Our Henties Bay 2010 fishing trip had finally arrived. It would be a trip of exploration and for some of the guys the first time doing sea fishing. What a great place for the seed to be planted.
The week preceding the trip saw many sleepless nights as I lay awake pondering the unknown. What should I expect, do I have all the necessary tackle, should I buy more of this or more of that..?
Day 1 (21 August 2010)
Burt and I landed at 9am Namibian time and the one half of the party had been waiting since 6am. The 1 hour time difference between South African time and Namibian time served for plenty confusion in the coming week, not all good, but definitely worth a chuckle if you could see the humor in the situations. They guys seemed a little tired, but once we were on the road again everyone was in great spirit. The feeling was pretty surreal as this was my first time out of South Africa and I tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible.
On our way through Windhoek we made a quick pit-stop at the “lemonade store” and some refreshments were bought for the “long” drive from Windhoek to Henties Bay (or one would assume it to have been a long drive taking into account the amount of “lemonade” that was purchased).
We decided to take the dirt road just outside Usakos for a bit sightseeing. We stopped at some peculiar looking stands next to the road. The tables were filled with the most interesting rocks of different shapes and colors. A couple of these semi precious stones were bought in order to support the locals. The locals are really interesting people and they all speak fluent Afrikaans. They live in between the little hills and one can hardly believe that people could survive out there.
A few “nature-calls” later we pulled into a town, much bigger than expected, lo and behold, Henties Bay! Surrounded by sand and a strange looking road, a.k.a. the “Soutpad”; the road that would be see plenty of our two Eastern Cape vehicles’s tread marks over the coming week.
The other half of the group had arrived earlier the day and sorted out the necessary admin (fishing licenses etc.).
At around 5pm my dad and I decided to go and make a quick throw. It is always good to get those cobwebs off the reels and rods before the serious fishing begins. After a brisk 100m walk down to the beach, the Big Blue greeted us with a smile. The sea looked great, a nice color and a slight southerly blowing. The tide was dropping and with darkness looming, we were left with about an hour or so of fishing.
I had been fishing around Cape Town for the last year or so and fishing had always been slow. With this in mind I baited up a 6/o hook with a thin strip of chokka and sardine and made a decent cast into a patch of white foamy water. I settled in for the long wait, but about 1 minute in, boom, fish on! A nice little kob. I quickly released it and baited up again. On! Another one. After a couple of these little guys, we were informed that the kob legal size in Namibia is only 40cm, as opposed to the 60cm down in the Eastern Cape that we are use to. With the thought of a nice fresh fish braai persuading us, my dad and I kept two of the better sized ones. We managed to catch about 5 or so each, MUCH better than expected for a “de-rusting” opening session.
Back at the house the fire was lit and a good hydrating session was under way. The “capping” session followed where each of us was presented with a trip cap (hat) with our nickname and “Henties 2010” embroidered on. The night played out with some funny bait presentations, stories of past experiences and expectations of things to come…
Day 2(22 August 2010)
Between the “capping”, singing and a couple of “lemonades” the previous night, the decision was made that we would be heading up to Winston. Winston is situated quite some distance Northwards from Henties Bay and gets its name from the Winston shipwreck that ran aground there.
We were up and stumbling around at five am and were set right with a delicious cup of coffee and a couple of home made rusks. We managed to eventually leave the house at about 06h15. It was quite foggy outside and we had no idea of what to expect from the weather. The road to Winston was beautiful and the fog created an eerie feeling. Some of the guys saw more value in catching up on the extra hour of sleep during the drive, but we eventually arrived at Winston at about 07h30 and everyone was roaring to go.
Burt had the job of unpacking and preparing the bait before he could attend to his own rod. As he was still putting his line through the rods guides, Gertjie went on! First throw and in a matter of seconds he landed a nice kob measuring 74cm. Skilpad went on with a kob of 70cm and then another. I could not believe the amount of action, a fisherman’s paradise this place is I all thought, but my joy was short lived. No more bites. After about an hour after Skilpad’s last fish, still nothing. Burt decided to move a bit further down the beach. He quickly went on with a kob measuring 72cm and returning to the same spot he went on again, a kob of 68cm. Pyter also landed a decent spotted gully shark which gave him a good run for his money.
