Year: 2019 (page 1 of 2)

What Global Warming

December 19, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Anyone who thinks fishing for a living is easy is deluded.

Firstly, with the amount of plastic and other waste, we as a species are pouring into our oceans and rivers, along with the pressure commercial fishing is having on the remaining fish stocks, there are simply fewer fish in the water to be caught and released.

Then, according to Donald Trump, and some of his mates, global warming is a fallacy being perpetuated by scientists for their own nefarious reasons, although what those might be is anyone’s guess.

However, we fishermen tend to keep a sharp eye on all aspects of the weather before planning and executing a fishing trip. This sounds simple, but as we film and produce 52 TV shows on great fishing destinations annually, you will appreciate there is some pressure involved in the planning.

Excellent Tiger Fish Season at the lower Zambezi

Over the past few years, we have found the “prime season” has moved out by around a month, but even taking this into account, 2019 was without question our most difficult year yet. Unseasonably high winds, drought, rain, and temperature fluctuations have all played havoc with our attempts to obtain video content for our shows.

Having said all this, there have also been some notable exceptions.

Sunset at Guma Lagoon

The lower Zambezi, for example, has recorded an excellent Tiger Fish Season with a number of fish over 20 pounds being brought to the net. After a large natural fish kill a few years back, Guma Lagoon Camp in the Okavango Panhandle is seeing an upswing. We caught good Tarpon early in the year at Kwanza Lodge, Angola, and landed fairly large Yellowfin Tuna on a bamboo pole off St Helena Island in the Atlantic. The Orange River below Augrabies Falls was teeming with fish and (both Small and Largemouth Yellows) and is an excellent example of what the whole river could look like left to its own devices. We got good Blue Marlin and Sailfish at Hemingways Hotel in Kenya and cast large streamers to an endless school of GT’s on a bait ball at Farquhar Island in the Seychelles……

Hemingways, Kenya

So although it’s been a tough year on the fishing front, we have soldiered on bravely and we plan to do it all over again next year.

St. Helena Island

We look forward to seeing you out there…..just remember to bring a raincoat, windbreaker, fleece, and extra sun cream.

But maybe Trump is right and you won’t need any of it?

The Baines of my Life

October 22, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Once a year we drag our wives, kicking and screaming from the comfort of their kitchens, on a film shoot to an exotic and luxurious destination like Seychelles or the islands of Mozambique.

You will appreciate that we are forced to film ourselves fishing for a living, so when we make these magnanimous concessions to our better halves, the warm glow of generosity seeping through our souls is a tangible thing.

The rest of the year we travel as an all- male crew, and more often than not, feel the warm glow of single malt seeping gently through our livers.

It seems we agree on one thing though, and it’s that we all love the lower Zambezi.

It’s been a number of years since we featured Baines River Camp in our TV shows, and being one of the most luxurious properties available on the entire the length of the Zambezi, when they invited us back we knew we couldn’t leave the girls out of this one without risking the coldest of shoulders.

Accordingly, we jumped on an early morning Airlink flight up to Lusaka and after a comfortable road transfer, were happily cruising down the river, cold beverage in hand, before lunch time.

At over 2500km long, the Zambezi is the fourth longest river in Africa and is in fact the longest East flowing waterway on the continent.

Over the years we have been fortunate enough to traverse almost its entire length and I for one have never tired of it. However, the section between the Kariba Dam wall and the headwaters of Cahorra Bassa Dam, the border between Zim and Zambia, known generally as the lower Zambezi, is one of my favourite places on earth.

With the Mana Pools Reserve on the Zimbabwe side and the Lower Zambezi National Park on the opposite bank, you could easily be forgiven for thinking you were in the Garden of Eden, minus the old Apple tree. There are definitely serpents around though. The last time we visited Baines an African Rock Python, which was the biggest snake any of us has ever seen, slithered nonchalantly through the camp on his way to the river.

The Elephants here are somewhat used to being around humans, and without the threat of being hunted, will casually wander into camp for a drink of water from the swimming pool, or to munch a few juicy pods off the trees within spitting distance of your deck chair.

