Sport Angling administrators SHOW their STEEL

2024 SASACC CHALLENGE

WORDS: Werner Lubbe | PHOTOS: Supplied

A few years back an interesting discussion took place between Chris Schorn (SADSAA President) and Andries Maree (SASACC President) about initiatives to get the top administrators of angling in South Africa to gain an insight into the bigger picture and get to make better decisions at leadership level. One of the challenges identified was to better understand each other’s facets, and so the idea of an intervention where this cross pollination could take place was born, namely the SASACC Challenge.

The leadership team setting a great example of a perfect dress code, courtesy of course of apparel partners, *Columbia*.

2024 is the second year that the leadership of formal, competitive sport angling got together, fished a Challenge that included three separate facets and learnt an amazing amount from each other.

“The SASACC Challenge really brings together the diversity that we find in our beloved sport and provides a platform where the top leaders can get to know each other on a personal level, as well as gain insights into the challenges of the different facets,” says SASACC President, Andries Maree about this initiative. “It is important that we understand better, in order to lead the sport better at national level,” he points out.

The weekend kicked off as an adventure for everybody as we all travelled together in two *Hyundai* Staria 9-seaters sponsored by *Gys Pitzer Motors*. The trip itself is part of the adventure as we got to know each other on a totally different level, outside the day-to-day administrative maze of organised angling.

The first night’s destination was the beautiful Millstream Trout Farm between Belfast and Dullstroom. This is a state-of-the-art, upmarket destination where you can really get good rest for the soul. The farm has 10 luxury 10-sleepers for rent, and you can book through https://millstreamfarm.co.za/.

Arriving at Millstream, the team was amazed by the beauty of the place, the tranquility and the amazing layout. They stood enjoying the scene for a while, letting the awe sink in and appreciating the quietness.

Millstream consists of a farm with a number of dams, surrounded by the most beautiful sandstone chalets of various sizes. The dams are well stocked with both rainbow and brown trout, awaiting the fly of an eager angler, casting his line in an artistic fashion to simulate the hatching and movement of natural nymphs and bloodworms.

The leader himself, showing the road, preparing the dinner for the team. Andries Maree dished up quite a meal.

Janes Wasserman, SASACC Vice-president displaying one of his hidden talents, delicious treats!

What a setting for a breakfast – on the porch overlooking the large dam with the sun rising over the water.

It looks like the leadership of SASACC does not mind getting their hands dirty. The other Vice-president, Mike Milligan washing up after breakfast.

The next day marked the start of this year’s challenge with the SA Fly Fishing Association (SAFFA) responsible for day 1. The best-of-the-best fly-fishing anglers reported for duty and after team partners were drawn, each team drew a guide for the first leg of the challenge. These Protea anglers are not only knowledgeable guides, but also great coaches. For the first leg, these guides would not only teach the leadership some valuable skills, but would also develop some valuable ties of friendship and respect.

Gareth Fransman with a beautiful specimen rainbow trout, caught under the watchful eye of Alison O’Brian.

One needs to rest as well – this is hard work!

Mike Milligan managed a few of these stunners, under the guidance of his ‘coach’, Johan Ferreira.

Werner Lubbe, from All Lion media house and For Anglers Digital Network, managed to land a smaller rainbow after two biggies had managed to free themselves by jumping to throw the fly.

The day came to an end and it was time to head to the next venue – Loskop Dam, where the group would meet up with the dedicated skippers from the SA Light Tackle Boat Angling Association (SALTBAA). Here there was some time to shoot a few great images.

To be a boat skipper of any team, does not only require sufficient skill to be able to safely skip the boat and keep everybody safe, but also demands a lot of knowledge and tactical acumen.

No challenge is ever complete without issuing some penalties for ‘misbehaviour’. Nishaad Ebrahim and Elaine Rossouw were the appointed committee of ‘prosecutor, judge and jury’. They had a long list of crimes, and the spot fines were flowing freely.

