Ski-Boat magazine May 2015 by Angler Publications

CONTENTS May/June 2015 Volume 31 Number 3 COVER: Men at Sea This sepia photo captures the way in which SKI-BOAT magazine and deep sea fishing in general have developed over the last 30 years in a quest for perfection in the sport of big gamefishing. Photograph by Erwin Bursik.

FEATURES 9

Farewell David Rorke Honouring a partner and friend who left us suddenly — by Erwin Bursik

History — The Greatest Teacher of All Looking back on the last ten years — by Erwin Bursik

From the SADSAA President... A message to SKI-BOAT on its 30th anniversary — by Geoff Wanvig

Guatemala! Billfishing at its finest — by Mark Cockcroft

Casa Vieja Lodge Delivers

A billfishing trip of the highest order — by Gavin Lautenbach

Knot Savvy — Part 7 Putting a different twist on things — by Paul Borcherds

Power! Mercury’s 4-strokes deliver what you need — by Erwin Bursik

Only the Brave Fishing at the 2015 Two Oceans Marlin Tournament — by Johan Smal

The Coast with the Most — Part 3 The path of my life — by Graham Gradwell

Albacore — Part 2 31

Assessing the stock status — by Stewart Norman

Success! Proteas bloom in Guatemala — by Dave Martin

A-Z of Marlin Fishing 2015 Two Oceans Marlin University — by Johan Smal

DEPARTMENTS 8 13 69 71 72 91 93

Editorial — by Erwin Bursik Postbox Subscribe and WIN! This issue’s Kingfisher Awards SADSAA News & Views Reel Kids Mercury Junior Anglers

97 99 99 100 104 105 106

Bits & Pieces Smalls Advertisers’ Index Where to fish in Africa Business Classifieds Charters & Destinations Directory Rapala Lip — Last Word from the Ladies

The official magazine of the South African Deep Sea Angling Association

Publisher: Erwin Bursik Editor: Sheena Carnie Advertising Executive: Mark Wilson Editorial Assistant: Vahini Pillay Advertising Consultant: Joan Wilson Administration Executive: Anne Bursik Accountant: Jane Harvey Executive Assistant: Kim Hook Admin Assistant: Sunny Kandaswami Boat Tests: Heinrich Kleyn Contributors: Erwin Bursik, Paul Borcherds, Mark Cockcroft, Graham Gradwell, Gavin Lautenbach, Dave Martin, Stewart Norman, Craig Thomassen, Johan Smal, Geoff Wanvig. Advertising – National Sales: Angler Publications Telephone: (031) 572-2280/89/97/98 Mark Wilson cell: 073 748 6107 Joan Wilson ADVERTISING – GAUTENG & MPUMALANGA Lynette Adams (011) 425-2052 or cell 083 588 0217; lynadams@mweb.co.za; skiboatgauteng@icon.co.za 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: R160 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: safety@mags.co.za • Through www.africanangler.com, or • E-zine digital subscriptions — visit www.africanangler.com > SKIBOAT > SUBSCRIBE, then choose your option. • Click the E-zine short-cut on the magazine’s home page, www.africanangler.com, or visit www.zinio.com/SkiBoat. Reproduction: Hirt & Carter, Durban Printer: Robprint (Pty) Ltd, Durban Full production is done in-house by Angler Publications & Promotions on Apple Macintosh software and hardware for output directly to plate. SKI-BOAT Magazine, ISSN 0258-7297, is published six times a year by Angler Publications & Promotions cc, Reg. No. CK 88/05863/23, and is distributed by RNA, as well as directly by the publishers to retail stores throughout South Africa. • Copyright of all material is expressly reserved and nothing may be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the publishers. • While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this magazine, the publishers do not accept responsibility for omissions or errors or their consequences. Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers, the managing editor, editor, editorial staff or the South African Deep Sea Angling Association.

8 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

EDITORIAL

KI-BOAT magazine is 30 years old, a fact that deserves much celebration, yet sadness shrouds all at Angler Publications due to Dave Rorke’s passing (see page 9), a sadness that only time will heal. Producing this, our 30th anniversary issue, is a fitting way for us to pay tribute to a valued partner, colleague and friend. Trying to fill Dave’s shoes, especially when penning this editorial, is daunting to say the least, but I’ll give it my best shot. I can assure you I would rather be writing a boat test! With 30 years behind us, I can honestly say that all of us at Angler Publications are extremely proud of SKI-BOAT magazine and the way it has held its place in the southern African market. Despite the severe economic downturn the Erwin Bursik marine industry has experienced over the last Publisher five years SKI-BOAT has retained its sales levels and, through the digital version on the Zinio platform, it has also significantly expanded its reach into the international offshore sportfishing market. It is you, our loyal readers and advertisers, who have kept us in business for the last 30 years and for that, we at Angler Publications are deeply grateful and we sincerely hope you will all stay with SKI-BOAT magazine well into the future. We rely on your support, advice and loyalty and will continue to do so. A very big vote of appreciation must go to the men and women of our fraternity who supply us with the articles, photographs and ultimately the knowledge, which is at the very heart of SKI-BOAT. These largely unsolicited contributions are vital to our existence and we look forward to seeing articles from many new contributors who are willing to share their experiences and knowledge with their fellow offshore anglers. Feel free to send your articles and photos to our editor, Sheena Carnie <sheena@mags.co.za>. LET’S BE PRACTICAL Good ideas are often scuppered during their practical implementation, and I wonder if this will be the case following the distribution of SAMSA’s Marine Notice No 4 of 2015 dated 10th March 2015. The notice stated that as of 1st July 2015 all craft venturing to sea would be required to have a VHF radio with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) as well as the 29MHz radios currently being used by the vast majority of small craft putting to sea along the South African coast. Can SAMSA be serious? Regardless of the so-called advantages pertaining to such a directive, it’s almost impossible to implement it before the scheduled deadline. With at least 10 000 craft needing to change, it’s highly unlikely that the importers of such sets would be able to obtain stock from overseas and distribute them to boating shops around the country in time. Furthermore, in order to acquire and fit a VHF radio you need a radio operator’s licence. You can only obtain such a licence if you’ve written the necessary examinations and there are only three examination centres in South Africa. Imagine how long it’s going to take them to examine 10 000 people. When SADSAA received the Marine Notice they immediately pointed out these problems to SAMSA. They also pointed out that the Department of Transport Regulations pertaining to safety requirements for all sea-going craft call for the use of a 29MHz radio, a regulation that cannot be overturned by a Marine Notice. As soon as SADSAA brought these issues to SAMSA’s attention, the maritime authority sent out a letter dated 23rd March 2015 advising that a new Marine Notice would be issued extending the implementation date to 1st January 2016. There’s a great deal of unhappiness among the ski-boating fraternity because they have to change from 29MHz radios and have to sort out the necessary aerial and licencing processes. SADSAA has since entered into further discussions with SAMSA, asking them to re-look at this entire matter from a legal and practical point of view. Time will tell who wins that argument. In the meantime, join us at SKI-BOAT magazine in drinking a toast to the 30th anniversary of your favourite deep sea angling magazine.

Erwin Bursik

PEOPLE

by Erwin Bursik

30-09-1949 to 24-02-2015 For those who don’t know, David Rorke was diagnosed with cancer of the stomach in early February and chose to undergo an enormous operation in the hopes that he could prolong his time with his family. Although David came through the operation, he passed away a few days later, in the early hours of 24th February.

HE pen is mightier than the sword, they say. Indeed, no other saying in the English language better typifies David Rorke. He was a master when it came to stringing words together, whether it was in the hundreds of editorials he wrote for SKI-BOAT and FLYFISHING magazines, or in his letters to newspapers or, of late, his posts on facebook. David’s last post on facebook was particularly memorable because it captures his spirit so perfectly, and I therefore include it below as a final tribute to an incredible ability: “When rust devours the working innards of a car and, if the engine is beyond replacement, well then the offending bits are removed and the car is sent on its way, freewheeling downhill. It’s a free ride for as long as the road slopes downward. “It’s a long and winding road that’s led us to where we are, about to be sent freewheeling downhill for as long as the road allows us. May it be a long, free and easy ride! Indeed, I’m grateful for the offer of respite, no matter that it has a limit when the uphill draws nearer. “I am being admitted to Umhlanga hospital today (18th February) at 1pm, in preparation for my operation early tomorrow. ’Tis a big adventure, a venture into the unknown for me and for all who are close to me, my precious wife, my sons, my brother, my relations, my extended family of sons and daughters and their families, and everyone of you. Thank you, one and all, for your constant words of encouragement and

Dave Rorke with Erwin Bursik at Dave’s 60th birthday celebration. support from across the globe. With but an ounce of strength from you all I will be able to lift the world above my head, Atlas-like. And with such strength how can I not win this battle? “Into battle we go, with you all by my side. See you on the other side.” David’s involvement with the deepsea angling community began in Januar y 1979 when he joined SKISCENE magazine, published by Tony Hillhouse during that era. That is where I met him as I’d been writing boat tests for that magazine since late 1977, and I

soon realised his capabilities even though he was confined to a wheelchair. History has a habit of not taking the straight road into the future and this certainly applies to the path that David and I were destined to take for the following 36 years. The concept of SKI-BOAT magazine was conceived in the last drops of whisky in our glasses one evening in early 1985, and just a few months later, in May 1985, the first issue hit the shelves. SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 9

It was a wild dream that came true. Then, 30 years later, when Dave was busy planning the 30th anniversary issue of SKI-BOAT magazine he was taken from us at extremely short notice after a very short but vigorous fight with cancer. Both Annie and I, who have travelled this long road with David as a partner and friend, are struggling to come to terms with his passing, as are the staff of Angler Publications. However, as they say in the entertainment business “the show must go on” and, to this end, SKI-BOAT’s 30th Anniversary issue is dedicated to David Harvey Rorke. There is so much one could write, but one way of showing just how many people’s lives Dave touched is to incorporate a few of the numerous letters of condolence SKIBOAT has received from readers and correspondents, and that I’ve done below. Thank you to everyone who wrote to us or posted messages on Facebook, we appreciate all your support. The best way we can show tribute to Dave is to continue to produce the best deep sea fishing magazine this country has ever seen, and we fully intend to do that. Farewell, Dave, we’ll see you on the other side. John Rance: Please accept my sympathies to all at SKI-BOAT magazine. One of my life’s regrets will be that I never took the trouble to meet Dave and I’d been planning to do that for some time. It’s strange how one can have nearly a lifetime’s association with someone via the print, feeling an empathy and closeness with them and yet never get to meet them face-to-face. Dave certainly enriched my life by giving expression to my “causes” in SKI-BOAT. Gary Thompson: On behalf of the Kei Mouth Ski-Boat Club committee and all of its members, we are very saddened by the passing of Dave Rorke. As our chairman, John Rance, stated this morning “we’ve lost a real ally to the cause of recreational fishing” and we can only echo this. Please extend our condolences to all those who were very close to Dave and also to the staff and his colleagues at SKI-BOAT magazine. Thanks Dave for all you have done for the recreational anglers in South Africa for so many years, you are a legend. Anton Gets: Ski-boating in South Africa has lost an awesome person in Dave for what he was, and his determination to beat all hurdles put in front of him. Dave, you were our voice in angling and you are going to be hard to replace. We will sincerely miss your editorial page which was always informative. May you rest in peace. My sincerest condolences to Anne and Erwin who have lost a dear friend and business partner. Eugene Kruger: Dave will long be remembered as an angling journalist committed not only to providing a recreational angling publication of international standard, but also of tenaciously opposing all sorts of threats to the resource on which the sport is based. Johan and Elmarie Smal: I had the unique privilege of working with Dave for the last eight years and his remarkable traits, talents, insight and experience in what he did so well, always captivated me. His encouragements, guidance, backing and especially complimentary remarks kept me going and motivated throughout. Cathi and Vince Warriner: Dave’s heart pumped SKI-BOAT magazine and his dedication to good journalism was paramount. All the best PR efforts in the world could not crack his resolve to stick to the highest standards — never compromising to appease anyone and even my best wheedling could not sway him. So, if you did get that “little extra” mileage, you knew he thought it had some value.

POSTBOX RED STEENBRAS: WWF RESPONDS Dear Editor In the recent review of press on the High Court’s decision to set aside the red steenbras ban (in part) Shaheen Moolla and John Rance articulated many of the complexities and controversies in the case. They also pointedly aired frustrations at the WWF-SA relating to an opinion piece written by a WWF-SA fellow, Jessica Greenstone, on the topic. The case of red steenbras is a difficult one for all involved, perhaps most for the recreational fishers who enjoy the life and spirit of the species experienced in the challenge of fishing for it. The authors took particular issue with the adequacy of the science the department presented before the court. WWF-SA supports their arguments that better science should have been presented as we cannot manage fisheries effectively without data on which to make informed management decisions. However, there is significant evidence, not all of which seems to have been presented to the judge, that the status of red steenbras stocks is critical and meaningful action needs to be taken to address the problem. Although the ruling noted that the science was outdated, we believe that it overlooked a central precautionary principle in our environmental law which states that, in the absence of adequate information, regulators must err on the side of caution. The fact remains, this species is in serious trouble and the court has provided no clear alternative to address this problem, other than suggesting that the Department of Agriculture, Forestries and Fisheries (DAFF) reconsider the matter. To avoid further legal wrangling between parties who clearly have the same interests at heart, it would have been very useful if the judgement had specifically required the department to set up a monitoring programme or formally engage with Border Deep Sea Angling Association (BDSAA) on other proposed solutions, but alas it did not. Like all other forms of fishing, recreational angling can have significant impacts on fish stocks (see Cooke & Cowx Bioscience, Vol. 54 No.9 (2004); Coleman et al., Science 305, 1958 (2004)). According to the South African Deep Sea Angling Association (SADSAA) 2007 report on the economic impact of recreational fisheries, over 850 000 people are involved in the informal and formal recreational marine fishing sector. Management of this sector is clearly required, which can be difficult across a coastline which stretches for almost 3 000km and sometimes requires broad-

Letters to the Editor Something on your mind? Write to The Editor <angler@mags.co.za>

brush approaches where there is limited capacity to develop situation-specific responses. However, it is equally important to recognise that without the buy-in of all concerned, management is unlikely to be effective. WWF-SA agrees with BDSAA that recreational fishers have an important role to play in helping ensure the survival of this species and that the solution may not be a complete moratorium. It is clear that we need to think outside of the box to develop solutions that work for all parties. No-one wants to see the demise of this iconic species, not recreational fisheries, not DAFF and certainly not WWF-SA. JOHN DUNCAN Senior Manager: Marine Programme,WWF-SA <jduncan@wwf.org.za> It appears there is a genuine desire from both WWF-SA and BDSAA to interact and discuss the status and common goals regarding the future of the red steenbras in South African waters which is a good start. — EVB MORE RED STEENBRAS BIG PICTURE Dear Editor In 1872 a knowledgeable commentator by the name of Charles Wolfe wrote a letter to the Cape Monthly magazine bemoaning the demise of fishing in Table Bay. He wrote before the invention of the hand-held camera and the word overfishing had yet to be conceived. Red steenbras was among the species that had disappeared from Table Bay catches. The focus of line-fishing soon shifted to False Bay where red steenbras were caught aplenty from rocks, piers and boats alike. These were large fish, and photos of 100 pounders can be found in books by Stanley Lewis, Leo Biden, Charles Horne etc.