Large herds of Buffalo inhabit the islands in the river and the ever present Hippo pods frolic and grunt contentedly in their watery playground. Crocodiles bask on the sand banks, lulled by the cries of the Fish Eagles from their lofty lairs.

This area has the largest concentration of Leopard on the planet and on an evening game drive one almost inevitably comes across one or two of these magnificent cats.

Two big male Lions made an appearance while we were having lunch on the bank of the river, but were clearly not hungry themselves, and preferred a siesta in the heat of the day to chasing us off our shady spot.

This year, although the water level is low due to a severe drought, the lower Zambezi has had a bumper fishing season, with a number of Tiger Fish over 20 pounds being recorded. I was fishing with Scott Brown who helped build Baines camp 12 years ago and is still involved in the management of the operation. He also loves fishing.

We decided to catch and release as many fish as we could, using as many different methods as possible. What a blast! Seldom does a plan like this come together so well, and we managed to release 6 Tigers over 10 pounds (the largest being 14 pounds). These and others landed on spinners, strip baits (on circle hooks allowing a clean release), bucktail jigs, poppers and stick baits. We also spent many happy hours chasing the Tilapia (Bream) species in the smaller pools on the edge of the river on light tackle, using flies, spinners and worms. I even had a small croc try to steal a fine Red Breast Bream off my fly, too close to my feet for comfort. Luckily it’s mother wasn’t around.

Sundowners on the sand banks are a tradition in this neck of the woods and it’s hard to think of a more pleasant way to bring the day to a close than sipping a cold G&T to the sound of the gurgling river and the plethora of game and birdlife preparing for their evening activities.

The food at Baines River Camp is a special treat, offered by chefs who clearly take much pride in their work. A nightcap round a hardwood fire and good night’s sleep in an air- conditioned chalet, on a bed made up with percale linen, and sweet dreams of monster fish, rounds out another idyllic day at this very special place.

Now that we’ve spoilt our wives beyond all recognition, I’m just wondering what what on earth we’re going to come up with next year….

More Space Than Time

September 18, 2019 / / 0 Comments

It’s taken me four trips to the lower Orange River to fully appreciate what this majestic piece of the earth’s surface truly offers us members of the species homo sapiens, and how puny we seem when faced with space of this magnitude.

A visit to this generally arid and remote part of the Northern Cape Province in South Africa, and the mighty river that runs through it, is in many ways, a life changing experience…

Wide open spaces and a river runs through it.

Firstly, once out on the river below the Augrabies Falls, there is absolutely no wi-fi or cell signal. There, you see, life changing, in a good way.

Then, you will come across no other people on this trip. Nada, zero, not one.

It’s you, your mates and an endless spectacular rocky desert landscape. This would be scary if you were not gently bobbing down a large, drinkable, crystal clean, fish filled river, on an inflatable boat. So basically, it’s umm, life changing.

Gently bobbing down the Orange in search of gold.

Kalahari Outventures (KO), our preferred operator in this area, have the important details down to a fine art after a decade of taking clients into the wilderness. To the point where one can expect to enjoy a bitterly cold beer or G&T with ice at the end of the day on a squeaky clean sandy beach, while the guides erect the tents and begin preparations for simple but delicious meals.

Home for the night.

The breathtaking night skies are reason enough on their own to make this excursion and with no dangerous animals to worry about, one is able to pull a mattress up near the fire and drift off to sleep under a magnificent canopy of endless twinkling stars.

I first did this drift 10 years ago with my whole family, the youngest member being 6 years old at the time. It was one of the happiest holidays we have ever had together, with the memories of that trip still discussed and laughed about to this day. You could say that for all of us it was…you guessed it…life changing!

Our subsequent visits have been fairly focused on fishing the river for the TV shows we produce in that genre, and even in this quest we have never been disappointed.

The water is literally teeming with fish and the experienced guides are available to advise and assist in getting flies in the right place to make sure you land a Smallmouth Yellowfish. This indigenous species is remarkably powerful once hooked and they will provide hours of fun to those who enjoy catch and release angling.

Brian with his first Smallmouth Yellowfish.