John Immelman, President of the SA Shore Angling Association (SASAA) is taking his sentence like a man.

**Another round of draws took place and every team was assigned a skipper. Being on the boat with the skipper the entire day made for some interesting chats and we got to know each other much better.**

Dinner time brought us to the restaurant at Forever Resorts Loskop and tactics of the next day was the main talking point.

The biggest barbel of the day, more than 8kg, was caught by SASACC Secretary, Annetjie Lubbe off the boat *Cest La Vie* with Lourens Hattingh.

Elaine Rossouw and Mike Milligan enjoying the pre-start photo session with Clint Spamers on his 21ft *Fusion 21* ‘speedboat’.

Elaine Rossouw getting stuck into one of many barbel for the day.

**John Immelman, who is quite comfortable on the beach chasing after kob, enjoyed the experience of landing a new species for him – one of Loskop’s good old carp.**

Commenting on the Challenge, he said: “We all have an interest in Angling and the Love for the sport. On the first day fly fishing, I learnt a lot about the casting technique – and of course the wrist! It is quite challenging, and you need some patience. It is delicate, requires concentration and finesse. I learnt to get the cast right and was truly amazed at all the different flies.” His favourite however was the LTB challenge. “It is my favourite!” he said, “I learnt that ‘Aas is baas’ and that you need to be accurate!”

He described the Artlure challenge as “Another kettle of fish! The excitement of seeing the fish and trying to get the lure down gets the adrenaline pumping. I learnt that it is important to get around quickly in fast boats! That was the fun part!”

Another beauty that speaks to your heart!

Janes Wasserman is quite used to fishing the big waters off large tuna boats where a sturdy fighting chair is normally in the order of the day. However, he thoroughly enjoyed the odd barbel from a much quieter water.

Nishaad Ebrahim is a man who loves any type of fishing, but 100kg tunas off his 30-foot boat is quite normal for him – here the ‘bait fish’ from a smaller vessel still deserves a pic. Nish says that every fish, no matter how small, still makes his heart pump faster.

The men from ‘J&J’ (John & Janes) really got stuck into the barbel and on the day enjoyed a good run on Loskop.

Getting ready before the launch is quite a common task for Len Jacobs, President of the SA Light Tackle Boat Angling Association (SALTBAA). He spent the day on the boat of one of his mancomm members – prompting the question: “How much are they gonna fish, or are they gonna talk shop the whole day?”

Marietjie Davies stood in for SAFFA President Evert Minnaar, who had some work responsibilities over the weekend. She accomplished it pretty well and was part of the winning team for the day.

Well, well, this catch was caught with bait (a ‘plattie’) in the mouth with the hook, netted and measured, and recorded on the weigh sheet as ‘other’, but still not accepted by the marshals (unfair?).

Love at first sight – The 450’s on Clint’s boat really spoke to Mike’s heart!

Chris Schorn, SADSAA President is quite comfy on the boat, and with bottom fishing being his favourite, targeting the carp and barbel came quite naturally for him.

Marietjie Davies showed that it was not only carp but also barbel on her rod that got them the winning performance for the day.

Any good, hard day on the water, demanding a good performance from an angler, needs to be fueled – here the team on duty is preparing meals for the next day.

After a hard day’s fishing, a monster game of rugby is just the right thing to get stuck into. Watching the Bokke take the win against the All Blacks always lifts the spirits!

So, the last day would belong to one of the more difficult facets, or is it rather an art? Artificial lure fishing can be quite tricky, and catching more species certainly brings the points. The highly skillful team of SAALAA guides was drawn for each angling pair for the day.

Launa Bagnall, the CEO of Columbia in SA, was also part of the team. She had the pleasurable duty of handing gifts of appreciation to the SAALAA guides.