Giant red steenbras were regularly seen chasing baitfish at the surface in places such as Pringle Bay. An entertaining book by ACM Orrey gives explicit details on how to catch red steenbras from the rocks at Hermanus in the ver y early 1900s. Apparently one needed to cast a 3⁄4 lb (165g) mackerel at the end of a 3ft wire trace without a sinker from Franzklip to be assured of success. Visit the Old Museum at Hermanus for the most astounding display of historical fish photographs. Some historical accounts are difficult to digest. In 1926 and 1927 Cecil von Bonde, then the colony’s leading fish biologist, recorded several red steenbras in trawl surveys off Walvis Bay. And what does one make of the tale of red steenbras attacking passengers on the sinking HMS Birkenhead in 1852? Even if red steenbras were incorrectly accused, what does it say about their abundance, size and reputation? Why would people finger that species as the attacker in an area today known as the home of the white shark? In 1930 Biden wrote of red steenbras in False Bay: “It is difficult to account for the present scarcity — the few hundreds as compared with thousands of 20 years ago …” The young still recruit into False Bay today, but are soon picked off among the romans and geelbek before they reach 60cm. In the 1940s red steenbras were caught from the rocks at Knysna, some even taken on spoon. In the same decade these large fish were a common sight in fish markets in Port Elizabeth. I have met several elderly gents who remember catching 100 lb red steenbras along the remote Bredasdorp coast in the 1950s, with one account of a row boat being towed by the fish. All the photos of large red steenbras in Jan H Langenhoven’s historical account of the fishermen in Witsands predate 1975. Southern Cape anglers now find thousands of steentjies, karels or hottentot on every reef. Don’t accept this as the norm. These reefs are missing a key player and, until it returns, reef ecosystems will remain unnaturally bottomheavy. Adult red steenbras were caught in big numbers up to the early 2000s on the deep banks off Struisbaai and it is possible that this area is a breeding site for the species. However, the main aggregation of adult fish is the Border region. It is to this place that the fish migrate to spawn and they will remain “plentiful” there until the last. The reduction of the geographical range of the red steenbras over 150 years is consistent with the central prediction of an ecological theory known SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 13

as the Ideal Free Distribution. As fish become fewer, they do not become less dense, they merely retract to the core of their range. By this reasoning, the worst place to monitor the recovery of red steenbras is the Border region. The best is False Bay. When adult red steenbras frequent Smitswinkel Bay once again, we will know that a recovery has taken place. The replenishment of red steenbras in the western parts of our country is dependent on the protection of adult fish in the eastern part. The capture of the red steenbras displayed on the cover of your March/April edition is not going to help this process. I will agree that there are many problems with the way the (now setaside) ban on red steenbras was handled. The most serious is that it came 50 years too late. COLIN ATTWOOD <colin.attwood@uct.ac.za> The mirror reflecting the distant past, all 190 years of it, is fascinating and carries the subliminal message in a very interesting way. If only life and the passage of time were as simple as closing the proverbial door and no change ever took place. During the time the red steenbras were rampant along the entire coastline there couldn’t have been any steentjies, karels and hottentots on any of the inshore reefs. A debate with no solution. — EVB GLOBAL WARMING... OR NOT? Dear Editor With reference to my letter “Amberjack identified in Cape Agulhas waters” (see March/April 2014 issue of SKI-BOAT), I wish to share some more exciting news. In the abovementioned letter I shared some pictures of juvenile greater yellowtail/amberjack (Seriola dumerili) we caught in January 2014. They were all some 450mm in length weighing around 1.5kg. During December we were out catching some large geelbek on the Skipskop Banks when my son, Ruan, remarked very excitedly that the shoal was rising and swimming around underneath the boat. As they came closer, however, he quickly realised that it was not a shoal of geelbek, but indeed a large shoal of amberjack about 750mm long in the 4-5kg class. It was early morning and we were caught completely off side and unprepared to react to this lucrative invitation. The amberjack were not interested in any baited hooks and by the time one of us had a spinning rod in hand, they had already disappeared into the depths again. It is premature to come to any conclusions as yet, but it’s surely a very interesting observation worth sharing.

WHEN SONNY SMILES Dear Editor It warmed my heart to see this photo — three generations of Shiers boys fishing off Sonnyboy at Guinjata Bay. Sonnyboy was custom-built by Ace Craft in 1980 for the late Sonny Shiers. Geoff Shiers of LA Axles, Sonny’s son, now owns the boat and Greg Shiers (Sonny’s grandson) and Travis Shiers (Sonny’s great-grandson of five) have all inherited his love of fishing. Sonny would definitely have been smiling down on them all. He fished at Guinjata Bay in the 1960s and 50 years later the Shiers are still fishing at Guinjata. ANNE SHIERS <anne@shiers.co.za> Another interesting catch was the Cape snoek (Thyrsites atun) which I caught on a jig whilst probing for yellowtail on an 80m pinnacle at the Alphard Bank some 70km over the horizon from Struisbaai. During the first drop, with the jig some 60m down, the line just went slack and on retrieval it was clearly a nice clean cut. “Probably a wahoo,” was the quick consensus as they are regularly found in the area and, in our experience, it’s the only species in our waters capable of this particular crime being executed so precisely. I managed to get to the bottom, went vas and subsequently boated an estimated 2kg Cape snoek, ostensibly the first to be taken in the area especially some 80 metres deep on a jig. This was a first for me and it would be interesting to learn more about the dynamics behind this unusual catch. Are we now fishing waters shared by marlin, wahoo and snoek? Both these incidents make you wonder — is this perhaps due to global warming? JOHAN SMAL <johansmal@telkomsa.net> From what I have heard a proverbial treasure trove of sport- and gamefish frequent the Alphard Bank. Surely an area most deep sea anglers will be getting the yen to fish. — EVB

THANK YOU FOR EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE Dear Editor I want to make mention of excellent customer service received by Lowrance Durban. I reside in Pretoria and normally fish the Moçambican coast, but we holidayed in Durban over December 2014 because my wife flatly refuses to return to Moçambique. My HDS 9 fishfinder started playing up in the middle of the tuna dance so I called Lowrance and they asked me to bring the boat, Sea-Nergy, in as they were running a skeleton staff. It was 24th December so they were also closing at noon. We sadly had to leave the tuna and tow the boat to Lowrance where we were met by Renier. He had to negotiate his way through a hatch full of tuna and blood to check the transducer and subsequently found that the unit had a fault. Renier promptly replaced the unit with a brand new one — we were sorted in less than an hour and could resume fishing. That kind of service is hard to beat and I shall remain a loyal fan of Lowrance’s. Thanks for an excellent magazine and keep up the good work. THEO ISAIAH <isaiahtza@absamail.co.za>

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 15

CAPE VIDAL DELIVERS It all stared 20 years ago with my fatherin-law, Etienne Du Preez, taking some guys from work on a trip to Mapelane for some shad fishing and kob fishing in winter. The winter fishing got a little bit more difficult with the beach driving ban, so about ten years ago the plan changed and since then the Manne’s Trip has been held at Cape Vidal in November. Each year the preparations start in around May, with all the guys being informed about the plans for that year’s Manne’s Trip. Everyone is always quick to respond to ensure their place is secure. Come November 2014, we set off from Secunda to Cape Vidal. The drive takes about 6-7 hours including the breakfast stop at Pongola. After the long drive on the N2 we got to the gate at Cape Vidal, sorted all the paper work and drove the last 35km through the game reserve to set up our campsite for the next seven days. That night we got the gamefish rods, lures and the 80 lb reel ready for the first morning of fishing. On the first day we went down to the launch at 4.15am and got through Cape Vidal’s interesting surf. The game plan for the day was to get each guy a fish and this day far exceeded our expectations. At 7.15am on our first run right in front of the lighthouse off Vidal we hooked-up with a big sailfish of around 65kg. Jan van den Berg, the angler, was busy for about 25 minutes then, after a 16 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

few photos we released the sailie back into the big blue. As the week progressed we were busy with all sorts of gamefish — dorado, tuna and wahoo — as well as another sailfish strike. On the last day we decided it was time to take out the big boys and go in search of some marlin. My father-in-law decided he would go north while I worked around the lighthouse for marlin. Around 8 o’clock I got a call over the radio from Reel Shine saying they were on with a nice blue marlin. You can only understand that feeling if you’ve been on a boat during a marlin strike — it’s really something special . Unfortunately that big blue got away after about 90 minutes, but the disappointment of losing that one was shortlived because soon they hooked another marlin — this time a little black marlin. Paul Swart was the angler and he was thrilled with his first marlin (see photo above). During the week we caught ten dorado, ten tuna, four wahoo and raised two marlin and two sailfish. We will be back at Vidal this year in November for the 2015 “Manne” trip. Thank for a super magazine. JACQUES LOOTS <jacques.loots08@gmail.com> It’s so refreshing to hear of the pleasure trip you and your “manne” undertake for the sheer fun of going fishing. No competition, no prizes, just fun fishing with friends. I really like the sentence: The game plan for the day was to get each guy a fish. — EVB

MILESTONES

2005

HE older I get the more I am convinced that knowledge is assimilated both consciously and subconsciously over many years through our conversations with people, articles we read and shared experiences. Having been involved with SKIBOAT magazine for 30 years now, as I flick through the pages of old magazines and troll through my memories I realise just how much my life and sport has been enriched by my involvement with the magazine. After 180 issues of SKI-BOAT, comprising some 17 000 pages, we are thrilled to have achieved this milestone. Thirty years of publishing the only magazine in South Africa, possibly even Africa, specifically targeting offshore gamefishing in Southern Africa — now that’s something! Our sincerest hope is that SKI-BOAT magazine thrives on into the future. Our aim is not only to share the mix of fishing stories, angling tips, boat reviews and tackle news, but also to entice the younger fraternity and nonanglers to take up the sport or at least to consider the philosophy of sustainability that’s been inculcated into offshore angling. It is the absolute doctrine of sustainability that will allow the generations of anglers still to come to enjoy this sport of ours. The fact that we’ve managed to retain so many of our advertising clients over all these years indicates that SKIBOAT has upheld its status as a highly respected magazine in the industry, and for that we are truly grateful. On the other side of the coin are our loyal readers who have supported us directly by reading SKI-BOAT and have shown through the continuing escalation in magazine sales that we’re giving you what you want. The ongoing feedback we get is enormously encouraging and allows editorial to be fine tuned to readers’ requests. For our 20th anniversary issue Dave Rorke highlighted a worthy catch or news event from each of the first 20 years, and I can do no better than to extend that concept from 2005 to date.

by Erwin Bursik

For those who work at SKI-BOAT, the highlight of 2005 was celebrating our 20th anniversary. The tributes sent to Dave, Annie and I congratulating us on reaching that milestone, and also those extended to us during the celebratory function held at the Umhlanga Rocks Ski-Boat Club, meant a great deal to us. During that period Ghana was producing some extremely good billfishing with a number of excellent blue marlin between 400- and 900 lb being caught. Johan Zietsman who regularly reported on this exciting venue invited Bradley Kidd to the area to take some underwater photos of the fantastic catches that were being made. Amongst the photographs Bradley took were shots of a number of big eye tuna of All Africa record size that were caught that year.

2006 In the early 2000s the mighty amberjack, a hitherto untargeted species of the yellowtail family, began to be caught by offshore anglers on the east coast of Africa. Deep water jigging was becoming the rage and a few of these big and 2005: Erwin Bursik with a 345 lb bigeye tuna — an All Africa record on 80 lb line.

2005: Underwater shot of a bigeye tuna by Bradley Kidd.

2006: Kevin Smith with a Moçambican amberjack caught on a jig off Guinjata.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 21

We the major deep sea angling clubs in South Africa, acknowledge the valuable support given to us by SKI-BOAT magazine over the past thirty years.

2008 A fabulous record for sailfishing off the East African coast was written in stone during the running of the 2008 Captain Morgan Tag and Release Grand Challenge from Hemingways Hotel at Watamu, Kenya. Over the six days of fishing in November, 488 sailfish were released by 40 anglers taking part in the event. It was an unprecedented run of the most spectacular sailfishing days ever witnessed off Africa. 2008: The Captain’s crew celebrate releasing 488 sailfish in six days. very strong fish had been landed in Kenya and Tanzania, and the desire to jig in very deep water swept down the entire eastern seaboard of southern Africa. This method of fishing started a new craze amongst offshore anglers targeting not only amberjack, but also yellowtail, dogtooth tuna and many of the kingfish species.

2007

2009

This was a year that had to go to Lappies Labuschagne and the team aboard Black Magic (Kobus Engelbrecht, Fires van Vuuren and Bakkies Bohmer) who landed the biggest blue marlin ever caught in east African waters — 521kg (1 146 lb) — off Sodwana on 18th May 2007.

On Wednesday 18th February 2009 a f leet of sportfishing craft exited Richards Bay Harbour for the inaugural SADSAA Billfish Classic. SADSAA had taken over the reigns of what was the Blackwatch Billfish Tournament and restyled it to become the first total release billfish tournament in South African waters where sportfishers and ski-boats competed alongside one another. That year 30 large sportfishers and 55 ski-boats participated. It set new standards for all billfish tournaments to follow suit. This extremely successful event was hosted by deep sea angling’s controlling body, SADSAA, until 2014.

2009: Thirty-one billfish were released at the inaugural SADSAA Classic.

2010

2007: Lappies Labuschagne with his 521kg blue marlin caught off Sodwana.

It’s not often that the entire staff of SKIBOAT magazine is afforded a chance to go out on the ocean and get up close and personal with boats and fish rather than writing about them or editing and laying out the articles, but we made it happen in early 2010. In our March/April 2010 edition we covered our “crew” fishing aboard Effervescent off Durban. A field day of catching a number of dorado and even hooking — and losing — a sailfish really transformed theory into practise. What’s more, it was unanimously agreed that a day on the ocean was a hell of a lot better than a day at the office.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 23

Thank you for all of your support and the valuable coverage you have given the provincial associations over the years.

2011 During 2011 the nostalgia for the past was rekindled by SKI-BOAT’s man in Arniston, Johan Smal, who wrote some incredibly interesting articles about the history of boating in South Africa that have followed a path right up until the March/April 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT. During his research a mountain of unrecorded history of our sport was unearthed and through his thorough, interesting articles he has opened the eyes of the current generation of offshore anglers to the way the sport was played during the postwar period and up until the mid 1970s. 2010: Luke Bassett and Sheena Carnie show off Sheena’s dorado caught off Durban.

2010: Charmaine Steyn, Marius Colyn, Luke Bassett, Sheena Carnie, Mark Wilson and Len van der Westhuizen after a great day out on the ocean. 2011: Brian Cohen’s All African record bluefin tuna catch stands to this day and will probably never be bettered. The mammoth fish weighed 384.1kg and was caught in False Bay in 1973.

2012

2011: Jimmy Rawbone-Viljoen’s boat Nimbus at the quayside in Hermanus harbour circa 1965.

Technology came to the fore when the crew on Big W attached the first PAT telemetry tag used in the Indian Ocean to a blue marlin caught by Riaan Chalmers on 22nd February 2012. The South African offshore angling community waited with bated breath for the day the tag would pop up and release the data captured during the time it was attached to this ±150kg blue marlin. The tag eventually popped up on 4th May 2012, 1 018 nautical miles south of Richards Bay where it had been released. In April of that year ten-year-old Hardus Rothman tagged a ±100kg black SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 25

marlin off Sodwana and was excited to hear that it had travelled 441 nautical miles in the 119 days before its tag popped off. The information gleaned from this tagging exercise was of immense interest to the anglers who tagged the fish, the billfish community in general and the marine scientists of the world who studied the data collected.

2013: Tim Christy with a giant bluefin tuna caught off Nova Scotia. Commercial operators are permitted to take out a very limited number of bluefin at a specific time of year.

2014 Much of 2014 was dedicated to fighting the ban on the recreational catching of red steenbras. Two men, John Rance and Gar y Thompson, spearheaded the launch of this massive fight and persuaded the Border Deep Sea Angling Association and SADSAA to contribute to a legal onslaught against the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing. It was a typical David and Goliath fight and on 24th November 2014, the North Gauteng High Court handed down the most important judgement affecting offshore anglers in the history of our sport. The ban on red steenbras fishing was lifted and recreational deep sea anglers were again permitted to catch their bag limit of this important sporting fish. Here’s to the next 30 years of fishing and stories!

2012: The first black marlin tagged in IGFA’s Great Marlin Race.

2013 The decision by the Canadian authorities to provide limited recreational sportfishing access to the giant bluefin tuna in Nova Scotia on a total release basis during the 2012 season was an exciting development for “trophy hunters”. A number of South African big game fishermen subsequently made plans to add the capture of one or more of these magnificent fish to their personal CVs. Tim Christy opened SKI-BOAT’s 2013 year with a story and photographs of his group’s expedition to Nova Scotia. Many of South Africa’s most adventurous anglers followed suit in the 2013 and 2014 seasons with spectacular results. This was also the year in which the ban on catching of red steenbras was implemented, a very sad day for all bottomfishermen from the KwaZulu-Natal south coast right down to False Bay, and the start of a big fight.

26 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

2013: John Rance senior and John Rance junior with an excellent red steenbras caught before the ban.

2014: Gary Thompson and John Rance with a ±36kg copper caught in The Boarder area after the ban was lifted.

SKI-BOAT magazine has provided excellent coverage of the sport of deep sea angling in both the national and international spheres. The magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support of SADSAA, its provinces, clubs and members is highly valued and greatly appreciated.

