Fishing Namibia from the shore, well what a pleasant and unexpected surprise.
Being a novice shore fisherman (the biggest catch before was a 1.5kg tame trout reared by some grandmother on samp mielies) being asked to go fish around Cape Cross on the NAM coastline, was firstly a well needed break from Homeloans, finance and demanding clients and banks and secondly an adventure, having lived in Swakopmund in the early 70’s.
Driving across from Pretoria at 3.00am and arriving at 8.00pm(bets were on for a bottle of JW Black) was awesome. Two of us sharing, stopping only for fuel and a 12 minute tyre change(move over Ferrari) we cruised across the Trans Kalahari highway and sat down for a well earned “dop en n tjop” at Kucki’s pub at 9.00pm
Meeting up with Shane Milne our intrepid guide for the next 10 days was great. Mr unassuming himself, who would take me from novice to WORLD CHAMPION UBER ALLES fisherman, turned out to be a great guy, whiskey drinker and awesome, awesome fisherman who knows the coastline, its holes, the sharks and how to find black and white mussels even in the worst of storms. Shane’s business Aquanaut Tours run by him and his true boss (the Mrs herself) is a great company and the specialized shark fishing taught us all, and especially me how to catch and release all catches, what a pleasure and what an emotional experience.
And so from day 1 it started.
If we had been in competition I would have kicked butt, with those “oh so professional” fishing partners of mine from the “Inland Sharks Shore Angling Club” ha!! 2 Bronze shark, 6 Spotted Shark, 1 Sand Shark and 1 Hound Shark in 1 day. Was I stoked! Was I excited yeah! But most importantly was I stuffed! – Completely. I actually needed an hour sleep in the day to recoup, but what a day.
From then onwards it was, staying at the most awesome cottage owned by “Cashbox” and his son “Pettycash” at Cape Cross, seals, brown Hyena, Jackals, cold mist and wind and plenty COB (kabeljou).
Time flew, the fishing was great, the weather cold and from 5am to 7pm daily I learnt how to prepare bait, tie bait from the stomach the fillets, white and black mussels, crayfish and chokka, casting up at the misty Namibian skies, braai on the beach, fish braai for supper, mussels collecting and eating and exploring that awesome stark and harsh coastline only to sleep like a baby after a great days fishing.
Photos, well 380 were stolen with my camera after a break in, in Swakopmund on our last night, but hey! This is Africa! Stuff them, they cannot take the memories and we know that these crooks too shall die.