More recently, Craig Eksteen, the owner of KO, and his friends have “unlocked” the mystery of the Largemouth Yellowfish and it’s now possible to pursue this apex predator with a reasonable chance of success. Slow growing, to well over 20 pounds, these magnificent beasts cruise the deeper sections of water and can be targeted with fast sinking lines and flies. The area below Augrabies Falls has been declared a conservancy and now only catch and release fishing is practiced there.

A Happy Craig Eksteen with a beaut Largemouth.

Time was not on our side when we planned our last trip there, so we chose to fly to Upington on Airlink (daily flights), saving at least a couple of days of driving.

A comfortable two hour transfer to the town of Augrabies, with a well-stocked cold box, and an overnight at the splendid Tutwa Lodge saw us in fine fettle for our river foray.

Tutwa Lodge at sun up.

But you don’t have to fish to enjoy a sojourn to this beautiful area, or a rafting trip down the river.  A visit to the Augrabies Falls, wine and brandy tasting at the many wineries, great lodges and restaurants (try the succulent Karoo lamb) and friendly locals, all add up to a unique tourism experience. 

Should you choose the rafting option though, all I can say is… be ready for a truly life changing experience!

 

 

 

I Met the GT’s of Farquhar

August 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

We all know or have met someone who ranks somewhere on the alphabet of the “celebrity” scale and all of us, even the ones who deny it, will drop name at some point about these chance encounters.

“Did I ever tell you about the time I had dops with the Mummy…? You know, that Saffa Hollywood actor Arnold Vosloo?” Or… “You know I bumped into Derek Watts at the airport once, hell of a lekker oke”.

Like most, I have my own “I know a celebrity” stories, and I admit after a few in the pub I’ve dropped their names in casual conversation before. For a year a lived down the hall from Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies, in Dromedaris men’s res at the University of Johannesburg. He was still a baby bok when I met him, and I knew him as “Twinsaver”, he might have washed my dishes once or twice.

I also guided protea legends Jonty Rhodes and Lance “Zulu” Klusener into some trout at Engeleni Farm in the KZN midlands, we had a braai shared some whiskeys and I washed their dishes when we were done.

My most memorable celebrity encounter happened on a lonely Atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean, 10 degrees south of the Equator.

It was where I met and spent some quality time with the GT’s of Farquhar Island. Now before you call me out on how I arrived at the conclusion that a fish qualifies as a celebrity and that I’m squeezing this angle for all it’s worth, let me explain.

The Giant Trevally who inhabit the waters of Farquhar Atoll really are world-famous and, in my eyes, way more interesting than any Jenner/Kardashian sister. These GT’s were the stars of Attenborough’s BBC series, Blue Planet II as the bird-eating fish of the Seychelles.

Gangs of GT’s congregating in an area to feed on the unsuspecting victims flying overhead. Scenes of vicious and calculated attacks in 4k slow motion as the Geets leapt from their own aquatic world into ours to grab a mouth full of feathers and flesh, their awe-inspiring power and intelligence on full display, narrated and detailed by the soothing sound of sir David himself.

It really was nature documentary at its finest and not only captured television audiences but did the rounds on social media. Over 5 million views on YouTube, twice as much on Facebook and who knows how many times it was sent on with messaging platforms like WhatsApp.

The clip had gone viral, and at that point, Giant Trevally was the most talked-about fish species on the planet, can you say hashtag bloody #trending!?

I met the GT’s of Farquhar, and they lived up to their reputation. It was off Goelette Island the most southern tip of the Atoll where we bumped into them on filming expedition with the talented crew and guides of Alphonse fishing company. Birds were diving on bait balls, and underneath them, the GT’s were feasting.

Massive eruptions and splashes, GT’s jumping clear out of the water. When we got closer to the action we realized what was happening, the packs of Geets feeding on the bait would leap out of the water to grab the birds if they flew too close.

It was a feeding frenzy, unlike anything I have experienced.

As soon as your fly hit the water fish would come charging, shouldering each other out of the way trying to get there first. They were big ones and let’s just say we weren’t ready for them

A couple fly lines shredded in the coral and a rod section or three flying overboard we eventually started landing some.

We spent the entire day drifting around bait balls with birds overhead and monsters below, the irony was that we were filming a television show and for the first time in my short career as a fishing presenter, it actually felt like I was on a TV show.