MILESTONES

by Geoff Wanvig

A message to SKI-BOAT magazine on its 30th anniversary FROM THE PRESIDENT OF SADSAA

INCE the inception of SADSAA and before that in the days of SASBAA (South African Ski-Boat Angling Association) before the amalgamation, I have been associated with SKI-BOAT magazine. It has a proud history of having been the official magazine of both associations. It’s extremely rare to have a 30 year association between any organised group and a magazine and I personally have been excited to watch the magazine grow from its humble beginnings in 1985 to its current format which I feel stands it in line with many of the similar top sportfishing publications worldwide. SKI-BOAT has been SADSAA’s mouth piece over the entire period and championed SADSAA’s cause unwaveringly, assisting in ensuring that the ethics of our sport are spread throughout the offshore angling community. It is for this staunch effort that we commend the entire staff of Angler Publications and thank them for their assistance and continuing support. As a magazine totally committed edi-

torially to the single facet of deep sea angling and anglers we, the anglers in this field, have benefitted immeasurably from the information on angling, fishing tackle and, very importantly, modern trends in boats and boating. We as a national association are equally aware of the role the marine industry in South

Africa plays in all of this. It is the support by the marine industry in South Africa that directly and indirectly supports the recreational anglers by supporting the only magazine totally directed to our sport. Controversy is inevitable in the complex realm of the ever-evolving offshore linefishery in South Africa. SKIBOAT, through its editorials and leading pages has championed our causes when the need has arisen and this has been a valuable indirect tool for SADSAA to further the continual struggle to keep our members on the water and catching fish. Of note is the strong role SKI-BOAT played in supporting the Border Deep Sea Angling Association’s efforts in having the recreational ban on the catching of red steenbras overturned during late 2014. To the publishers of SKI-BOAT magazine — Erwin and Anne Bursik and the late Dave Rorke — as well as the entire staff of Angler Publications, we congratulate you on achieving this impressive milestone of 30 years and wish you all well for the future.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 29

PLACES

by Mark Cockcroft

Billfishing at its finest

N January last year my wife suggested that the family meet her sister, who lives in Canada, in Cozumel, Mexico, for her 60th birthday. Unfortunately that trip folded, but I was all geared up for a trip to Central America, so I told my wife we were going anyway. However, there was a catch, in addition to my wife’s passionate desire to dive in Cozumel, we also made plans to pursue my passion — fishing. More specifically I wanted to do some billfishing and I wanted to catch a sailfish on a fly-rod. When I told my fellow members at the Nomads Gamefishing Club what I was planning eyes rolled at the expense. Nevertheless Casa Vieja Lodge was lauded as num-

ber one for comfort and value for money by some of the Protea anglers who had been there before. So off we trotted from Johannesburg to London to Miami to Guatemala City. Frankly, that was not a good choice — rather spend a few bucks more and fly direct to the States. Upon landing at Guatemala City we were greeted by our friendly shuttle driver, Benjamin, who astutely noted that my wife Sharon had the camera and suggested that she sit up front while I was suitably positioned next to the ice chest. At first I thought he was looking after me, but it soon became apparent why the cameraperson was in front as we wove our way through the active vol-

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 31

canoes down to the coastal town of San Jose. Watching an active volcano puff every so often was quite an experience. When we arrived at the lodge we were greeted by the smiley faces of all the staff in brightly coloured uniforms bearing the cocktail of the day. The lodge has a very tropical feel to it and every day after arriving back from the marina, a tropical cocktail would be waiting for us at the gate before we went to the pool and cooled off with the snack of the day, buffalo wings or dorado nuggets. I digress ... on to the fishing. At 6am the following morning we were awakened by a knock on the door and two pretty young ladies with flowers tucked neatly behind their ears, served us coffee in our room. It is somewhat distracting when you have not yet wiped the sleep out of your eyes, but I survived. Once we were dressed and had consumed a hearty breakfast Benjamin loaded us up in the bus and drove us about 1km to the marina where we met our captain — Jason Brice — and our crew for the next four days — Jeffrey Garcia and Wilson Lemus. Without much ado they fired up the motors on Makaira, a 37ft Rybovich, and we headed out the marina into the Pacific to the continental shelf. This is about a one-and-a-half to two hour trip depending on the wind. We learned a simple weatherman’s tool: if you can see the volcanos the easterly is blowing, if not, the westerly is blowing. The longish ride was quite comfortable for us. On day one we were told it was “a bit rough” — a two-and-a-half foot swell was considered rough! Jokes aside, this gives you an idea of the generally flat and calm conditions they experience. I’m sure it can still get pretty lumpy on really bad days, but these are few and far between. LEARNING LOCAL TACTICS During this long ride you can steal with your eyes as you watch the deck hands prepare baits and teasers. It soon became apparent that you do not want to be a half-beak or ballyhoo in this town. A big ice chest filled with rows of half beaks pre-rigged with size 6/O or 7/O circle hooks lay waiting for their turn on the end of the line. The circle hooks were attached to a metre of 80 lb monofilament with crimps both ends — no knots and no swivels. This was connected to the rod by a 3m wind-on leader which did have a clip swivel.

We worked with four rods setup with Shimano Tyrnos two-speed reels loaded with 15kg line and one Shimano Tiagra 30W rod-and-reel combo. When the half beaks were rigged up on the light rods, a Spanish mackerel was attached to the big stick which was put in the chair holder with the mackerel calmly lying in the cooler box. Once we were at the deep water drop off two teasers controlled by the skipper on the bridge were run from the outriggers. Two more teasers controlled from the deck were run 15m from the boat on the outriggers. Two half beak baits were run in each outrigger well back from the teasers, almost shotgun style. Two other baits were stored in water-filled containers with the rods in the gunnel rod holders waiting to be pitched. TIME TO PITCH IN Pitched? Yes, pitched. The method of fishing in these waters is somewhat different to the fishing we are used to on the eastern shores of Africa. There is no trolling with skirted lures and bellyshine strip baits. Here, after removing the rod from the rod holder, the bait is removed from the water-filled container and “pitched” to the sighted fish, similar to the way people fish for sailfish on fly off Kenya. The method is simple but requires a huge amount of experience and concentration because if you don’t see the fish on the teasers you will not catch them unless you are very lucky and they take the shotgun baits. The plan is for the fish to come up on the teasers and then, once they’re spotted, the angler reaches for the nearest pitchbait rod and drops the bait into the water. With the reel in freespool, only your thumb preventing overwinds, the bait is allowed to drift back to the fish. Hopefully you can now see the fish which was previously invisible to all but the skipper and the keen-eyed crew. The skipper does have an unfair height advantage from the bridge, but the crew have phenomenally sharp eyes at the lower level. Once the bait has drifted past the fish the skipper and crew pull in the teasers as fast as they can, leaving the fish to wonder what happened to the meal he was about to enjoy. Instead he sees, smells and engulfs your bait which has replaced the teaser. Fishing with a circle hook the angler now has to concen-

Sharon and Mark Cockcroft were thrilled with Mark’s marlin, caught and tagged off Guatemala and about to be released by Jeffrey Garcia.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 33

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Sharon and Jeffrey with one of the four sailfish Sharon caught and released in four days.

trate on his timing, allowing the fish to feed on the juicy halfbeak. At the appropriate moment the drag is pushed to “strike” and the angler starts to reel in. Once the fish is hooked you would expect pandemonium on the boat, but not so — the skipper gently turns the boat parallel to the direction of the fleeing fish while the crew calmly watch the “shot gun” baits for a second or even a third hook up. DOUBLE-UP! My wife who was the designated paparazzi unless such a situation arose, had to abandon her post as early as the third strike on day one when we had our first double-up and she landed her first sailie. In the final analysis we had four multiple hook-ups and she ended up safely releasing all four plus her first tuna. Not too bad for a rookie. The rules are that all billfish are released — the first catch for each angler will be removed from the water for photographs if you so wish, but thereafter the 80 lb monofilament is cut as close to the mouth as the fish will allow. Marlin are also tagged if possible. On day one we released 12 sailies between the two of us and on day two a further eight. Day three was a dismal and grumpy day — we raised seven or eight fish, but for the life of me I could not make chewing gum stick and we blanked the day completely. Even a trophy dorado that took a pitchbait escaped me. On day four it was more of the same. We had a double-up and I lost the fish early in the fight had to endure the chirps from the paparazzi for the next couple of hours because she had one for the day and I had a doughnut. But Capt Jason did us proud before the day was out — he saw a massive pod of spinner dolphin and worked the area around them. It wasn’t long before Sharon and I were both fighting formidable yellowfin tuna. We caught about nine tuna trolling around the dolphins and I picked up another sailie that finally got to the boat. Shortly after getting the teasers back into the water, the cry of “Short right pitch bait!” rang out. I grabbed the pitch bait only to hear “No, marlin”. So I passed the rod to the deckhand and grabbed the Shimano 30W and the Spanish mackerel, but as I was about to toss the bait overboard I heard the skipper shout “No Mark!” At the same time I noticed the

mackerel was attached to one of the other lines, I passed the rod back to the deckhand and pitched the half-beak. As the fish took it and I allowed him to feed I realised that I was hopelessly under gunned with 15kg line class, but it was too late for worrying and I calmly pushed the drag to strike. That was when all hell broke loose. The marlin took off away from the boat stripping 200m of line before he did a right turn and continued his aerial display into the distance. I had lost a lot of line and the drum was ominously visible. After a choice description of exactly how fast we had to turn the boat and chase, Capt Jason put me in a position to recover some much needed line. The fish showed us a few times why it is such a magnificent creature to catch and after a 90 minute battle we tagged it, snapped our keepsake photos and away he swam. Jason’s estimate was 250- to 260 lb but I thought it was much bigger. ON THE FLY I had little time to rest before the next sailfish rose to the spread — I was back in action straight away and soon landed another sailie. At last they were sticking again. Capt Jason advised us that we had a long ride home, but had about an hour to try for a sailfish on fly if I wanted to. Well I had been royally spoiled by the conditions and the fishing so I agreed to set up for f ly. He came down from the bridge and explained the very simple procedure and then headed back up to his viewing post. The teasers were hardly wet again when a sailie hit the short right. Jason brought the teaser closer to the boat then signalled for me to cast. My first strike missed, so I cast again and this time he took it. He turned right, I struck left and bingo I was in! With a 15-wt fly-rod I certainly did not have the control I was used to and the fish pretty much played me for most of the fight. After about half an hour I did manage to control him and Jeffrey got the bill in hand so that more keepsake photos could be taken with the Go Pro and we ended the trip on an incredible high. I had earned the beers that had been lying in the ice chest all day and how sweet they tasted. In the Casa Vieja news letter for December accompanying the photo of the marlin, they wrote: “Mr and Mrs Cockcroft SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 35

Jeffrey, Sharon, Mark, Capt Jason and Wilson celebrate Mark’s achievements of tagging and releasing a marlin and catching a sailfish on fly in one day. ended their last day of fishing perfectly with sailfish, dorado, tuna, a blue marlin (tagged), and his first sailfish on the flyrod. Seas were calm and beautiful with sunny skies and spinner dolphins for miles on end, not to mention all of the jolly pelagic fish! Their total for four days was 46 raises, 42 bites, 33 bites of sailfish, and two raises, one bite, and one release of blue marlin.” The final tally of fish caught for our

36 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

four days was: Mark — 19 sailfish released, six yellowfin tuna over 20kg (the biggest being 26kg) and one blue marlin. Sharon: Four sailfish and three yellowfin tuna, the biggest being 20kg. Picking a highlight is difficult, it’s a toss-up between the marlin and the sailie on fly, but being my first I would have to single out the sailie on fly. Mind you, having said that, watching my wife catch her first four sailfish deserves an honourable mention too.

• I would like to thank David and Jason at Casa Vieja for a dream trip and I would recommend Casa Vieja Lodge to anyone wanting to experience billfishing in four-star style — more professional and friendly hosts you will not find. Casa Vieja Lodge was also the most competitively priced lodge in the area. For further information email <david@casaviejalodge.com> or visit <www.casaviejalodge.com>.

CASA VIEJA LODGE

DELIVERS By Gavin Lautenbach

N the west coast of Guatemala, this Pacific Ocean fishery has one of the highest concentrations of billfish in the world and offers the most incredible fishing experience imaginable. Although Casa Vieja Lodge sounds like a fishing fairy tale, the numbers of fish speak for themselves: 124 releases in a single day by one boat, 300 releases in three days on conventional tackle and 57 sailfish in a single day flyfishing, with an overall annual release rate of a dozen billfish per day, per boat. We had three anglers aboard Makaira captained by Jason Brice. With the help of Jason and his hardworking mates, we managed to catch 37 sailfish on fly and a dorado. We had six double hook-ups and almost a triple. The excitement when all hell breaks loose is incredible and difficult to describe. The professional and highly skilled team on Makaira work tirelessly and in absolute harmony to assist you with catching the fish of your dreams. They have done this for years and have truly perfected the art of fishing for sails on fly. Somebody screams “Sailfish!”, you set down your beer and rush feverishly for the rod. Your heart pounds as you wait agonisingly for the next instruction from the captain. You can see the fish in the wake and it’s all lit up and ready to take almost anything. The engine cuts, it’s dead quiet and the captain shouts “Cast!”

The fly lands in the water and time stands still. A torpedo cuts through the water breaking the surface and, inhaling the fly, it disappears into the blue. Everything speeds up now — you set the hook and the reel starts screaming, the fish explodes through the calm Pacific waters, a desperate, volatile and frenzied attempt to remove the hook and escape. This spectacular aerial display brings a cheer to the boat every time. Watching each fish being carefully and respectfully released back into water brings an even greater cheer. After a hard day in the office we were welcomed home with a fresh towel and a welcome drink which went down like a homesick mole in the comfort of the pool. The local rum fuels the story telling and the recounting of the day’s adventures seemed to have no end — neither did the rum. The day always comes to a close with an amazing dinner and, of course, some much needed rest. We spent three exceptional days fishing in Guatemala and it is truly the trip of a lifetime. It is almost a mystical place that you don’t quite believe in until you experience it for yourself.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 37

38 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

BACK TO BASICS

by Paul Borcherds

Part 7: Putting a different twist on things

N the March/April 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine I demonstrated tying the Bimini Twist for lighter line classes which involved locking the twist with a half hitch around each leg and finishing with a reverse whip. This method greatly reduces line burn on the lighter line classes as there is hardly any friction created when seating the knot which will help to keep the line as strong as its original breaking strength. The Bimini Twist can also be used in heavier line classes — 50 lb and upwards as well. There are numerous other ways to finish the Bimini, mostly all good, but keep in mind that the finish is there to keep the twists from slipping or unravelling which would cause the knot to fail. Remember that the finish not be too bulky or it will not glide through the guides with ease. Here are two alternate ways to finish the Bimini in heavier line classes. FINISHING YOUR TWIST (A) This method can also be used when tying a Bimini with superlines or braid, as it incorporates a series of half hitches to lock the twists. This is very similar to the finishing of the PR or FG knots that are very popular and extremely effective when connecting braid to leader material. 1. Make the required number of twists and spiral the tag back down to the double line junction (follow up to step 8 as shown in the March/April 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT). Keep tension on both legs of the double line. 2. Make a half hitch with the tag end over one leg of the double line. Wet the line and pull on the tag end to seat the half hitch up against the spirals of the Bimini. 3. Make another hitch by wrapping the tag end over both legs of the double line and draw up against the first hitch. Pull tight to seat the knot. 4. Now make an alternating half hitch over both legs of the double line ie: wrap the double line the opposite way to

the last hitch. If the previous one was formed with the tag being wrapped clockwise over the double line, then the next one must be anti-clock wise and so on. 5. Keep on making another two or three alternating half hitches around the double line. Ensure that each one is well seated up against the previous one. In order to prevent a bit of line burn or friction, wet the line prior to making the hitches or dab the double line with a smidge of lip ice to allow each hitch to slide without friction on the double line. When using braid you can make a few more hitches — at least double the number you would make on monofilament line. 6. As described in the previous issue of SKI-BOAT, finish by making a loop around the double line with the tag end and wrapping the tag inside the loop another five or six times back towards the Bimini. 7. Push the tag end through the middle of the legs of the double line on the Bimini end. 8. Now pull on the tag to close the wraps around the double line. Ease the wraps down the double line with your other hand’s thumb and forefinger when you start pulling on the tag. This will ensure that the wraps stay in sequence as pressure is applied from the wraps over the double line. Alternatively you can also unravel the wraps with the reverse whip method as illustrated in the previous edition. 9. Keep pulling on the tag till all the wraps are up against the Bimini. Ensure the knot is well seated by increasing pulling pressure from the tag against the Bimini. 10. Trim the tag end leaving approximately two centimetres of tag. This slightly longer tag will still glide through the guides, while a short, hard tag is likely to either catch on or damage the guides. The longer tag also reduces the likelihood of knot failure due to the tag slipping through the finishing wraps.