Catching barbel and carp on artlure requires quite a few variables to align. Firstly, it is important to be able to see the fish, as you have to present the lure correctly to persuade the fish that it is food. The barbel are a bit easier, and touching the whiskers with the lead head normally gets the strike, but the carp needs a little bit more enticing. Both Elaine Rossouw and Mike Milligan did very well getting these fish to bite. As Elaine said afterwards: “I really enjoyed the LTB day and learnt a lot from artlure – the most important though is that you need very good eyesight and good quality sunglasses!”

Sampie Britz, the newly elected President of SAALAA worked hard to get quota on bass. As an avid Protea artlure angler, this day was quite natural for him and he had to do some coaching to get Annetjie Lubbe to better understand this facet of angling.

The early morning conditions were excellent and the teams who made use of the clear, windless conditions early on did well.

Len Jacobs from LTB with a bass he caught stalking, a bit different than drifting for barbel or catching carp while at anchor.

In the past few years, there has been quite a significant move away from excessive fish handling and more care is being taken to conserve the fish. Measuring instead of weighing has become the order of the day.

The most awesome attribute of the three days is that of new friendships. Here three divergent facets are ‘converging’ on a personal level. Chris (deep sea), Rudolph (artlure) and Marietjie (fly) became good friends on the boat that day.

Chris Schorn, President of SADSAA had the following to say about the initiative: “Once again we had the opportunity to experience just a small part of what our fellow angling federations do. Although we all fall under one big label of angling – the action or sport of fishing with hook and line – we all do this in different ways which are dictated very much by the species of fish that we are pursuing.

“This year we were exposed to three facets to which I personally had no knowledge of whatsoever – Fly Fishing, Light Tackle Boat and Artificial Lure. I will try and give just a short summary of each as I understand them and what we experienced.

“First up was Fly Fishing. Most of us will have an image in our minds of standing waste deep in some stream or river of crystal clear water, gently casting a fly at some unsuspecting trout … well it’s not too far from exactly that. We spent an hour or two with a guide who showed us the basics of casting a fly and the different types of retrieves that are used. The interesting part of this is that the casting of the fly line is technically what makes this fly fishing, but it is the placement of that fly, and the action used in the retrieve that elicits the bite. We had a great time then trying to put this newly taught skill to the test and believe me, we were tested. It looks so smooth and easy in the hands of an expert, but let me tell you, it isn’t! The wind plays havoc on the line and many a time I was smacked on the back by a line and fly that was doing exactly what it wanted and definitely not what I wanted. This being said, the peace and tranquillity of those clear waters and the ability to see our prey patrolling up and down the bank was truly amazing, and this is without a doubt a type of fishing that I hope to be able to pursue in the future, however, being a saltwater angler, I intend to rather try this in our estuaries and rivers along our cost.

“Day 2 was Light Tackle Boat. This was on Loskop Dam, and I must make a note here that we only experienced one ‘half’ of the type of angling that LTB partakes in. This was very much the freshwater fishing ‘half’, and not the saltwater ‘half’. Dam fishing by boat is another fairly new concept for me and I have to say I can see the appeal. All that was missing was the braai, and it would have been a perfect day on the water. We experienced some great carp catches and barbel. These freshwater fish give a half decent fight, and it was fascinating to see how the area is prepared with baits to lure the fish in, long before a line is cast, and then how the ground baits are prepared with a variety of sauces to add flavour to attract the carp and barbel. A truly excellent day on the water and, without a doubt, a facet that I would pursue should I be inland bound.

“Our last day was Artificial Lure, and that’s exactly what it is. Using an artificial lure to attract a bite, usually as a reaction to the lure, be it in defence or an act of pure aggression. Although the equipment is similar to what we all use as anglers, it is the lure itself and the method of retrieve that requires the greatest skill. The accuracy of the cast is also quite a test of one’s ability to control the line, rod and reel.

