Reunion zero

the beginning

The planets aligned… there was a buzz in the air… When you allowed your mind to drift for a second it was filled with excitement and anticipation, sand, sea and big fish. The Rush of Blue boys were finally able to get together again. A reunion had been on the cards for years, and what better destination than where the Namib Desert meets the Atlantic Ocean…

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Grinders revving in Namibia

or perhaps it is gr(rrr)inder r(rrrr)evving in Namibia

Turning into the St Nowhere campsite and “spa” concession had become a very familiar sight, yet it still got the tummy butterflies fluttering. The ocean on your doorstep, usually turbulent on this little stretch, with the rustic yet sufficient cottages welcoming you back in all their orangey-brown glory. It might not be 5 star, but you are sure to be in for some 5 star fun.

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Namibia fishing lessons learned

the hard way, by experience

As time waits for no one, the month of November drew ever closer. Big changes were happening in our lives, but one thing was sure to remain constant for now, digging your toes into the sand, the smell of the fresh ocean air, surrounded by desert on the one side, the ocean on the other, Namibia remains a place where your soul can breathe. Continue reading “Namibia fishing lessons learned”

Namibian kob two-step

on the sandbank

The detox from work had started. Staring into the nothingness landscape of the Northern Cape, my mind flashed back to the office.

Did I remember to delegate all my responsibilities, did I have the reporting covered, I had an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach…

but just think of that cool ocean air, the sand between my toes, the waves gently rolling in…

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kob(let)tober

light tackle version

Not even in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would be able to go 12 months without a proper lure angling outing. Well… it happened and would you believe it, I survived to tell the tale.

7 November 2014 was the last fishing day we had in Namibia and I was throwing lures off the low tide banks towards Ugab fence. A bus pulled my 10 foot rod flat and made for the safety of Sandwich Harbour in Walvis Bay. In hot pursuit was a seal doing an Olympic butterfly final, myself in tow.

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Beyond the next bend

just a little bit further

The crunch of the dry sea sand under your feet is only drowned out by the sound of your heart pounding out of your chest. Small beads of sweat run down your cheeks and evaporate before reaching your collar.

I keep checking over my shoulder to see if Jay is still keeping up, I feel bad for pushing him this far, but it will be worth it if he hooks into that bus, surely then all will be forgiven?

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Kob or kabeljou

(Dusky – Argyrosomus japonicus)

Kob are one of my favourite species of fish to target. As we predominantly fish in the Eastern and Western Cape it is in fact the dusky kob that lends itself to the hours of enjoyment spent in search of this ambush hunter.

Dusky kob numbers are extremely low and without our help will soon be threatened. Let’s work together and save a specie by handling our catch with care and releasing it, let’s make a difference.

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Angola – The rush of the unknown (part 3)

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

The third day’s fishing Angola had very little to write home about, unless you were a shark fisherman. The bronzies were very much on the bite and the guys were landing them one after the other. I am not sure if the abundance of bronzies causes the edible fish to disperse, but I could not as much as get a bump on the lures. I decided to get in on the bronzie action, hold on tight!

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Angola – The rush of the unknown (part 2)

read part 1

I awoke very early the next morning. Nature called and I had to step outside to water a bush. It was dead quiet, only the sounds of a couple of men sawing wood (snoring) and the ocean distantly grumbling each time a wave crashed interrupted the silence. On my way around the tent I noticed a couple of eyes staring back at me. My heart skipped a beat, I contemplated shouting, but quickly realised that it was only a couple of scavenging jackals eating the scraps around the tents. As soon as they caught sight of me they darted a few hundred meters away, lay down, and patiently waiting for their next opportunity to venture into our camp.

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Angola – The rush of the unknown (part 1)

Our adventure had already started a couple of days prior to the actual trip. For us South Africans, visiting the Cape Town based Angolan consulate, it had been a terribly difficult and frustrating ordeal to apply for an Angolan VISA.

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