A1.

A2.

A3.

A4.

A5.

A6.

A7.

A8.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 39

40 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

A9.

ANOTHER OPTION (B) The next finish is also a very effective way to keep the Bimini from failure and is described in Geoff Wilsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Complete Book of Fishing Knots & Rigs as a preferred method when making a Bimini. 1. Start by cutting a piece of monofilament 15-20cm in length. Double it over and close it by making an overhand knot. Set this loop aside as you will use it later in the process. 2. Continue make the Bimini in the usual fashion and lock either one or both legs of the double line with half hitches. Now place the loop that you made underneath the Bimini and double line. Hold it in place by gripping both the Bimini and the loop in one hand. 3. Take the tag line and wrap it around both the loop and the double line.

A10.

4. Continue wrapping the tag another five or six times tightly around both the loop and double line. Ensure that each wrap is neat and tight up against the previous one. 5. Once all the wraps are secured, push the tag end all the way through the loop. Keep holding tightly on the wraps to prevent them from unravelling. 6. Once the tag is through the loop, pull on the opposite side of the loop near the the overhand knot. Keep pulling on the loop, this action will ensure that the tag end and the loop will be pulled out and underneath the wraps that you made in Step 4. 7. Once the tag end is clear and completely pulled through, seat this finishing knot in the same manner as you would normally do to finish the Bimini. Trim the tag, leaving it slightly longer than you might normally for the same reasons as described above.

B1.

B2.

B3.

B4.

B5.

B6.

B7.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 41

TOP TIPS Here are a few tips to help you ... • When making the Bimini in heavier line classes above 20 lb/10kg and a double line of 2m or longer is required, it’s much easier if you have a second person to help. Start by doubling over the required length and make the twists as you would usually do. One person makes the twists and the other — the knot tyer — holds the mono line at the precise place where you would like the Bimini to start. Always ensure that you leave sufficient tag to work with later on.

• Now let the person assisting gradually open the doubled line by moving their hands out sideways. Once the assistant has parted the legs sufficiently or as far as possible, the knot tying person will extend one arm and grip the double line where the twists start on the doubled line. • The assistant now moves forward and grabs hold of both legs again (closer to the twists) and spreads the two legs of the line further to compress the twists. • Once the twists are compressed, the knot tyer can commence with the barrelled back spirals and complete the knot.

• Another way to make a Bimini in lighter line classes is to use the reel’s handle instead of an assistant. Start by making the required twists and place the doubled line loop around the reel’s handle. • Use one hand to hold the precise place where you want to start the Bimini Twist. Place your other hand in the doubled loop, close to the reel’s handle. Now run this hand up the double line, thus compressing the twists.

Keep on compressing the twists. • Open your hand horizontally to spread the legs of the line and compress the twists to sufficiently start the Bimini’s doubled back spirals. • Bring the tag end all the way down to your open hand. • Lock the tag around one or both legs of the doubled line and finish however you prefer. In the the next issue I will demonstrate how to tie the Aussie Plait.

42 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

MOTOR SCENE

URING the 2004 Miami Boat Show Mercur y Marine’s President, Patrick Mackey launched the first of their 4stroke motors by unveiling “Project X” — the ver y first Mercur y Verado motors. These six-cylinder, super charged, high performance 4-stroke motors, ranging in power from 200- to 275hp were directed at the top end of the outboard market and received tumultuous acclaim, both on the exhibition stand as well as from those of us who tried them out on a range of test boats. I was incredibly impressed by these motors and had a great time playing with them and assessing their overall performance. Two things in particular have stuck in my mind until this day. The first was the sight of a glass of champagne resting on the top of an idling 275hp motor — and not even a shiver registering on the champagne’s surface. There was no vibration whatsoever. The second was the comment from the Mercury representative who was there to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid with his boat which was fitted with twin 275hp Mercur y Verado motors. While we were casting off at the marina, he called to me “Hey, buddy, you had better start the motors before I

cast off!” I heard nothing and felt nothing so I assumed the motors were off as he’d indicated. Standing on the helm I reached for the ignition keys. Fortunately I glanced at the rev counter and saw it registering 600rpm. Whew, close call! Seeing the smile on the Mercury rep’s face I knew I had nearly been caught. I had experienced firsthand the silent, vibration-less operation we’d been told about during the unveiling ceremony. Fast forward 11 years and here I was behind the helm of Wilcraft Marine’s 660 Raptor, powered by twin 115hp Mercury 4-stroke motors, after the craft had been slipped from its trailer. Mercury’s Sean van Rooyen and Craig Wilson of Wilcraft Marine in Durban had told me a lot about these motors so I wasn’t going to be caught out again. I switched the motors off, allowed the craft to settle and restarted both motors. Here again I could easily have made an ass of myself, because apart from the water telltale and the rev counters, there were no audible or visual indications that the motors were running. With the top end of the big motor market catered for by the extremely popular Mercur y 150hp 4-strokes, Mercury Marine decided to launch the 80hp, 100hp and 115hp 4-strokes based

Mercury’s 4-strokes deliver what you need

By Erwin Bursik

on the extremely successful design of the bigger motors. This would cover the very broad base of moderately-sized craft for both offshore and flat water applications. This low profile motor — the lightest weight wise in this segment — features a 2.1 litre, four-cylinder, eightvalve, single overhead cam design which delivers incredible torque and performance, not to mention planing efficiency. Over the last 30+ years I’ve learnt the hard way that if I read all the technical information before I do the test it tends to influence my actions on the water, so I always test first and read later. This is what I did with the new Mercury 115hp 4-stroke motors. As we motored out of Durban harbour and into the remnants of a mixedup, north-easterly ravaged sea, I enjoyed feeling this excellent craft’s hull moving over the water and the laid back performance of the two “black beauties” pushing us at slow planing speed. Once out at sea, freed from the harbour regulations and constraints, I let these two awesome machines have their heads. What a thrill it was to feel how, with a tad more throttle, the props really bit into the water, turning a canter into a full blown gallop! Before we knew it we were flying across the beam

sea at 60km/h with the rev counter showing 5 000rpm. As most regular readers will know, speed does not turn me on and although this rig showed a tad over 80km/h at 6 200rpm, it is the medium range performance between 30- and 40km/h that, for me, provides the best overall feel of the hull and motors’ capabilities. My ideal speed in most sea conditions is the mystical 40km/h. At that speed the craft and motors can be trimmed to perfection to maximise the craft’s ride and everyone aboard can relax in the knowledge that they’re covering distance but are not harming

the hull or over-exerting the motors. Initially I felt that the throttle levers were a tad stiff, but after spending a few hours skippering this craft, it no longer worried me. In fact, it helped me when I was fighting head seas as the levers held their setting even when I was accidentally thrown forward during a hard landing. The greatest demand for motor performance has to be the first minute or two of a surf launch. It is then that the skipper has to think and rely implicitly

on the motors he has attached to his craft’s transom, while all the crew can do is to hang on for dear life and pray. It is during these minutes that the real need for those fancy terms of grunt, torque, thrust and horsepower come into play. From a protected launch or harbour launch, other than for sheer pleasure, one does not really ever need to put these aspects to the test. Bearing in mind some of the surf launches along our coastline I spent a great deal of time playing about in the sets of waves that were building up over Limestone Reef. During these trials and during a surf launch one has to control forward momentum with positive response and thrust from the motors, be able to swing the craft around by nearly 90 degrees without cavitation and have instant access to all of the available horsepower to pull the craft out of the turn on the break that opens up ahead. That is the critical moment when you as the skipper must know for sure that when you push the throttles forward those 230 horses behind you will provide the necessar y thrust out of the hole and oomph to get the craft onto the plane. Then you either hold the power or reduce it instantly if you need to do an about turn, and revert to full thrust to break away from a wave building up behind you. During the dozen or so times I played the surf game the Mercury 115hp 4-strokes provided me with everything I needed when I needed it and never dropped their bite in turbulent water. I must say that the question of two-stroke versus four-stroke out-the-hole thrustability flashed through my mind, but in hindsight I can honestly say that so-called “myth” never came into question. I had what I wanted from them as quickly as I wanted and I could not have asked for quicker out-the-hole performance. Much of the way a boat reacts in the surf depends on its hull and through all SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 49

these trials the Raptor’s hull performed extremely well. One type of test which tells me as much about the craft as the motors is when I gradually bring the craft into a 360 degree circle and then, using the outside motor at full throttle, play with the inside throttle until the craft is flying around in as tight a circle as can be attained. 50 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

“So what,” some might say, “that’s cowboy stuff.” That’s true, but I can’t think of a better way of testing when and where cavitations might occur, while also showing what torque the inside motor can produce if and when required. We also did a number of trials using both port and starboard motors separately while trailing and then lifting the

non-running motor. In all instances I got the craft up onto a plane. We did 35km at 5 100rpm with the second motor dragging and 40km at 5 400rpm with the dead motor lifted. The Mercur y 115hp 4-strokes I reviewed were swinging 16 pitch stainless steel 3-blade props with the standard case with a 2.07:1 gear ratio. A Mercury Command Thrust gear case can be substituted on these motors and is generally required for heavy boats which require added thrust and holding power for low speed planing as well as docking manoeuvrability. This Command Thrust gear case can also be obtained with a left hand rotation, allowing for the counter-rotating prop configuration if required. These new Mercury 4-stroke motors also feature advanced anti-corrosion protection as well as a maintenancefree valve train and many other maintenance innovations which make life that much easier. For those who are technically minded (which excludes me) a visit to your nearest dealer will enable you to whip off the cowling and see for yourself what makes the new range of Mercury 4-stroke outboard motors such an improvement on their older models.

COMPETITIONS

LONG the South African coastline, the seas that pound the Overberg shores are the most treacherous and, arguably, the most enchanting. They crash onto rocky shores, wash white sandy beaches and roll in thunderous waves against mountainous cliffs, providing recreation, adventure and income for thousands. These waters are also the breeding grounds for the southern right whales, they harbour great white sharks in their depths and shelter the endangered black oyster- Met Eish’s 80kg being released. catcher. In addition to all that, they also attract hordes of the upper echelons of marine predators which include the Istiophoridae family of bony fish, to which the marlin, sailfish and spearfish species belong. During a very short window of opportunity every year, these perfectly engineered masterpieces of the deep pass by in huge numbers, resulting in local catches surpassing those made in other parts of southern Africa. Ever since creation, the laws of nature (lex naturalis) have dictated the seasonal flow of the ocean’s currents. Driven by the unfaltering lunar cycles, these annual changes also stimulate the seas around the southernmost tip of Africa. This results in the mighty south flowing warm Agulhas current — with its origin in the Arabian Sea — ascending on the Agulhas banks to swathe very large inshore areas with its warm heart. This manifestation heralds the annual time of plenty which so many dream about, especially those whose livelihoods are entirely dependent on the bounty of the sea. As these natural transformations play out, the expectations and excitement of local anglers becomes palpable. This all happens against the backdrop of large shoals of geelbek and yellowtail stacking up in the area, resulting in catches spiraling steeply upwards. Just as blood transfusions provide refreshing, renewing change to deprived bodies, these pleasant prospects raise the anticipation of hungry marlin anglers to new thresholds. This is especially true for those destined to participate in the Two Oceans Marlin Tournament (TOMT) held annually at Struisbaai. With reports of marlin sightings and encounters

continually flowing in, these anglers waited patiently — if not calmly — for D-day to arrive. THE NINTH EVENT This year a total of 180 anglers manning 33 craft registered for the tournament that took place in mid-February. Watching the teams gathering in the clubhouse prior to the captains’ briefing on the Sunday night, it was evident that moods were euphoric. striped marlin Re-kindling old friendships, meeting new teams and generally having a jolly good time were on the agenda. As I walked past an overcrowded table where the guys were babbling away loudly with some laughing almost hysterically, one of them added to the enduring chaos of words and laughter, reminding the others of a previous event ...“Do you chaps remember 2010 when Andrew Perrins..…” The rest of the sentence was artlessly drowned in yet another eruption of frantic laughter as they relived yesteryear’s tales. That is exactly what this event is all about, I realised. Although the tournament is always fiercely contested, the emphasis remains on having fun and a very high level of camaraderie, banter and amusement is usually maintained by participants and spectators alike. The ever changing weather forecast for the week ahead created some anxiety among participants, but most of them hid it well. Initial indications were that Thursday would be the only fishable day, so anglers reluctantly had to wait it out in the clubhouse. However, by Tuesday night, based on a forecast that there would be a 12 knot south-westerly in the morning increasing to 26 knots by midday, the weather committee declared Wednesday as the first official fishing day. Despite the green light, it was anticipated that the day would be called off long before lines-up at 16h00 and, as a further safety measure, the boats were restricted to the 12 mile bank area located closer inshore. Unfortunately Neptune and the weather gods did not play along and by lines down at 7am, the wind was running around 25 knots and gusting at well over 35 knots. Sixteen boats had launched, but by 7.25am the day was called off — the shortest fishing day in

Challenging fishing at the 2015 Two Oceans Marlin Tournament 52 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

by Johan Smal

Leaderman Colin Barris proudly displays Catitudeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated 100kg striped marlin before releasing it.

the existence of the TOMT. The long-awaited window of opportunity finally arrived, with Thursday seeing a more respectable 15 knot wind throughout the day. Although conditions were still unpleasant, three striped marlin were caught and released. The last fishable opportunity, Friday, afforded the crews perfect fishing weather and sea conditions, adding another respectable 12 marlin to the tally. In total one black marlin and 14 stripeys were caught from 12 of the participating boats. Only three craft scored double releases. Osprey took third place honours with two stripeys and Redeye slotted into second place with two stripeys. Midnight Blue’s crew penned down one stripey and a black marlin on their scorecard and sailed away with the winner’s trophy. GALE-FORCE WINDS AND HIGH SEAS Amongst sailors worldwide, Agulhas is notorious for its strong winds and high seas, justifying her nicknames of the Cape of Storms and the graveyard of ships. It was something the participants were reminded of during this year’s event. Fortunately we were spared the notorious high seas, but a Beaufort scale seven moderate gale-force wind on the Monday night resulted in one of the boats, Big Catch, breaking loose from her moorings in the harbour and washing out on the beach. Luckily she ended up on the sand and, thanks to many willing helping hands, with Mr TOMT Paul van Niekerk taking the lead, she was quickly floated again. The craft suffered no dire consequences, but at the prize giving her skipper had to face a fine for illegal parking on the swimming beach. From top left: The multiple tow-vehicle recovery operation in progress to clear Salti from the slip; Big Catch was caught parking illegally on the swimming beach thanks to the wrath of a moderate galeforce wind which swept through the harbour at night; The 2015 TOMT winning fishing platform was Peter Rawbone-Viljoen’s Midnight Blue seen here bunkering in the bay. Bottom right: As busy and gracious as always, the 79year-old Western Cape sportfishing veteran, Bob Busby, showed the young ones on Osprey how to catch a marlin. BOATS

DAYS FISHED

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

100

2013

120

2014

2015

27 (ave.)

