The Mission Fly Fishing Magazine # Issue 22

ISSUE 22

JULY | AUG 2020

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WYOMING, MARK KRIGE, ALEX ATALA, ED GHAUI, SCOTT SECTOR, CHILI, CREEK COCKTAILS, PODSOL BEATS & MORE

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It’s All Home Water.

We’re lucky. We’ve always had fly fishing to entertain, comfort and console us. Thoughts of mid-morning hatches, last-cast sunsets and late-night campfires have kept us sane.

It’s all still there, generous as ever, and we’re grateful.

But our gratitude isn’t enough. We cannot allow ourselves to squander what we love and have missed so dearly. Now, more than ever, is the time to stand for the waters we stand in and fight for a wild, fishable future.

Join us.

Ella Paini and her mom, Millie, ponder the fly box before stepping into the Henry’s Fork for a mid-summer evening session. SEAN KERRICK SULLIVAN © 2020 Patagonia, Inc.

Ella Paini and her mom, Millie, ponder the fly box before stepping into the Henry’s Fork for a mid-summer evening session. SEAN KERRICK SULLIVAN © 2020 Patagonia, Inc.

W W W . T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M ISSUE 22 JULY / AUGUST 2020

CONTENTS An angler lands a rainbow trout during a snowstorm on the North Platte River near Alcova, Wyoming. Photo Mark Lewis.

18 FLYNOOB

Set up by his wife on a “man date” with a friend’s husband, James Waugh fell hard (for fly fishing).

32 NEIL DOESN’T CARE

New to New Zealand, Gerhard Uys gets schooled by a local fly fishing veteran.

38 THE ENIGMA – MARK KRIGE

The Mystery Man/Loch Ness Yeti of South African fly fishing, Mark Krige has stories aplenty, you just won’t find them on social media. Jazz Kuschke cornered him during lockdown.

48 THE NORTH PLATTE

Wyoming is the USA’s least populous state, which is bad news for your Tinder game, but great for your fishing. Photographer Mark Lewis gives a layered look at his local water on the North Platte river.

70 SUCCESSION

The new Scott Sector is the rod that retired the legendary Meridian range. After several months putting the 8 and 13-weights (the latter a GT-specific rod) through their paces, our testers have some feedback.

REGULAR FEATURES 08 Ed’s Letter 12 Wish List Fish 14 Booze 16 Beats 18 Munchies

20 High Fives 60 Salad Bar 66 Pay Day 80 Lifer 86 Pop Quiz

Mist descends at Lake Ellis on Mount Kenya, one of Ed Ghaui’s local trout waters (page 20)

T U D O R CA R A D O C - DAV I ES

CONTINENTAL DRIFT instead back within our borders. They are scratching their angling itches with scalies, clannies, smallies, largies and whatever else they can throw a line at.

There’s something to be said for truly getting to know all the ways and whims of your home waters. In this issue photographer Mark Lewis exhibits, through his lens, that love for the local in a photo essay on his home waters of the North Platte river in Wyoming. Taken over the years, season by season, from the skinny stuff right down to where the river gets big, the photos offer a glimpse of what looks like an incredible fishery and some beautiful country.

For our High 5s, Ed Ghaui, local means the trout fishing in the Kenyan Highlands or Nile perch and Goliath tigerfish at Chinko in the Congo. For AJ Gottschalk, while shooting our creek cocktails feature, local means the bass and gar streams that run past the nearby distilleries in Kentucky. For the Podsol crew out of Sweden who provided our playlists, local means brown trout in the Arctic circle, while for our Lifer, Brazilian super-chef Alex Atala, it means peacock bass in the Amazon. For our main profile Mark Krige (a local legend), it means catching magnificent fish wherever you go, but not bothering to tell anyone about it.

T

he world is contracting in front of our eyes.

Sure, the Rona is largely to blame for the suddenness of it, but if you’ve been following global political melodramas over the past few years, nationalists have been on the rise for a while.

Visually and viscerally, we’re watching how the necessary closure of borders and grounding of flights is sucking the life blood out of much international, and regional, tourism and travel.

It’s been interesting watching on social media as so many regular travelers - whether they be clients, guides or fly fishing media people – are almost reacquainting themselves with the places they used to fish before they got into a seasonal pattern of exotic destinations. People who we are more accustomed to seeing on Indian Ocean flats, and remote African and South American rivers are

As for the post-Rona era contraction? We hope it’s just the death throes of narrow-minded nationalism and that the pendulum swings back towards a more inclusive, enlightened and sustainable approach to how we all inhabit this planet.

If it’s not, we applaud what African Waters did in their recent website revamp. In a Zanu-PF-style land-grab they just dragged Costa Rica (where their tarpon camp is) into continental African waters, halfway between St. Helena and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Chaps, while you’re playing at terraforming Gondwanaland all over again, please nab Bolivia, Argentina, Montana, Iceland, New Zealand and the Wessel Islands while you’re at it.

Shot.

“WE HOPE IT’S JUST THE DEATH THROES OF NARROW-MINDED NATIONALISM AND THAT THE PENDULUM SWINGS BACK TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE, ENLIGHTENED AND SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO HOW WE ALL INHABIT THIS PLANET.” 08

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

TH E M I SSI O N F LYM AG. C O M

Beefok! Ed Ghaui grinning like a honey bear at the apian orgy on his reel in Chinko, Central African Republic. Photo Francois Botha

EDITOR Tudor Caradoc-Davies ART DIRECTOR Brendan Body CONTACT THE MISSION The Mission Fly Fishing Mag (PTY) Ltd 25 Firth Road, Rondebosch, 7700, Cape Town, South Africa Info@themissionflymag.com www.themissionflymag.com

EDITOR AT LARGE Conrad Botes COPY EDITOR Gillian Caradoc-Davies ADVERTISING SALES tudor@themissionflymag.com

CONTRIBUTORS #22 James Waugh, Gerhard Uys, Jazz Kuschke, AJ Gottschalk, Jonny Muir, Matt Moore, Ang Leslie, Ed Ghaui, Fred Davis, Peter Coetzee, Alex Atala.

PHOTOGRAPHERS #22 Leonard Flemming, Francois Botha, Barnaby Ghaui, Thierry Aebischer, Gerhard Uys, Philip Meyer, Mark Lewis, Peter Coetzee, Fred Davis, Gregg Davis, AJ Gottschalk, Josh Oschman, Kristian Mattson, Roddy Fox, Sukhmani Mantel, Pat Cohen, Brendan Body

THE MISSION IS PUBLISHED 6 TIMES A YEAR. THE MISSION WILL WELCOME CONTENT AND PHOTOS. WE WILL REVIEW THE CONTRIBUTION AND ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT IT CAN BE USED AS PRINT OR ONLINE CONTENT. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MAGAZINE OR ITS OWNERS. THE MISSION IS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE MISSION FLY MAG (PTY) LTD. ANY DUPLICATION OF THIS MAGAZINE, FOR MEDIA OR SALE ACTIVITY, WILL RESULT IN LEGAL ACTION AND A LONG NOSE GAR UP THE RECTUM.

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WISH LIST FISH

THE FALKLANDS MULLET A HAIRCUT? A MINDSET? OR, A FISH? IF YOU VISIT THE RIO IRIGOYEN, YOU’RE PRETTY CERTAIN TO BE LOOKING FOR SEA TROUT BUT, IF NEPTUNE SMILES UPON YOU, THERE’S AN OUTSIDE CHANCE YOU MIGHT CATCH THIS BEAUTY. TOM CLINTON,* STORE MANAGER OF FARLOWS IN LONDON, ENCOUNTERED THESE CREATURES RECENTLY. HE WEIGHS IN ON THE WHAT, THE WHERE, THE HOW AND THE WHO. Photo. Jonny Muir

WHAT: The Patagonian Blenny, more commonly referred to as the ‘róbalo,’ is a South American species of notothenioid fish (whatever that means… I found it on Wikipedia) that looks like a kind of redfish crossed with a load of other kak.

It also goes by Falkland’s Mullet when it feels like it. Latin name: Eleginops maclovinus (big fan of the film Superbad). It’s the only member of its genus, which makes it pretty badass.

The biggest I caught was just into double figures, though the guides claimed they’d had them up to 20-25lb. Word is they taste damn good too, so it’s no surprise the locals net them pretty hard.

HOW: Conehead strip-leeches and woolly buggers. Anywhere between a 6-weight and a 9-weight will do. Use a floating line but, depending on the pull of the tide, loop on a 10ft sink tip anywhere from standard intermediate to super-fast di7 with straight fluoro of about 15-20lb. The idea is to get your fly to the bottom and bump it along to mimic a worm or some other critter on its daily commute. You cast, you mend upstream a few times to get the fly down and then you pull long, slow strips. You’ve got to keep in touch with the line though, because when the take comes, it hits like a Tyson Fury jab. If you’re quick enough to set the hook, you’re in for a treat as these things can pull like hell.

WHERE: Róbalo inhabit coastal waters around the bottom half of South America. They prey on crustaceans, worms, small baitfish and octopuses so you’ll most commonly locate them along the coastline, often moving into river estuaries to feed. We fished for them in the mouth of the Río Irigoyen.

They proved a lot of fun while we took1 a break from thrashing for sea trout.

WHO: I was there with Farlows Travel (farlowstravel.com) and we fished with the sea trout hunters at the end of the world (worldsendlodgerioirigoyen.com). Sure the primary target of the trip was Salmo trutta but, when the main river flooded, we had a lot of fun chasing these mad things.

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* I am an obsessively average fly fisher and snowboarder - two things London drastically lacks. Follow me on insta: @london_rivercreeper.

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

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or visit safarioutdoor.co.za

FODDER

BOOZE & BEATS Photos. AJ Gottschalk, Josh Oschman

B

luegrass state local, AJ Gottschalk of Allen Fly Fishing, rustles up two cracking bourbon cocktails alongside a river that runs past a distillery.

I’ve been working for Allen Fly Fishing for almost a decade and, while craft cocktails have long been a passion, I’ve picked up bartending over the last several years while my wife went back to graduate school. As a result, I’ve been immersed in the world of bourbon and rye while fishing my way between the distilleries. A fair bit of recent time floating local Kentucky waters with friends has meant more breaks along the shores of bourbon country instead of in the now-closed bars, as well as a bump in midday, mid-river bourbon consumption.

We all know that beer is the ultimate fishing beverage (come on, it has water in it; it covers that base too…). However, in Kentucky, it’s only right to lean toward bourbon when many of the creek floats take you right past the distilleries making the same spirit you’re consuming. While the easy choice is a mason jar of the stuff (the de facto Appalachian hip-flask), it’s hard to beat a chilled cocktail on a hot summer float. You don’t have to turn your raft into a bar cart; you can make all these drinks at home and throw them in your favorite tumbler (though the mobile bar cart does wonders for your creek cred).

The Old Fashioned is a classic style, having made its way across bar tops for almost 200 years: originally more broad than just a whiskey drink, it balances a spirit with sugar, water, and bitters. This creek-friendly version uses the sugar and bitters of the original, while a muddled blend of Luxardo maraschino

OLD FASHIONED

• 2 Parts Pinhook Bourbon Country Straight Bourbon Whiskey (sub for your favourite 100+ proof bourbon) • 1/2 Part Simple Syrup or a Single Cube of Raw Sugar • 3 Luxardo Cherries (don’t settle for the toxic-red maraschinos; get proper ones!)

• 1cm slice of a halved orange (cut the pith away, then cut the peel from the pith and save) • 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

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cherries and a slice of orange flesh brings added sweetness and citrus. Fittingly, Pinhook’s Bourbon Country 97-proof bourbon fits perfectly as the core of this drink. Save the peel of the orange once you’ve cut the flesh; it’s the quintessential garnish of a modern Old Fashioned, and the citrus oils from the orange peel round out the drink wonderfully. Plus, the rest of the orange makes for an excellent snack. While both of these cocktails are typically stirred, shaking this version of the Old Fashioned with ice helps integrate all the ingredients.

The Manhattan is another classic, with over a century of history behind it. In this case, we’re making a more recent variation known as the Black Manhattan: it subs in amaro (in this case, Averna) for the sweet vermouth of the standard version. An additional practical aspect is that while sweet vermouth should be refrigerated, amaro is fine at room (and river) temperature. The only departure from the standard Black Manhattan recipe is that I keep the ice I use to chill the drink rather than straining it out. I’m using 114-proof Pinhook Cask Strength Rye as the base: it holds up just fine to a bit of melt-water. I use 2 dashes of the same, classic Angostura bitters in both drinks, but changing up the bitters is a fine way to personalise the drink. The orange peel garnish has the same benefits as it does for the Old Fashioned and rounds out the sweetness of the Averna, though some prefer the additional sweetness of Luxardo cherries instead; give them both a try and see what you prefer. Don’t hesitate to make these drinks in batches and keep in your cooler to share on the water. Whether you’re waiting for a hatch to begin or rowing between smallmouth spots, these drinks will get you through a hot, sunny day or a nasty, rainy one.

