Tudor Caradoc-Davies
ED’S LETTER W
e’ve been on a helluva ride over the last five years. 30 deadlines. Some missed, most nailed. A ton of harebrained schemes devised in person, on WhatsApp, or other platforms, the majority of which came to fruition. Through stories and photos, films and interviews, in vaguely accurate, mostly chronological order, we’ve covered the following: Carp on Stompie Flies at the Castle, Smallmouth Bass, Vaal hatch junkies, Keith Rose-Innes, Mark Murray, John Barr’s Meatwhistle, Tony Kietzman, Wolf Barbs, Christiaan Pretorius, Geelbek at night, Paarl Panthers, Trevor Sithole, Jako Lucas, Spotted Grunter, Ray Montoya, Redfin Minnows, Matt Gorlei, Clash of Clans, Arno Matthee, Poons in Gabon, Flats Box Construction, Ed Truter, Murray Cod, Collen Tshabangu, Stillwater Trout, Djibouti, The Legend of Lesotho’s Fuck You Valley, Jono Shales, Bob Clouser, Tom Sutcliffe, Gurnard, Stripers at JFK, James Topham, Baberman, Bream in Cyprus’s DMZ, Low-riding Avocado Salma Hayek, Visiting Lefty Kreh, Da Riddim Stick, The Motivational Carrot and The Black Mamba, Spongebobs, Marco Pierre White, Wolf Fish, Taba “West” Phiri, Grunter on the Sand, Stephan Dombaj, Bushveld Yellows, Kamchatka, Cane Poon, Joe Blados’ Crease Flies, Danie Pienaar, Natal Scalies, Snoek, Craig Richardson, Queens of the Desert, Exmouth, Colorado, Fishing Scientist JD Filmalter, Cape Rock & Surf, the Balbyter, Pat Cohen, Namibian Steenbras, Brook trout and eels in New Zealand, a DIY Death March, Francois Botha, Forest Trout, Mongolia, Eduardo Garcia, backstage at Astove, The Reaper, Dale Steyn, African Pike, A Rite of Bassas, Orange.Free.State, The RasMad Rollercoaster, Jurassick, Destinations & Douchebags, Beetlemania, Guy Ferguson, Belman, JP Samuelson, Mangar in Iran, Nile perch in Cameroon, Oliver White, Jay Smit, Halibut, Irish Sea Trout, Umgeni, Nic Schwerdtfeger, The 40-Year-Old Flats Virgin, Rolf Nylinder, Beach Fishing on Fat Bikes, the Lalu Bug, Marcelo Perez, Ocean Plastics, Humpback Bream, the Vaal, Stu Harley, the Horn of Africa, Treasure Island at Astove, Mark Yelland, Meredith McCord, Sardinata, Batoka Gorge, Gareth Reid, Chasing Natives, Jeremy Block, The Pentz Predator, Chobe Tigers, Ed Herbst, Giant Emperor Cichlids, the Witte, Simon Hunter Bunn, Patagonia, Tim Rajeff, Mr Joe (aka Pharaoh Djoser), Arno van Der Nest, Kakbroek Kloof, Wels Catfish, Milan Germishuizen, Barotse Floodplains, Ndungu, St Francois, Jeff Currier, Ian Couryer, Wildeperd, the Berg, Sudan, Nick van Rensburg, Nigeria’s Quiet Corner, Cape Streams, Bhutan Mahseer, Split-Screen Photography, Bob Skinstad, Greenhead Tilapia, the Reisa, Jeremy Rochester, Oman, Riverhorse Nakadate, Spanish Barbel, Tierra del Fuego, Avroy Shlain, Tusk Fish, Thembane William Tatse, Sioma Falls Tigers, Kenyan Jungle Trout, Footloose in Fiji, Bob Popovics, Kalahari Largemouth Yellowfish Conservancy, Henkie Altena, Sawai, Johann du Preez, St Brandon’s, Witvis, Montana, Chris Clemes, Legless at Lakies, Linda Gorlei, Machaca, Andrew Apsey, Garth Wellman, Cosmoledo Christmas, Cameron Mortenson,
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Matt Smythe, Sobaity Seabream, Anthea Piater, British Columbia, Florida Everglades, Herman Botes, Foam Dungeons, the Falklands Mullet, Ed Ghaui, Mark Krige, Wyoming’s North Platte, Alex Atala, Purple Labeo, Shaun Futter, Somerset East, Chiselmouth, Dan Factor, Germany & Austria, Barramundi in Australia, Largemouth Bass, Blue Kurper, Brendan Becker, Riders on the Storm, Socotra, Pongola Tigers, Gordon van Der Spuy, Bulkheads, Steve McGown, Seabass, Platon Trakoshis, The Feathers Award, Thrift, Santer, Injasuti, Clem Sunter, Ocean Triggerfish, Scot de Bruyn, the Rewa Rodeo, Slamboo, Leervis Taxonomy, Dave Walker, Calico Bass, Luke van den Heever, Float Tube Kob, Long Reef, Jess McGlothlin, Poivre, Mike Fay, Leigh Perkins, Tim Leppan, Rhodes, Farquhar, Chinko Goliath tigers, Derek Smith, MC Coetzer, Basie Vosloo, Alex Waller, Spaghetti Worms, Jeremy Shelton, Zandvlei, Bucknuts and John Thoabala. Despite all that we feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface of what we want to do. We’ve aged, possibly matured too, and we have also learned a lot as a magazine, a business and as individuals. When I talk about the “we” or “us” that makes up The Mission, it’s a tiny team. I’m talking about me and my two phenomenal partners from the start, Art Director Brendan Body and Spirit Animal/ Editor-At-Large Conrad Botes. I’m also talking about my wife Ingrid who handles admin, accounts, strategy and other matters, my mother Gill a former journo who subs the mag and Dougie who does distribution. Then there’s the enormous contributions from the Feathers & Fluoro crew (Len, Fred, Jazz, Pete, Dre, Pla, Ewan, LeRoy, JD and Gerald), plus several other regular legends too numerous to name. Thanks to everyone. Thanks also to the brands that understood we do things a little differently and took a chance on a leftfield South African startup fly mag, manned by oddballs who decided to put out a high-quality, glossy read and to make it free, both in print and digital formats. Without your willingness to play on the stage we’ve built, we would not have come this far. Last, but not least there’s you dear reader. We’ve thrown some weird and wonderful ideas at you and you not only deigned to read them, but many of you became rabid fans who engage with and support us every step of the way. Without you, we simply would not exist. It’s been a mission, obviously, but that was always the point. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. The journey is what’s made the last five years amazing and we wouldn’t change a thing about it. Here’s to another 95. Thanks for reading.
W W W. T H E M I S S I O N F LY M A G . C O M