678

150

144

YEAR

TOTAL

BOAT DAYS

MARLIN BOATED

RELEASED

DEAD

TOMT STATS: 2007 to 2015 The 2015 event saw 15 marlin releases which is just below the average catch rate for the nine events. Maintaining the fatality rate below 5% is a remarkable achievement which augurs well for the no-kill, full-release event’s credo. SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 55

was blowing at right angles across the slip. Realising that it was impossible to get the craft safely onto the trailer without being blown off course, they toyed with the option of safely tying her to the jetty for the night. However, one of the bystanders came up with an ingenious plan that was put into action without any further debate. The trailering operation was moved to an adjacent slipway which is totally sanded up and is not usually in use. The trailer was then hooked onto Louis Le Grange’s custom-built 4X4 Iveco truck, the only vehicle capable of negotiating those sandy obstacles. Stabilising ropes were attached to the boat and some six shore skippers, positioned upwind on the adjacent jetty and hanging onto the ropes for dear life to maintain alignment, neatly guided Avanti onto the trailer. Safely trailered and back on the hard, it took Christopher Rawbone-Viljoen receiving the winning trophy from Paul van Niekerk on no time for someone to coin the phrase “leadering a ski-boat”! behalf of Midnight Blue’s crew. Another challenge for anglers at Struisbaai is that the harbour facilities are not ideally suited for launching or trailering the bigger boats, especially during spring low tide when very low water levels are encountered around the slipway. Under these circumstances a four hour no-go safe window is normally applied to avoid damage to props and driveshafts, many of which bear testimony to this risk. With high winds ruining the Wednesday’s fishing, many returning boats also experienced some difficulties due to this phenomenon. Although the draught was still acceptable for the bigger boats, trailers had to be pushed past the bottom end of the slipway, and many got stuck. Additional vehicles — sometimes up to three in tandem — were observed clearing the early morning traffic jam on the slip. At the back of the line was Avanti. With last year’s incident of two damaged propellers still fresh in their minds, Kevin Konkol and his crew decided to play it safe and anchored in the harbour until the water level rose substantially. However, in the meantime the wind steadily increased and by the time it was safe to trailer Avanti, a moderate gale-force

PRIZE GIVING Throughout the event the organisational skills and wonderful hospitality of the small organising team — Paul van Niekerk at the helm and Johan van der Walt, with solid backing from veteran Dr Gawie Bruwer — were clearly evident. Looking back over the nine events since the inaugural tournament in 2007, one must congratulate them for the major strides that have been made in all facets of the event. With the tenth anniversary celebration looming just over the horizon, these gentlemen have plenty of work ahead of them, and we thank them in advance for the long hours they spend behind the scenes making the event something special. At the prize-giving on the Saturday night Tedd Horn opened the proceedings with an expert solo performance of When you and I were young, Maggie. Tedd was part of Mike Riley’s crew on Catitude, which received the best dressed team prize. During his speech, Paul van Niekerk paid tribute to his committee for their support and contributions towards making the tournament another resounding success. He made

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 57

special mention of Johan van der Walt (aka Groot Harder). “Johan deserves an exceptional accolade for the noteworthy contributions he’s made since the tournament’s inception, especially his dedication and diligence, as well as the many hours he spends keeping everyone happy,” Paul added. Andrew Perrins, Mr Marlin control, was also sincerely thanked for his valuable contributions as the ever-entertaining communications and safety officer. “Another vitally important entity deserving huge applause is the local Agulhas (Station 30) NSRI team. Seamlessly integrated and well entrenched with the local community, but especially the boating fraternity, they function quietly in the background — until an emergency arises. Very well trained and duly equipped, the unconditional presence and support of this bunch of lads and lasses do not pass unnoticed. They deserve a royal salute from all for voluntarily donating their precious leisure time to rescue and save others, mostly under the most treacherous and unnerving weather and sea conditions imaginable. “Then there is also the generosity of the sponsors, the loyalty of the participants and, most importantly, the input of the support staff who also worked very long hours behind the scenes. We also acknowledge the support and admiration of the many spectators and the wholehearted approval of the wider business community who benefit from the event. “We’re looking forward to seeing you again next year!” Paul concluded. CLOSEOUT Taking a proverbial eagle’s view of yet another successful tournament, which goes from strength to strength every year, one is confronted with the singular question that daily faces so many CEOs:What really makes the TOMT such a successful event? Surely it can’t be spending big bucks for the zest of risking strong winds and high seas just to experience the thrill of the elusive marlin’s strike? To see it tail walking

58 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

The prize for best dressed team went the crew aboard Catitude. whilst ripping line from the screeching reel and testing its brute strength at the end of a delicate piece of fishing line? Surely it cannot be the moderate winner’s prizes up for grabs? Is it perhaps the camaraderie, the sense of belonging to this group of intrepid offshore anglers, or experiencing the gregarious nature of one’s colleagues and friends at the waterhole after a long hard day at sea? Perhaps it’s the excellent standard of cuisine maintained throughout? Surely it’s all that and more. It’s a well-known fact that the dynamics of any successful endeavour always hinge on its people, especially that small core of spear-headers who are always available to lead, support or just meander along. Curious to know which crews have supported the event since its inception, I delved into the records. This prestigious group consist of: Gawie Bruwer on Indigo,Andrew van Zyl on Gwaza, Johan Jooste on Three J’s and Mr Shuttle service provider, sponsored by Robertson Toyota, Hannes Schreuder on Mia. Well done, chaps, we look forward to seeing you flying the official Veteran’s flag during the decennial celebrations next year. Just behind these loyal participants were Neil Bezuidenhout on Geelstert, Ricus de Beer on Marco Polo and Stephen Griffiths on Met Eish, with eight ticks behind their names. No doubt they’ll be there next year too. Here’s to 2016!

HISTORY

by Graham Gradwell

A 620 supercat similar to the author’s Osprey 2.

Part Three:The path of my life IN the first two parts of this series (see November 2014 and January 2015 issues of SKI-BOAT) Graham Gradwell shared his experiences of fishing off Port Elizabeth and St Francis from the 1940s through to the 1970s. In this issue he continues the tale, venturing into the 1980s and ’90s... N one occasion Mike Beattie and I were sitting on Centre Reef off St. Francis fishing for kob and discussing boats when I told him about a Mr Schultz in Port Alfred who was building a boat called Supercat. Thinking back to my Jet Cat, how could I go wrong with a Supercat? Mike immediately suggested that we order one that Monday — as partners. The hull came to R5 000, with an additional R5 200 for two 75hp Yamahas. The following weekend, Osprey 2 arrived and within a week she was ready for sea trials. She was a formidable 620 Supercat — I actually tried to break her while going through the mouth, and the harder I treated her, the better she performed. She gave the softest ride of any craft I’d ever known. Had I owned this boat from the beginning, no doubt I would have been spared my back problems. All round she was a wonderful boat, could handle almost any type of sea and we very seldom got wet aboard her. It was a love affair from the very beginning. In 1978 I completed the building of my second house which was at the end of the last canal that Leighton Hulett

had pioneered. The house was called Tidewater and Osprey 2 was moored in front of the house with a walkway as a jetty. I felt that my life could not have been any sweeter. My respect for the ocean deepened considerably one Saturday morning when Mike, my son-in-law, Tony, and I went out to sea. The mouth was extremely rough and we were in the waiting area, discussing whether we should or shouldn’t go out. In the end we decided against it. As I turned us around, I saw a boat racing towards the breakers in the mouth at high speed with two men and two women aboard. I screamed at them to turn back, but to no avail. When the boat hit the first wave it flipped over. I felt panic, dry and scaly as it slithered through my body. Everything was a blur, as though I was looking through glasses that were meant for someone else. Fortunately there was an incoming tide and Tony was a very strong swimmer. He dived overboard with the anchor rope and tied it to the overturned boat which we pulled on to the nearest sandbank. It was such a surreal situation that it left me feeling a strange sort of weightlessness. The two men and one of the women managed to swim out, but the second woman was missing. Eventually we managed to turn over the boat and found her under the hull. She was severely traumatised, but they were extremely lucky that we were there and that they managed to sur vive the SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 61

Graham enjoyed having the time to build Osprey 3, a 29ft deep-vee hull craft.

ordeal. That moment was like watching a film reel run too fast through a projector, and the memory still lingers. The experience taught me to respect the sea and not to underestimate the power of water. OSPREY 3 In 1985 I retired, sold my business and decided to sell the house in St Francis Bay and fish in Port Elizabeth once again. Shortly after I returned, I met Ernest Burmeister and he came fishing with me on Osprey 2. It was amazing how bottomfishing had changed for the worse in the years I’d been away. There was no more Humewood Reef — it was completely covered in sand — and where the wall fishermen had once caught most of their katonkel there was now a beach. Fortunately the islands were still good for kob. I realised we had to operate further afield than we’d done in the past. Ernie bought Mike Beattie’s share in the boat and we discussed building a bigger boat together. Al Spaeth, a computer expert who had designed a 29 foot deep-vee hull, allowed me to build a hull out of his mould. Being retired, with plenty of time on my hands, I was able to build Osprey 3 in record time and over many laughs. Ernie and I managed to do a great deal on two 140hp Johnson motors and could fish in comfort 30 miles south of the lighthouse where there were plenty of tuna in the ’90s. In the nine years that Ernie and I were partners we caught a lot of tuna and shared some great times. I recall an occasion when we reached our GPS

marks and the tuna were going mad chasing baitfish. We watched with fascination as their world and vision narrowed. The motors were switched off and we started fishing with bait. Our friend, Jimmy Nightingale, was in, hooked his fish and played it for what seemed like hours. Jimmy was a very fit fellow and it looked as though the fish was on the winning side until Jimmy suddenly came to life as if he’d just been released from a cage. After a ver y impressive performance, he brought the fish to the surface — the biggest tuna I had ever seen. Just out of gaff range, the hook parted from the fish and I got a good view of it as it lay on its side for a few seconds. To this day I firmly believe it was a bigeye tuna well over 100kg. On another weekend we encountered a gale-force westerly wind coming back from Bird Island, but Osprey 3 took it very well. All in all, she was a fine boat on which many great times were had and many good fish were landed. When my back and knee problems intensified and our doctor insisted that I give up fishing or prepare for a life in a wheelchair, I was forced to sell my share of the boat to Ernest. At the prospect of my fishing days being over, I felt like a fish out of water. Redemption came six months later in the form of a double knee replacement and, feeling like a new man, I picked up all of my previous activities like scattered petals of courage. FANTA SEA One day I spotted an advertisement in our local paper for a Supercat with two

60hp Mariner motors for sale in Johannesburg. Something in my chest wanted to escape and I purchased this 520 Supercat unseen, transporting her to Port Elizabeth. When she arrived, I could not believe my luck — she was a well fitted boat and getting out to sea was the only thing on my mind. My family thought I would be fishing on the Swartkops River, but rivers were not as satisfying as the sea. My new boat, Fanta Sea, performed so well through the mouth that I decided to go to the islands. Fanta Sea was just like Osprey 2 — a very soft ride — so I was back in business and started to use the harbour again. I usually fished around the lighthouse area, especially Thunderbolt Reef and Noordhoek Peak. On a few occasions I went south and caught a few nice tuna, but the haul was never as good as it had been during the ’50s or ’60s. Eventually I was made an offer I could not refuse and sold Fanta Sea. My last memory of the Supercat was when she left her shelter with her new owner. We had shared a host of wonderful memories and I felt sad as she departed. GRUMPY In 1998 I bought a Boston Whaler from Al Spaeth. She was fitted with two 30hp Mercury motors and I duly named her Grumpy. I decided I would fish around the harbour wall and sea wall. A school friend,Alan Lamont, had recently retired from the mining industry in Johannesburg and settled in Port Elizabeth and he and I fished together for the next eight years. We mostly fished for garrick, known as leerie in Port Elizabeth. I purchased SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 63

The author’s biggest tuna caught off Osprey 3, a 68kg beauty.

64 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

a 10-wt Redington outfit and decided that was my answer to heavy tackle. What fun I had with that rod over the years and how proud I was of the evidence of its success. We caught many a leerie, but the law on the boat was that only two were to be kept for eating — one each. George, the club manager of Port Elizabeth Deep Sea and Angling Club (Pedsac), was a fundi at smoking fish and had quite a gift for spicing up even the dullest catch. I often thought he could poison a dictator with a handful of those innocent looking herbs that he scattered about so liberally. I had an agreement with George that we would share my catch, and every evening when I settled into my scotch I would savour a piece of smoked leerie in my envelope of silence. In 2006 my wife and I decided to move to Cape Town as our children lived there, but it was not to be for too long as the universe, which only gives when it wants to, chose not to tempt me. Grumpy was put up for sale, and 12 months later we moved to the seaside town of Plettenberg Bay where we still reside with great happiness. Now, with no deep sea boat, I write my story and don’t want it to end. I remember and reminisce about the memories in the time capsule of my youth and get older ever y day, but understand that it is a strange, contained universe we move in. It has pulled me out of the cramped familiarity of my life into a larger possibility. My spirit is still very eager and vigorous, but luckily serene in the knowledge that my life has always had a story ahead of it, to which I have attached myself and which I have fed and nourished. In this way I have found the path of my life.

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68 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

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OUR favourite offshore angling magazine, SKI-BOAT, in conjunction with The Kingfisher and the South African Deep Sea Angling Association, is proud to offer all South African skiboaters the unique opportunity to win awards for excellence in angling. All deep sea anglers who achieve laid down prestigious standards of excellence will be entitled to apply for the KINGFISHER AWARD. Upon ratification by a panel of adjudicators, the angler will receive a handsome certificate, suitably inscribed, PLUS a hand-embroidered cloth badge – both confirming the catch achievement.

Complementing this section is the second award category: 2) Kingfisher Award - Outstanding Catch To satisfy the requirements for this award, anglers can catch any recognised fish and the weight of that fish must equal or exceed certain laid down fish weight:line class ratios. Awards will be made in the following ratio categories: 3:1 – Bronze Award 5:1 – Silver Award 7:1 – Silver Award 10:1 – Gold Award. Applies to IGFA line class 1kg , 2kg, 4kg, 6kg, 10kg, 15kg, 24kg, 37kg and 60kg. Certificates Certificates will carry all the information about the catch (fish, weight, line class and ratio), the successful angler's name and the date on which the catch was made. Digital emailed photographs should be high-resolution.

RELEASED BILLFISH AND GT (Ignobilis) KINGFISH With the strong trend towards releasing these and other fish, we have decided to amend the Kingfisher Award rules to provide for acknowledgement of all released fish. All we need is a photo of the fish being released or prior to release (e.g. GT held on boat) and the approximate weight of the fish which should fall in line with the stipulated weights set out below.

SPECIES Gamefish: Barracuda Dorado Kingfish (Ignobilis) Garrick (Leervis) King Mackerel (’Cuda) Black Marlin Blue Marlin Striped Marlin

NOMINATED WEIGHT 20kg 15kg 20kg 15kg 24kg 225kg 150kg 75kg

SPECIES Gamefish: Prodigal Son Sailfish (Pacific) Spearfish (Longbill) Spearfish (Shortbill) Tuna (Big Eye) Tuna (Longfin) Tuna (Yellowfin) Wahoo

RULES: 1) There is no restriction on the number of awards which can be applied for. 2) Award-applicants must submit a photograph of the relevant fish with the application form, preferably a photograph of the angler holding the fish. 3) SKI-BOAT reserves the right to use the photograph as it sees fit. 4) Entries must be on the official form which is included in all issues of the magazine. 5) Entries must be received within 45 days of capture. 6) Certificates awarded will be as follows: Meritorious Fish - Gold

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

Meritorious Fish

Outanding Catch

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

Applicant's Details: Name: .................................................................................. Address: .............................................................................. .......................................................... Code: ........................ Tel No: ................................................................................. E-mail: ................................................................................. Club (if member): .................................................................................... I, the undersigned, agree to abide by the rules of this award. Signature: .............................................................................

NOMINATED WEIGHT 18kg 35kg 20kg 20kg 30kg 25kg 50kg 20kg

SPECIES Gamefish: Yellowtail Shark (Hammerhead) Shark (Mako) Shark (Thresher) Shark (Tiger) Bottom Fish: Kob (Daga) Musselcracker (Black)

NEW!

The Kingfisher Award will be made for fish caught in two sections: 1) The Kingfisher Award - Meritorious Fish To satisfy the requirements for this award, anglers are required to catch a fish included in the list detailed hereunder, equal to or better than the nominated weight. Tackle used is of no consideration here, the fish's weight being the main criterion. The different eligible fish and their corresponding minimum nominated weights are as in the accompanying list below.

A gold certificate and a hand-embroidered cloth badge will be awarded for this achievement.

NOMINATED WEIGHT 18kg 200kg 80kg 110kg 200kg 30kg 27kg

Outstanding Catch 3: 1 - Bronze; 5: 1 and 7: 1 - Silver; 10:1 - Gold. Cloth embroidered badges will be awarded in all categories. 8)

No witnesses of the catch are required. The award is made in the true spirit of sportsmanship and relies on the integrity of the angler to make a just claim. 9) A selection of award winners’ names will be announced in future issues of SKI-BOAT, along with relevant photographs. 10) Award applicants should allow 30-45 days for processing of applicants. 11) There is no charge for Kingfisher Awards.