BLACK MANHATTAN

• 2 Parts Pinhook Cask Strength Rye (sub if necessary for Willett’s 4-Year Rye or Rittenhouse) • 1 Part Averna (or another similar amaro like Braulio) • 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters • Peel of an Orange or several Luxardo Cherries (same rules as above apply)

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

TOP TIP

I learned a particularly handy trick when first prepping my river bar cart: the Yeti pint nests perfectly in the Yeti 30oz tumbler, meaning you can build, shake, and serve in the same containers. The crystal?

Just for show for the shoot.

Smallmouth bass and long-nose gar go well with classic cocktails.

Kristian Mattson

THE BEATS - PODSOL

It’s no secret that we’re fans of the guys over at Podsol Fly Fishing (podsolflyfishing.com), a motley crew of film-making fly fishing creatives, consisting of filmmaker/ musician Rolf Nylinder (our main profile in issue 11), jazz musician Håvard Stubø (aka, Jazz and Fly Fishing), Kristian Mattson (aka the musician ‘The Tallest Man on Earth’) and Markus Lemke (a former DJ and the organisational brains behind their business). The business? So far they have a range of caps, T-shirts, Swedish coffee gear and a sweet 5-weight rod (check our Salad Bar gear pages). Podsol

Kristian Mattson (The Tallest Man On Earth): Nina Simone - Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Remastered) DJ Shadow - Building Steam With a Grain of Salt Judee Sill - Jesus Was a Cross Maker Big Thief - Cattails Neil Young - Razor Love Ewan MacColl, Peggy Seeger The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face Molly Sarlé - Human CAN - Vitamin C Todd Terje, Bryan Ferry - Johnny and Mary Tobias Jesso Jr. - Without You

Håvard Stubø (Jazz & Fly Fishing): Kenny Burrell - Chitlins Con Carne Pat Martino - A Blues for Mickey-O Miles Davis - If I Were a Bell Jim Hall - Bermuda Bye Bye Grant Green - Patches Keith Jarret, Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson, Jon Christensen - Spiral Dance Wes Montgomery - Four on Six Rune Gustafsson - Son of a Preacher Man John Coltrane - Pt. 2: Resolution Sonny Rollins - Without a Song

fish, for the most part, in and around the Arctic Circle in Sweden, while our stomping grounds are in Southern Africa. But, despite the physical distance between us and the slight differences in our fly fishing worlds, we like to think we’re aligned. Other than the humour and the distinct impression we get that they do not take themselves too seriously, one of the most striking things about Podsol’s films is the original music they come up with. So, for this issue’s playlist we got each of them to weigh in with a selection of music they are loving. Enjoy.

Markus Lemke: Moomin – Daysdays Francis Harris – Lostfound Earth Boys - Myrtle Music (Original Mix) NU - Man O To (Original Mix) Frank & Tony – Harmonium Recondite – Levo Smallpeople - Blissful Limbo Nutia - Em Pessoa Axel Boman - Purple Drank Rei Harakami - Double Flat (Max404 mix)

LISTEN AT THEMISSIONFLYMAG.COM 16

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

Rolf Nylinder: Tallest Man On Earth - Time of the Blue Tallest Man On Earth - I’ll Be a Sky Tallest Man On Earth - Dark Bird is Home Tallest Man On Earth - Singers Tallest Man On Earth - Rivers Jazz & Flyfishing - Parmacheene Belle Jazz & Flyfishing - Buffalo Jazz & Flyfishing - Gravel Jazz & Flyfishing - Slow Walking Water Håvard Stubø Quartet - Epilog ett år för sent

TROUT & ABOUT

WHERE: Dullstroom WHEN: Spring and Autumn THE EXPERIENCE: A premium experience featuring some of our favourite non-fishing places to see and things to do in Dullies.

THE FISHING: Four different, highly exclusive venues - a different water for each session.

An exclusive experience that offers epic rainbow and brown-trout fishing at the finest venues as well as the best non-touristy things a visitor could experience in Dullstroomâ&#x20AC;Ś As locals for many years, we have a fine hand on all the best things happening. We also know all the pub and restaurant ownersâ&#x20AC;Ś

WWW.FLYFISHING.CO.ZA

For more trip details and to book: travel@flyfishing.co.za Mavungana Flyfishing Centre, Main Road, Dullstroom, 013 254 0270 Mavungana JHB, Shop 3B, Illovo Square Shopping Centre, 011 268 5850 43

MUNCHIES

CHILI ON THE GRILL

W I T H T H E S O U T H E RN HE M I S P HERE’S WIN TER UPON US, THERE’S N O N E E D TO MOT H BA LL T H E WE BE R WHEN YOU COULD BE DISHIN G UP A STEAMING BOWL O F D E LI CIOUS CHILI ON A COLD N IGHT.

S

outh Africans love a braai, Americans love to grill.

They call their cast-iron pots “Dutch ovens” where we would use a potjie (Afrikaans for little pot). But while South Africans do make savoury mince as something you might smash with a vetkoek, Americans take imperial ownership of chili. There are closely guarded recipes, techniques (stir vs no-stir?), pride and prestige around potjie competitions and debates in South Africa. The US have those for chili, but 100-fold. Beef or turkey? Beans or no beans? Cinnamon? Coffee? And so on.

There is no single way of making chili. Like anything popular and versatile, there are going to be loads of remixes over the centuries.

Widespread across many states, making chili is hugely personal and provincial, but for us the connotations are that of cowboys, the West and specifically Texas, where it’s the state dish.

To teach us how to cook chili in a potjie/Dutch oven on the braai/grill, we spoke to Nashville based author and chef, Matt Moore. You might know him from his earlier hits, The South’s Best Butts (not what you think) and A Southern Gentleman’s Kitchen.

Matt has just released a new book, Serial Griller: Grillmaster Secrets for Flame-Cooked Perfection, which is jam-packed with drool-provoking recipes from his travels to BBQ pits and smokehouses across the USA. While we were tempted to feature the East Nashville Hot Chicken, Debris Po’ Boy and Greek Ribs, ultimately it was this cracking chili recipe from the book that won the day. Nail it for your mates and you just might win 2020.

Matt says, “There is chili, and then there is chili from the grill. Cooking the ingredients in an open, searing hot Dutch oven in a covered grill allows the ingredients to get both a flavorful browning without losing any natural juices to the flames and plenty of smoky flavor. The result is a complex, delicious chili. It is formidable on its own in a bowl with your preferred garnishes, or as the key component in a chili cheese dog.”

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Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium (8-ounce) yellow onion, chopped (1 cup) 1½ tablespoons minced garlic (from 4 medium cloves) 2 pounds/1 kg 80/20 lean ground beef 2½ tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1½ teaspoons ground cumin 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa Ÿ teaspoon ground allspice Ÿ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 can tomato puree/passata 1 cup water 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Method Open the bottom vent of a charcoal grill completely.

Light a charcoal chimney starter filled with charcoal.

When the coals are covered with gray ash, pour them onto the bottom grate of the grill. Adjust the vents as needed to maintain an internal temperature of 400° to 450°F (200-230°C. If using a gas grill, preheat to medium-high.

Place a cast-iron Dutch oven on the unoiled grates.

Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, salt, cumin, cinnamon, cocoa, allspice, and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and vinegar and allow the mixture to come to a simmer.

Adjust the vents as needed to reduce grill internal temperature to 250° to 300°F (120° -150°C). If using a gas grill, reduce temperature to low. Cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 1 hour. SERVES 6 Hands-On: 1 hour, 20 minutes | Total: 1 hour, 20 minutes Serial Griller: Grillmaster Secrets for Flame-Cooked Perfection is available from Amazon and most good book stores. Follow Matt Moore on Instagram at @mattrmoore

THE CARBS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ANGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VETKOEK

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re all about diplomatic relations here at The Mission so while Matt Moore suggests whacking his chili into a chilidog (alas, poor wiener), we want to go off-piste and suggest you pair it with vetkoek (translation â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;fat cakeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;), a traditional fried dough bread from South Africa. Crack for your mouth-hole, yes, it will make you fat and yes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth it. About once every three months, at the legendary fly tying gatherings, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whip It Wednesdays,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; our host Warwick Leslieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wife, Ang, will serve this up when sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a benevolent mood. If they get wind that vetkoek is on the cards, guys have been known to fly cross-country for it. After much begging and pleading Ang consented to give us the family heirloom recipe.

Ingredients

1.5 packet yeast 1.5 Tbs sugar 2 cups luke warm water 2.5kg flour (minus 10cm from bottom of packet) Handful of salt Sunflower oil (get a 1L bottle, but you can keep the oil and re-use it)

Step 1: Mix together yeast, sugar and water. Cover and let it rise for 5 min.

Step 2: On a clean surface, mix together flour (minus 10cm from bottom of packet) and handful of salt.

Step 3: Make a hole in middle of the flour mixture and pour in the

yeast mixture. Add half a cup oil and some water and knead till it feels like pizza dough. Add more water if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too hard or more flour if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too runny. Knead and place in a bowl covered with a cloth until it rises to about double the size. Knead it again and let it rise again. Break the dough into balls and flatten them out on a floured surface. Let them rise.

Step 4: Heat oil in a pot. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking to have the oil deep

enough for the dough balls to just be covered. Once heated drop the dough in and let them fry till golden brown. The first batch is normally a flop (like with pancakes). If they are too dark on the outside and raw on the inside then turn the heat down. If you have a thermometer, then aim for the oil heat to be about 175 degrees.

Oil takes quite a while to heat so I start heating when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m done flattening the balls (Ed: lol). đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x153;

CHEATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VETKOEK

Buy a pack of ready made dough from any grocery store (ask at the bakery counter). Best time is the mornings when they have stock.

HIGH FIVES

ED GHAUI FR O M H I S HO M E I N KE NYA , TO N IGERIA, THE CEN TRAL AFRICAN REPUB L IC A N D E V ERYWHE RE I N BE T WEEN, ED GH AUI OF GOLIATH EX PEDITIONS S E E MS TO LI VE A LI FE ST RA I GHT OUT OF A WILL ARD PRICE ADV EN TUR E B O O K. I N BE T WE E N S CO U T I NG REMOTE RIVERS AN D SETTIN G UP CAMP S I N S OM E O F T H E M O ST LO G I STICALLY CHALLENGIN G DESTINATION S ON T H E P L A NE T, HE TO O K TIME OUT TO GIVE US HIS HIGH 5S. Photos. Barnaby Ghaui, Francois Botha, Thierry Aebischer

5 best things about where you guide?

1. The joy comes from getting off the beaten track. We live on a continent where there are still places that remain unexplored and untouched and I have been lucky to share some (not all) of these with a few lucky guests.

2. Mostly areas that are inaccessible unless you go with a good plan, walking shoes or a helicopter. Generally, we do the hard work on the ground first which is awesome and then follow on with a heli trip to get the guests to where they need to be.

3. The variation of environment - from hot and sticky tropics to the mountains. We get to see it all.

4. If you do bump into someone in these kind of places they usually have one hell of a story to tell.

5. The smells and sounds at night. In the mountains it’s tree hyrax, wood owls and damp forest; in the bush it’s hyenas, lions and the smell of dust or damp sand on the river bank.

5 fishing-connected items you don’t leave home without before making a mission?

1. Primus stove although, I think MSR stoves might be better…

2. Coffee (preferably good stuff) and a cafetière. Because, making coffee is really all about the anticipation. Just like watching a cold pint for a moment before you pick it up off the bar, brewing and enjoying your coffee first thing in the morning while thinking and watching the river... now that is something to savour.

3. A Hennessy Hammock - with flysheet and snake skins (the stuff sack these hammocks come with). Plus, a decent sleeping bag. Rest is important.

4. Swarovski binoculars. If you’re going to ogle something you might as well do it through proper optics. I’ve had mine for 18 years and they are perfect. Sent them back to Swarovski this year and they only replaced the rubbers.

5. A decent first aid kit. Something light to carry and a bigger one with malaria tests, antibiotics, suture kit etc that lives in camp, on the boat or in the car. My sat phone is part of this kit. It’s nice to be able to call in help when you need it.

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5 things you are loving right now?

