No fighting cocks? Every year, the Challenge witnesses some hilarious antics from entrants, who unwind over the fishing festival. This has been the cornerstone of the event, regardless of how many trout make it to the net, it really is all about the laughs and relaxation time that fishing buddies get to spend together. But put any group of lads in a pub and throw in a bit of talent that happens to be passing

Not even the most skilled of actuaries with a super computer at their disposal can tell you exactly how many fish a trout dam holds. The variables of nutrient levels, water quality and fluctuating temperature coupled with stocking densities and rod pressure along with the unpredictable angler are just that……too variable! You certainly cannot conduct a head count and it’s at best an educated guess on their survival and growth rates. So, we try our

I arrived back recently from a trip to Madagascar, where we were jigging and popping on an Inside Angling shoot. We had been invited to try out a new operation in the North West of Madagascar which is managed and guided by South Africans. The operation is called Madagascar fishing adventures, bookings can be done through Wildfly Travel. We were guided by Brandon King, one of the young fishing guides that is making a name

Last year, on a trip to the Eastern Cape, we spent a couple of days at Kleinemonde, near Port Alfred. There we fished the West Kleinemonde river, which is closed to the sea, and has been for the last five years. The kob and Garrick trapped in this blind river have grown to adult size, but are unable to leave the system until they get enough rain to open the mouth of the river. We

About ten years ago I was fishing in the upper reaches of a Transkei estuary with a mirrOlure 7M. I twitched it slowly over a shallow mudprawn bank and was rewarded with a swirl in the water below the lure. This happened numerous times, before I finally hooked a fish and on landing it was surprised to see that it was a spotted grunter.I figured that it was a bit of a fluke and didn’t