As the morning progressed the wind became progressively worse and all went quiet again. At about 11h30 we packed up and moved Northwards to the fence. This fence separates the fish-able area from the start of the skeleton coast. This is effectively the furthest North you can go while fishing from Henties Bay.
A delicious breakfast was prepared right there on the beach using the gas barbecue. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast etc. We enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings while the fish weren’t biting. The wind and cold got the better of us and we decided to call it a day.
On our way back the one vehicle’s rod holders mounted on the front of its bonnet came loose and the driver proceeded to drive over 4 fishing rods. A sad sight seeing those beauties in tatters on the beach, enough to bring a tear to the hardiest of men. After a moment of silence in remembrance of the rods the guys loaded their now 10 piece rods onto the back of the vehicle and off we went again. Not a great end to the day, but nothing a few jokes and chirps wouldn’t rectify and once the guys realized that this only meant new fishing equipment spirits were high again.
Day 3(23 August 2010)
After the tragic rod-breaking-episode of the previous day, the group decided to head down to the rocks just south of Henties in order to target some galjoen. At first light we pulled over a sand dune to be greeted by a sea that can only be described as a mocha-chino with extra froth. Surely there couldn’t be any fish let alone galjoen that would dare to swim in that kind of water? The strong winds of the previous day and night had turned the sea on its head. Huge swells and rolling white (brown) water made the conditions very difficult to negotiate. A few tips were shared and tactics discussed on how to target these elusive South African national fish.
We persisted through the morning, but had no success. We drove further south through Jakkalsputz (man the camping areas along that coast are HUGE!). We tried to count the toilets as someone told us that we should try in front of the third one, but was that third from the left, third from the right, third from the middle, third from the 100th one… it was a lost cause. We headed further down the beach, nearer to the stranded ship. Considering the conditions, we picked a spot that looked fairly decent. It was a deep hole with a rock in the middle. Eventually Burt got a pull and landed a nice kob of about 60cm. Things remained quiet for the rest of the day with a pull here and there but nothing special.
Back at home we decided to go and make a quick throw down at Willem se Gat (7km north of the bridge outside Henties) as the sun was setting. It was a good call, because in the first half an hour or so we all landed a couple more kob. As darkness began to descend the first barbell was landed, and another and another and another and another (you get the picture). After our fare share of dodging spines and uncle Gertjie being spiked by one, someone finally declared that it was home-time!
The wind had picked up again during the day and with a +3m swell conditions weren’t looking to good for day 4. Luckily uncle Gertjie, who was declared the master of fines on the first night already, made sure that no chirp, comment or foot out of place was overlooked, and so duly rewarded each with a Jagermeister or Zappa shot. After all, it wasn’t just about the fishing and the great camaraderie ensured another festive ending to a somewhat challenging day.
Day 4(24 August 2010)
Day 4 we headed North of Henties to Rondebosch, about 3km south of mile 100 and about 5km past Horingbaai. Arriving at Rondebosch we deflated the tyres as the sand along this stretch of coast is very soft. We found that it worked perfectly well when the 4 x 4 drove in front and the 2 x 4 followed in its tracks. We however got into trouble once when the 4 x 4 stopped on the downhill side of a dune, leaving the 2 x 4 on the uphill, but I guess this is par for the course when scouting for holes. We had little trouble in pushing out the stuck vehicle and did not need the other vehicles assistance.
We found a promising looking spot and decided to make a cast. Burt’s first throw and on with a kob of 58cm. Vennie and I followed suit with a double hook-up. Big Boy’s moment finally came and he went on with a nice kob of 52cm, his first edible of the trip.
The wind eventually became gale force and we decided to enjoy the lighter side of a fishing trip, so out with the lemonades… We spent 2 hours behind the cover of the vehicles chatting and just enjoying the moment next to the waters of Henties Bay.
We returned home and uncle Gertjie was up to his old tricks again…
Day 5 (25 August 2010)
As the memory of the previous nights fines (or shall we call it “enthusiasm”) still rang loudly in some of the fisherman’s heads, we were woken up by the familiar sound of a kettle boiling and one or two loud voices from the kitchen. I’m unsure of what the reason was, maybe the smell of the coffee, maybe the worry that something would be missed out on, but every morning everyone seemed to be in good spirit, congregated around the kitchen table scoffing down a good couple of rusks and sipping some coffee.