1. Working with my hands, learning how to weld (with oxy-acetylene) and basic carpentry.

2. The thought of rebuilding my 1958 series 1 107 Land Rover that came to Kenya as a police car prior to Independence.

3. Any excuse to get in a Super Cub and fly over the wilderness.

4. Occasionally picking up my sketchbook and drawing a fish or an animal. Time has been cruel to this hobby for the last ten years.

5. Being a dad to my little girl.

5 indispensable flies for saltwater?

1. Clouser (not in stupid colours).

2. Any brush fly in black, brown or white.

3. Big (pink) tube flies for sailfish.

4. BIGGER (blue and white) tube flies for marlin.

5. A handful of NYAP type poppers. One on the surface is worth ten on a sinker.

5 indispensable flies for freshwater?

1. Anything I can steal from Jack Lotter.

2. Czech nymph with a fire orange bead.

3. Green pheasant tail.

4. Gold beaded black stonefly.

5. Any decent hopper pattern.

5 favourite fly fishing destinations across Africa?

1. Chinko (in the Central African Republic) - my current favourite. I’m worried that we might not find another place like this.

2. Southern Tanzania – rivers like the Mnyera; the Ruhudji; the Kilombero; the last 300m of the Luwegu (blow-yourmind territory if you can get to it); the great, grey, green, greasy Rufiji (it’s not clear, but there are some proper fish in there) and the Ruaha. Ruaha is derived from ‘luvaha’ the Kihehe for ‘big water.’ When the first Western explorers got to the river and asked their local guides the name, they said, “Luvaha,” which was noted down on maps as The

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

Nile perch. On fly. In your jean pant. As you do.

Our jaws would also drop if we managed to land a Goliath tiger like this.

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W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

Great Ruaha River. Ironic that that great big river now dries up every year due to changes in land use in the catchment area. One of the greatest tiger fish fisheries in Africa shriveled into the dust with it.

3. Gashaka Gumti - the Nigerian highlands and their crystal clear rivers. Where else can you drop a fly on 10-15lb Niger barbs in crystal clear rivers? Or trek through a 15-million-year old rainforest and stumble on a “new’”species of fish? Plus, there are the pygmy crocs, Giwan rua which is Hausa for ‘river elephants’ (Nile perch), pangolins and more species of butterflies than you can imagine.

4. The Orange River in South Africa, when it’s clear. My colleague Francois Botha introduced me to some fishing on this river that was too good to explain!

5. Kiwayu (part of the Lamu archipelago off Kenya’s northern coast) between the monsoons. When it’s hot and calm, sailfish are EVERYWHERE. You catch pompano on the beach, the odd GT and even a bonefish once or twice. Awesome chilled Swahili/Bajuni culture - this is a fun place.

5 favourite fly fishing destinations globally?

1. Varzuga, Kola Peninsula, Russia – a return trip for the fish when the water is warm enough to riffle hitch.

2. Findhorn and Scotland in general - to go back to for the good memories.

3. Yokanga, Kola Peninsula, Russia - for that north of the Arctic circle emptiness and salmon that make your knees shake.

4. Any good chalk stream in the UK. 5. Loch Hope on a blustery cold but sunny day makes you feel alive and there’s some fun dapping for sea trout. There’s something about getting back to the roots of fly fishing that makes you feel good. And it’s nice to remember that it’s not all about screaming reels and heavy handed hardcore fishing. It’s so much more about the place, the company, the whisky from a flask while sheltering from a quick squall, the creak of the rowlocks as you row into the wind.

5 of the most difficult guiding experiences so far?

1. Being handed a Farlow’s bag of pike ironmongery (on a fly fishing trip) on the bank of a certain Tanzanian river and being told “These are good for tiger fish.” Sometimes it is good to have a spinning rod tucked away in your kit.

2. Waking up in Russia to find the guides and camp chef unconscious on the floor of the kitchen with a case of vodka poisoning.

Then having to cook breakfast and to get people on the river without the wheels coming off completely. In fact, just about every memory I have of Russia competes for a spot on this list. I loved it but it was HARD. 3. Watching a client get out of a heli in Russia with more new Simms and Sage kit than a tackle shop, only to discover that despite 12 previous trips he has no idea of how to wield a double handed rod.

He also fully expected to be anchored in the middle of the best pool and allowed to dredge and trail his fly from the boat.

4. Flying into Kiwayu Island to spend two days chasing sailfish. As the plane buzzed over the boat, we realised we had forgotten a crucial bag in the pod of the aircraft and we only had two flies on the boat. To tell the client or not? We raised 20 plus sailfish, tagged and released eight and lost the second fly at lines up at the end of the second day. Sometimes blagging your way through it pays off.

5. Trying to remain calm on the fly bridge has always been tough, especially when there’s lots of action. I remember an afternoon and night with Jeremy Block when we hooked, tagged and quickly released a beautiful striped marlin on our way out to the continental shelf off the north Kenya coast. AWESOME. The first broadbill came up within minutes of the teaser going in and they kept coming until midnight. We couldn’t get one to take though. The frustration and disappointment in these situations can be tough; when everything is done right but everything goes wrong.

Chinko was looking at a Pel’s fishing owl instead of casting at a goliath. We disagreed strongly on what was more important.

3. Adrenaline - the big fish induced type.

4. ‘Round the next bend’ syndrome. If you don’t know what I mean, then maybe its time for a new pursuit.

5. Flying small planes and helicopters. Because even the most boring trip is fun when you involve one of these.

NEVER GETS OLD. And the perspective from above is always interesting.

5 people you would like to guide or fish with?

1. Cyril Ramaphosa - he came fishing on Mount Kenya and I would have loved to guide him. Cyril, next time!

2. Stephen Fry. 3. Tom Hanks.

4. Billy Connolly.

5. David Attenborough.

5 destinations on your bucket list?

1. Kamchatka.

2. Bolivia.

3. Bhutan.

4. Papua New Guinea.

5. New Zealand.

5 fish on your species hit list?

1. Golden Dorado.

2. Permit.

3. Blue marlin or a stripey or black – I’ve cast at them but it never came together.

4. Goliath tiger over 60lbs (or longer than 115cm).

5. Just one more broadbill – the hardest fighting fish and most unique fishing experience I’ve had so far on a fly.

5 shower thoughts that have occurred to you while fly fishing?

Some of these happened in the shower on the trip 1. Should have brought a handline.

2. We are going to run out of whisky.

3. Why are my eyes burning? Fuck there’s still fuel in the drum they’re using to heat the water.

4. I hope the heli pilot isn’t feeling like I am.

5. Where is the heli pilot?

5 of the most underrated species in your book?

1. Natal Yellowfish. Pound for pound I’ve never had a freshwater fish hit so hard. I’d pay to go back and fish the Umgeni River above Albert falls. I hope that it’s still as good as it was all those years ago). Actually, all the Southern African yellows should be better known.

2. Long tail tuna when they move into relatively shallow water.

3. Large spot pompano off the beach. One of my absolute favourites when the conditions are just right.

4. Mangrove snapper, especially when you’re day dreaming and you’re near the mangroves.

5. Nile perch. If only they had been called something more exciting perhaps they would have been better known?!

5 things that make where you fish so special 1. Wildlife - just knowing it’s there: footprints, signs and sounds are enough.

2. Birdlife - always fascinating. The source of the only argument I had with Francois Botha on last year’s float trip in

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5 of the biggest challenges you face setting up a remote destination in Africa?

1. Language.

2. Bureaucracy.

3. Rebel held territory - we stay away from it BUT sometimes the equipment has to go through these areas.

4. Extraordinary, horrendous, unspeakably bad roads.

5. Lack of understanding (two parts). First, from the local populations who have a “they must be here for the diamonds” attitude and cannot believe that anyone would be there to fly fish. And second, from our potential guests.

Trust me, I am not going to take you somewhere where we all end up in a cooking pot. It’s not good for repeat business!

5 things you would take up if you weren’t always fly fishing?

1. If I wasn’t involved in the way I am, I would most likely spend more time fishing myself, probably going for trout with friends.

2. Drawing and Painting. Maybe sculpture.

3. I might do my PH (Professional Hunter) licence - I like having a reason for being in the wilderness.

4. Fly tying. I love the idea but I haven’t tied a fly for ten years. Last one was in Russia on the Varzuga - aptly named ‘the vargasm’.

5. Restoration of old planes and cars.

5 essential ingredients for an incredible mission?

1. True empty wilderness.

2. Good friends or family.

3. Water (both for drinking and fishing in).

4. Whisky for diluting the water.

5. Comfortable bed. - nothing worse than feeling exhausted for the whole trip.

5 things about fly fishing that you may never understand?

1. Why a salmon takes a fly.

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“MY LAST FIVE CASTS WERE ON A QUICK TRIP TO THE KENYAN HIGHLANDS CHASING RAINBOWS.”

A new species of barb, yet to be registered, caught on a scouting trip to Gashaka Gumti Nigeria, last year.

2. Why we always get home in the dark even though we know there is not enough time for that last pool round the corner.

3. Why we ALWAYS take too many flies (and equipment in general).

4. Why I cannot stop dreaming about it even though I’ve had as big a fix as the best of them.

5. Why anyone fishes any other way!

5 common mistakes that most clients make?

1. Unrealistic expectations or believing that because nobody fishes where we go it might be easy. How does this still happen?

2. Trying to cast to the other bank when the fish are at their feet.

3. Getting into a boat with SAND ON THEIR F***ING FEET. 4. Getting into a boat with one foot on the bank and one on the boat, then jumping on to the boat because they forget they are no longer 20 years old and have waders on.

JUST SIT ON THE EDGE AND SWING YOUR LEGS IN FFS. 5. Not practising with their new kit. Or not practising in general. Your expensive once-in-a-lifetime trip should not be a casting instructional. The more you practise the basics, the more you can enjoy the whole experience. If you

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don’t have to think about your casting, line management, stepping on the running line, stripping out too much line, casting for hours without checking your fly etc then, naturally, you can appreciate the other things that are happening around you and not be frustrated or disappointed when stuff happens! I will remember to my dying day the sound (the ‘snap’) of fishermen in Russia casting when they have lost their fly in the bushes or rocks behind them.

Me: “Erm… you may want to check your fly.”

Client: “Why, do you think it’s the wrong one?”

Me: ”Well, have you caught much in the last hour?”

This back and forth is followed by the look of shock, horror and embarrassment as it dawns on them that they had just finished fishing the whole of ‘Beach’ or ‘Clarks Corner’ (famous Varguza beats) without a fly on the end of the long stringy bit.

Your last five casts were …. … on a quick trip onto the Kenyan highlands chasing rainbows on a section of river that I haven’t fished for years. It was awesome. And before that it was on the Chinko last year. So the last five fish were rainbow trout, Nile perch, goliath tiger, Alestes macropthalamus (torpedo robber), Brycinus macrolepidotus (true, big-scale tetra).

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“WHY IS IT THAT CATCHING YOUR FIRST FISH ‘ON THE FLY’ IS SOMEHOW LIKE CATCHING A FISH FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL OVER AGAIN.”

FLYNOOB (FLY )N OOB /NU : B/ NOUN IN FORMAL A PE R SO N WHO I S I NEXP E RIEN CED IN A PARTICUL AR SPHERE OR ACT I VI T Y, ES P ECI A LLY FLY FISHING AND FLY TY ING.

By James Waugh Photos Leonard Flemming

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veryone has had their own unique introduction to fly fishing. Mine came in the form of one of those playdates your wife sets up when she has a friend with a husband. “You know, Leonard also likes fishing” was one of the sweeteners offered to cement a camping trip next to the Breede River they had planned. That camping trip would steer me down a path that will probably change the way I spend the rest of my time on this earth.

I have always enjoyed fishing. As a teenager, I started out fishing for barbel, tilapia and bass in the surrounding farm dams in Tzaneen where I grew up. I studied at Stellenbosch University and did my articles in Cape Town where I continued to scratch around a few freshwater spots and added carp to my freshwater resume. I also started enjoying saltwater fishing and boat fishing, I even had the opportunity to participate in the Gordon’s Bay tuna classic and managed to land a yellowfin tuna. I always loved the outdoors and, in particular, fishing. Thus, my wife’s attempt to sweeten the deal to go for a camping trip to the Breede was well aimed but unnecessary. I was always happy to take out my mielies and chicken gizzards and scratch around for carp and barbell.

It was on this trip where I was formally introduced to Leonard Flemming. From the get-go I could tell he was a fishy character (pun intended). When he arrived in the late afternoon, he first inspected my modest arsenal then quickly gave me a few pointers which, sure enough, landed me a few more fish than my normal opening night’s efforts. The next day we went off in search of some bass, Leonard with a flyrod and me with some plastics.

