The bronzie fishing normally takes place after the bait fish have been caught and usually on the incoming tide. Depending upon water conditions it will either be instant action or a long slog!
On my previous visits the fishing has mainly taken place north of Swakopmund with exact locations being know as Mile 1 (2 etc), these markers are a reference to the number of miles north of the Swakopmund Jetty. Some are signposted from the road others are more of an approximation based on distance from set markers.
Some of the fishing positions are 'fixed' in the sense that you fish between reefs, which don't move, whereas some are 'moving', these tend to be sandbar based points and tides/storms can shift these!
So what normally happens? Your guide will find a suitable spot, this can involve a substancial drive up the beach in a 4x4 until the guide is happy!
Once in situ, the guide will first prepare the chum, this is very similar to chumming on a boat! Then he will prepare the tackle and baits and unless you are a very experienced sea angler will normally cast your baits for you too. These baits are commonly Mackerel Heads, Gully Sharks, Sandsharks or Smoothhounds (parts of each).
Once the guide is satisfied that the bait is in the right spot and reel tensions are ok then he hands over the rod to you and you're ready for the off!
So there you are with 14ft of beachcaster in your hands, a decent multiplier loaded with 18kg line and a butt pad round your waist and that's it, no more assistance it's going to be you versus the shark's!
Bites usually come in 2 forms, either a strong pull down on the rod or a huge drop back as the shark comes towards you. If it's a pull down then let the rod get down to about 35-45 degrees and then pop in the hooks...sounds easy but the temptation to strike too early or too hard is hard to overcome. With the drop backs you need to slowly wind in until the line is tight again, wait for the pull down and then once again set the hooks. I've always found these bites a bit easier to hit and also it's much easier to control yourself as you have more time.
Once the hooks are set then all hell let's loose, even the small sharks (up to 75kg) will easily strip 150-200 yards of line on the first run and the bigger sharks often take 350+ yards. Reels hold 450-500 yards on average but bear in mind this is mono line and typically has a stretch factor of 15-20%, it's not uncommon for the real biggies to spool you (or get very close) which means they are running 500-600 yards off shore! that's a lot of line to try and get back....
Your guide will be watching carefully and in the event of a fish looking like it's going to spool you then he will tighten up the clutch as much as possible - and trust me by then it will hurt - so be prepared!
There is a definite technique to playing these fish, initially, when the fish is running, there is absolutely no point in trying to bully the fish, all that will happen is that you will get worn out! Stand up and facing the fish with your arms locked straight in front of you, let the clutch do all the work until (or if) the fish stops running. Once it does then it's important to try to turn the head back towards shore so this is the point where you have to pull (and pull bloody hard!) It's important to try to get some line back, especially if it's a large shark you are attached to, because the shark will be running again!
Generally after the first run, assuming you are not in close proximity to reefs, it becomes a war of attrition. Each run tends to become progressively shorter and typically once the shark comes within 150-200 yards of the beach it will begin to run (often on the surface) in parallel lines to the beach.
This is an important part of the fight and after playing a few you will begin to learn that the waves are both your friend and your foe! Ideally as the shark lifts with a wave you need to pull hard and try to keep the head facing towards the shore, if you do this then the shark often comes in on the wave. If it's head is away from shore then the opposite happens and it tends to go out on the wave.
Once the shark comes in beyond the third breaker the your guide will be getting ready to beach it! This in itself is a complicated process and do not be surprised if your guide spends a lot of time walking up and down the beach following the shark, once again it's really important to use the waves to help you and the guide. Suddenly you'll see the guide go into the water, often waist deep, gaff in hand and all being well the gaff will be sunk into the dorsal fin and your guide will be running out of the water, shark in tow!
The gaff will be very sharp and leaves a small hole in the dorsal fin, beyond that it causes no further harm to the shark. Your shark is now beached and you are ready for the trophy pictures! If you are not an experienced photographer I recommend that you allow your guide to take some/all of your pictures, they do this day in day out and don't tend to make any mistakes.
After the pictures have been taken, your guide will tag, measure and return your shark to fight another day. This whole process takes 5-15 minutes depending on the size of the shark but this should not be of any concern. Bronzies seem to cope well out of the water and anything less then 30 minutes will not cause it any harm.
Bad news now....Your guide is going to rebait and recast for you! Enjoy the aches and pains tomorrow!!