Fighting my PB!
I set out from my home in Linden Johannesburg at about 5:30. I will meet Willem and Joe at Centurion from where we will travel to Rietvlei dam. This is our first visit as fishing buddies to this location and I am somewhat exited!
Apparently this is one of South Africa’s most challenging dams and if your day doesn’t end with a blank ,it ends with a personal best. Or so they claim 
Unfortunately I do not have my bakkie yet so the rods are lined up on Gina’s roof with the essentials in the back.
Willem and Joe are a bit late and I decide to grab a ‘lekker koppie boere troos’ from the nearest Wimpy when they finally phone. I take a long look at the half full cup and think to myself … AAAH, screw the coffee! Today I want to catch a ‘LEKKER’ fish!
It’s a bit overcast but the admission fee is only R25 per person, the reserve is in mint condition and the banks are already packed with people. As always we leave everything else and start with the preparation of the rods and bait.
Not having a bait boat we fish at about 50 to 70 metres. Ok, so now the lines are in the water and it’s time to finish that coffee that I was ‘forced’ to leave this morning. There was no time for breakfast and it’s taking effect now, Joe is preparing his camera for ‘Daai GROTE’ while Willem is looking for the bacon and eggs. In the meantime I am 100% focused on preparing that coffee…
Our lines have been in the water for little more than an hour now. With our ’magies’ full and another pot of coffee brewing, we start to wait… As any group of respectable 24 year old males will do, we keep ourselves busy with a few constructive activities…
Willem doing constructive activity one - The snake man
Joe the camera man doing constructive activity two - Pink Tooth
FINALLY there is a big ZZZZZZZZZZZ at my left rod and I almost die trying to swallow my fizzer that I was using in the preparation of constructive activity three. I lift the rod and can immediately feel it’s rather big, surely this must be my PB! The fish at the end of the line is going wild and I must carefully give it some line to work with. The adrenaline is pumping and Willem is coming with the ‘skep net’, Joe is on the bank filming this glorious event. All that’s going through my mind is : “Don’t lose this one Andre, the fish is coming slowly but surely”. As the fish is coming closer it finally breaks the surface and my heart stops for a second or two. Willem take the words out of my mouth : “Dis ‘n LEKKER vis man!”
Pamela breaking the water for the first time
As a tradition we name the fish at first sight. As she is big and busty, she must be a Pamela! Pamela DOESN’T like the shallow water and I get a bit of resistance as she breaks the water surface for a second time.
Pamela breaking the surface for the second time
We move in a bit deeper, it’s always better to land a big carp in deeper water. The fish is tired now and Willem is moving closer with the landing net. This is a TENSE time, but Willem is an expert at this and finally after about 15 minutes PAMELA HAS LANDED.
Pamela has landed
Joe is just as exited on the bank as the two of us in the water. I don’t know if there is a better feeling than the one when you land that big fish! Pamela must be close to my PB Betty, a 7,2kg common carp. While I’m unhooking Pamela, Willem is getting the scale and… YES… she is a beauty at a weight of 8kg! I take back my previous statement, there is one better feeling than the one mentioned above and that is when you land that big fish and it is your personal best!
Pamela
Pamela
Pamela
With the excitement gone, we were waiting again, Willem always being his cool and collective self…
Willem being cool and collective
Unfortunately the rest of the day didn’t deliver any fish and Willem got his second blank at Rietvlei. So the myth might be true, if you do not have a blank you might just catch your personal best! Sorry Willem, hopefully it will be third time lucky as they say.
The days summary:
Fishing period: +- 7am to 4pm
Fish: 1 common carp of 8kg
Bait used: A Tutti Frutti Mielie on a hair rig
Distance the fish was caught at: +- 60m
Fishing spot: On the far left of the dam (left of the dam wall).
Conditions: Overcast
Tags: Baber, Bait, Barbel, Canary Kurper, carp, Catfish, Gauteng Dams, Irene Dams, karp, Kurper, Pretoria Dams, Rietvlei Dam, Rigs, South African Dams, Specimen
Dis ‘n baie cool site julle!!! Ek hoop julle altwee vang binnekort julle 12kg visse!!!! en dan sal ek daarvan hier kan lees:)
Baie geluk! Julle kan gerus nou Roodeplaat ook gaan probeer. In die winter gaan jy verseker ‘n 12Kg een daar vang!
Ja ons sal nog ‘n trippie reel na Roodeplaat toe, en hopelik vang ons daai 12kg vis waarvan julle so praat. Hoor die hiasinte is ook maar ‘n probleem in die dam. Ek hoor ook meeste van die vangste daar word in die aand gemaak, weet julle of dit waar is?
This is my first time i go post. I collected so many interesting things in your site especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I guess I am not the only one having all the enjoyment here! keep up the good work.Regards
Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be very useful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! I’m sure you had joy writing this article.
Glad you enjoyed it Ariel!