My curious nature quickly took over and it was not long before I had his fly rod in my hand with him patiently ducking and diving while giving me casting advice. I was instantly and simultaneously frustrated and intrigued. Even though I didn’t catch anything on fly that weekend and would not catch anything on fly in the foreseeable future, I was, unbeknownst to me, already hooked.

Now that the wives knew we got along, the girls’ days out increased and the “forced” playdates became more frequent.

As we both enjoyed fishing it seemed like the obvious thing

to do. Leonard talked me into giving fly fishing another try and what followed was a series of about four or five missions with the same result: Leonard landing a few while trying his best, unsuccessfully, to put me on a fish.

It got to a point where paranoia and suspicion set in. I could hear people whispering “mombakkies” (Afrikaans for a fishing ‘blank’) under their breath every time I came back from yet another unsuccessful trip. To this day I still can’t explain why I kept at it and probably, stranger still, why I came home with a massive smile on my face every time, regardless.

My relief came one day while trying to escape the merciless Wellington summer heat in one of the pools of the Bainskloof Pass. While swimming, we saw quite a few small fish sharing the pool with us. Leonard had given me a hand-me-down fly box full of old flies and one of the guys from work, that had had to endure listening to the tales of my failed missions, scratched out an ancient 2-piece 6 weight flyrod and reel that was a handed down to him and that he had never gotten round to using. I had the hand-me-downs with me.

I had no idea which of the flies to tie on or which tippet to use, so I chose the smallest fly in the box and tied it to the thinnest tippet I had. The fish were eagerly gobbling up the pieces of bread my wife was feeding them from our sandwiches, so I figured I’d have a chance. On the first “cast” I hooked into one. I had never been so excited to catch a fish and ironically it was the smallest fish I had ever been able to convince to eat a hook. ‘ I snapped a few pictures and immediately sent them to Leonard for identification. ‘Burchell’s redfin minnow’ came back the answer and, as far as redfins go, apparently a monster. It didn’t matter. I had caught my first fish on the fly and finally my fly fishing mombakkies were gone.

After this, fly fishing seemed to become easier. A few more species followed in quick succession. A bluegill sunfish in the Tankwa Karoo; a mullet at De Mond in Arniston; a largemouth bass at La Ferme and a tilapia at the Cape Town Ostrich Ranch. I even managed to settle some old scores with a carp in Philadelphia and a guitarfish in St Helena Bay. Although I have caught most of these species more than once, that first time you hook into and land a new species is special.

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This has set me on a mission to catch as many species as I can and to keep count of them as I go. This is something I realised most experienced anglers haven’t done and probably won’t be able to do as it would be a mammoth task. To date I have managed ten different species.

The funny thing about all this is that I had caught many of these species on conventional tackle before but never felt the need to document it or even read up more about the species. Why is it that I used to despise catching a Blennie when fishing from Gordon’s Bay harbour wall, but now find myself actively targeting them? Why has catching a barbel on fly, something I have done countless times before on conventional tackle, suddenly become such an obsession?

Why am I reading up about the feeding habits of tilapia?

That is why I love fly fishing so much. Its unique ability to consume its cult-like followers so completely. I then started wondering what it is about fly fishing that makes it such a unique hobby. Why do people feel the need to add “on the fly” after saying “I caught this” or “I caught that”. It seems to suggest that there is somehow a fundamental difference between catching fish any other way and catching a fish with a fly rod. As a kid, catching your first fish is a big deal. Why is it that catching your first fish “on the fly” is somehow like catching a fish for the first time all over again. I still don’t have answers to these questions but all I know is that, for me, it was like waking up from the Matrix.

As soon as I took that red pill, I was sucked into the complicated world of fly fishing. I had to start learning from scratch about rod sizes and the reels matching them; floating, intermediate and sinking lines and when to use them; store bought tapered leaders and self-tied leaders; what the hell tippet is and figuring out which X to use and when. I had to learn a whole new set of knots, not to mention figuring

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out which flies to tie them to: dry flies, nymphs, emergers, streamers to just scratch the surface and a bunch of others that I could not believe would induce a strike from a fish.

Never mind the fact that I had to learn from scratch how to cast. I reminded myself of Neo waking up in a goo cocoon realising there is an entire world he did not know of and having to learn to walk again.

Suddenly, the hobby that, in my mind, was just another way to catch trout, became one of the most complicated, intriguing and consuming things I have ever come across. I have spent hours upon hours reading articles and books on fly selections and fly tying and watching Youtube videos for beginner fly fishers and videos of people catching whatever species I was planning on targeting that weekend. I have also recently started fly tying and my weekly hours spent on things related to fly fishing have already doubled because of it. I learn something new almost daily. I think that is what gives fly fishing its appeal. The fact that you can delve so deep into it. The fact that you can spend a lifetime learning and barely scratch the surface, never mind mastering it. The fact that you know you will never find yourself not learning something new.

I have recently had the pleasure of introducing someone to fly fishing and realised that, even though I didn’t know much, I had forgotten how steep the learning curve is and I could go on for hours teaching him about the different terms, gear and techniques I had already learned about and practised. I wonder if many fly fishermen reflect back on how much they have learned from and about fly fishing and appreciate how far they have come.

I am by all means still a Fly Noob and I am sure I will be for the foreseeable future; in fact, I hope I will be as it is the prospect of knowing that new experiences will always be waiting on the other side of a cast that makes me love fly fishing so much.

W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

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NEW ZEALAND

NEIL DOESN’T CARE N E W T O B O T H F LY F I S H I N G A N D T H E L A N D O F T H E L O N G W H I T E CLOUD, NEW ZEAL AND-BASED GERHARD UYS GETS SCHOOLED

BY A LOCAL VETERAN. Photos Gerhard Uys

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would call it a routine, a grand spiral of hope and disappointment. It starts with a hell of a lot of YouTube videos of some guy slaying it on New Zealand rivers, catching ‘monster’ browns. This is followed by e-mails between myself and my mate, Friedrich Fourie. Somewhere in-between I visit Auckland fly shop, Rod and Reel, to spend a couple of bucks on stuff I ‘need’. After that the stoke builds fast and it becomes hard to concentrate at work because I know we are in for one hell of a weekend.

At this stage I usually consider buying a GoPro so I can film all the action. But you know, life is difficult if you move to a new country, decide you must give fly fishing a bash, then get completely addicted, only to realise you really really suck at it.

Like that one weekend on the Waihou, a river famed for a study that showed it held 700 - 900 trout per kilometre in its spring-fed blue waters, where I didn’t manage to get a single fish in over two days of Czech nymphing.

That weekend it dawned on me…’ I hate fly fishing’. I had been standing around for hours, with not a bite to show for it.

‘All this expensive gear. I am going home’.

True story.

But then one day, a really hard old bastard decides not only does he not like me, but he dislikes my ineptitude with a fly rod even more, so he will attempt to teach me to fish. Neil Hirtzel, a real old biltong of a man, and one I am shit-scared of, has saved my arse a few times.

On arriving in New Zealand I scouted the internet for spots to fish. I also asked around. It was chaos. See, the thing is, most Kiwi’s don’t move their lips when they speak, and when they say something like “Ohinemuri” or “Waihou River”, you smile, nod in panic and look like you understand them. A visit to the Google machine (after such an alarming dialectical incident to find the river in question}, is useless. Just say Ohinemuri without moving your lips and then Google the sound that comes from your mouth, and you will understand.

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After another day of pure suck, I decided to give up and join the Auckland Fly Fishing Club on a trip.

Friedrich and I met a group of real old blokes from the club one cold Saturday morning in a car park in the Karangahake Gorge, two hours south of Auckland.

Everybody was sipping coffee alongside their bakkies when the oldest of old blokes volunteered to take me and bro’ Friedrich out for the day.

“Show me how you cast,” Neil said to me. I had barely lifted my rod when a “No, what are you doing,” echoed through the empty car park. I didn’t know what to say. I had barely lifted my rod. The other grey heads from the club looked at me, faces blank, and continued sipping coffee. No sympathy there. Friedrich took a step back.

“No, no no,” Neil said when I lifted my rod again.

We were definitely in for a challenging day.

I received a decent amount of abuse for the next couple of minutes and then Neil pointed to his bakkie, we jumped in and he drove us without word to introduce us to the Ohinemuri River.

After we’d put on waders, Friedrich pulled me aside to give me a “what the fuck” look. The look lasted about two seconds but, when we turned to follow Neil he was already on his way to the river and had cleared 20 metres of rough terrain. We spent the next ten minutes trying to catch up.

Impossible. He was flying over undergrowth like it was a tar road.

“Cast there. There! What are you doing? No!” No explanation for why I had to cast “there”. Any questions were answered with impatience. But then suddenly, BAM! Fish-on! I hammered back and moments later had my first rainbow in the net. “You almost lost him; you were so asleep!” barked Neil.

I didn’t care. I had a 40cm rainbow in the net.

A few months later at a club meeting, Friedrich entered a

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“NEIL HIRTZEL DOESN’T GIVE A CRAP WHAT YVON CHOUINARD SAID IN SIMPLE FLY FISHING ABOUT CRAWLING TO A RIVER’S EDGE”

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asks us to get in the bakkie again. Friedrich pulls me aside again, I get a look I have seen before. We have not stayed put in one place for more than five minutes. This is not going to work. Barely 20 minutes on another section and Neil again tells us to jump in his bakkie.

We drive on and wade into blue waters again. We are becoming less enthusiastic, “Cast there; what are you doing?” and Bam. Friedrich strikes. He looks at me.

“Okay, there.” Bam, I strike! My first.

“Cast there!” Bam! I strike again; Friedrich strikes; we notch up fish. This is starting to feel like one of those YouTube videos.

raffle and won a guided day out with Neil. He refused to go alone. I laughed. He told Neil I wanted to come and Neil just said, “Yes.” No questions asked. No need to pay extra, even though he now makes a living as a guide.

I was stoked. It was going to be a day of glorious abuse.

When we arrived at the retirement village where Neil lives he was already waiting behind the wheel of his Ford. We South Africans, who are always early, were too late for him.

We took a two-hour drive to the spring fed Waihou and stopped on a farm to pull on our waders. We assumed Neil had asked the farmer for permission to fish, but realised we were wrong when the farmer rolled up on a four-wheel drive dooskarretjie and turned more and more red as he shouted at us. I thought we were going to get shot.

These guys love bird hunting and they all have shotguns.

Neil ignored the farmer. He reckoned we were fine because New Zealand has river access laws. The farmer fumed on, turned a weird purple, and then gave up. Neil just turned around as if nothing had happened.

Neil shoved a 3-weight into each of our hands. He didn’t trust us so he’d brought two rods he had made himself.

He tied nymphs on and showed us a roll cast and, with a “There, cast there,” our day began. BAM! Fish on!

Friedrich had his first rainbow in the net. I swear, it was two minutes in.

Neil Hirtzel doesn’t give a crap what Yvon Chouinard said in Simple Fly Fishing about crawling to a river’s edge, remaining out of sight and first scoping things out, or picking up rocks to see what fish are feeding on on that specific day. No waiting for the rise bro’. Neil doesn’t care.

He walks through the water, sand churning everywhere and then, “There, no there, I said cast there!”

Bam! I strike again!

Ten minutes with no luck and we are off again.

“Mend, mend! What are you doing? Shit.” I get my ass kicked verbally again. I’ve lost three of Neil’s nymphs already. With the river three metres wide in some sections, a badly judged roll-cast means a nymph gets stuck in low hanging bushes. And my aim sucks. I am shit scared, if I lose another nymph I might get moered**. At one stage I cross the river, chest deep, to get a fly back. I almost drown. I panic but I get back to Neil again, fly in hand. I lose it again ten minutes later.

But I don’t care. Neil is a slayer! He is a lucky charm.

Where he is, the fish will bite. Friedrich on the other hand is already depressed. He gets depressed both when we catch fish and when we don’t.

“He has screwed us for life, no day will live up to today,” Friedrich mutters over his sarmie. I’m grinning. Neil mostly ignores us.

After about three hours I hand Neil one of his rods. A minute later he bags two fish. Then two more. Rod in hand, Neil never stops smiling.

“There, between the branches, no there,” and Bam! Friedrich took his second. Five minutes in. It was really cloudy so we struggled to sight fish, but Neil had a ‘hunch’ thing going on.

By the time I had caught eight rainbows, Friedrich ten, Neil five and all three of us had lost four or five to chance, we called it a day.