I think I even made the comment that this does not happen in real life…?

After the dust had settled, our crew sat down and looked at each other, bruised, battered and a little dehydrated we couldn’t hold back the grins.

We realized that we had witnessed something truly spectacular and all agreed it would undoubtedly go down as one of the best filming moments of our careers.

I met the GT’s of Farquhar, heck I had front row seats and a back-stage pass. We laughed and had fun, took a few pictures together and said goodbye. I can tell you they were moerse lekker okes!

So, we went fishing at St Helena Island…

June 27, 2019 / / 0 Comments

For some obscure reason buried deep in my distant English heritage and my abiding love of islands, this has been a lifelong dream.

Now you may well ask who would want to visit a fairly barren volcanic mountaintop perched precariously in the southern Atlantic Ocean somewhere between Southern Africa and Brazil.

Many people, is the correct answer, for those of you who guessed and have bothered to read this far.

It’s just not easy to get there. Or away for that matter.

Famously, Napoleon Bonaparte, after a short but impressive stint as King and self -proclaimed Emperor of a country in Europe somewhere, was exiled to this supposedly lonely outpost to die in disgrace.

However, after a number of unpleasant scuffles over the past few centuries with various seafaring nations, regarding strategic outposts, the Brits are the current proud owners of this truly remarkable piece of the planet.

It’s fantastic. It could easily be a movie set. Every one of the 5000 odd loyally British inhabitants on the island, together form a microcosm of humankind at its best. In a “country” of about 40 square miles, surrounded by a vast ocean it’s a necessity, so people are family orientated, friendly, kind and respectful.

A cliché certainly, but visiting this island truly is like going

backwards in time.

Up until very recently the only way to access or leave St Helena was by boat, which arrived from Cape Town monthly. Sadly, the old ship, HMS ST Helena, has now been decommissioned. But fortunately, for the Saints (what people from St Helena are known as) SA Airlink now provides a weekly flight as an alternative….well, not really an alternative, unless you fancy private yachting.

 

Anyway, for now, this innovative airline company is a lifeline for the people of St Helena, both from an incoming tourism perspective, as well as connecting Saints, via South Africa, to the rest of the world.

We shacked up at the excellent new Mantis St Helena Hotel in the heart of Jamestown (the capital) for the week. It’s ideally located for both socializing and strolling down to the harbor to board your fishing or diving boat within minutes.

From the vantage point of the sea, looking back at the island, the incredible lengths that earlier generations went to in order to fortify the few access points onto terra firma are obvious and impressive.

 

We had plenty of time between fishing outings to appreciate the diversity of the island, from the lush green forests and pastures of the higher mountain areas, to the steep barren slopes dropping sheer into the ocean. We were even lucky enough to be there over the annual St Helena Day festivities, when seemingly the whole island population take time to strut their stuff and socialize together in the main street of the ancient capital village called Jamestown.

There are so many game fish in these waters that the locals have refined a method of “chumming” the water with a few handfuls of live bait to attract the Tuna species, and then bouncing one hooked bait fish, attached on a short line to a long bamboo pole on the surface near the boat. Within seconds this bait will be attacked and a very green Tuna unceremoniously landed on deck before it even knows it’s been caught.

We enjoyed amazing art-lure angling. Even though the few charter operators based there are generally using more traditional methods, they are true seamen and once they understood what we were trying to do, became very intrigued and got fully involved in putting us on the right spot for various species we might be targeting. We landed and released over 10 species of fish in 4 days. These included large Yellowfin Tuna, Skipjacks, big Wahoo, Blackjack Trevally and Grouper.

 

 

Incredibly, the island drops off so quickly into deep water, the large pelagic species could virtually be targeted from the shoreline (if it weren’t so steep) and we were seldom fishing more than a few kilometers away from the harbor at any time.

Due to the plethora of their favoured food, all the Billfish species can also be targeted, although there are currently a limited number of charters offering this option on a fully professional basis.

More than the fishing and the truly unique landscape though, it was the friendly people of the island that set this apart as one of the most memorable fishing trips we’ve ever been on.

 

 

I liked St Helena a lot, but I really loved the Saints.

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