Posts Tagged ‘Durban’
Man vs Shark
March 13, 2010 | 
Author Although this is a site mainly focused on fresh water fishing we do from time to time write some articles that has absolutely nothing to do with this fasset of the sport but is still very interesting. This is one of those articles and a follow up on our previous article “Shark fishing in Durban, the old school way”.
“One day Peter Botha was out at the end of the pier when another fisherman caught an 800-pounder, which was technically landed, except for the fact that it was lodged in some rocks a few feet off the pier. Botha jumped out on the rocks, one hand holding onto the wire leader, the other grasping a gaff. He leaped atop a small rock and, just as he lunged to to gaff the shark, a wave smashed over his perch and hurled him into the sea, directly into the jaws of the thrashing shark. Luckily Botha had not lost his handhold on the leader. Hand over hand, he pulled himself along the leader and got back on the rocks.”
Quoted from the New York Derrydale Press 1917
Peter Botha with a grey shark
I heard this story time and time again,and then some… not because the people liked telling it but because I bugged them so much that they eventually gave up and told me the story again! 99% of the time during a battle between shark and man, man showed his superiority and retired as champion! There was an occation or two however where man underestimated these beasts of the sea and came off second best. This almost held true for Peter Botha as he slipped that day in 1917. As told by his late ex wife he was covered in blood when he finally emerged and managed to pull himself back onto the rocks. Botha’s back was covered in scratch marks caused by fins, teeth and the rocks itself.
Another Durban shark
“A year after this incident, Botha found out what can happen to a person that strays near the jaws of a killer shark. He caught a 600 pounder and cut it open. In its belly he found the head, right arm and part of the backbone of a man.”
Quoted from the New York Derrydale Press 1917
The article in the New York Derrydale Tress
The battle between man and shark continues on a day to day basis and although man is superior , shark will wait… and stalk… and will get the occational surfer… swimmer… fisherman… or…
We might perceive ourselves as being higher up in the food chain , but taking the battle to the waters that these majestic animals roam might occasionally just turn the human advantage into a disadvantage!
Another battle won by man
Posted in 
Tags: 
Shark fishing in Durban, the old school way
When I met my wife four years ago I was amazed by the stories and legends of her grandfather Peter Botha. I would on numerous occations request a story from Granny and just sit and listen. Altough I didn’t know this man, I had a longing within me to just shake his hand or share in his wealth of knowledge.
Peter Botha
In those days men were men and didn’t mind showing it! The battle ground was the Southern pier of the Durban harbour and many epic battles were won and lost here. Prime specimens roamed the waters of Durban and a fight lasted for 6 to 8 hours on average. The amazing thing however is that modern fishing gear did not yet exist, the main weapon was a bamboo rod and wooden reel! Certain old school rules did also apply, an angler was not allowed to hand his rod to a fellow angler in order to take a break. You-hook-it-you-catch-it! When an angler finally struggled through his 6 to 8 hours with a beast of a fish on the other end he was allowed to hand his rod to someone else, if and only if the trace was visible. If you think to yourself that this is it ,you are surely mistaken, the battle was far from over and the angler was required to gaff his own fish! With their first fish out of the water they usually prepared for a second.
The bamboo fishing rod they used in those days
The wooden Reels used in those days
Catching a shark in Durban
This is shark fishing the old school way and brings with it a wealth of emotions, jealousy, amazement and sadness, but most of all admiration, admiration for men that lived in a time, a time that will never be again, a time that we can just dream of. In my next few posts I will write more about Peter Botha and the stories that was shared with me.
