Greetings,
We had an awsome weekend at Sodwana which is up in northern
Kwazulu-Natal. The area is
Subtropical and whilst it is winter the water does not go under 21
degrees and the daytime temperatures and warm and humid. We were lucky
as it was 23degrees in the water and the weather was wondeful with only
a light wind blowing NW offshore which flattended the sea. The area is a
Marine Resrve and only Gamefish may be shot on breathold freediving.
We stayed in a private house which cost about 75 pounds ( U$D 110 ) a
night and sleeps six people. It was stunning with a view of a local lake
which teems with birds. The house is a log cabin and imersed in the dune
forest with lovely board walks and an elevated northern view. The Patio
is intergarate into the living areas in a unique way and all modern
amenities are there except the television - not missed.
We arrived at about 20h00 on thurday night and settled in for a good
nights sleep after the 80 km of very rough dirt road and locking the
boat away.
We : Jean, Rob, Andy, Frans and myself, rose at 05h30 to get an early
start on the fish but only ended up with the boat on the water at about
06h45. We headed north from Sodwana bay in my
boat to a reef called " Akkadis"( Lizzard). I bagged a small Green Job
Fish which I got some flack over- raiding the cresh and all. I then had
a encounter with a white who decided that I
was off great intrest. I called Andy on the boat who casually drifted
over not realising that I
was in mortal danger because I was not prepared to take may hand out of
the water or off my gun - last line of defence you know. By the time
Andy had got to me I had been pushed twice and was not in good humour
-we had a heated debate on buggy ethics and I was a bit shaken. The
event prompted us all to move to Nine Mile reef - aptly named as it is
nine mile from the launch site.
Jean latter landed a Black Barred Yellow tail and not much was seen
subsequent to that. We headed for the beach at just after lunchtime and
met Theresa and Liam who had a wonderful morning of swimming, building
sand castles and racing trucks. We headed back to the house and had
lunch and relaxed and I repaired my gear that had been reduced to
fragments by the fish theif.
That night we had a fish braai with Antony Haydon and Brad Nielsen (
World Record holder for a Black Marlin - 263 kg ) from Richards Bay.
Rob barbequed some fish Kebabs using my Job Fish and the yellow tail -
the comments ceased!!! Brad was telling us a fish story of a Marlin he
lost whislt shore diving off light house at Mapelane. He estimates it
was over 400kg. After several kilometers of being towed and ditching his
weightbelt and mask it made off with his gear never to be seen again -
the story was enought to make me tired and I took a early respite from
the long day.
Saturday 05h00
We were up again this time things were better organised and we were on
the water by
06h15 and headed north to Island Rock a 35km boat ride which took almost
an hour. We
scratched about for hours to no avail, bar Jean who missed a 20kg plus
Couta. Dispondent
we headed progressively south back towards Sodwana bay as a light
westerly wind came up. Our concerns for it swinging to south east were
unfounded as the offshore wind flattened the sea but still the fish were
scarce with little or no current. Jean and Rob both bagged a Couta (
King Mackrel ) and I lost two king fish to an resident of the reef ID
unknown, but probably a potato bass. Rob later landed an King Fish. Just
after lunch we moved to 5 Mile and Canyon to no avail and beached just
after lunch.
We had a relaxing afternoon around the house and some of the folks took
a walk down to the
bird hide on the lake. I rested my eyelids and baby sat Liam for a
while. We indulged in a stunning pottjiekos cooked by Frans - this is a
local meat pot which we eat with rice and salads. We again took an early
night.
Sunday 05h00
It was our last day and we were eager to enjoy the last moments in the
water. The wind had swung to a light southerly and we decided to head
south to "Diep gat" ( deep hole) and some surrounding reefs which
whislt
they were stunning and covered with rays and stunning fish
no game fish were around. We later moved to deep water 40 meters plus
and came up short again. Our last drift of the day was in 20 meters and
turned up to be fruitful Jean, Andy and
I bagged a couta each. We beached at 11h00 and packed up and headed home
on our 7 hour drive.
Whilst the fish were scarce the weather was awsome and the sea was flat
making it a great outting.
Keep Wet,
Kind Regards
Tony Doult
www.spearfishing.org.za
rec'd 06-20-00