“In closing, I have to say that the knowledge and experience of each of our guides was exceptional and it is always a pleasure to learn from those that have spent years perfecting their skills and learning the individual characteristics of each of their chosen target species. As a born and bred saltwater angler, I can see many of the skills that we were exposed to working really well while targeting our deep water fish and I will definitely start applying some of these soon. An interesting part of the weekend was seeing how so many of the various facets actually overlap each other. But as the old saying goes, horses for courses, and I look forward to what next year brings in the third chapter of the SASACC Classic!”

Now this is a beautiful story – Launa Bagnall is not an angler at all, but her company, *Columbia* looks after the needs of many an angler as far as apparel is concerned. Understanding the world of the angler is important for her, and what better way than to catch a few lunkers! Here she showcases what is possible if you put your mind to it.

For Anglers’ Werner Lubbe and SAFBAF Vice-President, Gareth Fransman are both Protea anglers in the Freshwater Bank Angling fraternity, but just love any type of fishing. Here they enjoyed a few good quality bass on artlure.

About the event, Gareth had the following to say: “I have learned that each facet has its own challenges, strategies and different approaches. The key is to know your venue, have the correct tools/baits/tackle and definitely patience.

“I was amazed that each and every species has different habits and some more difficult than others to catch.

“What I enjoyed the most about each facet was catching the fish on different methods and applying what I have learned. I have a greater respect for the different facets, the anglers and the fish we are targeting. I loved all three facets, each has a place in my heart. LTB is more in line with my type of fishing and I would excel in this facet. Artlure from a boat was a first, I truly enjoyed this facet and would love to do it more often. Fly fishing is unique and what is great about it, is that you can target any species on a fly.

“Key points:

Do your homework about the venue, the species you are targeting, how the point system works, using the tools on the boat (fish finders, we have not utilised it as much), fresh bait and different types of baits.
Know the different lures, depths and applications. The season plays a crucial role in the fish’s behaviour, spawning patterns and eating habits.
What a great experience, a huge eye opener and as the Afrikaans guys say, ‘nou het die gogga gebyt!’”

Although the event was more about learning and aligning interests, there was a competitive streak as well. Some of the anglers were really competitive and others less, so were the guides and skippers – they were really competing – it was a matter of honour!

So, the prizegiving was conducted and in 4th place Annetjie Lubbe and Sampie Britz were awarded with a few nice prizes. About the event, SASACC Secretary, Annetjie commented as follows: “I think Fly Fishing is one of the most difficult facets to fish. It is unbelievable how you have to master the art of the cast. I take my hat off to the Fly Anglers. Well done, guys. Thank you to Lucinda for having so much patience with me!

“The LTB day was much better for me, as I am more familiar with it. I am fortunate to have a husband with a boat and fishing LTB. I enjoyed this one the most, and with Lourens’ good skipping skills, we caught a good number of barbel.

“The Artlure day was on a totally different level. This is not easy as you have so many different techniques to catch the different species. Thank you Sampie for being my boatmate on this unforgettable weekend. It was good to spend time with all the Presidents of the facets. This makes it really easy for future communications.”

**Andries Maree and Launa Bagnall did pretty well on this one and took the ‘bronze’. Launa said she was just so happy to catch a few and enjoyed every moment.**

SASACC President, Andries Maree shared his heart: “I found that the statement ‘the art of fly fishing’ is true. The presentation of the fly is just as important as the fly selection.

“I came to realise that the LTB discipline is not just about putting feed in and catching the fish. The anglers showed us the skill it requires to participate at a totally different level.

“The art in artlure fishing clearly does not just refer to the artificial baits … it definitely also refers to the art of luring the fish to bite. Doing this through sight fishing makes this discipline such a unique art of fishing.”

He continued: “I was truly amazed about the vast differences in the disciplines and the different skills required for each. Each one has its own kind of magic and enjoyment:

The challenge of presenting the fly so that it’s acceptable for the trout as a simulation of food.
LTB – Fighting the fish with the light lines.
Artlure – Sight fishing for a specific fish by targeting it, presenting the bait, and catching. This is also the one I enjoyed the most.”