This spot was hot. I reckoned we should stick around but, after two minutes with no luck, Neil told us to pack up.

“This pool sucks, we’re leaving”.

We don’t tell Neil, but the two of us go back to the Waihou a month later. Five hours in and Friedrich has his first strike.

I have none. We are truly screwed.

We wade into another Waihou pool of blue water and white sand. I roll cast, not even five minutes pass and Neil

* Quad bike. ** Beaten

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W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

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Photos Leonard Flemming, Philip Meyer

“I hooked a big one there one day.”

It’s a leerfish, aka leervis or garrick (Lichia amia) Mark Krige is talking about. Autumn is the time for out-sized models here in the Southern Cape and each year, between March and May, a few monsters get taken by those willing to invest the long hours. These fall mostly to trolled live baits, with the odd one taking a plastic. Hardly ever, do you hear about anything on fly.

“He really wanted that fly, but he missed and I hooked him just in front of the dorsal.” Mark says.

I picture it in slow-motion: The drive of that unmistakable black-tipped tail powering 15 kilos of cobalt-green muscle out of the depths. I see the brilliant white of the belly, framed by the twin scimitars of dorsal and anal fins, as it broadsides the surface fly.

I don’t need Mark’s description to imagine the scene.

Living as I do on the Garden Route, the estuaries are my

bread and smallish ‘leeries’ my butter. A big one from out of the Lakes system – double figure kilograms – is the ultimate trophy. It’s something I’ve dreamed about for some years.

Mark Krige’s big Garden Route leerie is legendary. That’s not surprising. Depending on who you talk to in the various sub-niches of fly fishing in South Africa, his is a name that often pops up. But it’s never via the loudhailer of social media. Instead it’s always a whisper of something legendary and undercover. “I heard he re-introduced X indigenous fish to Y river and has been catching them hand over fist for years,” or, “Did he really catch that size fish?” It’s easy to reject rumour and conjecture if the feat in question has not been slavishly hashtagged on social media but, when each fable is confirmed by the heavyweights of the fly fishing scene, people who suffer neither fools nor braggarts gladly, you pay attention. Mark meanwhile, largely solitary and ghostly in his movements, just continues to operate under the radar like a modest Yeti (mythical beast not the cooler).

“I’M NOT REALLY A FLY-FISHERMAN. I’M A FISHERMAN AND I FLY-FISH BECAUSE IT IS A DAMN GOOD WAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, OF CATCHING FISH.” W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

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A classic Mark Krige fish pic. He is not visible and the fish is a midget juvenile leervis.

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The Land Before Time The iconic Garden Route Lakes system was formed by natural damming in the narrow valley between two dune ridges. It stretches from the small town of Wilderness in the west to Sedgefield in the east. The coastal valley was slowly eroded down until only the deepest basins held water. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of years.

Today, while beset by modern infrastructure and run-through by a national highway (the N2), in a few spots the waters still feel like they belong to some remote epoch. The place where Mark connected with that monster seems particularly prehistoric. Fish there at dawn, when the Knysna Turacos are just beginning their daily ‘kok-kok-kok’ calls and it feels as though you wouldn’t be entirely surprised to see an ichthyosaur fin break the surface.

While linked through channels, seepage and structure, these lakes are distinct, each with its own nuances. They’ve evolved to the point where fresh and salt species co-exist in a weirdly wonderful symbiosis. Here the leerfish is at the top of the food chain. It grows to oceanic proportions on a diet of bonefish-sized mullet, Mozambique tilapia, carp and bass. With river mouths infrequently open to the sea and channels silted up, it stays put, growing wise in its comfortable old age to anything that isn’t ‘real’ food.

“I lost it,” Mark muses of that leerie. “Fortunately. It would’ve been extremely difficult for me to land that particular fish. Not the actual landing of it, but the absolutely awful thought that: ‘You have now caught this fish, but you didn’t actually catch it’,” he says.

This happened over 20 years ago, on March 6th, Mark’s birthday. But Mark recounts the details as if it were his last session just before lockdown. The way he tells the lost leerie story – in fact the way he recounts all his tales – is as though it was just another happy accident in a fantastical fishing life, one mystical happening after the next. If there were any justice, the Fables of Sir Krige, The Good Knight, should be on a required-reading list for South African fly fishers. Trouble is that Mark’s achievements over the years have never been written down. There are very few Mark Krige photos, even fewer articles and no books.

You see, even if the hook had set in the scissors of the leerie and he’d boated it on his own legitimate terms, it’s highly unlikely Mark would’ve snapped a photo of that trophy. And, had he taken a pic he wouldn’t have shown it to too many people. The story would’ve been relayed in small bits to those who asked and then retold from there. That is what makes Mark Krige such an intriguing character. The fact that that fish was foul-hooked at a time before every catch and loss, every fly tied, every trip planned or cancelled, was paraded all over social media, is irrelevant.

“Part of it is, perhaps, because I am a really shit photographer,” he jokes.

He agrees with the official definition of a camera, found in an old booklet in his collection entitled, The Dictionary of Angling Terms: ‘A compact, but quite heavy and cumbersome device used by anglers to store some water and a canister of spoiled film.’

He says, “I read a post on a forum quite some time back where someone said: ‘If you don’t have a picture it didn’t happen,’ and I was like, ‘What?’

You’re throwing away generations of history with that one stupid comment.”

History Mark Christiaan Krige grew up on a family farm in the Ceres valley of the Western Cape. It was perhaps the perfect incubator for what would become a phenomenally enquiring fishing brain.

His dad fished – both fresh and salt – as did his grandfather before that. The farm had dams with bass and bluegill and there were Cape kurper in a little creek. “The first fish I ever caught was a small kurper,” he says. “It was your classic stick-with-a-string-and-bent-pin type of stuff.”

For the prepubescent Mark, Saturday mornings were the highlight of the week. “Dad would chuck everyone in the back of the bakkie and off we’d go to a farm pond to try to catch bass. Well, he would try to catch bass while the kids would just make a helluva noise and a big mess with the lines and rods. All sorts of shit like that. It was heaven,” he recalls.

It wasn’t too long before child’s play morphed into the more serious business of actually catching fish. On the banks of those same farm bass ponds the spirit of ingenuity and persistence that is part and parcel of most Mark Krige stories took hold. The first of those fairytales played out, complete with a magic wand in the form of an old tubular steel fly rod. The dragon? A lunker bass.

“I’m not sure how it got into our possession – maybe it was from my grandfather’s days – but I found this rod on a rack in my dad’s study. The reel was a Pflueger Medalist or at least it looked like one. I didn’t have a proper fly line, so I tried various things for making my own and failed, almost giving up.” In the end he took a piece of monofilament and then stepped that up to a heavier monofilament so it had some form of weight on the front. “I sort of chucked that back-n-forth.”

The fly he remembers too. “I opened up a golf ball – it was just something kids did back then – they were made up of wrapped elastics inside and I tied a bunch of those elastics together on a hook. Even today, if you could find some old golf ball elastics and put them on a hook, you’re still going to catch a lot of bass. It’s got the most amazing action in the water. That ‘fly’ was a mainstay pattern, even after I got a real rod and fly line,” he says.

“EVEN A BLIND SQUIRREL GETS THE ODD NUT… I’VE CAUGHT SOME TREMENDOUS FISH AND I HONESTLY CAN’T SAY WHY. I DON’T COMPLAIN. IF THE LUCK CAN CONTINUE THEN I WILL BE VERY HAPPY.” 42

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For Love and a 6-Weight The plot quickly became more colourful when Mark got his first proper outfit, a six-weight from a local general dealer, the type of small town store in which you might also find one cricket bat and one tennis racket in the sporting goods section.

“It helped growing up in that environment,” he says “The Dwars River flowing through the middle of Ceres had rainbow trout up to 6lb in those days and every farm in the surrounding area had some bass and bluegill. Quite a few had trout in their irrigation lakes too.”

The 6-weight went along to Witsand on the family’s annual holidays to the Breede River. These were always in April, because the working deciduous fruit farm kept on going in December. It was during these holidays that the Breede was cemented as a regular setting in Krige lore.

“Back then, at that time of year, there were thousands of little leeries around,” he says. “That was undoubtedly my first catch in the salt. I think I caught it on something called a Seaducer – a couple of hackles out the back and a palmered body. That was what saltwater fly-fishing was about for me back then: leeries. I didn’t really know then that there was anything else in the salt that would eat flies.”

It was on one of these Autumn holidays in the late-80s that Mark was tagging along with some of the early kob-on-fly pioneers when he passed through yet another portal. “I was that annoying kid hampering their style,” he says, “but they got me all excited about kob.”

“I was ambling along on a mud bank and a kob swam right by me,” Mark says. “I threw the fly at it and, magically, it ate. It was a good size fish too.”

Seasons in Eden If kob introduced him to the possibilities of other species on fly, it was the four years spent in the Garden Route (aka the ‘Eden District’) in the mid ‘90s, where he fell completely under the spell of the spotted grunter.

Mark says, “As a fisherman you’re always looking for something new. I’m not really a fly-fisherman. I’m a fisherman and I fly-fish because it is a damn good way of catching fish under certain conditions. I’m certainly not ‘fly or nothing’ but the salt-fly thing really bit in those years on the Garden Route.”

Of the various Krige myths, it is the grunter tales related to the various Southern Cape estuaries, that have most fascinated me. Back then grunter were rare in the Breede, with white steenbras far outnumbering them.

“I only really learned about grunter when I moved to the Garden Route,” he says. “I still have a total love-

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hate relationship with them. Grunter-on-fly was already a thing there for some guys. Doug Swannell up in Port Elizabeth was at the forefront, but we regarded where Doug fished, the Swartkops, as a completely different world, a completely unique system. The grunter fishing down our way was a different thing and we didn’t understand the dynamics. Well, I certainly didn’t.”

According to Mark, he and his contemporaries, such as Henkie Altena (of Karoolskraal Fly Fishing Camp), worked hard at figuring out those dynamics, all based around sight fishing. “Henkie was by far the most successful,” he stresses. “I remember being wickedly jealous when he got one on this ‘impact’ fly – a genius pattern imitating a pink prawn – where he actually had the grunter tail on the fly. That was something unheard of back then.”

Mark caught exactly six grunter in those four years.

Unimpressive numbers by today’s multiple-per-session standards perhaps, but much like the early days of permit fishing. Somebody had to do the hard yards of figuring out the species. Even today, despite believing that we have them figured out, spotted grunter are still an infuriatingly difficult species. That is what makes those fish so damn special. “I can honestly say, each and every one of those four fish was caught by accident, because I could never replicate the technique or fly.”

Mark says, “My first grunter fell to a five-inch long, pink-and-white zonker fly. I was fishing at Belvedere Point on the Knysna Lagoon, chucking that rabbit strip for skippies (skipjack/ladyfish) and leeries when I saw two grunter approaching me. They were behaving very strangely, bumping into each other rather violently, as though they really didn’t like each other. I’ve thought about it a lot ever since and wonder if they don’t use that hard gill plate as a defence weapon of sorts in territorial battles. They were really going at each other so I chucked the fly in their path and let it sink to the bottom. Then, when they got close I jerked it into their line-of-sight, kind of to spook.”

The Assholes of Today “During my first ten years with grunter I said they were assholes, then all of sudden they were my best friends.

Now, they are assholes again,” Mark says. “In the last five or six trips to the Breede, I’ve changed my mind about them about five or six times. I’ve had the most incredible fishing there and, funnily enough, my best grunter-onfly session there was in the middle of winter. They were climbing all over a little surface prawn variation I’d tied and I was like ‘Okay, we’ve got them figured out, that’s it.’ Then I went back a few weeks later and I blanked. That is what that fish will do to you – put you back on your bum – it’s very good at that.”

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“I REMEMBER BEING WICKEDLY JEALOUS WHEN HE GOT ONE ON THIS ‘IMPACT’ FLY – A GENIUS PATTERN IMITATING A PINK PRAWN – WHERE HE ACTUALLY HAD THE GRUNTER TAIL ON THE FLY. THAT WAS SOMETHING UNHEARD OF BACK THEN.”

The grunter in the area around Karoolskraal and in those reaches on the opposite (Infanta) side of the Breede River are predominantly ‘mud’ fish, taken on surface patterns.

While the grunter near the mouth are famously ‘sand’ fish, sight fished on submerged patterns, the way Mark originally targeted them. The sand approach is one that only a few exceptionally skilled anglers pull off these days. So, does he ever venture down to join the druids on the sand flats?

“What those guys are doing there is witchcraft,” he declares.