Meritorious Fish Species: ....................................................................... Weight: ........................................................................ Date of Capture: .......................................................... Where Caught: ............................................................ Skipper's Name: .......................................................... Outstanding catch Category applied for (tick appropriate box): 3:1

5:1

7:1

10:1

Species: ...................................................................... Weight: ........................................................................ Line class: ................................................................... Date of Capture: ......................................................... Where Caught: ........................................................... Skipper's Name: ..........................................................

Geoffrey Wanvig, SADSAA President SELECTED NATIONAL TEAMS UR sincere congratulations to the following anglers who have been selected for teams and have thus been awarded their Protea colours in our sport. • 75TH ILTTA International Light Tackle Tournament, USA, 13 to 19 September 2015: Dave Martin (capt.) (S. Gauteng), Richard Hartley (S. Gauteng) and Sybrand van Vuuren (Mpumalanga) • Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament — Hawaii, 9 to 15 August 2015: Phillip Marx (capt) (Zululand), Casper Walker (Griquas), Lizette Walker (Griquas) and Michel de Kock (Mpumalanga).

SAFETY NOTICE HERE has been a lot of controversy regarding the contents of Marine Notice No. 4 of 2015 issued by the South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA) which caused a lot of confusion amongst our affiliated members. It also led to some of our members rushing out to take actions that are not yet necessary. This MN 4 of 2015 announced the “Cessation of 29Mhz SOLAS distress watch keeping by Telkom Maritime Services” with effect from 1st July 2015. The SADSAA Executive immediately took this up directly with SAMSA and as a result MN 4 of 2015 has been cancelled and MN 6 of 2015 has been issued in its place. I have attached this replacement notice for easy reference, followed by some clarity on the interpretation thereof.

South African Maritime Safety Authority Ref: SM6/5/2/1 Date: 30 March 2015 Marine Notice No. 6 of 2015 ( Cessation of 29 Mhz SOLAS distress watch keeping by Telkom Maritime Services To all regional managers, principal officers, small vessel skippers and operators, small vessel owners and affected parties Marine Notice No 4 of 2015 is cancelled. This Marine Notice outlines the changes to Maritime Radio SOLAS watch keeping by Telkom Maritime Services and

the changes in radio carriage requirements by small vessels ensuing from these changes. 1. The renewal of the Telkom/ Department of Transport SOLAS Service Agreement was signed on 14th January 2014. This is the agreement whereby Telkom Maritime Services provides SOLAS distress watch keeping and Maritime Safety Information Services. 2. The agreement shall be fully implemented by 01/01/2016 and South Africa shall declare GMDSS Sea Area A1 along with the existing Sea Area A3. Sea Area A1 is defined as: “A coastal area within the radiotelephone coverage of at least one VHF coast station in which continuous DSC alerting is available.” 3. The existing analogue shore-based radio equipment will be replaced by digital equipment. For small vessels to interact with the digital equipment once the system is fully operational, a VHF radio with DSC capability is required. This will also ensure interoperability between all vessels. (Clarity: Telkom Maritime maintain a radio service whereby the entire coast of South Africa from Ponta do Ouro to the Orange River is covered by means of VHF repeater stations monitored and operated from Cape Town Radio.) 4. A DSC distress alert sent on VHF CH 70 has the following advantages over the traditional radiotelephone Mayday call transmitted on VHF CH 16: a. A digital signal travels further than a voice signal — improved range of transmission; b. Distress alert (undesignated) provided with the single press of a button; c. The position is included in the initial distress alert. 5. VHF CH 16 aural watch keeping will be maintained by Telkom Maritime Services until further notice to allow all vessels to make the transition to DSC carriage. 6. 29MHz and 2182kHz aural watchkeeping by Telkom will cease with effect from 01/01/2016. 7. Due to the cessation of the SOLAS watch keeping by the South African coast stations on 29MHz it will no longer be appropriate for small ves-

sels to carry 29MHz radios as a safety option in terms of item 18, Annexure 2 of the Merchant Shipping (National Small Vessel Safety) Regulations 2007. Vessels covered by these regulations shall be equipped with VHF marine radios to comply with the safety requirement by their first annual safety survey after 01/01/2016. 8. In summary, vessels may continue to carry 29MHz radios as voluntary fit equipment for inter-ship communications, communications with clubs and licensed launch sites. However, these radios will no longer be appropriate to fulfill the safety requirements of the regulations from 01/01/2016 as Telkom Maritime Radio Services will no longer be watch keeping this band. • You will note that Item 6. has extended the effective date from 01/07/2015 to 01/01/2016 and Item 7. has a paragraph that reads; “Vessels covered by these regulations shall be equipped with VHF Marine Radios to comply with the safety requirement by their first annual safety survey after 01/01/2016.” For clarity, this effectively means that all SADSAA Affiliated Club Members’ registered craft that have passed their annual 2016 boat safety inspection prior to 01/01/2016 will not be required to be fitted with a VHF DSC radio until their next annual club boat inspection which usually takes place towards the end of 2016. It is therefore vital for all clubs to make sure that they hold their 2016 annual club boat inspections prior to 01/01/2016, failing which members could be required to fit the new VHF DSC radios and obtain the appropriate radio operator’s licence. I hope this sheds some light on this whole issue. In closing I can only confirm that the law on National Safety Regulations in SA is promulgated by the Department of Transport wherein, currently, 29MHz radios capable of operating on local marine channels A, B and C are recorded as valid safety appliances and until such time as the regulations are changed, the position remains unchanged. Marine Notices issued by SAMSA do not change the National Safety Regulations.

SADSAA CONTACTS: Office phone: (012) 996-9007 • Email: admin@sadsaa.com • Website: www.sadsaa.com

74 â&#x20AC;¢ SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

RESOURCE

by Stewart Norman

Part 2:Assessing the stock status Longfin tuna used to be abundant off the west coast of South Africa, but in recent years catches have fluctuated. The anomaly where none were caught during the 2014 Tuna Nationals has led to the belief that their numbers have dwindled dramatically. Anglers have their opinions on why this is, but in this, the second part of this article, scientist Stewart Norman will share his knowledge and opinions on this matter with readers.

N this follow-up article on albacore (known locally as longfin tuna) I will take a look at the most recent national and international stock assessments and report briefly on current research in South Africa. ASSESSING THE STOCK A fisheries stock assessment is the process of collecting and analysing data on the biological, ecological and geographical aspects of a fish stock to provide decision makers with the necessary information for the regulation of the fishery. It is a heavily quantitative exercise, and involves lots of statistics. However, the first problem for tuna assessments is more qualitative. One of the first issues is to decide what area we should be counting in. South Africa does not have its own stock of albacore — and neither does any other country — and because tuna do not respect national boundaries, it is necessary for assessments to be conducted by international authorities who can access data from multiple countries and the high seas. The two bodies relevant to us are the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Stock assessments firstly involve working out the size of a targeted population and comparing it to historical pre-exploitation abundance or a target abundance. Secondly, they involve estimating the fishing pressure, usually in relation to a target fishing pressure which is calculated to achieve optimal utilisation of the stock or, in some cases, a stock recovery.

A good haul of longfin off a commercial vessel in 2006. Photo by JD Filmater. CRITICAL INFO REQUIRED Two critical bits of information that are required each year are the amount of fish that was caught and a measure of abundance. The first sounds like it would be easy to work out, but is practically difficult. Each year each nation reports how much fish its citizens landed over the year and these amounts are then added up for each ocean basin. However, trying to get an honest estimate of what everyone caught is a task beyond most nations. The second piece of information we require is also difficult to get — the rate at which boats catch fish is a measure of abundance. This index, known as the catch per unit effort (CPUE), is the most widely used index and gives a relative measure of the abundance of fish. ICCAT and IOTC request these sets

of data from each country, including South Africa, and once there’s sufficient data for a few years they fit models to the data. The models predict the state of the resource. INTERPRETING THE DATA Model results are displayed in a Kobe plot (Fig. 1), which presents two axes and is split into four quadrants. The horizontal axis indicates the size of the stock. A size of 1.0 indicates the optimal size for maximum production. The vertical axis indicates the extent of fishing, and again the value of 1.0 indicates optimal fishing pressure. The quadrants tell the story: Green means abundant fish and low fishing pressure, orange means that fish are abundant, but fishing pressure is too high, red means over-exploited with too few fish and SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 75

Figure 1. The Kobe plot is used to track the population size and fishing pressure over the course of a fishery. MSY is the maximum long-term average yield that can be produced by a stock on a continuing basis. SB is the current spawner stock biomass — the amount of mature fish in the population. SBMSY is the biomass required to yield MSY. F is fishing mortality rate and FMSY is the fishing mortality rate that will allow MSY. If F exceeds FMSY then the stock is experiencing overfishing. The arrowed lines show the typical trajectory of a fishery. The progression into the yellow block requires the removal of excessive effort.

Figure 2. The IOTC assessment of albacore in the Indian Ocean. Each dot represents a year starting in bottom right with 1952 and finishing on the left in 2012. SB=Spawner Biomass and F-Fishing pressure are expressed as a ratio of the optimum value, indicated by the subscript MSY. Hoyle,D., Sharma, R. and Herrera,M. (2014). Stock assessment of albacore tuna in the Indian Ocean for 2014 using Stock Synthesis.

Figure 3. Kobe plot of the north Atlantic albacore stock from 1950 to 2013. Report of the 2013 ICCAT north and south Atlantic albacore stock assessment meeting. Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT, 2013.

too much fishing, and yellow means recovery, still too few fish, but fishing has relaxed. The history of most fisheries can be summarised as follows: Green then orange then red. Yellow follows in cases where governments reduce fishing to allow a recovery. The last southern Atlantic albacore stock assessment was conducted by ICCAT in 2013. Albacore are caught in the Indian Ocean predominantly by longline and driftnet between 30° and 40°S, and then north of Madagascar by purse seiners. Figure 2 shows how the albacore stock in the Indian Ocean has shifted since 1950. You need to follow the dots from right to left. The years in the green block indicate that the fish were abundant and lightly fished in 1950. Gradually increasing fishing pushed the years left, and eventually the stock was close to the optimal value. Only in 1990 was the fishing pressure above optimal. The Indian Ocean stock is therefore not considered to be overexploited despite the fact that the stock has been reduced by more than half since the 1950s. The maximum sustainable yield for the Indian Ocean has been determined at 29 900 tons per annum. South Africa does not apply a lot of commercial effort east of the 20° management boundary, but if there is a possibility of mixing between the two oceans, South Africa could be fishing from two separately managed albacore populations. The situation in the south Atlantic is more complex, and less optimistic. Here fishing takes place predominantly off South Africa and Namibia, but also off Brazil and Argentina. The bulk of the catch is again between 30° and 40°S. The southern African catches are predominantly of immature fish because the mature fish are concentrated in the western Atlantic. Perhaps because of this disaggregation of ageclasses, the assessment is uncertain, and several plausible models were advanced. In summary, ICCAT advises that there is a 57% chance that albacore are in the red zone, 6% in yellow, 7% in orange and 30% in green. This is the statisticians way of saying they have no idea. The total allowable catch (TAC) of albacore was maintained at 24 000 tons in the South Atlantic region with contracting parties receiving hard-limit quotas. South Africa received a catch limit of 4 400 tons for 2014 and 2015. In the north Atlantic, we see signs of optimism (Fig. 3). ICCAT has managed to get a reduction on fishing of albacore, effectively moving it out of the red zone into the recover y zone. (Please note that ICCAT use a different colour scheme.)

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 77

Figure 4: CPUE in the Offshore League (a) between 1994 and 2013 shows a decline in catches, but catches in the Tuna Nationals between 2000 and 2013 look steady. Dickens, J. (2015). Extracting fish abundance indices from recreational fishing competition data. Masters thesis in Applied Marine Science, UCT, pp 71.

Figure 5: The catch per unit effort from South African commercial pole boats. Kerwath, S. E., Winker, H., and West, W. M. (2012).Standardization of the catch per unit effort for albacore (Thunnus alalunga) for the South African tuna-pole (baitboat) fleet for the time series 1999-2010.Col. Vol. Sci. Pap., ICCAT, 68(2), 604-614.

George Filmater with two good longfin caught off Cape Point in April 2008. Photo supplied by JD Filmater. 78 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

WHO CATCHES ALBACORE? In decreasing order of catch, the main fishers in the south Atlantic are Chinese Taipei, South Africa, Japan, Brazil and Namibia. South Africa has two commercial fishing sectors which target tuna in the Atlantic, the pelagic longline and the tuna pole-line fisheries. Albacore is one of three main bycatch species in the longline fishery that targets bigeye and yellowfin tuna as well as swordfish. Juvenile and subadult albacore as well as larger yellowfin tuna are the main targets of the tuna pole-line fishery. Commercial fish catches are reported on a monthly basis and include daily catch (kg) per species per boat. South African statistics suggest that it has not attained its quota for the last few years. This is a concern for South Africa which may lose its catch share to other countries if it does not catch its allocation, although under-catching all round may be good for the resource. These statistics do not include the recreational harvest, although this sector is not expected to add significantly to the total. The data generated by angling competitions could be useful even if the recreational catch is low.

Malcolm Grant and Greg Pengelly from Cape Boat and Ski-boat Club have been instrumental in converting paper records of competition catches to a searchable digital database. These records might better reflect anglers’ perceptions in the Western Cape. Recent analyses by John Dickens of UCT showed trends of albacore from the Offshore League and the Tuna Nationals over a 14-year period (Fig. 4). CPUE in the Offshore League shows a decline in catch rates in the recent period, although there was a spike in 2011, while CPUE in the Tuna Nationals remained steady. CPUE records from the commercial South African pole fisher y has not shown a definitive trend for the species in recent years (Fig. 5), from which can be concluded that south Atlantic albacore can still sustain present catch rates. We can only hope that a more recent and improved stock assessment does not suggest otherwise. The management boundar y between the Indian and Atlantic oceans is set at 20°E (Cape Agulhas) but ICCAT and the IOTC note that the movement of fish between the two oceans may affect their assessments. Mixing of albacore stocks has been observed, but it is the extent of mixing that has implications for stock assessments. To address this issue South Africa is collaborating with the French on the Genetic structure and migration of albacore tuna (GERMON) project. The project couples biological sampling and diet analysis with genetic, organic and chemical analyses to determine the degree of cross-over between the two oceans as well as the origin of albacore in South African waters. Genetic samples from the Offshore League and the Tuna Nationals have contributed to the research effort. The migrations of tuna and structure of tuna stocks remains one of the biggest questions for the assessment and management of these species.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 â&#x20AC;¢ 79

