365 days of fishing

Kalk Bay, getting dark. No squid.

10 degrees, icy rain that for some bizarre rebellion against the laws of science is not frozen. Bloody hell it was cold out there. Decided for the easy option, given the extreme weather. How I debated just staying in bed after I got home from school and the "training" that despite my conscious attempt at an open mind was not worthwhile, just feel that I could of got a handout. Still on the bright side there were toasted sandwiches.

Off to Kalk bay, wasn't raining when I got there, but I still put on my waders, over jeans, two jerseys, long-sleeved shirt, Fake fur lined jacket, the orange waterproof jacket with hood and beanie fished off the effect. Well I was reasonably comfortable for a bit at least.

There is something magical about standing in the rain and the cold, when everybody who can afford it is sheltering under a blanket indoors, next to a heater. Was stone alone on the harbour wall, for most of the time, wonder why. No wandering tourists taking a trip down to the end of the pier to help with their digestion. Just some smooth sleek seals, and a litter of seagulls, fluttering like plastic shopping bags against the black sky. No Pleiades tonight to ponder about alien fish.

I was fishing for Chokka, Squid, Had 50 casts along the main wall, ranging all along the outer edge. Nothing, just got stuck once and lost a lure. I was using small lures, orange and clear and one glittery and green with yellow and lots of spikes, tried varying the retrieve, the distance and the depth, still nothing. Maybe the squid were also sheltering under a blanket of kelp .

An alternative title for this blog could have been. "Wilma rebels" , taken her 14 days but here it was, got home and first words after hello were not , did you catch anything, but

"we have to come to an agreement"

at which stage I started laughing, probably not the best way of approaching the situation.

"No," she says "If you are going out to do this thing then can we at least sit down to eat"

"but lets sit down to eat now" I say, me thinking it is early as it it is just gone 8.

"No," She says, " I can't eat that late, anyway I have already eaten, it is probably stodge now,"

Well it has taken 14 days, and I suppose the two weeks we were away I also fished every day so I suppose I have fished every day for a month. Wow. I think humans have eaten most of the fish.

Kalk bay is where I first started getting seriously into sea fishing, at the beginning of last year, stealing with my eyes and ears and learning learning. Great palce to do just that, the local were very kind and remarkably friendly. There was always good natured bantering going on among the fisherman some whom have been fishing there for over 50 years. Always "geselig" as they say. It was there, where I first decided to fish there until I caught a kob, staying in one place and learning about the conditions that worked. That took me about a year, but finally one took a harder bait. Learn't that for Kob at Kalk bay you want a strong south-easter to blow for three days then the warm water and the colour reaches the harbour and so should the Kob. Doesn't always work out but I did see plenty of Kob landed.

Also learnt that in summer in the evening and the morning at the end of the red lighthouse pier, the far one, there is often white stumpnose to be had. There is always Maassbanker in the summer and plenty of small fish to keep the Children happy. All in all it is a wonderful part of Cape Town, one that has retained a rough fisherman's appeal, even though the high class expensive restaurants now occupy the main part, and parking is a problem in summer.