“The guys who fish there successfully are fishing gods. They put in the time and the effort and they sure as hell have the skill and ability.”

Humility and deflection on to others is classic Krige. MC Coetzer, one of the originators of the JAM fly and one of the magicians Mark is referring to, once said about tricky target species that, “You only need one gullible fish.” Apply that logic to Mark’s track record and his ‘good fortune’ is put into stark relief.

“I have been extremely lucky over the years,” Mark says.

“Even a blind squirrel gets the odd nut… I’ve caught some tremendous fish and I honestly can’t say why. I don’t complain. If the luck can continue then I will be very happy.”

He’ll also carry on adding chapters to the fable without much public fanfare while others try to shout their way in through the social media posturing he despises so much.

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Happy Ending “I spend most of my time fishing alone. So I suppose I was into social distancing long before it was something we had to do. I don’t mind sharing info, in fact I think it is for the good of the sport to share info, with the right people,” he adds.

“Obviously there are waters that cannot take any pressure and you keep your mouth shut, but I believe the way to protect our fishing is to utilise the waters in a responsible way. It is often said that South Africa’s game population would be up shit creek if it wasn’t for the hunting industry.

In a way, I feel the same way about fishing. We can be too secretive and then we keep people out who could potentially help with the development of the sport,” he says.

“There is one thing that has changed a lot in fly-fishing.

Today it’s about the fisherman and the photo, while it should be about the fish and the moment.” He’s referring to that weird intersection of ego and fly fishing where anglers flex, gurn and grimace for the camera with each significant catch. “Foul hooking happens all the time” says Mark, “as I did back then with that leerie. I’d like to think that if someone does that and if a photo gets published, the caption would say something along the lines of, “Shit, what a nice fish but I foul-hooked the bugger.”

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P H O T O ES S AY M A R K L E W I S

WYOMINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NORTH PLATTE Late afternoon thunderstorm on the plains near the Miracle Mile,an 8km stretch of the North Platte River situated in central Wyoming, the least populated state in the USA.

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Spring fishing in the upper reaches of Fremont Canyon, a tailwater below Pathfinder Reservoir. Bringing a spare fly box is easier than the hike back to the trailhead to get the one you wish youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d brought.

Cloudy day dry fly hatch where access difficulty frequently leads to solitary angling.

The tailwaters of the North Platte River in Wyoming remain fishable even in the middle of winter when air temperatures can reach well below freezing for days on end. Both floating the river in a drift boat as well as wading remain options year round.

The volume of respectable sized rainbow trout tends to attract anglers from across the United States and encountering overseas visitors is relatively common on the river as well.

Rainbow trout spawning on a redd, a common sight in April and May each year.

Anglers are encouraged to leave fish on redds alone as there are plenty of other fish to pursue without disturbing spawning fish.

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SALAD BAR

PODSOL – TAIGA 5-WEIGHT ROD Forged near the Arctic Circle out of one of Loki’s bionic ball hairs, Podsol’s Taiga fly rod is as light, sensitive and powerful as Podsol’s fly fishing films. While designed for technical dry fly fishing, the moderate/medium-fast action and mid-curve/mid-flex taper, gives it a smooth feel, quick stable recovery, and classifies it as a classy allrounder. Like Jacques Kallis.

About those ball hairs… Podsol says, “We’ve selected a special blend of longitudinal 40-ton and IM8 graphite fibers for the construction. This multi-fiber mix provides feel and recovery not found in single-fiber construction.

The Silica Nano Matrix high-absorption, low-mass resin layup allows us to reduce the amount of material by approximately one-third without sacrificing strength.

This makes the Podsol fly rod sensitive and light. Our ferrule construction is simple and strong. The three ferrules each follow the curve of the blank without any flat or dead spots. The unfinished male sections are ground to precise tolerance making the fit fail-proof.

This fit also allows for easy section replacement in the event of accidental breakage.”

We’ll be testing one over the coming months and look forward to sharing the results. podsolflyfishing.com

PRIMUS - LITE PLUS WITH PIEZO From the first Primus stove made in Stockholm back in 1892, the name has been synonymous with camps stoves and outdoor cooking (and funk metal. It’s for good reason. These things have been to both poles, up Everest and K2 and myriad other inhospitable places where adventurers set foot (and need to eat).

The Primus Lite Plus with Piezo igniter is the latest iteration and it’s the tits. With a unique locking mechanism making it very sturdy and a low burner thanks to the Laminar Flow Burner Technology, this stove is incredible stable, light (390gm) and compact. Perfect for a fresh coffee or some life-saving noodles up a remote fishy valley. primus.eu, arcticfoxafrica.com

SLACKER TIDE – EL TIGRE STICKER In 30 years time, we can imagine a future scenario where our children or grandchildren come to us and say, “Grampawww, why do you have a sticker of that funny man with the tiger-striped fish on your car.” We’ll re-arrange our colostomy bags, place the electrolarnyx to our throats and mutter something along the lines of, “Sit down child. Let me tell you a story about Joe Exotic and Carole Fuckin’ Baskin that occurred during the pandemic of 2020…” slackertide.com

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SIMMS - DRY CREEK Z FISHING BACKPACK - 35L For a box-ticking backpack designed to take abuse, you’d be hardpressed to beat the Simms Dry Creek Z. First up, with TruZip® waterproof self-healing zippers, it’s 100% waterproof-submersible so you can wade that river with your camera gear in the pack and fish fear-free (assuming you shut it properly). At 35L, it can carry your fly boxes, other gear and enough lunch for several people, easily. Made from 300D polyester ripstop with an outside PU coating and inside TPU lamination, it’s tough as hell, plus with multiple nifty pockets, lash points and patches/loop fields – you can believe that a lot of R&D has gone into just how you will put it to use. simmsfishing.com, frontierflyfishing.co.za

LED LENSER – M8 HEADLAMP For those who grew up in the rave scene, this the M8 from LED Lenser is the fishing headlamp of your flashback dreams. A normal light output of 400 lumens and a lighting range of up to 180 metres, goes to Ibizatripping-balls-in-the-strobe-light levels when you hit boost mode and ramp it up to 600 lumens and a lighting range of 200 metres. It also has two further dimming levels, a blink function, RGB (Red, Green, Blue) LED settings for subtle lighting (e.g. changing flies while not becoming a lighthouse) and LED Lenser’s Advanced Focus System. It can be charged by the practical Magnetic Charge System or powered by conventional AA batteries. When you’re done playing at being a Tripod from War of the Worlds, the lamp also detaches to be used as a handheld torch. ledlenser.com, awesometools.co.za

RIO - SLICKCAST FLY LINES There’s been big news brewing out of Rio HQ for months, with embargoes on coverage till the timing was right and here it is, their new SlickCast technology, which is allegedly slicker than owl shit, the Fonz’s comb and the Exxon Valdez combined. Rio backs it as the slickest, most durable coating on the market that will, “out cast and out last,” the competition. Specifically, on the endurance front they claim lab tests show that a SlickCast line will last for 140% longer in abrasion testing and 33% longer when testing a fly line for cracking. When it comes to slickness, there is undoubtedly something special about an especially slick line shooting friction-free through the guides of your rod unhindered. You can expect to see the SlickCast icon in eight new fly lines, including the Gold, Grand, Perception

and Technical Trout lines from the Elite and Premier Series, more often than not combined with other Rio line tech like the low-stretch properties of ConnectCore Plus and the incredible buoyancy of MaxFloat Tip. rioproducts.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za

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SALAD BAR ORVIS - PRO WADING BOOT

In a world where fly fishing boot tread is mostly a choice between felt and Vibram, there’s a new contender, the Orvis Pro Wading Boot, brought to you by Orvis and Michelin (tire and fancy-pant restaurant guide experts).

Built on an outsole compound specifically designed for fly fishing, Orvis says, “the Michelin Outdoor Extreme outsole offers 25% better abrasion resistance and a resounding 43% improvement in wet rubber traction over the competition.” We say, “shots fired.” On top of that, with the Orvis Pro’s wider footprint they claim extra stability, a higher ratio of surface contact, and a lug pattern that reduces shock and improves pressure distribution. In short, slippage should not be a problem in these beauts. Throw in the shock-absorbing Phylon midsole, the 3D molded X25 OrthoLite® insole designed for delivering arch support and comfort for in high-impact sports, an industry-first cast PU upper that eliminates seams and you have one incredibly sexy sounding boot, made in the USA. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za

ORVIS - NEOPRENE WET WADING GUARD SOCKS

There’s a mortifying moment in life when you realize you are old enough to appreciate socks for your birthday or Christmas and that leads you into an existential crisis that you might just be becoming your father. It’s not really so much about the glorification of good socks, but rather the horror of bad socks (cold, thin and holy like anorexic saints). It’s no different with wading socks, which is why this pair of wet wading guard socks from Orvis should fill you with great joy should they ever make it into your sock drawer. Anatomically sculpted and sporting reinforced boot lace hooks for secure attachment and an integrated gravel guard to keep out debris, these 2.5mm neoprene booties ensure maximum comfort while wet wading. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za

SAGE - SONIC ROD

A fast action rod in keeping with its high-speed hedgehog name, the brand spanking new Sonic range from Sage is designed for multiple applications from dropping dainty dry flies and pin-point lobbing of nymphs to swinging streamers at bigger salmonids or even snaffling bonefish. The Sonic would fit into the midrange of Sage’s lineup, below the X and around the same

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bracket as the old Accel, but seeing as they are built on Sage’s Konnetic ™ technology blanks and equipped with other premium components we’ve come to expect out of Bainbridge island, we wager these rods will boast much of the responsiveness and tracking of rods in pricier brackets. Available from 3 to 8-weight. sageflyfish.com, frontierflyfishing.co.za

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ORVIS – RECON FLY RODS

One of the most recognizable, go-to, mid-range rods out there, Orvis just gave their Recon range an overhaul. The shiny new range features much of the tech that went into Orvis’s Helios 3 series, giving the Recon less weight and improved tracking, damping, accuracy and strength. From the freshwater Recon’s ability to present delicately and maintain control on both skinny streams and big water to the saltwater Recon’s confidence-confirming workhorse rep, if you’re looking for a hard-charging rod that won’t let you down, these are going to be worth a look. Now in store at Mavungana. orvis.com, flyfishing.co.za

REDINGTON – STRIKE EURO NYMPH

Poised like a heron, arm out all day, drifting nymphs with pin point accuracy under the noses of tricky fish takes focus, arm strength and the right tools. Built specifically for tightline and Euro-style nymphing techniques, the medium-fast action Strike Euro Nymph rod sports an extra-sensitive tip section for superior presentation control and strike

SAGE – ESN REEL

sensitivity. With an ultralight, skeletonized reel seat and single-foot snake guides, Redington reduced the overall weight of the rod, ensuring anglers stay out longer and catch more fish. It also features an extended handle so you can pair it with your reel of choice and still find the perfect balance point. Available in 3 or 4-weight sizes from 10’ to 10’6” or 11’. redington.com, xplorerflyfishing.co.za

Sage’s new Euro nymphing-specific reel, the ESN is packed with the kind of specialty features that give comp anglers perpetual wood. Built around a super thin and large diameter arbor the ESN is designed to get fish on the reel quickly, while minimizing the need to guide line onto the spool with your finger, all while providing consistent drag output. A unique balance system allows anglers to assemble and fine-tune a set of weights, so the reel can perfectly balance any Euro Nymphing (or standard) rod. Add in a full frame that prevents fine leaders and lines from sneaking through the frame, and a sealed carbon drag system that provides a smooth uptake – and you have in your hands the ultimate fish-catching machine. Now you just have to put it to work. sageflyfish.com, frontierflyfishing.co.za

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SALAD BAR PATAGONIA - MEN’S TROPIC COMFORT HOODY II

One of our all-time fly fishing wardrobe favourites; with its 50+ UPF sun protection and HeiQ® Fresh durable odor control, the Tropic Comfort Hoody II not only keeps you cool, dry and relatively fragrant (in the right way), but it’s now available in pigeon blue camo. Now, while you may think that allows you creep up on inner city flying rats and turn them into salmon flies, you’d be wrong. An in-between palette blend that will serve you well in both saltwater and freshwater applications, Pigeon Blue says boy band and turkey-hunting tree stand at the same time. This hoodie, with its generous hood for covering ball caps and thumb holes for added sun protection, is as you would expect from Patagonia, Fair Trade Certified™ sewn. patagonia.com

PATAGONIA GUIDEWATER II PANTS

While it might be like saying you like a LandCruiser because it smells nice, the Ash Tan colour was what first made us take notice of these Guidewater II Pants in stock at Upstream Flyfishing. It’s as if they took the colour straight from our local Cape streams. If we were wearing such pants, we’d be less likely to spook fish, especially late in the season when they get smart. Throw in an array of features – 50+ UPF sun protection, durability, comfort (stretch panels in the seat, front-thigh and knee areas) and pockets galore, and you have a pair of Fair Trade Certified™ sewn performance-focused fishing pants worthy of your bottom half. patagonia. com, upstreamflyfishing.co.za

HARTLAND SUPPLY – EDC FLAT & FOLD

Photographer and fly angler Casey Crafford designed these two nifty leather caddies for your EDC (Every Day Carry) essentials. The EDC Flat has slots that fits most pen knives and folding blades plus a pen or short pencil, as well as a credit card slot on the front and a general hold-all pocket at the back for your cash. The EDC Fold does all that, but has a little more carrying capacity and also fits a Moleskin Volant XS booklet, so you can write your fishy limericks and capture your industry-changing genius ideas on the fly. hartlandsupply.co.za

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WE’VE GOT ISSUES! PODSOL – CUL DE CANARD PODSOLFLYFISHING.COM

FLOOD TIDE - OL’ CRABBER QUICK-DRY HAT FLOODTIDE.COM

THE MISSION – TAILGUNNER GRUNTER SNAPBACK THEMISSIONFLYMAG.COM

BACK ISSUES OF THE MISSION ARE NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE AT THEMISSIONFLYMAG.COM WE SHIP BOTH MAGS AND OTHER MERCHANDISE WORLDWIDE.

