March 2011
Ok, this is going to be my postcard page!! I will update as and when I have something interesting to show.

The cast of characters:
Soren and I (The fishermen)
Terence (The guide/dogsbody) Bernd (The hotelier)
Hamster, Gareth, Grumpy, Martin, Roy, Peewee & his crew (The Rose Inn)
John, Sis, Richard, James, Sue, Frank, Grace, Kay, Gary, Mick, Jeff, Stuart, Ingrid, Andre (Work)

Fish count

                    Tony               Soren
Bronzie             3                 5
Spottie             6                 5
Sand Shark       -                   -
Kob                 9                 3
Catfish             17                 2
Blue Ray           -                   -
Eagle Ray          -                  -
Gallejoun          -                   1
Cow Shark        -                   -
Shy shark         -                   -
Smoothhound     1                   1

Day 13

Last day! We check a couple of areas as we head north but it's our intention to fish Mile 72 and indeed that's where we settle. After an inital chuck in one area we move back into the bay and set our stall out for Bronzies. After an hour or so I can't believe my eyes when I see my rod nod and drop back. I get to the spike in good time and feel the fish turn before setting the hooks. After an initial slow run the shark starts motoring and the fight begins in earnest. After about 40 minutes I have it in the surf line along with some accompanying kelp but the wash is big and soon it's off into the deep again! The waves are massive and it's turning into a massive struggle, I have to feel sorry for Terence since he's got to brave the wash when he goes in to gaff the shark. We have a crowd watching, clearly sport is still slow everywhere. After a full 2 hours I finally have the shark beaten and the last 10 yards come quickly and we have it beached. A 95kg Male Bronzie, and for me the longest battle I've ever had with a shark. Later we move back south to Mile 8 and both Soren and I lose a Bronzie :( That's it for the holiday so all there's to do now is party!!

Day 12

We head back to Donkey Bay and fish all day just for Bronzies but with no success. Just one sighting in the chum line is all we get all day! A quick couple of sun downer G & T's at The Lighthouse is followed by an early night for a change!

Day 11

The days are running out fast now. We fish in the mile 14 area, I have a catfish and finally a spottie! We make an executive decision to pack up early and see some of Swakopmund. I pass by some old friends and later we hit Ratfers to watch the football. It ends a very late night at 2.30am with too many G & T's consumed!

Day 10

We start at mile 6 and after about half an hour I have a bite! It races off and at first I'm dreaming of Bronzies but the run stops too quickly! Atfer a spirited battle I land a new PB Smoothound of 12.5kg. We soak it out for another 3 hours but no more action. The afternoon remains the same. Suntan is coming on but the fishing is not good.

Day 9

Still no let up in the sea conditions. Very little to report, another blank for me. Soren entertains himself by fishing a braid set up with small hooks for smaller fish.

Day 8

Mile 11 looks goods and has no weed so we have a chuck or two there, but only I have a take and that's a kob. We then head to Flotska where we change tatics and fish for anything that swims. I have 4 kob and 3 catfish, Soren 2 kob and 1 catfish. We then look to Mile 6 and Long Beach but the day remains without Bronzies. We head back to the apartment, shower then have a sun downer beer in the Lighthouse before cooking some of the kob for dinner.

Day 7

We stop at Mile 6 in the hope of bait and Soren is rewarded with 2 spotties. I'm still struggling and all I manage is a catfish. We move around looking for a nice spot for bronzies and settle at Pelican Point but aside from subshine and wind we draw a blank again! Spirits remain high but we really need the sea to calm down now.

Day 6

Soren has a morning off and goes on a desert tour to see the creepy crawleys, snakes and such! Terence and I are on bait duty for the morning. We have a nice session with 1 spottie, 4 kob and some catfish plus plenty of bites. We spend the afternoon after bronzies but to no avail. This is getting tougher with each days passing.

Day 5

The weather is marvelous but the sea is warm, too rough and the wrong colour! That combination is not good for fishing! Early doors I snag 2 catfish, but after that it's a real battle. Soren finally gets a take and lands a spottie but that's it for the day. So far only the weather, the company, the food and the beer are shaping up, the fishing is definately taking a back seat. It's the last night in Walvis Bay tonight, after that we move to Swakopmund for the last 10 days of the holiday.

Day 4

Today we move to South of Walvis Bay and check out Donkey Bay. This is an area I had heard of many times but until today never fished. We joke on the way about sight seeing since we are expecting the fishing to be difficult and as we pull up on the beach we are greeted by a humpback whale feeding just a few metres from the shoreline. That's a new first for me!

It doesn't take long before Soren gets a take and he's hooked up. It becomes clear after only a few minutes that this is a good fish. Soon Soren is some 2km down the beach so Terence heads off in the car and I stay with my rod, by now Soren's had the fish on for perhaps an hour. I wait patiently for another hour but nothing happens. Terence come back and we pack up and move the rods to where Soren is battling his shark. The fish is on the surface but still a long way out and since it clearly is a big fish we don't cast until Soren has landed his shark. It's another 45 minutes before we set the gaff in the fish, making it about a 3 hour battle!

The fish goes 170kg and it's a massive PB for Soren. Well done, we are all so pleased for him :) The rest of the day is a battle and unforunately for me I catch nothing.

Day 3

The sea has really picked up now and the day is very much a battle against the conditions. We settle in at Mile 6 and I have 3 spotties and lose another one. Soren has the roles reversed on him today and draws a blank all day. We finish early and head back to the hotel where suddenly Terence gets in a drinking mood and we discover he has a tab set up on the cash register :) Later Soren and I head to The Raft and eat, drink and watch Arsenal get beat ;)

Day 2

Terence's birthday! He has other commitments today so as a change we fish with a different guide, Johan Berger who also guided David Matthews and his group. The sea is picking up quickly today and after a quick start at Mile 32 where Soren picks up 2 spotties we begin a battle against the conditions. The day drags and Soren and I concentrate hard on downing the Tafel's :) Finally at Christmas Bay we spot a shark in our chum line and Soren get's a pick up. Initially we think it's not a big shark but after a longer than expected battle he has a lovely 95kg Female beached. Soon after he also has another pick up and an 85kg Female is also beached. I on the other hand don't have any pick ups and end the day blank.

Day 1

After a chilling day in the raft yesterday and 14 pints of draught, Soren and I are keen as mustard and are ready and waiting for Terence when he finally drags his sorry arse out of bed!

The day starts well for me, with a bite and a chum sized Spottie of 4-5kg which also christens the new Saltist 40H, man that's a nice reel for these small fish. I miss another run and that's our lot at the first area. A switch to further north gives me 2 catfish in as many chucks but other than that it's a struggle.

We also draw a blank fishing for bigger spotties, although we did get seriously distracted by some topless sunbathing ;) Later we settle in at a nice looking area the chum goes in and we are ready for what might be a long soak for bronzies. I have a sixth sense and turn down a Tafel in favour of holding my rod, and it was a wise decision.

Within 10 minutes I get a ripping bite and the fight begins, Soren follows quickly and soon we are both hooked up. At the same time there are sharks in the surf on the chum line so it's obvious there are a few about. My bronzie goes 80kg, with Soren's a bit smaller at 55kg. Next chuck I get snapped/bitten off on the strike. It goes quite for a while and then finally I miss another take, shortly after which Soren get's another of 55kg, which he immeadiately follows with another take and he's into a bigger shark. My bait is re-cast and quickly I'm also into another Bronzie but as mine makes it's first run Soren's throws the hooks. Mine yields finally after a missed gaffing by Terence and one of 65kg is on the bank The day is over and we return to the hotel to have a BBQ and some beers.

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