INTERNATIONAL

OU know that feeling when you’re trolling around the ocean with a good spread behind the boat, sea conditions ideal, baits perfect and you are heading towards a bait ball boiling on the surface? It’s that period between seeing the bait ball and pulling your favourite lures through it when you’re like a coiled spring — breathing shallow, stomach in the throat, eyes fixated on the spread looking for the tell-tale signs of an imminent strike, with your ears beckoning that familiar sound of the ratchet screaming in anticipation of a strike and solid hook-up, while knowing quite well that all that pent up angst might lead to nothing. Well, that’s the feeling I experience from the time I submit my nomination and CV to the SADSAA selectors to participate in an international tournament, up until the moment the phone rings and Geoff Wanvig breaks the news. Even then you don’t know if the strike is going to stick until the formalities and pleasantries are taken care of and he confirms your selection. Then it’s game on! The annual International Light Tackle Tournament Association (ILTTA) Tournament is probably the most well organised and hotly contested tournament on the international amateur billfish angler’s calendar. Conservation is first and foremost on their agenda and, working closely with the IGFA and the World Billfish Foundation, the tournament was inaugurated as an all release competition by the late Dr B Roy Dean way back in 1946. The tournament is held at a different venue each year, targeting different billfish, primarily sailfish, blue- and white marlin — on an all-release basis. Anglers have to use non-offset circle hooks to ensure no gut hook-ups — corner of the mouth only, virtually guaranteeing the release of all catches in good condition. The 2014 event — the 74th tournament — was being held in the sailfish mecca of the world, Guatemala. Fortune had favoured me — not only was I to captain the side, I was also blessed with a team of two exceptionally good and highly experienced anglers, Jaco Lingenfelder and his younger brother Anton, both of whom had previously represented the Proteas at Guatemala, as I had twice before. In fact it was some ten years ago at the 64th running of this tournament at the same venue that I received my first Protea cap. Light tackle being 10kg line class, our weapons of choice were 6’ 6” and 7’ medium-to-slow action rods with Shimano Talica 20BFC lever drag reels with a 6.7:1 gear ratio, ideally

by Dave Martin

suited to circle hook angling. Personally I would prefer it if the minimum drag were a bit lower than the 3 lb at its lowest non-freespool setting, but I suppose that these are sacrifices one has to make for the high retrieval rate. That, along with some 80- to 120 lb wind-on leaders, snap swivels, a variety of skirts, softheads, small lures, 1/8oz (3-5g) egg sinkers and other personal favourite tackle paraphernalia and tools, was just about all one needed to tackle these dragsters of the ocean. Ande line is supplied by the organisers. POMP AND CEREMONY Our Protea capping ceremony and send-off was held with as much pomp and ceremony as could be imagined by likeminded anglers more used to the smell of fish hatches and bait than of bouquets of fresh flowers and ribbons. Not in all my years as a Protea had I seen such a gathering of green deep sea angling blazers at any single occasion. We were both honoured and humbled by the support at all levels from officials and dignitaries to family and friends. The flight and transfer time from Jo’burg via Atlanta, USA to Guatemala City was an arduous 26-odd hours but was, thankfully, uneventful. South African anglers have a proud and rich history with the ILTTA, and in the Central Americas. The Latin Americans and Americans in general admire us for being highly competitive, highly skilled in angling and for being well spirited while still flying the SA flag high. This puts pressure on any South African team to uphold this reputation. We were no different and accepted the challenge willingly. When we landed in Guatemala City we were met by friends and tournament officials who insisted on taking us directly to lunch to celebrate our arrival before we drove our hired car another 120km to our final destination, Marina Pez Vela, Puerto San Jose. The sailfish bite had been extremely hot in the weeks before our arrival, averaging in the teens per boat per day. However, on our first practice day we could only manage two releases from four strikes. We took solace in the knowledge that things can and do change on a daily basis in this crazy sport which is controlled largely by Mother Nature. The style of sailfishing in the Americas differs remarkably from the way we target sailfish in South Africa and even in Kenya for that matter. Firstly you have larger boats with a cap-

SUCCESS! Proteas bloom in Guatemala

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 83

tain up to three metres above sea level which is a distinct advantage when you’re relying on sighting of the fish first, to tease or induce a bite. Then you have the circle hooks attached to fresh ballyhoo, or halfbeaks which you have to feed to the excited sailfish on freespool just long enough for it to turn the bait in its mouth. If you feed it too short you’ll pull the bait out of its mouth; if you feed it too long it will swallow the bait which then breaks up while it expunges the head and hook as soon it feels the pressure from your drag. Invariably you will hear the deckies murmur “sancocho” when only the head of the ballyhoo is retrieved. Sancocho is a traditional Spanish soup-like dish requiring fish heads for stock and the comment is not mean to be polite.

The individual team members’ catches are combined to log a total for the team’s eventual placing. One billfish, marlin or sailfish within 20 minutes equals 100 points on the board. This means that one cannot rely upon a fellow team mate should one be having an off day, neither can you relax for one minute during the entire competition because if you miss a fish or drop a strike your competitors will have an opportunity to steal it from you. The same applies if one of your competitors misses a fish, you have to be ever alert so that you can try to legally steal his fish. No quarter asked, none given! So from lines down at 8am until lines up at 3pm, it’s rod in hand, on freespool, eyes aft! Ten countries, 27 teams, 81 anglers — bring it on…

PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE The importance of at least two practice days prior to the competition starting cannot be overstressed. After the first practice day we discussed our failures and brainstormed ways to improve our hook-up ratio. In a competition such as this where the fish are abundant, the bite is hot and everyone is virtually guaranteed a number of bites, the winner is not decided by which teams or anglers stumble across the most fish, it’s decided by which team manage to consistently turn every strike into a successful release. You cannot afford to lose a fish on the bite — he who drops the least fish will win. Armed with fresh ideas and strategies, we managed a clean slate on our second practice day with seven from seven. We also managed to sneak in a third practice day where we released 18 sailfish from 21 strikes — that’s more like it! Another reason the practice days are critical is because of the format of the rules. Unlike most billfish tournaments where you fish together as a team on the same boat and rotate the strike on the rods, at the ILTTA you are not allowed to fish with a team mate, or on the same boat more than once. The teams are split up, rotating onto different boats and fishing with two different competitors each day.

ONTO THE WATER When the boats hit the docks after the first day’s fishing it was with nervous anxiety that we tried to locate each other and compare catches. At the end of day one, Team South African Proteas were in 12th position with 600 points. We’d had six releases and the team in the top spot had 11 releases! It was time to kick it up a notch. At the end of day two we were in fourth position overall with 1 800 points thanks to another 12 releases. When day three ended we were in first position overall with 3 000 points after releasing another 12 sailfish, and three hundred points clear of the second placed team! I would be lying if I said that I went to bed that night with a sense of ease knowing we were leading by three going into the last day. In fact, it was exactly the opposite. Come bed time, my mind was too overloaded to switch off. What if this? What if that? Did I strip off enough line? Did I strip off too much? Was there line on my reel or should I get up and re-spool? Should I go weightless on the flat line? Maybe if I put a duster above my snap swivel it would attract the fish away from my opposition’s bait. “Aaw Dave,” I told myself,“just do exactly what you’ve been doing up until now and shut-up and get some sleep!”

84 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

Right: Dave Martin, Gabriel Fernandez (Tournament Director), Jaco Lingenfelder and Anton Lingenfelder at the prizegiving. Many teams thought we would win and supported us enormously. As much as I would like to believe the reason for this was because we are such nice fellas, the rational side of my brain reminded me of the intense rivalry between the local countries. Puerto Rico would rather have South Africa win than have Venezuela win, and Guatemala would rather have us win than Puerto Rico and the USA would rather have us win than Mexico. The next day, with our nerves jangling due to lack of sleep and nervous tension we wished each other good luck no matter what and set to sea for the final day, in search of glory. Dockside after the last day’s fishing was met with trepidation. Did we, didn’t we? Yes, no? Everyone threw in their two cents’ worth. Rumours abounded and we heard that Team Venezuela had come from nowhere to produce a big day although no-one was sure if it was big enough to reel in our three fish lead. The gala dinner and prize giving at Marina Pez Vela was abuzz with excitement and overflowing with anticipation from all quarters. When they announced the top three anglers Anton Lingenfelder took the silver trophy for second place. What an achievement, totally deserved considering Anton’s skills. Eventually they announced the top three teams: In third position was Team Puerto Rico No 1 and in second position was Team South Africa! Venezuela — Ballyhoo took top honours, beating us by only two fish. What an honour to excel amongst such talented anglers in their own backyard in such favourable conditions. We couldn’t have been prouder. Individually I placed ninth overall, with Jaco placing 26th out of 81 anglers. Anton released 16 sailies, I accounted for 13 and Jaco 10, a great achievement in anyone’s books. Our achievement wasn’t only for ourselves, but also for all who supported and believed in us, who gave us the opportunity and stood by us — family, friends, colleagues, clubs, provinces, SADSAA and the selectors, a sincere thank you. SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 85

TOP TIPS

by Johan Smal

2015 Two Oceans Marlin University

NOWN as the southernmost tip of Africa, Cabo das Agulhas, can justly be described as the “place that brings together”. This is the place where two of the world’s greatest oceans converge and make landfall; where modern day explorers like Kingsley Holgate usually depart from on their cross-Africa adventures; the place where the eastern and western zones of the notorious “graveyard of ships” meet and also where marlin anglers gather annually for the prestigious Two Oceans Marlin Tournament. It’s also the place where a small group of marlin anglers recently gathered to attend the first billfish university to be held in South Africa. Two of the country’s leading billfish anglers — Erwin Bursik of SKI-BOAT magazine and Ryan Williamson of Pulsator Lures — teamed up to present the land-based course, but first they shook hands with one standing on the Indian Ocean side of the peninsula and the other on the Atlantic Ocean side. The fishing dreams of the 25 participating marlin anglers are that much more likely to come true now that they’re better equipped to take on the mighty marlin of the world’s oceans. These anglers also made many new fishing buddies who can help facilitate the marlin hunting trips. STRUISBAAI LEADS THE WAY Erwin and Ryan are veteran anglers who really need no introduction as both are very well known for their long lists of billfish angling achievements, their enviable sets of boating and angling skills and the extraordinary contributions they’ve made to the offshore sportfishing fraternity over the years. They deserve special thanks for making time available — especially during the peak billfish season — to share their knowledge and assist others in chasing their dreams. Erwin and Ryan, thanks for this unselfish deed which reinforced the foundations of marlin angling in other parts of South

86 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2015

Ryan Williamson and Erwin Bursik at the southernmost point of Africa.

Africa. The Western Cape boys salute you. The Marlin University was held on 22nd and 23rd January, with the weekend being reserved for some offshore excursions to allow anglers to put their newfound knowledge to the test. Training covered the A-Z of marlin fishing including an overview of the hardware, stratagems and correct actions to be taken whilst handling the craft, fishing gear and hooked fish in the best and safest way possible. These theories were backed up by both fit-forpurpose and best-practice demonstrations, immediately followed by handson practices by the eager-to-learn attendees themselves. COURSE SYLLABUS In broad terms the course covered the following: • Marlin identification, dealing specifically with the biological and behavioural differences between black-, blue- and striped marlin. • Marlin tackle makeup, focussing on the selection and assembly of the correct lure types for the specific billfish to be targeted, taking cognisance of specific sea conditions. • Using live- or dead baits for billfish, making up hook-sets with live-, dead- and strip-baits as well as how to tease a billfish to the craft and pitch the bait to the teased fish. • Boat handling during marlin fishing;

AFTERTHOUGHTS ...

HE “Marlin Manne” of South Africa have been very intrigued by the reports of big striped marlin being seen and caught off Struisbaai over the last 10 to 15 years. However, although they’re intrigued, because of this location’s distance from Gauteng, Mpumalanga and northern KwaZuluNatal where the vast majority of marlin “hunters” reside, minimal or no effort has been undertaken by the anglers to make the long trip to the southernmost point of Africa to target these fish. In recent years, with the running of the Two Oceans Marlin Tournament and subsequent reports carried in SKI-BOAT magazine, the value of this resource has become very real and many more anglers are sitting up and taking notice. I was therefore not surprised when Johan Smal proposed holding a Marlin University, similar to the successful events held in Kenya, at Struisbaai a few weeks prior to the 2015 Two Oceans Marlin Tournament. Johan soon got Ryan Williamson aboard and the two of us agreed to take up the challenge. The event far exceeded our expectations with regards to the participation and interest shown by each and every person who attended the training session. Both Ryan and I were extremely impressed by the degree of interest shown by the “students” and their verve and, having now experienced the 12 mile and Alphard Banks in person, are both keen to fish for marlin from Struisbaai in the near future. Here’s to future catches! Erwin Bursik

WOULD like to thank everyone who attended the Two Oceans Marlin University — the enthusiasm was amazing and the hospitality was very welcoming. I hope that all the anglers who attended learnt something new that they can tweak and adapt to the conditions at Struisbaai. That area of the Western Cape has an amazing marlin fishery with an abundance of large striped marlin and I feel sure that as they practise the techniques more and more, these passionate marlin anglers will find their own techniques and the success rate on hook-up ratios will improve dramatically, with a lot more fish being tagged and released. Tight lines. Ryan Williamson SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 87

Pieter Eksteen practising fighting a billfish in the chair with Erwin watching.

Dry run – Chris Gillitt, Dudley Rosslee, Arulene Smal, Ewan Wilma and Ryan practising handling a hook-up on land.

skippering the craft; lure spreads and trolling speeds; outrigger, rod and reel position settings and crew drills during simulated hook-ups. • How to move screaming rods from the gunnel to the fighting chair in accordance with IGFA rules and exert maximum pressure on the hooked fish. • On-deck drills during simulated hookups, and demonstrations on use of the fighting chair and stand-up harness techniques.

ed to catching some yellowtail. They were completely oblivious to the fact that a visiting boat was having a field day at the 45s located just over the horizon, registering no less than seven marlin strikes for the day! At least Ryan got his first large yellowtail on a hand-line! Despite their lack of success with marlin, both crews returned very vocal and confident about the improvements they’d made in setting their marlin traps. The third skipper, Danie Jacobs on Le Boss, with Erwin aboard, decided to test the waters behind the 12 mile bank. Within 30 minutes of setting the spread which included a yellowtail rigged as a skipbait, they experienced their first marlin strike ever. The exhilaration aboard Le Boss was overwhelming! Although they didn’t land the marlin, Danie and Jaco Jacobs returned to land confident that their vastly improved marlin angling skills would soon make their dream of success-

TIME TO PRACTICE Unfortunately the weather did not play along on the Saturday with only three boats putting to sea. Two of the skippers, Paul van Niekerk aboard Salti and Pieter Eksteen aboard LiaNelle, selected the Alphard Banks as their preferred target zone. Regrettably they didn’t raise any marlin and eventually revert-

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All the participants with their certificates.

fully boating their first marlin come true. These remarks and all the other positive and very appreciative feedback that we’ve received from the “students” about their newfound knowledge is tangible proof that the event was a resounding success.

Erwin and Ryan received figurines to commemorate the event.

Erwin and Ryan were thrilled with their packs from Riebeek Cellars. 90 • SKI-BOAT May/June 2014

WELL DONE Despite the event being land-based, the overall response is that it was well organised, well attended, well presented, very worthwhile and thoroughly enjoyed by all. Sincere thanks must therefore go to the Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club for the use of their facilities. Also thanks to Henk Aggenbach for the use of his mobile pavilion and to Johan van der Walt (Groot Harder) and Dudley Rosslee for making the boats available so that students could put the theory into practice. Thanks also to Fish and More for treating us to the finest local cuisine, including deep fried calamari, grilled yellowtail fillets and a huge local, freerange sheep on the spit produced, purposely selected and prepared for the event by local farmer Henk Aggenbach, one of the attendees.. These delicious meals and the endless strings of questions and answer sessions were washed down with some of the Cape’s fine wines, a real feast for the palate. Many thanks to Brandvlei Cellars, Neethlingshof and Riebeek Cellars for generously sponsoring the wine. We look forward to hearing about the future marlin catches made by all the “students”.

SOME OF MY BEST DAYS by Owen Barclay (10)

WAS four years old when I started fishing and remember when I first caught a little fish and asked my dad if I could pull out the hook. I got the hook stuck in my finger and I got such a fright that I immediately pulled it out of my finger! There were some tears but I soon stopped crying and carried on fishing. That was the start of my fishing career. I started deep sea fishing when I was six and love going out to sea with my dad. I’ve been very lucky and have caught lots of different species like yellowfin tuna, dorado, ’cuda and lots of different bottomfish. On my first deep sea trip I caught a stumpnose which was hard to bring up, but I did it. One of my best days fishing was 27th April 2014 during the Durban Ski-boat Club Festival when we fished on my uncle Shaun’s boat, Mershore. The sea was quite rough and we weren’t sure whether to go out or not, but we decided to brave it. My friend Wade caught a 15.9kg ’cuda and we

came first in the junior section and won a sea kayak, a rod and a phone. We also fished in the 2013 festival and I caught a 12.8kg ’cuda and came second. We often fish in the river at the Pont on the KZN south coast and I have always wanted to catch a big fish in a river so in September 2014 my dad took us to Port St John’s for a weekend. The plan was to catch a big kob, garrick and grunter. We had no luck catching a grunter, but we got a kob and a garrick. It was the first time I was using the rod that I’d won at the Durban Ski-boat Club Festival and I was trolling a white Rapala close to the banks at the mouth when my new reel started screaming. Eventually after a hard fight I brought in a huge kob of at least 12kg. It was so heavy that I battled to pick it up. So far this is the biggest fish I’ve caught and I had such a fun time fighting it. Thank you for such a cool magazine.