M U S T H AV ES

PAYDAY THE MAP – RIVERS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Photographer Roddy Fox, who collaborated on the project with Mantel, says, “I was inspired to produce the poster after Sukhmani’s original image quickly went viral on social media. The 25 different river networks are pastel coloured and superimposed on a stunning grayscale backdrop of the region’s relief and bathymetry. 10% of the profit from sales goes to WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, wessa.org.za).”

To spark initial plans for trips of local exploration, derringdo and (hopefully) excellent fishing, we recommend this map, which shows all of the rivers flowing into and through South Africa. Inspired by Robert Szucs’s river basin map of the contiguous United States, Sukhmani Mantel, Senior Research Officer in the Institute for Water Research at Rhodes University created the South African map, which went viral when it was first released in 2018. Now it’s available as a poster.

The Rivers of South Africa is available both in plain or annotated forms, as a poster (R165 plus postage of R110 anywhere in South Africa) or as a high-res download (R150). roddythefox.co.za

The last few months have given us plenty of time to think about fishing, especially as actually getting any fishing done was not possible. In much the same way that we all remember our first crush (ja, ja …it’s Wendy from The Wonder Years, it’s always Wendy) – we wager the lockdown restrictions of the months ahead will have everyone renewing their vows with every local pond and puddle.

“THE LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS OF THE MONTHS AHEAD WILL HAVE EVERYONE RENEWING THEIR VOWS WITH EVERY LOCAL POND AND PUDDLE.” ZOOM CALL

If you have identified an area for exploration and want to get zoomed in topographical maps, revealing the very grid where you believe lunkers lie, check out the NGI (the department of National Geo-spatial Information).

With a range of services including 1:50 000 topographical maps and 1:10 000 orthophoto maps, you can take your Google Earth heavy breathing off line too (ngi.gov.za).

Meanwhile, in the USA, the legends over at NatGeo have made it easy for you with free, printable PDFs of topographical quad maps (natgeomaps.com).

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THE BOOK – SUPER BASS FLIES

Of all the flyboxes in all the world, the one we would most like to steal is Pat Cohen’s. The doyenne of Dahlberg Divers, the patriarch of poppers, Vice-Admiral of the Vice – there are many things we could call Pat, but all fall short in trying to describe just how good this guy is at fly tying, especially when it comes to deerhair and bass patterns. Trained in figurative drawing and sculpture, Pat is sought after as a tattoo artist, but it has to be in the medium of fly tying that he’s ascended to true mastery.

We’ve followed (and drooled over) his work for years on social media and even featured him in the Lifer section of this mag (issue 7). While many of our compadres are accomplished in this arena (e.g. LeRoy Botha), Pat stands head and shoulders above the rest, which is why we were so excited when he released Super Bass Flies while we’ve all been under lockdown.

On their own, the book’s 41 step-bystep patterns - including contributions from names like Bob Popovics, Bob Clouser, Gunnar Brammar, Chris Krueger, Dron Lee, Blane Chocklett and plenty of others - are more than enough to demand your attention.

But the further you dig it becomes apparent there’s a lot more to this book. From surface patterns like poppers, divers, sliders, frogs and birds, to mid-column streamers, dry flies (yes…for smallies), nymphs and bottom dwellers - the detail Pat goes into on both pattern development and fly tying technique, as well as how he fishes these flies, makes Super Bass Flies an invaluable resource for serious fly tyers and general bass-onfly fans alike. If you can’t steal Pat’s fly box, this is the next best thing. rusuperfly.com

“THE DOYENNE OF DAHLBERG DIVERS, THE PATRIARCH OF POPPERS, VICEADMIRAL OF THE VICE – THERE ARE MANY THINGS WE COULD CALL PAT, BUT ALL FALL SHORT IN TRYING TO DESCRIBE JUST HOW GOOD THIS GUY IS AT FLY TYING” 68

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Distributed in South Africa by Frontier Fly Fishing www.frontierflyfishing.co.za / Tel +27 11 463 9048

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WANDS

SUCCESSION EVER SINCE SCOTT SENT OUR TESTERS A COUPLE OF RODS FROM THEIR NEW SECTOR RANGE, WE’VE BEEN GAGGING FOR A VERDICT F R O M T H E I R L O N G -T E R M T E S T. A F T E R A L L , THE SECTOR HAS RETIRED THE LEGENDARY S C O T T M E R I D I A N . B O T H O F O U R S A LT Y G U I N E A P I G S , F R E D D AV I S A N D P E T E R C O E T Z E E , A R E U N A B A S H E D L O N G -T E R M S C O T T FA N S , B U T THEY’RE ALSO HYPER-CRITICAL SOBS WHO DEMAND A LOT WHEN IT COMES TO GEAR. THEY PUT BOTH THE 8-WEIGHT AND THE 13-WEIGHT (THE GT STICK) THROUGH THEIR PA C E S I N VA R I O U S S P O T S A R O U N D T H E A R A B I A N P E N I N S U L A . H E R E ’ S T H E V E R D I C T.

Photos. Greg Davis, Peter Coetzee

Peter Coetzee leathertramping on the remote Yemeni archipelago of Socotra.

PETER COETZEE Rod: Scott Sector 8’4” 3-piece 13-weight (aka. ‘the GT’ rod) Test areas: Socotra Archipelago, Socotra Governate of Yemen Species caught: Bluefin trevally, snapper

T

he missed photo opp of a lifetime for both myself and Scott Fly Rods happened on the north coast of Abd al Kuri, one of the rocky islands of the Socotra Archipelago.

In hindsight, the sea was too big for the run to the island, even in the long and sharp panga boats. In a remote place like this, the distance away from help plays in the back of your head like ominous background music in a suspense movie. The language barrier and the boat driver’s inability to read swell didn’t help either. As the panga gave the ground a brief kiss on landing, I set off further east into an ominous valley of rocks that look like the spine of Godzilla rising from the earth. You’ll always hear stories of the Socotran Djinns and how eerie the mountains are in these parts. They do have an unsettling effect on you, particularly if, like me, you have a habit of hiking 10km and more away from everyone else and you’re only 50 miles from northern Somalia.

Leather-tramping down a long beach, a phenomenal sight materialised. A shoal of a hundred or so 40-60kg yellowfin tuna, about 40m off the beach, hauling ass. I was far enough ahead and they were close enough that I knew I’d get a shot. I stripped line off the X3 and ran out, clearing more line as I laboured through deeper water until I couldn’t go any further. The missing 8 inches off of the Scott 13-weight were apparent already, maybe because I’m used to 9-foot rods, but I was able to clear the line and get the fly in the zone. The tuna moved so fast that only a single shot was possible and they didn’t see the fly. The egotist in me spent more than the rest of the day daydreaming about that beach selfie that never happened.

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The 13 is a throwback to the Scott specials of past, rods that I still troll eBay for. These specials seem to coincide with periods of more hardcore rod series coming out of the Telluride, Colorado workshop and they just seem to have buckets of cool. I have my bluewater special but I’m still after the unicorn - the LS2 shooting head special beach rod.

This 13-weight is aimed specifically at GTs, which makes it even more alluring. And although I miss the additional eight inches when I’m in deep water, there was an unexpected positive. If you’re hiking super long distances with multiple rods in hand (I usually carry more than two), you’re always untangling tips and blaming a specific rod (usually the light one). The shorter length means that

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Pete with a bluefin trevally that ate one half of Milli Vanilli.

the 13-weight doesn’t play footsie with the other tips.

Although that sounds minor, it was one less headache to deal with while working myself half to death hiking the stark granite mountains and eroded limestone beaches and I loved it for taking away that little bit of hassle. I didn’t fight any fish from the boat, but the shorter length would also play into your hands heavily there.

On the technical side, the new recoil guides are a massive improvement on those shoot-diminishing original ones made famous by the fish skeleton logo company. The finish is textbook helical ply. Think ‘earth worm’ when you run your fingers along it, but in carbon. The grip is a few inches longer than a normal full Wells, but just short enough that you don’t notice it. It’s a beautiful piece of

kit, and, unlike the more technical recent rods that I find are a bit fragile, this is Hattori Hanzō strong and feels more like a 14 than a 13. It’s a throwback to Scott building anchor-lifting, jet ski rider-pulling, hardcore rods. Bravo.

You guys always seem to get shit right.

Oh, and the elephant in the room, the dash 3 you see behind the name. A 3-piece? How does that travel?

It didn’t fit into any of my fishing buddy Ray Montoya’s bags at the pre-trip rendezvous point in Cairo, but I was relieved to find it did just fit in to mine. There are also a few inches of space spare inside the tube, so a custommade shorter tube would mean you’ve got a 3-piece that will travel with your 4s. And a 3 just does feel better in the bend.

FRED DAVIS Rod: Scott Sector 9’ 4-piece 8-weight Test areas: The Saltwater Flats of the Arabian Gulf and Sea, Qatar Species caught: Queenfish, Arabian bream, black head sea bream, Sobaity seabream

I

came into possession of my first Scott, a 2-piece, 8-weight Alpha series, in 2002. I’ve never looked back. Back then, as a relative greenhorn in terms of saltwater gear, that rod blew all others away.

Over time I’ve developed an affinity for the Scott and their fast, full action rods. So, when through a series of unfortunate circumstances my Scott Meridian 8-weight disappeared on a trip, it was time to upgrade. A Scott is not cheap, but dealing with the team over the years I’ve realised that they live up to their lifetime warranty and the service is always good.

The 8-weight comes in three lengths. An 8’4”, 8’10” and a 9’. Each brings its own subtle but important differences.

The shorter rods are designed more with the flats skiff angler in mind. Most of my fishing is done wading and I tend to mix up fly weights quite a bit depending on the species I’m targeting, so the 9’, which provides the best option for keeping line in the air and being able to hold a tighter loop with a heavier fly, was the natural choice. Plus, I travel a lot so a 4-piece was a no-brainer.

Even after chatting to Scott President Jim Bartschi about the Sectors, I was sceptical about just how much better than the Meridian the Sector would be.

“We put a turbo in the Meridian!” was how Jim responded when I asked about the difference between the two rods.

Having now fished both rods, I might consider that an understatement. Without a doubt the Sector is a fast action rod - it has a quick recovery (or return to being straight) and is clearly a ‘tip-flex’ rod. But the beauty in the

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Fred Davis with a queenfish out of his local Doha waters.

“THE BEAUTY IN THE SECTOR IS THE BALANCE BETWEEN A SOFT TIP, A ROBUST MIDDLE AND A POWERFUL BUTT SECTION”

Camera-shy initially, a Soubaity seabream gives a grin for Fred

Sector is the balance between a soft tip, a robust middle and a powerful butt section that creates a rod action that is smooth and keeps tight loops through long casts. It does this without ever making you feel that you need to force or overpower the rod to get those last 5-6m (20 feet) of line out, yet allows accuracy at pretty much all distances.

The components are simply next level. The Zirconia inserts in the Cerecoil stripping guides are epic - super slick for minimum friction when casting. A well-known guide was skeptical about their durability so I made sure to test them thoroughly - the Ceracoils have now survived the abuse of six months of banging about my SUV in the desert, of lying on boat decks and being laid on (and even dropped!) on rocks.

