STYWE LYNE TIGHT LINES April 2025: My Turn | My Beurt
WORDS/WOORDE: Eugene C. Kruger, Editor-in-Chief
Just like everyone else, I cannot see into the future, so as I write this have no idea what the weather will be like in April. But just like the rest of you I do know that the last few weeks in January and February and the first days in March all over the country were the wettest I have experienced in many years, with catches in the rising waters varying from a complete blank to some red-letter days – climate change with a vengeance…?
For sure one of the most visible results of the soaking rains was the dramatic rise in the Vaal Dam which went from an alarming low twenty five percent to full pool as I write this, the fullest it has been since two years ago!
Of course we should also spare a thought for the many unfortunate people who have suffered flood damage. When hearing of the damage I once again cannot but wonder why the responsible authorities don’t put the necessary infrastructures in place to prevent the damage? A case in point is the deteriorating state of the Bloemhof Dam wall; when it was very low so very easy to inspect, no one paid attention to the warnings expressed by many that the wall was showing signs of deterioration, but now that it is at full pool engineers are being tasked to carry out the necessary actions. Along with all anglers who have a high regard of Bloemhof as a premier angling venue I trust that the necessary steps will be taken to prevent what will be a major catastrophe . . .
Met hierdie, ons April uitgawe, en soos in elke ieder een moet ek byvoeg – kan lesers uitsien na die kennis en ervarings van ‘n groep skrywers wat ‘n groot bank kennis en ervaring oor visgedrag het wat oor baie jare op talle verskillende waters en plekke versamel is. In hierdie uitgawe is hierdie talente en kundigheid gekombineer om ‘n waardevolle uitgawe te produseer wat die grille van die oorgang van somer na herfs erken en wat lesers sal help om die meeste van hierdie soms frustrerende tydperk te maak.
Vir April is effens meer spasie aan baarshengel bestee (nee, dis nie ‘n Aprilgrap nie!) en soos die verhaal van die Wilkensgesin elders in hierdie uitgawe uitwys, is die gewildheid van baarshengel steeds aan te groei. Dit is weliswaar ‘n hengelsport wat op ‘n uitheemse spesie geskoei is so deesdae word nogal meer tyd as in die verlede aan “bestuur” daarvan bestee. Feit bly staan baarshengel is en bly ‘n stewige komponent van die totale varswaterontspanningshengel-industrie in die land (en so ook in die wêreld!).
Malcolm Palmer and his Cape buddies know a bit more about Smallmouth bass than others so provide pointers on how to target smallies at this time of year. Tyron Mortimer offers his educated take on using a bass rig that when it first became known was looked at, if not in astonishment, then in amazement, namely the Wacky rig. Fact of the matter is that this rig, no matter that it looks more like a Kafkaesque creation than an efficient bass catching tool, really does do the job, and here he outlines three basic rigs that are sure to help things along.
Nog ‘n insiggewende artikel is Martin Engelke se skrywe oor hoe om die squarebill crank in helder skoon water te gebruik. Daar is nog bydraes met baarshengel as tema, gaan lees gerus daaroor! En lees daarby George Robey se ervaringe toe hy na Suid-Afrika verhuis het en met krokodille en seekoeie sy baarswaters moes deel.
Daarby het Charmagne Grimbeek en haar man, Jaco aan die Loskop Kurper en Baars Bonanza deelgeneem en verskaf ‘n insiggewende verslag en foto’s daaroor. Wat my oog gevang het, synde dat die kurper ‘n gunstelingspesie van my is, is die massa van die wenvisse, naamlik meer as twee kilogram in al die verskillende afdelings, met ‘n kurper van 2,465kg as die wenvis in die senior-afdeling! Die massa van die wen baarsvisse is ook indrukwekkend, naamlik 3,437kg vir die eerste plek en ‘n 3,265kg vis in die tweede plek.
Gelees saam met die aantal spesies wat in die onlangse kunsaaskampioenskappe in Loskop gevang is, is dit dan verkeerd om die afleiding te maak dat op die oog af is Loskop se visbevolking kerngesond? Ek los hierdie vraag vir die viswetenskaplikes …
Along with everything else, our April issue is no April Fool’s joke at all! Enjoy the Autumn catches and as always, Take Care!
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