Locked Down with a Fishaholic

Rhori Kane and angler Byron Kane celebrate landing a rare redbacked snoek.

Musings of a fishing widow during the COVID-19 lockdown

By Mary Kane

I REMEMBER watching the special broadcast when our President announced the lockdown and immediately imagined the upheaval and major changes that would need to take place in homes and businesses across the country.

The dread of home schooling and ensuring the safety of our elderly parents ... grocery shopping with the growing uncertainy of the future of available food supplies. What do we buy now and what will be available in the coming weeks? Bottle stores will be closed!! What??

I looked at my husband with a million questions going through my mind. He was already preoccupied on this Whatsapp group. I saw his face drop, his eyes mist over and his shoulders slump. He looked up at me. Bad news, I thought — what could it be now?

He managed to draw enough breath and get his mouth to form the words before whispering,“No fishing for three weeks. I heard a small whimper, then he managed, straight-faced, to ask me to please buy five cases of beer the next day.

Every certified boat in Durban must have launched that Thursday morning before lockdown. The last day of good weather and the angling addicts all rushed to the beach for one last soul feeding launch.

Anglers with tears in their eyes parked their boats that afternoon and put on their boat covers in a silent gesture of commitment to the president and the lockdown process.

As I write this we are six days into lockdown and my man has not been too bad really. We’ve made it through the first weekend of no fishing and other than the trawl of homemade videos and memes on social media to keep him occupied, there are no signs of his Rapala lip yet. I did, however, catch him fishing in the pool on Sunday while my son, a belt tied around his waist, swam in the opposite direction. Anything just to hear the sound of a reel screaming I suppose.

I like to keep him on his toes though. When we’re watching TV I might comment that “This movie has a great CAST!” and then he jumps up with his hands in position. Or, if we’re watching the news showing unrest in some of the areas, I’ll comment that “Those people are going on STRIKE!” and he’s up again looking around for a rod to grab.

I have to get my kicks somehow!

I’ve also seen videos of guys mock fishing or should I say “wishing” from their ski-boats parked in their driveways, fishing kayaks launched into swimming pools and even Jack Russells used as bait! (Note to the SPCA, animal lovers and Child Welfare: No animals or children seemed to be harmed in the making of these films.)

I really enjoy the South African mindset and approach to this pandemic and the fact that, while it is absolutely serious, we find a way to still be human about it.

The anglerhood of fishermen who share their challenges on social media only prove that while the playing field may have changed, the competive streak is still alive and well.

So too is the old story of “I’m just having the boat washed” while he actually shares a few beers with the boys. Well he can’t use that excuse when the boat is safely parked on dry land, now they’ve formed “down down” challenges on Whatsapp. What next?

As a fishing widow I find I’m also trying to adapt — not only to having my other half working from home during the week, but now he’s staying home over the weekends too! We’ve recently moved house and my plan was to get all the fishing tackle relics cleared out — the ones that have moved with us for the last three times and still haven’t been unpacked. I’m convinced that some of this stuff came off the ark; I wonder if Noah ever wet a line at some stage ...

While three boxes have been emptied so far, the tackle-room creep has already started its shift towards the living area again and I start to wonder if we will survive this lockdown after all. I’ll just have to resign myself to the fact that my home will never be in those designer home magazines and there will still be the odd sheet thrown over fishing tackle when visitors are due to arrive.

That’s the small price we pay for loving a fisherman, I suppose. Their passion cannot be contained, just like their fishing tackle and beers.

For the duration of the SA Covid-19 lockdown SKI-BOAT magazine is inviting anglers to send videos of themselves “fishing” in whatever guise, or photos of their homemade lockdown lures to the SKI-BOAT Facebook page. Three lucky posters will win a year’s subscription to the magazine.