Nomads gives you the thrill of deep-sea fishing
The club would like to encourage anglers of all ages to look them up
THE Nomads Game Fishing Club, one of six inland fishing clubs in Southern Gauteng, is making it its mission to promote the sport.
There are a number of inland deep-sea fishing clubs which all contribute to the revenue generated by recreational fishing in South Africa, says Mark Cockcroft, chairman of the club.
Cockcroft says he would like to rekindle the interest in deep-sea fishing in Southern Gauteng and set the record straight with regards to the perception that fishermen are plundering our natural resources.
“I do not believe recreational catches are anywhere near the numbers caught by trawlers and illegal long-liner fishing vessels. Nomads was the pioneer in promoting the catch and release of bill fish and this philosophy has been adopted in all South African Deep Sea Angling Association (SADSAA) competitions.
“We were also one of the first clubs to promote the catch and release of non-pelagic game fish such as kingfish, green job fish and the like, which are lifetime residents on our reefs. SADSAA competition rules now provide for the measuring and release of these fish. Competitive anglers are leading the way in terms of environmentally friendly fishing,” he says.
From a development perspective, Nomads sponsors the entry for six teams a year to attend inter-club competitions on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. These are weekend competitions and the feeding ground for provincial anglers.
The Nomads Closed is held once a year. This year it will take place in June at Mapelane and all members are welcome.
Beyond the club competitions, there are inter-provincial competitions for game fish, light-tackle bill fish, heavy-tackle bill fish and bottom fish.
“Nomads is always well represented in the provincial teams and we boast a large number of Protea anglers who have fished at international level,” adds Cockcroft.
However, for the developing angler the first big test is the Rose Bowl, where Nomads compete against the other southern Gauteng clubs. Camaraderie between the clubs is terrific but the competition is fierce – even greater than at inter-provincial level.
This year the Southern Gauteng inter-club was held at the end of February at Sodwana. Nomads did reasonably well, achieving the bronze in a competition Nomads is used to winning, but well done and fair play to East Rand Ski Boat Club, who won the Rose Bowl 2017 with some good catches.
The club would like to encourage anglers of all ages to look them up on https://www.nomadsfishing.co.za or on their Facebook page, Nomads Gamefishing.
“Junior angling is growing rapidly in the zone and we are encouraging this area of development.”