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TACKLE TALK

There’s no excuse for neglecting this vital piece of your arsenal

VERY angler wants to do whatever he/she can to ensure they actually land the fish they’re after and, to that end, we spend thousands of hard earned Rands on good rods, quality reels and the best line we can afford. After all, we don’t want to waste an opportunity to catch that dream fish. If you think of all of the money and time invested in getting a good fish on the line, it’s obvious that only the best tackle should be connecting you to the fish that you hook. Ironically, one of the items that many people pay the least attention to is the hooks they’re using — their

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first point of contact with the fish. Your tackle setup is only as strong as your weakest link, so it’s crucial to ensure that every link in the chain is as good as you can get it Simply pulling a lure out of a box and tying it on without checking out the hooks or replacing them with a better product for the job is crazy. The same goes for anglers who spend hours making up bait traces with inferior quality hooks because they wereon special in the store. Cheaper generally means inferior in terms of materials or quality. A good quality hook will ensure that you get a decent

by Craig Thomassen

hook-up when your fish comes along and will also keep the fish hooked during a hard fight without falling out easily or bending open. These days almost all hooks are sharp when bought, as the process of chemically sharpening, or mechanically sharpening has been done in the manufacturing phase. However, you should still check every hook before using it — some hooks are not as sharp as others. Even relatively new hooks can lose their points due to electrolysis, corrosion or from having hit bone or rocks somewhere along the line, so always carry a hook sharpener to give your hooks a quick service if needed. If you sharpen your hooks, you should also give the point a touch up with a permanent marker. Just that thin layer of coating will help protect the newly exposed metal from saltwater which could cause rust or electrolysis. These days a wide variety of hooks is available with specialised designs for every conceivable purpose. Gone are the days of having to make do with a hook simply because it was the nearest match in size for the job you had in mind. I go through a lot of hooks, so I’m very fortunate to have VMC as my hook sponsor. I am very particular about my hooks and regularly change hooks on lures. Sometimes it’s simply to change from trebles to single hooks, other times I feel that I want a hook with a bigger gape because bigger fish are around. I also switch hooks depending on my target species — I prefer light gauge wire hooks for increased penetration when I’m fishing for bony-mouthed fish, and heavier gauged hooks when I’m fishing for fish with a meatier mouths or which pull very hard and need to be stopped very quickly before they reach structure. As a keen lure fisherman, I find it useful to carry a pair of split-ring pliers, a few different sizes of good quality, spare split-rings and a selection of spare hooks that can be rigged onto my lures depending on my needs. I like to have a selection of hooks with different length shanks, different width gapes and different gauge wires so that I can rig my lure most effectively for the job at hand on any given day. This small investment has paid dividends over the years, with some very good catches having been made that might well not have been landedif I wasn’t using the right hooks. I am often surprised when I look through other anglers’ tackle boxes (something all anglers love doing) and don’t find any spare hooks for alternative rigging or, worse still, find old rusty hooks on lures. When you consider what you pay for lures these days, it’s silly not to take the cheap and simple option of replacing hooks and keeping the lures in tip top condition. The variety of hooks available these days can be quite mind boggling, but if you keep in mind the kind of fishing you do and search for what you need, you’ll definitely find the right hook for the job. There should never be situations where anglers use sub-standard hooks anymore. I have been very impressed by the innovation and attention to detail paid by companies like VMC when they’re developing a new hook for a specific purpose. They are constantly looking for feedback from fishermen and you can see the results of all of that research in the quality of the end product. It is no wonder that companies such as Rapala, Williamson and Storm bring out their lures already rigged with VMC hooks.

SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 95

BITS & PIECES

Items of Interest

RIVIERA 50 MAKES A BIG SPLASH IN DURBAN By Erwin Bursik N the March/April issue of SKI-BOAT Boating International announced that a Riviera 50 Enclosed would soon be arriving in Durban. Some of us, including her new owner, waited with bated breath as we watched her being offloaded on 31st March. There were some breathtaking moments as the magnificent 56ft 8 inch, 23 ton sportfisher dangled 30 metres above the floating crane barge in Durban harbour. Graham Morgan, a well known competitive angler in South African offshore angling circles, stood next to me, watching as his new baby made a safe landing on the barge’s deck. His long awaited Madness III is now in South African waters. Following sea trials she will run up the coast to Richards Bay where Graham has decided to moor her. He will then use Madness III to hunt the big marlin for which this area has become renowned. Madness III is now the biggest Riviera fishing the waters of the African continent. In the photo above Derrick Levy celebrates the launch of Madness III with Lynne, Lloyd, Ryan and Graham Morgan. If I’m allowed to play with this craft in the near future you may see a full review on the Riviera 50 Enclosed in the July/August 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT.

STRONGER, FASTER, LIGHTER, SMARTER

AMAHA Motor South Africa is extremely pleased to announce the release of the new F130A. This model fills the only remaining gap in Yamaha’s four-stroke engine range and is especially exciting for South African customers who have been requesting a Yamaha four-stroke engine in this horsepower category for many years. The new F130A employs the proven 1.8 litre, 16-valve, double overhead camshaft, fourstroke engine found in the latest-generation F115B. The DOHC, four-cylinder design features large intake and exhaust valves for efficient transfer of fuel and exhaust, more power and better midrange torque. Like the proven 1.8-litre F115B, the F130A is highly efficient and responsive. Yamaha engineers have employed the use of a single electronic throttle intake valve on the F130. The electronic throttle valve is controlled by a microprocessor that interprets the operator’s instructions from the mechanical control at the helm to make precise throttle movements according to engine temperature and atmospheric conditions. This system works in tune with new fuel injection and ignition technology within the F130A,

to deliver incredible response, awesome power and exceptional fuel economy. The F130A has a maximum operating rpm range from 5 300 to 6 300 rpm. The ability to rev higher delivers additional top end, while maintaining responsive power right through the range. The compact new F130A not only offers a new level of engine performance, it also features an incredible power to weight ratio, weighing in at 172kg. This makes the F130A the lightest four-stroke engine in the 130-150hp class. The F130A is fitted with a 35 Amp high output alternator which provides plenty of power to keep up with the requirements of today’s electronic accessories. The F130A is also compatible with Yamaha’s Command Link digital gauges. For more details contact your closest Yamaha dealer or phone (011) 259-7600.

VHF SOLUTIONS FROM LOWRANCE

ROM 1st January 2016 small vessels can no longer carry 29mHz radios as part of their safety equipment. Don’t stress though, Lowrance has several great alternatives for jetski anglers and ski-boaters alike. Lowrance’s Link-2 radio is the obvious choice for jetskis. This compact device is the Rolls Royce of handheld VHF radios. Not only is it Digital Selective Calling (DSC) compliant, but there’s also a built-in GPS, it’s completely waterproof and it floats thanks to its light-

weight battery pack. The Link-5 and Link-8 are the obvious choice for ski-boaters. These full-function, fixed mount 25-watt DSC units are the best performance radios for the cost conscious. Even the hard of hearing will easily hear the clear audio transmissions via the built-in speaker. Equipped with memory retention, the radio logs up to ten distress calls and 20 individual DSC calls. Man overboard and Track Your Buddy are also vital safety features. For more information contact your nearest dealer, phone Lowrance South Africa on (031) 368-6649 or visit <www.lowrance.co.za>.

VOLVO PENTA INTRODUCES FWD REVOLUTIONARY new concept in marine propulsion, the first Volvo Penta Forward Drive (FWD) debuted at the 2015 Miami International Boat Show. Opening up a new realm for recreational watersports, the Volvo Penta FWD begins with forward-facing dual counter-rotating props with an adjustable-trim drive. This patented and innovative design pulls the boat through the water rather than pushing, with an undisturbed water flow to the propellers. This clean and efficient propulsion system delivers superior responsiveness, acceleration, fuel economy and versatility, allowing for an array of activities behind the boat including wakesurfing and wakeboarding. FWD also reduces noise and vibration and

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virtually eliminated fumes on deck since engine exhaust is expelled underwater. The adjustable tilt makes it easy to trim the boat for optimum fuel efficiency and comfort when cruising. The Volvo Penta FWD, coupled with the new-generation marine gas engines, is an unbeatable combination for boatbuilders, providing higher speeds and better performance with a smaller, lighter engine. For further details visit <www.volvo penta.com>, email <sales@southernpower. co.za> or phone (021) 511-0653.

GARMIN echoMAP + SCANNING SONAR

ARMIN Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd, recently announced the release of their 2015 range of echoMAP combination chartplotters which integrate scanning sonar capabilities without the need of an additional sounder black box. The echoMAP Series will be a valuable tool for all boaters and anglers. “The new echoMAP units have our precision scanning sonar technology built directly into the chartplotter, giving you the clearest scanning sonar on the market without the need for additional hardware,” said Adrian van Lieshout, Head of Operations and Marine. “The latest series encompasses everything an angler or boater could want, focusing on a user-friendly interface and preloaded mapping, making the unit ready for any fishing destination.” The 2015 range of echoMAP combination chartplotter and fishfinders, are available in 4-, 5-, 7- and 9-inch vibrant colour displays. The new echoMAP series provides the same renowned user experience, including an intuitive, keyed interface which Garmin customers have come to expect. The new echoMAP series is equipped with a built-in, high sensitivity 5Hz GPS antenna which updates details including location and heading five times per second, providing accurate vessel position at all times. The entire series features Garmin HD-ID sonar and DownVü scanning sonar. DownVü provides a nearly photographic view of objects and structure below the boat and offers excellent resolution and target separation in both freshwater and saltwater. In addition, the new echoMAP 70 and 90 series have built-in SideVü technology, giving users the ability to see what’s located to both sides of the boat. Having this technology integrated without requiring a separate sonar black box provides a much more efficient user experience and more installation options. Whether you’re fishing in salt- or freshwater, the echoMAP series units are compatible with optional BlueChart g2 and BlueChart g2 Vision maps. BlueChart g2 Vision offers Garmin’s Auto Guidance, 3D-views, fishing charts and aerial photos. With Auto Guidance the mariner can enter a destination and the chartplotter searches the relevant charts to create a safe path based on the dimensions and parameters of the vessel. For more information about Garmin’s range visit <www.garmin.co.za>.

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ROSEBOWL WINNERS T the 2015 SGDSAA Rosebowl which was held in Durban in April, Nomads (pictured above) was the winning club. CP Barnard received the Ted Adams Spirit Award from provincial chairman Jaco Lingenvelder (right). This award is given annually to the club in SGDSAA displaying the most spirit and commitment to angling.

thoroughly enjoyed by the anglers and their families. We look forward to being part of future fishing competitions at boat clubs around the country,” said Brent Ketel, National Sales Manager for Radio Holland. For more information or to receive updates on upcoming competitions, please contact Radio Holland, part of Imtech Marine on 0861 123 555 or email <info.za@imtechmarine. com>.

FURUNO BACKS CAPE BREAM TOURNAMENT

HE Oceana Powerboat Club based in Granger Bay, Cape Town, hosted its semiannual fishing competition on 14th March in partnership with Radio Holland. This year, with the announcement of Furuno as the official sponsor, the event attracted a recordbreaking 52 boats and 165 anglers. Each skipper received a Furuno hamper for his crew and Radio Holland technicians were available to assist skippers with any technical difficulties. The weather conditions were perfect for a day out on the water, with no wind and a flat sea. The results were as follows: • Open first prize — Furuno FCV-627 Titch, 1.85kg • Ladies first prize — R1500 cash Tamar,1.2kg • Juniors first prize — R1000 cash Eddie, 1.6kg • Boat first prize — R2000 cash Viggo, 5.5kg Second and third placed winners received prizes consisting of a Furuno GP-32 4.5” GPS/WAAS Navigator, cash prizes, First Ascent jackets, wine and various other prizes to the value of R30 000, sponsored by Furuno. “The event was a huge success and was

HOOKED ON AFRICA GOES GLOBAL

REAT news for angling fanatics who are fans of the Wildfly fishing series and Inside Angling is that these two popular fishing shows have just been released to a global audience through Sky Television, allowing UK fishing enthusiasts to see the trophies that our African waters hold. “We chose a variety of destinations that best exemplify the first class fishing to be found on the continent and rebranded these programs Hooked on Africa,” explained Gareth George, the executive producer of the programs. These shows are the first in a line of programs that have been contracted to a number of international networks through our studios, GT productions,” added Brad Cartwright, the co-founder. With North American, Russian and European distribution, Hooked on Africa is set to make an impact on anglers who travel far and wide to satisfy their desire for fish.

A D V E R T I S E R S ’

SMALLS INDEX SKIPPERS’TRAINING

INTRODUCING THE FLIPPY FLOPPY

OBTAIN your SAMSA skipper’s certificate of competence. Theoretical, practical and surf launch training by an experienced commercial skipper. Phone Kobus on 082 891 3652, (012) 348-9078 or (012) 361-2617, e-mail <skippers@twobar.co.za> or visit their website <www.twobar.co.za>.

BOAT FOR SALE

HE Squidnation Flippy Floppy Thing is a four-squid daisy chain that has a flexible bar running through each squid. The bar is tipped with two smaller squid which flip and flop in an erratic mannervwhen trolled, but still in a controlled manner so it doesn’t tangle. On the end of the chain there’s a small bird and a swivel where the angler can attach a lure, ballyhoo combo teaser or hooked bait. The idea behind the teaser is to depict a predator fish driving through a school of fish and scattering the school in the air. Squidnation tested the Flippy Floppy Thing in Costa Rica on various occasions with great results. Blue marlin seem to really love to eat a fish that is trying to eat another fish and that’s exactly what The Flippy Floppy Thing depics. The teaser was also used in the Los Suenos Signature Triple Crown with great success on the sailfish. Tranquilo Capt Victor Julio Pizarro said one thing he noticed was the aggressiveness of the teaser bites. When a billfish entered the spread and reacted to a Flippy Floppy it was not window shopping — it was lit up and ready to eat. Squidnation is a thriving family-owned and operated business providing products for fishermen worldwide. The owners pride themselves on testing every single product they produce and promise that if the product doesn’t work when they test it they will not release it. They are passionate about fishing as much as they can and make products they will use themselves. Flippy Floppy Things are available in South Africa from Tektite. For futher information phone (011) 868-1141 or email <info@tektite.co.za>

DEADLINE for the July/August 2015 issue of SKI-BOAT magazine is 13th May 2015.

BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW! Phone Joan on (031) 572-2289 or Lyn on (011) 425-2052 or email <adverts@mags.co.za>

YELD CAT 21ft with 2 x 125hp Mercury motors with five-blade stainless steel Mercury props and beach kits. Includes Lowrance HDS7 f/finder, luna tubes, safety equipment, Scotty rod holders, two batteries, 29MHz and VHF radios, Warn winch mounted on trailer and rigging station. Price: R350 000 Contact: Jannie Moolman on 0027 83 671 6933 or Poen Moolman on 0027 72 185 7863

GUINJATA ACCOMMODATION

MACGYVER self-catering chalets, situated at Guinjata, Moçambique, is the perfect place to stay while you relax and enjoy the fishing Moçambique has to offer. It’s the ideal location if you’re fishing the Guinjata Bonanza and Jet-ski Challenge. Two of the chalets sleep six people each and the third chalet sleeps four. Beautiful sea views. Contact: Lyn Adams on 083 588 0217 or email <lynadams@mweb.co.za>.

Accessories Spares Centre . . . . . . . .56 Accessories Spares Centre . . . . . . . .89 Angling Apparel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Atlantic Suzuki . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Bluewater Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Boating International . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Boating World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Boating World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Casa Vieja Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Club Marine Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Corrosion block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Durban Boat Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96 Durban Yamaha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Fishtube.tv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88 Garmin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Hirt & Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Honda Knysna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Imtech/Furuno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Joburg Boat Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Jonsson Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80 Komatipoort Boatel . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Landrover Umhlanga . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Leecat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Lowrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Lowrance parking trolley . . . . . . . . .40 Lucky’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Mallards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Matoya Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Maxel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 McCrystal Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 MDM — Raymarine . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Meerensee Ski-Boat Club . . . . . . . . .58 Mercury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Mr Winch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Natal Caravans & Marine . . . . . . . . . . .2 Natal Powerboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Provinces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Pure Fishing - Penn . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 SADSAA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Shelly Beach Ski-Boat Festival . . . . . .65 Ski-Port Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 SMD Telecommunications . . . . . . . . .14 Smith Optics Sunglasses . . . . . . . . . .48 Squidnation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84 Sufix Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Supercat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Suzuki Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 The Kingfisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 TOPS @ Spar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Turboformance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92 Two Oceans Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Vanguard Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . .82 Volvo Penta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Wilcraft Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Wildfly Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 Williamson hard baits . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Yamaha - Seacat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Yamaha 130hp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Z-Craft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 SKI-BOAT May/June 2015 • 99

BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS

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