{"id":15225,"date":"2022-07-14T08:25:12","date_gmt":"2022-07-14T06:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=15225"},"modified":"2022-07-14T08:25:12","modified_gmt":"2022-07-14T06:25:12","slug":"fixated-fish-tcc-leg-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=15225","title":{"rendered":"Fixated Fish – TCC Leg 3"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Great casting is simply lost on the fish.<\/p>\n

That isn\u2019t to say that a good cast doesn\u2019t catch Trout, it\u2019s just a reminder that the graceful art of a tight loop presented with pinpoint precision does not always translate into an obliging take.<\/p>\n

Case in point was the third leg of the TOPS Corporate Challenge where the fixated fish were to be found within a rod length of the bank, requiring all your patience and a mere flick of your stick to reach them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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But we are creatures of habit and I for one still get immense satisfaction from aspiring to that perfect cast, to the extent that it\u2019s easy to forget about the fish with your line sailing beautifully against the backdrop of the Drakensberg. Until your partner lands a 60cm beast that eats a few meters from the water's edge! Those fly fishers who worked less over the weekend definitely caught more in the challenging conditions.<\/p>\n

The weather couldn\u2019t have been better and if enthusiasm was ever a factor in catching fish, the Trout didn\u2019t stand a chance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Some say the fish you see is often the hardest to catch, a statement that I don\u2019t ordinarily subscribe to, yet every angler had far too many sightings of uncooperative Trout this weekend, as they glanced at flies with disdain. The water temperature was hovering at ten degrees, which for the fish, in human terms is akin to hot-blooded men running through the streets chasing anything in a skirt.<\/p>\n

Many might think that a bright attractor pattern would be a simple solution and whilst the odd fish might be fooled, the water clarity coupled with their proximity to the fringes of every dam called for a lot more finesse. Size 16 buzzers, fished with glacial speed on a long leader was the answer that a few experienced fly fishers came up with and it certainly paid dividends.<\/p>\n

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Fortunately, as usual at the TCC, it was the festivities that took center stage for many. With the shackles of the pandemic era, having finally been broken, this benchmark event was back to full capacity and many great friends united in WildFly country, reliving the times that a 21 year old event indelibly etches into one's memory. The atmosphere of the legendary Notties proceeded to lead the way!<\/p>\n

Over the qualifying legs, 637 Trout were recorded for the top 15 teams to make it through to the illustrious final, half of these landed in the first leg when the fish were still actively feeding. But kudos to the winning team in the third leg, the Zimmers, who figured it out and between them managed to land just over 25% of the total Trout netted this last weekend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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A 62cm beauty from Alistair Moores Pitt took top honours, and his partner Wayne Stegan showed real class by catching 13 fish at an impressive average of 48cm, cementing his team's place, and earning him the accolade of Top Dog!<\/p>\n

The prize-giving was a belly of laughs as even those that failed to trouble the scorers, walked away with an armful of prizes and every entrant made the most of the pink ticket they had been given by their better halves to unwind and celebrate the moment!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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The stage is now set for the 21st TOPS Corporate Challenge final, hoping that the Trout don\u2019t see us coming!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Great casting is simply lost on the fish. That isn\u2019t to say that a good cast doesn\u2019t catch Trout, it\u2019s just a reminder that the graceful art of a tight loop presented with pinpoint precision does not always translate into an obliging take. Case in point was the third leg of the TOPS Corporate Challenge where the fixated fish were to be found within a rod length of the bank, requiring all your patience and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":15247,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[279],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tops-corporate-challenge"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Leg-3-blog-copy-1.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2787,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=2787","url_meta":{"origin":15225,"position":0},"title":"Breaking TOPS records!","author":"Gareth","date":"June 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In contrast to the 1st leg of the TOPS Corporate Challenge, we had a rabid bunch of anglers braving the bitter Friday and blustery Saturday weather and it was apparent from the catch records that they were here to catch fish.\u00a0 476 Trout is a remarkable return, with this 2nd\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/b2ap3_thumbnail_IMG_2329.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2651,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=2651","url_meta":{"origin":15225,"position":1},"title":"TOPS Corporate Challenge Leg 3","author":"Gareth","date":"July 18, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0\u00a0 Never has so few been caught by so many. To say that the fishing was slow on the last leg of the TOPS Corporate Challenge, would be like calling Leicester City's premier league win predictable\u2026\u2026.which the Trout clearly were not. Sixty anglers toiled and when in the very first\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5707,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=5707","url_meta":{"origin":15225,"position":2},"title":"TOPS Corporate Challenge Leg 1","author":"Gareth","date":"June 12, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"It would be an understatement to say the festivities outweighed the fishing this last weekend, with the legendary Notties living up to it\u2019s reputation as the \u00a0pub with a exit that is impossible to find. The entrants certainly had more than one glass of not so serious at the start\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Brown Trout\"","block_context":{"text":"Brown Trout","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?tag=brown-trout"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/TCC-2019-Leg-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/TCC-2019-Leg-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/TCC-2019-Leg-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/TCC-2019-Leg-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/TCC-2019-Leg-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/TCC-2019-Leg-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2724,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=2724","url_meta":{"origin":15225,"position":3},"title":"TOPS Corporate Challenge Leg 3 2015","author":"Gareth","date":"July 15, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The qualifying legs of the TOPS Corporate Challenge are now complete, after 1364 obliging trout having been caught and released so far. The festivities typically were the focal point, with Partycipation accounting for a lot more energy output than the actual fishing. \u00a0 This last leg accounted for 449 specimens,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"b2ap3_thumbnail_10409288_10153407580850330_6521369319137629868_n.jpg","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/b2ap3_thumbnail_10409288_10153407580850330_6521369319137629868_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2596,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=2596","url_meta":{"origin":15225,"position":4},"title":"The TOPS at SPAR Corporate Challenge","author":"Gareth","date":"July 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The TOPS at SPAR Corporate Challenge It would have taken a brave angler to predict that the 1st Leg results would be eclipsed this last weekend. Regardless of how ideal the weather conditions might have been or the caliber of fly fisher that harassed the trout \u2013 594 rainbows, at\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"b2ap3_thumbnail_GOPR0020.jpg","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/b2ap3_thumbnail_GOPR0020.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9754,"url":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?p=9754","url_meta":{"origin":15225,"position":5},"title":"TCC Leg 1","author":"Gareth","date":"September 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"There are many elements that will determine how successful any fishing outing is, not least of which is our attitude. \u00a0 In the lead up to any trip, it\u2019s that element of excitement, finally being able to get back on the water, receiving the nod from your boss and better\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tops Corporate Challenge"","block_context":{"text":"Tops Corporate Challenge","link":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/?cat=279"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TCC-Leg-1-FB-Image-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TCC-Leg-1-FB-Image-copy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TCC-Leg-1-FB-Image-copy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.fishbook.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/TCC-Leg-1-FB-Image-copy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8sv9-3Xz","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15225"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15227,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15225\/revisions\/15227"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fishbook.co.za\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}