Fishermen brave the wet and cold for the thrill of reeling in the catch
Roodepoort Angling Club hold competition at Florida Lake
The banks of Florida Lake were a fisherman’s paradise as Roodepoort Angling Club (RAC) held their first competition for 2022 from February 4 to 6.
From 18:00 on Friday evening to 10:00 on Sunday morning, 14 teams of two would fight for every kilogram of carp out the waters of the old lake. At the end of the 40-hour angling marathon, the team with the heaviest combined catches would be declared the winner.
The type of fishing done by the club is specimen angling only, meaning the focus is on one breed of fish and they return every catch back to the lake once it has been weighed. Each peg, as the two-person team is known, has a special cradle that keeps the fish wet and off the ground so as not to harm it. Additionally, only one un-baited hook is used, with the bait being attached to a separate loop at the end of the line.
Throughout the first night spent next to the water, teams faced torrential downpours. Tents became flooded and muddied, clothes were drenched, and warmth would have to wait until the morning. The swirling winds and dropping temperatures made catches hard to come by, with some pre-drawn peg sites benefiting from their location more than others.
By early Saturday morning Stefan Fouche and Deon Valiatham had caught a total of 11 fish but only three could be counted towards the scoreboard. Rules stipulate that only fish seven kilograms and heavier qualify, but that still gave Stefan and Deon the lead with a combined 26kg in the bag. The peg would be too good for the reminder, winning the competition outright with a final bag weight of 34kg.
“They were onto the fish from Friday night and kept them there up until Sunday morning. They dominated and kept the pressure on with a minimum of four to five hours sleep. This partnered peg was rewarded with the results they deserved,” said RAC chairman, Wayne Goosen. The peg of Elroy Nott and Pedro da Silva came second, 6kg behind the winners, while Jules Chame got the personal accolade for biggest fish with his 13,6kg catch.
