found a really decent showing on the fishfinder. Without any hesitation we dropped our lines, expecting to go tight as soon as we hit the bottom. Two or three drifts later my dad finally hooked what seemed to be a big rockcod but, with a disappointed look on his face, he soon called to me to bring him a knife to cut the trace; he had caught a raggy. The next drift was even worse — a moray eel. I skippered the next drift and decided to remake my trace and put a mackerel bait on the way Warren Nel had shown me a few months back. We watched the fishfinder while my dad moved back onto the mark. I waited for his signal and dropped my line. It wasn’t long before I felt a thump on my line; all I could think of was,“This is a big fish!”Another three or four thumps later it seemed like the fish was eating a piece of candy that it just could not leave alone. Bracing myself, I struck and wound my 9 inch KP as fast as I could.The fight was on.Was it a shark or was it a fish? The creature was fighting so hard and running so much that I kept losing my balance. All I remember was my dad saying,“Play it nicely, my boy.”After about 25-30 minutes of tug of war with aching arms, I eventually got to my ten metre mark on my braid and saw a bunch of bubbles come to the surface. My dad peered over the gunnel and said, “This is your personal best, my boy.” With a few last turns of the reel my dad reached over and put the gaff into a huge musselcracker. Our combined effort pulled the sea monster onto the boat and it landed on the deck with a loud thud. Filled with a sense of achievement, we made our way back to the Rod and Reel Club. After shaking my hand Uncle Riaz confirmed the weight as 29.12kg and said,“Jethro, well done, I think you have a record!” This was the biggest fish I had ever caught and a fish of a lifetime that I will never forget.Thanks, Dad!

TRAVEL

Kingsley Holgate (right) is a South African explorer, humanitarian and author. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he has been described by Getaway Magazine as “the most travelled man in Africa”.

TOP TRAVEL TIPS FROM THE MAN WHO KNOWS

Kingsley Holgate offers some wise hints for adventuring in Moçambique By Kingsley Holgate

ITH the current Covid-19 situation many South African holiday seekers were not able to travel out of the country in summer. However, hopefully we’ll soon be able to travel more freely again and we know when the gates are thrown open everyone is going to want to rush out. It’s vital to prepare well for road trips to Moçambique and other African countries and, with this in mind, seasoned explorer and Land Rover ambassador Kingsley Holgate has some basic tips to ensure a smoother and more enjoyable travel experience. Kingsley, quite likely the most travelled man in Africa, together with his son and Expedition Team Leader Ross

Holgate, have border-hopped into Moçambique with their Land Rovers more than 50 times over three decades. While many South African sun-seekers are well-versed in negotiating these borders, Kingsley has some valuable knowledge to offer his friends in adventure. “We’ve experienced the Zen of travel for more than 30 years,” says Kingsley. “There’s no reason why crossing African borders needs to be a stressful experience. In fact, safe passage can be more easily accomplished if approached with a relaxed attitude.” CHILL OUT “Many travellers reach a level of anxiety ahead of a border crossing and wrongly begin preparing for confrontation. Instead, prepare to make friends.

A positive approach can go a long way toward a pleasant relationship with border officials. “Be cordial. A friendly smile, peaceful hand on a shoulder or sociable pat on the back can mean the difference between proceeding to your destination quickly or being stuck in a lengthy standoff. This advice will ring true for any border in Africa.” TAKE THE LONG ROAD “The Kosi Bay and Komatiport (Lebombo) posts might be the most common and direct routes for South African travellers, but be prepared to wait in queues up to kilometres long, especially in holiday seasons. Why spend hours parked and waiting when you could spend far more enjoyable time on the road? SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 59

Some travel experiences will have you kissing the ground on your safe arrival back home.

“The Giriyondo gate in the Kruger National Park is bound to be a quieter crossing into Moçambique and offers another element to the journey with animal sightings in one of the greatest

reserves on Earth. “My personal favourite route for getting to Moçambique is through Swaziland. It’s only around R50 to enter the

Kingdom of Eswatini, and fuel is also cheaper there.The more stamps in your passport the better, so earn a few more by crossing through the Goba or Namaacha posts.”

SKI-BOAT March/April 2021 • 61

belongs to someone outside of your party you’ll need a letter of permission from the owner to take it across the border.The same is true if the vehicle is financed by a bank. Obtain a letter from the financial institution giving permission to take it into Moçambique. Make copies of all these documents, including the aforementioned obvious ones, and keep them safe. “Pay special attention at passport control to make sure your books are actually stamped before proceeding. Incorrect entry stamps or lack thereof could mean hassles when leaving the country.”

With the right equipment and the right attitude travelling in Africa can be made much easier. KEEP COMMS OPEN “By law officials in Moçambique are required to speak basic English, but negotiations can be eased with some reciprocal language learnings. Get familiar with some friendly greetings in Portuguese. “Good morning (bom dia), good afternoon (boa tarde) and good evening (boa noite) could be just the icebreakers needed to solve tricky situations. Even just a friendly hello (hola) or how are you (como esta?) could come in handy. 62 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

“Keep lines of communication open with friends and family at home as well. Make sure someone is aware of your rough travel timetable and expected whereabouts on certain days.” PAPERWORK, PAPERWORK “There’s no need for me to express the obvious importance of passports, ID documents and driving licences, but there’s also other paperwork to consider when driving into foreign countries from South Africa. “If the vehicle you’re travelling in

