FROM ZERO TO HERO

WORDS: Thian van Zyl | PHOTOS: Supplied In this issue, I'm talking to none other than the famous (beloved as well?), Riaan 'Alleman' Riekert, writer and angler for The Bank Angler. Thian: Where did your love for fishing begin? On the social side, the easy answer is that it started with my father, and every facet as I started, had its own funny story that proved that it was the beginner stage of that part. We did everything with my father, whether it was watching rugby at the stadium or fishing, he was the man who introduced me to fishing and 'sparked' that love. My father earned his Protea colours in the Light Tackle Boat facet and could pass on so much knowledge to me. My very first fishing trip was around the age of five where we 'trolled' for barbel and a few things stood out that day. We caught 24 barbel in a matter of three hours which was just an incredible treat for me and ignited that love. Something happened, that I have to mention to show that I was still in the learning phase of fishing at the time, was that I didn't look behind me before I cast. For any angler, experienced or beginner, this is crucial, because in this case my father was behind me, and with a platanna and a Van der Merwe hook he was in the way, and the hook clasped onto a strategic vein as I started to cast! In competitive angling, I really like to dabble in the specimen facet these days, and my first experience with specimen angling was a nice experience but challenging in the beginning because everything was new. Riaan Alleman with his 'stolen' barbel, landed at Moolmans' bank while he was fishing with Elites, and as he tells the story ... "well, the guys were busy, so I just landed it". When I first started working at The Bank Angler, I had to do an article at the Cast 'n Catch resort at Roodeplaat Dam and immediately saw that big fish would come out here. With great effort I tied my trace perfectly, exactly as I had seen the other people tie their 'helicopter rigs', but when the line tightened and I struck, the trace came out just like that, but without the hook line. I couldn't understand it. Then I called Werner Lubbe at the office to find out what I had done wrong, and with a big laugh it turned out that I had hooked the hook line on the quick-release link, which is actually meant to release the sinker when you hook a fish between structure to prevent it from getting stuck. After this lesson, however, every fish came out beautifully! Thian: What was your first competitive specimen fishing experience? Riaan: I started a team with my son, Ruan and a field writer for the magazine, Jonathan Adams, and entered a competition at Roodekoppies Dam where we couldn't land a single fish in the 72 hours of the competition, and therefore finished last! We had to watch as the rest of the anglers got into the fish and easily landed a ton and a half of carp, so it wasn't as if the others struggled. We were just in an area where the food for the fish is not abundant and the structure is not favourable. Thian: What is currently your greatest achievement in fishing? Riaan: My personal best fish at the moment I landed in one session with Adriaan van der Merwe from Korda, a mirror carp of 11,7kg and a full-scale carp of 15,45kg. Here I am with my new personal best of 15,40kg caught at Ifafi, Hartbeespoort Dam. Competitively, I'm currently on track to make the green and gold team by participating in the FK Specimen series which serves as trials. The top five teams from a test match are invited to the next match, and I'm proud that my team is currently third and has therefore been invited to the next test match. So, we're on the roll to represent South Africa internationally against the world's teams. Thian: What is currently the top learning points that you can share with readers? Riaan: Gathering information is essential; don't be afraid to ask or learn from others, do your own research on the internet, and gather as much information about the dam and its fish in general. Approach the anglers who have experience and knowledge and use it to your advantage. At Roodekoppies, for example, 6m of water is my chosen depth to target. Riaan Alleman with another beautiful fish of 13kg. If you've made the decision to take this facet up seriously, then get the best gear you can afford, and don't waste time playing around to see what's acceptable enough at first. Thian: What in your fishing setup do you feel gives you a possible 'edge' over others? Riaan: The most important thing in fishing is your relationship with Jesus, your faith is the most important because we cannot do anything without His will and so you are always at peace with the result. Riaan Alleman's feed during a session: maize, hemp seed, peas, tigernuts and of course, very coarse salt. Riaan Alleman's pineapple kaboem pips. A 'catching' combination. When it comes to bait, two simple changes have made all the difference to me: I've found that if I cook and prepare my bait with the water from the dam where I fish, I have a lot more confidence in what I'm doing because I know what I'm putting in and how the feed will react. I believe everything I put in should work as naturally as possible. If you don't have time, a commercial ground feed like Monster Mix can also work, but I like to do everything myself when I fish. The second, and people laugh at me when I mention it, is Riaan Alleman's pineapple kaboem pips. It saved me from a tough spot a number of times while everyone around me was struggling. This is definitely my 'go-to' recipe!

FROM ZERO TO HERO

Riaan 'Alleman' Riekert – OUR OWN HERO!

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