& BEATS

THE DRAM - GLENMORANGIE A TALE OF THE FOREST

Now children, what do we find in the forest apart from bear poop, poison ivy, tiny troot, randy Greek nymphs and the Unabomber? We find the inspiration for Glenmorangie’s A Tale of the Forest, that’s what. The Tain distillery’s first whisky crafted from barley kilned with woodland botanicals and aged in bourbon casks, this release is worthy of Pan himself. Expect a lush, leafy dram with a wintergreen mint palate bolstered by hints of licorice, with a citrus punch, aromas of pine, juniper, coriander and smoke, and tasting notes of eucalyptus and bitter orange with a gentle oak finish. glenmorangie.com, justlikepapa.com/in-good-spirits-co

What do you consider your home waters? Where did you learn to fish?

The rivers of the Eastern Cape Highlands all the way –Rhodes, Barkley East and Maclear. I’ve learned from the best and found that all roads lead back to the Maloti Mountains. From seven years old, every holiday was related somewhat to fly fishing in the Berg, where all of my learning happened. In a family of four boys it was hard not to be a fly fisherman.

What sort of fly fishing do you feel relatively adept at and where would you be completely out of your depth? Small stream trout fishing is my speciality. I am well versed in the realm of trout hunting and can get extremely technical in the most trying conditions. I’m yet to be deflowered on an estuary, something I’m itching to sort out.

You get to choose any destination anywhere in the world to fish with one person. Where are you going and who are you fishing with?

That’s a simple one – the best guide in the world, Dad. We’d go back to the Routeburn River in Queenstown, New Zealand. Hopefully, this time I’ll be able to hold my own in the rapids and haul in some great big mother of a fish.

The most memorable fish you ever caught?

THE BEATS - THE NEW GUY, MATT KENNEDY

The Mission recently welcomed some fresh meat onto the editorial team in the shape of Parktown’s finest, Matt Kennedy. He shoots, he snaps, he writes, posts, philosophises and fishes (duh). After bombing down the N1 from Joburg to Cape Town to take up the role of our new Content Coordinator, Matt had plenty of music in mind when asked to provide this issue’s playlist, from Foals to RHCP, Ben Howard, Fleetwood Mac and more. We also shot him a few questions to give us some insights into what makes him tick.

A solid 12” on the upper Bell in the Eastern Cape – a trophy for the small section of stream. The low-lying rainbow was overcome by my tenacity to fish the hell out of a run, on a borrowed Sage 000-weight from Tony Kietzman for my 23rd birthday. There was stoke all around that day.

If your fly fishing epitaph were written today, it would say…?

Here lies Matt... slasher of waters, lucky biscuit (family records), long-line releaser, bird-nerd and somewhere would be written my father’s eternal words to me, “Slow your fucking casting down!”

LISTEN TO MATT’S PLAYLIST