BE PREPARED “While payload space is often occupied by loads of holiday gear, it’s advisable to keep some room for necessary tools, spares and a first aid kit. “Make sure your spare wheel is properly inflated and your jack is in place and functional. If your vehicle makes use of locking wheel nuts, double check that the key socket is safely stored in case you need to change a wheel. “A medical kit can be useful to treat minor injuries, but it can also help save a life in worst case scenarios, so make sure yours is packed and full of necessary items. Moçambique is also a highrisk malaria area, so take precautions to prevent infection. If you or anyone in your group begin feeling symptoms such as headaches, chills, nausea or fever, don’t hesitate to get treatment; this could save yours or someone else’s life”

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Ava Burnand (9) is the 2021 Mercury Junior Angler! Ava and her sister Rylee (7) absolutely love fishing; in fact, they even beg their dad, Chris, to take them fishing before school in the mornings. Ava was thrilled with her prize of a 2.5hp Mercury outboard courtesy of Rutherford, and now Chris has to find her a boat to go with it. Pictured above are Sheena Carnie, SKI-BOAT magazine editor, Ava Burnand, Chris Burnand and Rylee Burnand at the prize handover. If you’re 16 years old or younger and would like a chance to win a motor like this look at the Junior Angler page of this magazine for all the details.

TOP AWARD FOR LOWRANCE OWRANCE South Africa has risen above the challenges of 2020 to win a sought-after international marketing award for the second consecutive year from global marine electronics giant, Navico. Navico is the world’s largest provider of leisure marine electronics, providing navigation, marine instruments and fishfinding equipment to recreational and commercial marine sectors globally. Managing Director Lisbeth Plotz (pictured left) says, “We are very proud that Lowrance SA was voted the 2020 winner of the award for Best Marketing Initiative among their EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Distributors.This is a huge honour considering the many other very worthy contenders in the mix.” This hard-won accolade is all the more gratifying for the South African wholesaler of marine electronics, on the back of the boating industry shutdown and the continued closure of provincial borders, well after lockdown restrictions eased. During this time, Lowrance SA stepped up online communication with their countrywide dealer network and extensive client base via social media and their popular online magazine to educate and share worldwide news and product updates. For more information on Lowrance products contact Lisbeth Plotz on 031 368 6649 or visit <www.lowrance.co.za>.

64 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021

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Last word from the ladies!

RAPALA LIP

TOP TIPS FOR THE LADIES

Keep trying and your luck will change

OT all of us were fortunate enough to grow up around fishing. I am one of those unfortunate ones.When I met my husband I did not even know the difference between a “rap” and a duster. He was horrified! I think that most of us started out that way, with very limited knowledge, no experience, but a desire to join in the fun of offshore fishing. Over the last couple of years I have , however, learned a few things and I hope that my experience can help someone else who might be in the same position. NUMBER ONE Never underestimate the importance of a first impression. My first fishing trip was in Moçambique. My husband took us out to fish, and sadly I got really sick. In fact, the whole boat got sick. No fish were caught that day, regardless of the excellent chumming that was done by the crew. If I had given up, and not gone out again the next day, I would probably be known as the girl who gets sick the moment she puts her feet on the boat. No-one wants to be that girl. Instead, I pushed through, going out again the next day. What an unforgettable day it was! I caught my first fish — a lovely young blue marlin. I fought the fish for what felt like forever, but in the end, we managed to get him to the boat and released him to fight another day. From then, I was not known as girl who gets sick, I was known as the girl who caught a marlin as her first fish!

NUMBER TWO Learn the basic skills. Get to know your way around a rod and a reel. Learn how to make proper knots and learn the difference between the different plastic baits. Learn to guide your line on a reel. There is nothing more frustrating than someone messing up a reel and having to redo the line while you’re out on the sea. Out there, you have to pull your own weight. Most of the men will not see you as an equal partner if you cannot do your part on the boat. I’ve always felt a little in the way when the men were scrambling around on the boat trying to load the fish or putting the lines out, but I’ve learned to do my part. I might not be able to do everything on the boat — I still have a lot to learn — but I do my best to help. Sometimes it will be taking the steering and keeping the boat straight; that’s not actually not as easy as it sounds when there are no landmarks in sight but that’s another story. Other times I will pack away the excess things lying around; okay, that might just be because I’m a bit OCD and can’t stand the mess. It might be small, but I feel that I earn my place on the boat. NUMBER THREE Learn how to fish! The men on the boat will probably eagerly show you the first couple of times and assist you once or twice, but in the end, you have to learn how to reel in your own fish. As a woman, you should be able to get into a smooth rhythm fairly easily — pull the rod up and reel in when going down.

NUMBER FOUR Guide the line left and right on the reel! I have heard many stories of women (and men) who had to undo all the line and redo the reeling in to guide the line properly.Talk about looking and feeling like an amateur! Try to get it right from the get go, and you will be making a lasting first impression! NUMBER FIVE Find out how to deal with seasickness. If you are as unlucky as me, you will have to learn what your body needs to cope with it. Everybody has a cure or a top secret home remedy. Or get tablets from the pharmacy. Figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. NUMBER SIX Develop a bladder of steel. Men have it so easy, they just whip it out and shake it off and they’re done. We have logistical problems, so it is either going to be in a bucket or some acrobatic balancing movement between the motors. And what happens when the reel starts screaming mid-stream? NUMBER SEVEN Enjoy every moment! Nothing beats being on the open water at the crack of dawn, feeling the spray of the cool water in your face, enjoying the magnificent scenery and unforgettable sightings out at sea. But above all that, there is nothing that beats the thrill of catching your own fish — especially when it’s the biggest on the boat that day.And getting to do it all by yourself is just the cherry on the cake!

YOUR CHANCE TO GET EVEN LADIES — are you an angling widow? Are you a frustrated crew member? Do you outfish the men on the boat and have to deal with their Rapala Lips? Do you bite your lip at the comments coming from 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. Come on ladies, share your stories with us — you know you want to. Email them to <sheena@mags.co.za>. 66 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2021