Burt and I knew that today we would have to show what we were made of. We were in the latter part of our trip and the guys were getting a bit frustrated as the fish had been few and far between. Big Boy warned the two of us that if we did not get the guys into some fish soon that he cannot be held responsible for the consequences of Gertjie’s fines that evening. Failure was not an option!
Burt and I entered a few coordinates into the GPS the previous night and had planned our route to the finest detail. Today we were going to fish true Namibian style. Not more than two casts at a given spot and if there is no significant action we pack up and move on until we find the fish. We planned to tackle the area South of Cape Cross and work our way back towards Henties Bay’s side.
We pulled onto the beach just past Sarah Se Gat and it was not long before the lines were in the water, 10 minutes passed and we headed off to the next spot. We fished three or so spots in quick succession and only Boel and I managed to land a couple of kob each. Eventually we parked off at a deep hole and landed another one or two. In the meantime another vehicle had pulled up about 20 meters south of us. By the look of things they had employed the assistance of a local who was helping them bait-up and cast. 10 seconds in and on! Next cast, on again! And Again! By this time all the guys in our party were aware of the fish just 20 meters South of us. Like crabs we started to shuffle to the left. Boel decided to do some sneaky poaching by giving a couple of well aimed casts into their hole and pulling a fish or two. It is amazing how fish can be thick in a 10 meter radius and then dead quiet a meter or two to the left or right of that spot.
We had moved close up next to these guys to see if we couldn’t get into the same hole but still pretty quiet on our side. Douwtjie, who still had not managed to land an edible fish this trip had finally had enough and marched over to the guys next to us and pleaded from the “local” to assist him. The “local” was pretty shocked at the random demand from a total stranger but obliged and continued to bait up and cast for Douwtjie. His cast landed nicely in the hole the fish had been coming out. I kept an eye on Douwtjie knowing that it couldn’t be long before he got a pull and as expected, on! “Fish on with Douwtjie” I shouted and everyone turned to watch as Douwtjie pulled it closer. Unfortunately he ended up straight-sticking the fish and somehow pulled the hooks (so much for the pump-and-wind advice). Douwtjie persisted and casted for himself this time and although he was basically on top of the guys next to us he went on again. In a choir of cheers he finally landed his first ever sea fish, well done Douwtjie! It was a nice kob which he threatened to drive over with the vehicle if it didn’t make the legal size.
Finally the shoal of fish moved over to our side and we managed to land about 15 or so keepers. Once again the fishing gods had provided us with just enough incentive to keep that fishing-bug biting and the guys amped for the next day.
That evening we had the privilege of entertaining one of the local fishermen. Questions were lobbed left, right and centre and the guys were desperate to sponge every bit of information and advice that was on offer.
Day 6 (26 August 2010)
We had just managed to load the vehicles with our kit, when we were ushered along and on the road again. First stop was at the famous Winston sandbank. This is also the hole where we caught the “bigger” cob on day 2. Within minutes the spot in front of the vehicles looked like a bamboo forest and the guys were standing shoulder to shoulder ready for that “turbo diesel” to make its appearance. The guys got a pull here and there, but nothing to write home about. So, it was not long before the signal was given for lines up and off to the next spot, a big black rock and a reef spreading out at an angle into the sea, also known as “Swartklip”.
We headed straight for the black rock and after a short wade we were on with a decent kob of about 65cm. We were getting funny bites and were advised that that is the way that a Namibian Steenbras nibbles. It picks up the bait and then drops it again, causing a sudden slack in your line. Every time this would happened your hart jumps to your throat and the adrenaline would pulse through your veins! Unfortunately we didn’t manage to hook any. The rest of the group casted right and left of the rock but got no pulls. We landed a few more decent sized kob from the rock until it went quiet.
The tide had turned and it started getting higher, so we headed south in order to find a spot that would negate the effect of the wind, canvassing the high water spots. We travelled along the coast until we reached Blare. We made a cast but conditions were challenging and landed nothing. The wind picked up even more, so we decided to head home.