They’re still unscratched and solid. The titanium snake guides are coated in a low reflective PVD coating and are also recoil.

The rest of the rod’s finishes are superb too. High quality cork has been used for their modified Wells grip and it sports a solid fighting butt with a sturdy high density end section. The ‘Mil-Spec III’ anodising on the machined reel seat is classy and bulletproof. Scott has kept the rod finish to their recognisable un-sanded blank. I love the rough feel.

You know that the craftsmanship is top class and there are no blemishes hiding under the paint job. And, of course, the final touch of hand-painted branding and beautifully finished binding rounds it off.

Most of my fishing with the 8-weight Sector has either been on skinny water sand flats, casting small, light flies to super spooky bream or bombing poppers and streamers at marauding queenfish from my SUP. I have never cast a better 8-weight, period.

From 5 m (15ft) ‘quick flicks’ to full 30m (90ft) presentations, the Sector keeps a high line speed and accuracy. The real ‘wow’ moment for me was realising just how much power this rod has. In hand it feels like a 6-weight, yet it can pick up 15m (45ft) of floating line off the water without any effort at all, load deeply and then softly drop a 30m presentation right on the intended spot all without the angler losing the feeling of a well-balanced rod.

I’ve paired the rod with a few lines, including the #8WF Rio DirectCore Bonefish and the #8WF SA Bonefish. I’ve also played with over and under-lining the rod with a #9WF Rio DirectCore Bonefish line. This is a rod that does not need to be over-lined, not even on windy days or for heavier flies. When paired with either of the 8-weight lines, the rod comes alive. The loops are tight and the recovery of the rod is super quick with no noticeable vibrations The Sector has a softer tip which means it is extremely accurate for close and middle distance work. It does lose a little accuracy at the end of the distance spectrum but, to be honest, I’ve never needed really accurate casts at a full fly line distance. The soft tip also protects thin tippets when chasing those shy, ‘educated’ fish.

A powerful middle and butt section gives it the backbone to make long casts and effectively turn over heavier flies despite the softer tip. But it’s the well-designed taper (this determines where the rod bends according to the power used by the caster and the weight of the line) that makes over-lining the Sector completely unnecessary. This taper also means that it deals with short heavy tapered fly lines really well. The Sector is far happier casting an #8 Rio Outbound Short than the Meridian was and it performs really well casting bigger streamer-type flies on the aggressive outbound taper. I just keep thinking of chasing kob on the Breede River with this rod when I get home…

The power of the rod is also noticeable when fighting fish.

As long as you keep the big fish fighting through the butt, the 8-weight Sector boxes well above its weight class.

I have been blown away by the Sector. It’s an all-round rod that I will most certainly be dragging along on all my trips. I really can’t wait to stalk grunter or throw Charlies at bonefish with it. In fact, I’d be happy to cast it at almost any fish. Retailing at $985, the Sector is not a cheap rod. But it is a lifetime purchase and Scott has always looked after me - they have a really good and comprehensive warranty plan. So, if you are planning to fork out on a top end, allround rod that will perform in a variety of scenarios, I’d strongly suggest the Sector #8.

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THE LIFER

THE CHEF BRAZILIAN ICON ALEX ATALA HAS BEEN MANY THINGS – A PUNK, A DJ, A BOXER AND, MOST FAMOUSLY, HE’S ARGUABLY THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL CHEF. HE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE A FLY FISHERMAN. The first fish I caught was probably a lambari, a small Brazilian fish that we find in fresh waters. My family had this beach house and there was a stream right in front of it. I was about four or five years old and I had an amazing connection with my grandpa. As well as many other things, he taught me how to fish. I was very close to him and remember standing next to him holding a little fishing rod in this river.

I’ve had quite a few jobs. My first job was in a dive shop and there I earned my first salary. I have always loved spearfishing. Then, I became a DJ and I worked at a club in São Paulo. After that, I went to Europe and started painting walls to make some money. Not long after that I started at cookery school and became a cook. To this day, I am still a cook.

In the middle of this crisis my typical day is a mix of Sundays and Mondays. Sometimes I feel the calm routine of a lazy Sunday but suddenly I get the feeling of a rising Monday. The debts, the problems, the professional commitments. I think about the restaurant and about my employees…

I was born in the same city I live in today: São Paulo. I have really only lived in a few place but walked through many. After my childhood spent in the suburbs of São Paulo, I went to live in Europe. There, I lived in Brussels, Milan, Montpellier (a small town in the South of France).

Then I returned to Brazil and came back to São Paulo. It’s a city of 20 million people with huge contrasts. There are some riches and a lot of poverty; a lot of beauty and some other things that are not so pretty. In the meantime, I traveled a lot, spending weeks (or even months) in the Amazon, in the southern part of Brazil and in other

countries. But these were never permanent homes. I’ve always felt that my home is wherever my heart is.

My home waters are in the Amazon region, both for work and for passion. But I love to go to the sea whenever I can. I really appreciate the underwater hunt and I enjoy fly fishing. Saltwater fly fishing delights me. If I have the opportunity, I would definitely do it more often. I am lucky to be able to do jungle fishing in the Amazon and to fish for the tucunaré (peacock bass) or other species.

The best advice I was ever given is that the best things in life and the worst things in life have two things in common: they start and they end.

I am most proud of my family and my children. I have three children: Pedro lives in San Diego, Califórnia and is 26. Tomás and Joana are twins and live with me in São Paulo. In 2020, they will turn 18. It is very satisfying to see my children become adults.

The most satisfying fish I ever caught is a tough question to answer. I caught a huge tucunaré in the Amazon four years ago. A tarpon on a fly is always a trophy. But the best fishes are not the largest ones. Those I did not catch are the ones that I remember the most: those that were too close and that I missed. For some reason, these fish marked me.

Comfort food is what I eat at home. I work with technique but eat with emotion. I like to eat a good dish in a good restaurant but in my routine life I want routine food. I do not see the point of making my routine a special moment. If I did that, the moment would not be special anymore.

“MY HANDIEST SURVIVAL SKILL IS KNOWING HOW TO MAKE A FIRE AND TO COOK ANYWHERE… BESIDE THE SEA, ON A RIVER BANK, IN THE SNOW OR IN A DESERT.” W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M

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“At D.O.M, his São Paulo restaurant, Alex Atala combines indigenous Amazonian ingredients with classical cookery techniques to incredible effect.” “ 82

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I love being outdoors and cooking what I find. Without a doubt, when you are sea fishing, to catch a fish and prepare it, is delicious. But it is important to remember that the best fish is not the one you’ve just caught. You need to wait so that the flesh relaxes enough for you to enjoy that intense flavor. When you go to the Amazon, for example, and pick a fruit from a tree, you experience a moment of intense self-pleasure. I enjoy improvising and cooking with whatever I find, whether I’m near the sea or inside the forest. I love to do that and not to feel obliged to eat an animal protein. Mushrooms and seaweeds fascinate me because of the challenge of being in the natural environment and finding ingredients that will feed me and be delicious. That is the biggest reward.

My catch-to-cook vs catch-and-release ratio? Hmm… as a cook, I like to fish. When I fish to eat, I prefer small fish. I don’t enjoy eating large fish. Younger fish are tastier.

So when I fish to eat, I like to catch just a few small fish, enough for that meal. About the catch-and-release… it is nice to have a trophy and fulfill an ambition. But I am not a trophy hunter. I am a person that enjoys fishing as a whole experience. The beauty is not in the destination, but in the journey.

Two places I have to return to are Japan to eat and Africa to fish. I would like to go back to Africa and fish for tigerfish.

When I was there I did not catch a big one and I want to enjoy more of Africa, not just to fish but to get to know its society and African culture which I find fascinating. Like I said, to catch a fish is just an excuse for a great journey.

Alex Atala with a 19lb peacock bass caught at Untamed Angling’s Rio Marie operation (marieriver.com) in the Brazilian Amazon. Guide Pablo Call with the assist.

My handiest survival skill is knowing how to make a fire and to cook anywhere… beside the sea, on a river bank, in the snow or in a desert.

I’ve had some good adventures and I cannot complain.

I’ve dived in extreme places and explored impenetrable places around the world. I’ve walked in the deep Amazon region and I’ve had the chance to get to know remote places in Africa. A lot of them were difficult to reach, walking for hours under the sun. I dreamed about places like Alaska and a Buddhist temple in Japan and I managed to get there. For that, I have been blessed.

Facing one’s fears is something every sportsman, adventurer and outdoor person has to do and they need to know that the only thing that will make them come back home safely is the fear. You need to fear and to learn not to underestimate nature. What can kill you, on the other hand, is the panic. Panic freezes your brain and shortens the path to a tragic end.

Learning to read the area was the biggest technique development I learnt through both fly fishing and also through sea fishing. You must understand where the fish could be; how he is behaving; what he is eating. The fish is not waiting for you. You need to find the fish and know how to introduce yourself to him… either with a dry fly, a streamer or a spear.

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I’d like to master how to sail, in open waters, mostly in the sea. It is a skill that requires many hours of practice.

The theory is not enough and does not replace the experience.

I think it would be amazing if we could have fish in the big avenues of big cities around the world. Imagine if we could fish in São Paulo, New York, Milan and Tokyo?

Looking back on my life I would like, like any fisherman, to have fished more. But I think that if I had to fish everyday it would not be so satisfying. To me, it would be like cooking. Of course, my profession is my biggest love, my biggest devotion. But the daily routine steals the beauty from a special moment you are experiencing.

The last fish I caught happened a month ago. I went to a part of the Atlantic rainforest in São Paulo and caught some local fish, like the wolfish and other small fish.

None of them are highly sportive, but it is always fun to be close to the water, to nature, the forest and to experience that emotion. They were some small fish, not the kind of trophy fish for a species collector but, again, the journey is the best thing in life. My fishing begins when I select a destination and I start to choose my stuff and my guide.

Follow Allex on Instagram at @alexatala

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POP QUIZ S M A R T A S A W H I P O R I N F O WA R S S U B S C R I B E R ? F L AT E A R T H E R O R S PA C E X T W E R K E R ? TA K E O U R Q U I Z T O S E E I F Y O U A B S O R B E D ANYTHING DURING CLASS.

1. “Is torpedo robber” (page 20) A. a euphemism for an aggressive Speedo wearer.

B. a euphemism for government officials who steal just that little bit too much that they sink their department and thereby their secondary source of income.

C. a Bitcoin Dick Turpin.

D. the common name for Alestes macropthalamus.

E. Marcus Jooste’s Twitter handle.

2. Is “a soft tip, a robust middle and a powerful butt section,” a… (page 70) A. fair description of how our Art Director describes himself on Tinder.

B. fair description of a Parabellum bullet.

C. fair description of the Scott Sector’s action.

D. fair source to sea description of the Orange river.

3. If one is gently holding a Falklands Mullet in one’s hands, one might be …(page 12) A. getting head from an Atlantic islander.

B. cradling a robalo, a relatively uncommon (these days) indigenous catch from the Rio Grande river in Argentina.

C. a member of Port Stanley’s only Whitesnake tribute band, bent over their discography trying to decide just which song - between Slow Poke, Spit It out and Slide It In – will win the crowd over at Thursday’s Ladies Night at The Falkland Arms.

D. trying to decide just what part of the Patagonian Blenny’s anatomy connects it to a Whitesnake hairstyle.

4. Things that Kiwi fly fishing veteran Neil Hirtzel does not give a crap about include… (page 33) A. Smalltalk.

B. Waiting for stupid Saffers to catch up.

C. Farmers, their fences and their opinions.

D. South Africa’s glorious Rugby World Cup victory in Japan in 2019.

E. What Yvon Chouinard has to say about approaching water.

F. All of the above.

5. In describing the strength of the 13-weight Scott Sector (aka the GT rod) Peter Coetzee says it is… (page 70) A. Hattori Hanzō strong.

B. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson strong.

C. Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (aka The Mountain from Game of Thrones) strong.

D. Chuck Norris strong.

E. Ewan Naude’s chin strong.

6. “Kok-kok-kok” is … (page 38) A. the sound of Garden Route turacos tchooning each other in the early mornings.

B. a perfectly acceptable description of three male fish swimming towards you.

C. what you can expect to have screamed at you if you refuse to wear a mask.

D. what the modified Billy the Bass in the Oval Office sings when you press the button.

Answers: 1. D, 2. C, 3. B & D, 4. F, 5. A, 6. A

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For more information contact Iron River (www.ironriver.co.za) on 0861 527335