Back at home Big Boy, Douwtjie and Gertjie decided to go for a throw to the South of Henties, near Jakkalsputz. They fished well into the dark and landed plenty of “see vlakvarke” aka sea barbell, luckily uncle Gertjie surprised everyone with three nice sized kobbies.
Day 7 (27 August 2010)
It was the second last day of the trip and at 4.30am Big Boy announced that it was time to wake up. A drowsy bunch of guys started to settle around the breakfast table awaiting that early morning caffeine fix. It was not until either Vennie or Pyter asked the question that why are we up and sitting around the table at 03.30am! Big Boy realized that his cell phone was still set to RSA time and it was with a few mumbled utterings that the guys marched back to bed for a last hour of sleep. Up again at 5 the guys were ready to give it a full go. The morning ritual was pretty much routine by now and by 5.50am the guys were ready to take on the “Soutpad” again.
We headed to the MYL 72 turnoff and continued through to the beach. Our first casts were made just to the north of the camping area where scattered rocks were visible between waves. Structure is always a good thing to look out for as this generally provides shelter for baitfish and the structure creates more of a stir in the water kicking up more food out of the sand. The tide was dropping and reasonably low already. The conditions were pretty good with almost no wind, but unfortunately no pulls.
We persisted for about an hour before moving back towards the camping area. We stopped at a nice deep hole and immediately there was some “life” in the water as the guys were getting pulls and nice pickups on every cast. We soon landed a couple of fish.
As the tide started to fill up the bites increased and the guys were on every cast. Not ten seconds in the water and you were guaranteed a pull. Back at the vehicle the guys had trampled out a highway from the water up to the vehicles, traffic was seriously congested around the bait boxes and the guys were frantically baiting up and getting ready for the next cast. It was rather funny to see how there were four or five half full Windhoeks standing deserted, as the VISKOORS had kicked in. Not a usual sight…
The guys loved it and savoured the opportunity to experience a real Henties shoal of kob on the bite (although I hear what we experienced was only a fraction of a true Henties kob run).
The day was drawing to a close and we loaded our days catch and headed off to the Skubbebar to have them cleaned. I am not sure about the amount of kob caught but I think that we lost count after we hit 60. Half of the fish caught during the day were released and it was good to see the guys putting plenty back for others to enjoy. The majority of the fish were caught using sardine as bait, but they were readily taking the chokka and the white mussel as well.
That evening we had supper at the Skubbebar and enjoyed some of their Marshmallow-melt-in-your-mouth calamari and shared a few lemonades and stories of the memorable day.
Day 8 (28 August 2010)
The last day of the trip had arrived and the guys were noticeably down. I think the thought of the long drive home in conjunction with the 110% effort put in over the past week had taken its toll.
We eventually managed to get everyone in the vehicles and on to the “Soutpad” we went, off to MYL 72 again. We fished from about 09:00 till 12.30. The majority of the guys just fished the same spot as the day before and landed a few kobs.
Boel and I walked a bit south in search of that elusive Steenbras. Boel caught a nice sized kob or two on the same piece of chokka and eventually had to walk back to the vehicles to bait up again. I continued south and armed with a couple of white mussels I was hoping that steam train would make an appearance. I fished a stretch of about 500m, making two casts at a spot and moving on. I settled at a good spot and was just waiting for the tide to become high enough, feeling sure that this was where I was going to get the big pull.
The next moment the vehicle had pulled up behind me and announced that we would be heading back to start packing. It was clear that the guys had had their fill the day before and the enthusiasm had disappeared. With great sadness I had to reel in my line for the last time on our Henties 2010 trip.
After packing all our belongings we headed to the fish festival and enjoyed a Windhoek or two while admiring the bus of a Steenbras caught about an hour or so after we left (I might be mistaken, but I believe that it was caught on the same stretch of beach that I was fishing, further South of MYL 72?)
We left Henties Bay at about 2am on Sunday morning and arrived in Windhoek at about 7am. Our flight was departing at 09.45 so we had enough time to all sit down together for a last breakfast as a full group. The flight went fine and Burtie and I arrived safely in South Africa at 13.45 (RSA time) and the rest of the party arrived home the next morning at around 3 am (RSA time). We were hardly home and the guys were already talking about trip 2011…
